A Curacao Walk on the Wild Side

Before I begin the walk on the wildside, I can’t believe I forgot to mention in last week’s blog a couple of guests that have been with us from the beginning. Meet Flat Mark and Flat Vicki. They are our travel partners throughout the year. I love being their photographer as they come along side of us doing the fun things such as steering the catamaran on a sunny Saturday afternoon, spearing Lionfish, hanging out on the bridge with us, and best of all, drinking wine on the “Big House” deck.

You guys are the best. Thanks for traveling with us. It is interesting that I would think about the two of you just as I’m writing the words “Wild Side”.

There are so many songs about wild life such as Outasight “The Wild Life” or  Paul McCartney and  Wings “Wild Life”.  Or how about “Jack & Jack “Wild Life”, Talking Heads “Wild, Wild Life”, or Maroon 5 “Animals”.  All a bit too… for this blog except for maybe Paul McCartney’s “Wild Life”.  However, how can you forget the all time, “Walk On The Wild Side” by Lou Reed.  Here’s a line from it with some words Jay will like:  “And the Lionfish go doo-doo, doo, doo-doo.  Doo-doo-doo, doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, Then they said hey, Jay, take a walk on the wild side, Hey, Jay, take a walk on the wild side….”  I’ve said the word Lionfish and you’ve seen your weekly picture of one as well, so Jay is happy with this blog already.

Personally, I like this quote from Cecil Francis Alexander instead, “All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful The Lord God made them all.”

As a true Rancho Murietian, we love our wildlife (unless they are eating our landscape).  This week I want to share the wildlife we come across on our drives and walks that have become a part of our routine here on the island.

We wait on these guys

The piglets are getting so much bigger.

Wildlife, by Lisa Firestone, “I dream of a world where we live side by side, stretching miles across untouched lands and in oceans deep and purest blue, every living creature with the home and space it needs to live and is entitled to, I dream respect and compassion are one day unanimous expression of ours, and I dream every corner of the planet looks and feels as safe as it does from space. I dream.”

To end this week I have to add a couple of new underwater pictures.  The rays have been a bit elusive on this trip. At the turn on yesterday’s morning dive, Jay and I saw a large plume of sand like a dust storm billowing several feet away.  Jay swam closer as I was kind of taking a little nap underwater when he got my attention to take a picture.  When the billow cleared, all of a sudden it was this:

Look at that stinger!!! And the photo does not do justice to the size of the ray. It was huge. When you see this, how do you not think of Steve Irwin and reflect on the wildlife he loved so much?  So, today, I’ll end with an Irwin Family quote:  “If you can reach out and touch and love and be with wildlife, you will forever be changed, and you will want to make the world a better place.”  ….Loving, even the deer and turkey as they are eating our landscape.

Te siguiente tempo, (Until next time) Blessings.