Mis Vecinos (my neighbors)

May 3, 2011

Living out in Las Mercedes means communing with the wild life. As we set up my hammock yesterday we had to work around a family of wasps living above my sleeping arrangements. At home I would just go buy some wasp spray. Regino offered to get rid of them for me, but I told him it was fine – I can’t really imagine a way for him to get rid of them without being stung, and I assume if I don’t bother them, they won’t bother me.

I also have a family of birds living in one wall. That mama bird works hard. At least 20 times today she has come humming in to feed her babies. I can’t see them, but I assume they are cute despite their bat-like screeches.

Continuing the winged friend trend, I was reading this afternoon when a chicken came wandering in. Incidentally, I’m already loving it here as I got half way through “The man who was Thursday” and still had time to get all of my other chores done (look over my survey, set up the stove, try to fix the water filter, read some of a statistics book. The chicken took a lap around the room and wandered away again.

Later that afternoon my mind had wandered from my statistics book, and I wondered if maybe the locals had potty trained the dogs and chickens since there didn’t seem to be any signs that they were going in the clinic. Just then, I looked toward the door and saw four furry legs wander by beyond the hanging plastic sheet that is my door. He had just about passed when he decided to stop and pee on my doorframe. Guess that answers that question. Also, in retrospect I suppose chickens aren't bright enough to be potty trained, but maybe one will leave me an egg!