Visitors

Saturday morning dawned clear and bright. It was so clear that we could see the mountain range at the end of Vale Stucky - normally we don't see them through the haze and their cloud cover.

The seasons here seem to move softly from one to the next.  They vary only by degrees - difference in moisture and temperature and by what is flowering in the forest.  We are in rainy season - days - 24 hour days of fog, clouds, and heavy rain.  The cut-a-ways along the roads begin to show signs of slippage.  Lanes close, Rota 116 concession directing traffic as they attempted to keep the roads open. Then on Thursday night we had heavy winds and not only did the Internet connection stop working for nearly 4 days, but the rains seem to have stopped. Well no, not the rain but the days of heavy rain.  Now we are having bright warm days until about 3 in the afternoon then the clouds begin to build for a heavy-duty thunderstorm around 6 in the evening.

So we are now, definitely, in Summer.

 

I don't know if it is a Brazilian custom, or Latino, or Machnizh family but on Saturday we were hosts for an engagement party for Camillo's oldest granddaughter. This is definitely not something common among the Americans I know.  Just like a full wedding, there was a ring ceremony, a cutting of a cake ceremony and family meals, (definitely Machnizh Italian family custom) family photos and a lot of laughter.

This is Valentina - the soon to be newlyweds' new puppy.  Besides being allowed up on my sofa by the proud parents - which I would never have allowed if I had been in the room - (they took proud photos with my camera so I knew)   She was a big hit and most the time a real lady. I wonder how well she will do in their new and small apartment when she is no longer a cute fuzz ball but is a full grown golden retriever.

While in the kitchen cooking while the rest of the family was celebrating, Camillo yelled for me to come see the butterfly - I will say bug and suspect a moth not a butterfly - but I have no real knowledge of that to back it up. He was a good 5 inches through the wings. see the tile he landed on - a six inch tile. (in cm of course)   His camouflage looks somewhat like Valentina doesn't it?