the more the merrier!

let's have a TWO-beer-each PAR-TAY !!

we can discuss LUMBAR PUNCTURES in hideous and agonizing detail!

and giggle at each other's word-mangulation, tip-of-the-tongue forgetfulness, and silly staggering after a few sips of brew...



but it's pretty hard to get thrown outta here, lol:

First Chapter - ‘The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw’

By BRUCE BARCOTT - Published: February 17, 2008

If you feel a need to escape the law, elude creditors, hide assets, or shed the skin of your humdrum life, you could do worse than run away to Belize. Belize is a tiny nation tucked between Guatemala, Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. It's firmly attached to Central America but considers itself a Caribbean island, like a chicken that thinks it's a duck. For more than a hundred years Belize was known as British Honduras, one of the most remote outposts of the British Empire, which explains why it's the only Latin American nation to embrace English as its official language.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/bo...pagewanted=all

(free reg. req'd to read NYT)

Yes, you do! Yes, yes, indeedy you do.

Hmmm.... my kind of place. You can be as "YOU" as you want.

And now I get the "chicken that thinks it's a duck." Hey, my Hairy Chicken would do just FINE there!

The Zoo Lady sounds like a particularly interesting woman. Anyone who likes animals that much is ok by me.

So what's the worst kind of poisonous animal/insect you have there?

Sharon's really nice, I've met her... (lol, this is a SMALL country!)

well, since it's YOU, (the thread-starter) asking, nobody can SPANK me for hijacking.

the worst critter in Belize is the Fer de Lance a fatally venomous snake...

I AVOID going outside at night, seriously.


(illustration by Christopher Montero)

http://corinalogan.com/chris/

the locals call it a Yellow-Jaw Tommy-Goff:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bothrops_asper

DON'T click the above Wiki link if you have a weak stomach, there's a photo of an injured child.

Thanks for that Kay. I was so engrossed with reading it, that I got quite peeved when it suddenly stopped! .

Looks like I'll have to buy the book now so I can read the rest.

Thanks for the warning Kay. I'd have looked otherwise, and I'd most certainly have been upset.

Me too, but I'll get it from the library.


Oh boy.... the Fer de Lance. Yep, that's probably one reason I'm avoiding going to Australia--they have so many poisonous things there. My favorite there is the funnel web spider. Whee....

Knowing my luck, I'd run into every poisonous thing in Australia. And I'd certainly run into a Fer de Lance in Belieze. Grace is NOT my middle name and the weirdest things happen to me ALL the time.

That picture was gross. Poor kid. Why the heck do the snakes have to be so venomous? I mean seriously, what was it that caused them to have to have venom that powerful? I know that mongoose like to hunt cobra, but does the Fer de Lance have natural enemies like that? Sheesh...

I don't blame you for not going out at night. I wouldn't either. Do they manage to come inside like the cobras do?

yesterday I ordered Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw

it'll be here in about three or four weeks, and I can hardly WAIT!!

it's cool that the NYT printed the whole first chapter, though sort of a major TEASE...



the Scarlet Macaw is an incredibly gorgeous bird, and there's VERY few left in the world:



I have a huge fabric mural hanging of the Scarlet Macaw on my wall (plus Toucans and butterflies).



here's a "found online" photo, as I've never seen one (yet) in person, in the wild:

our house is VERY well sealed, and the window screens are double thick!

They're BEAUTIFUL birds. I had a friend whose Aunt had one. Spent a week with it in St. Maarten. She used to wolf whistle at my husband. Fell totally in love with him.

As it's your thread Gazelle I hope my post will not be classified a a hijack, but I thought this might interest you.....

Here are some things for you to ponder.

Australia has approximately 130 land-dwelling snakes, 70 of which are venomous. Of those 70, 25 snakes are capable of causing death and these rank amongst the most dangerous of the venomous snakes in the world.

The Red-back Spider and the Funnel-Web are our 2 venomous spiders, while other nasties are the Australian Paralysis Tick, The Box Jellyfish, Blue-ringed Octopus, Puffer Toadfish, Stonefish, Blue Bottle or Portuguese Man-o-War and the Coneshell.

When should we expect to see you here in Australia Gazelle?