March 27th (being the day of broken keyboards)

Good morrow all and sundry.

Something odd has happened to this keyboard. The shift key is effectively broke, but instead of just not capitalising the letters, it makes them non existent. Which is to say that: A, I have to use cap-slock (sic) to capitalise now and B, Occasionally I forget, use shift and a letter just doesn't happen. Which is properly odd.

Anyway: Some writing and some monkeys because you've all waited so patiently.

March 23th

Here, have some night-time animals.

March 24th

A yellow-billed turaco flying over a motorbike (you can't see the motorbike, because I was riding it).

A guard-goat, watching faithfully and powerfully over the government buildings.

March 25th

March 25th (Again)

Some random photos:

My vets, and especially my anaesthetists, should know what sacrilege the above is.

Some door with your repairs, Sir? I hear it's all the rage nowadays.

And finally, a dragonfly getting ready for a game of "Night-time! Day-time!". PS. If you don't get any of my references just ask Chris.

March 27th

And here, finally, just for you are a Red-capped Mangabey being very polite and a tiny Mona.

Right, I'm away! Later all.

March 22nd - The Rumble in the Jungle...

...By which I mean thunder in the rainforest.

The Dry-Season is totally buggered. Which is interesting because it doesn't normally fall apart until the end of April or beginning of May. But we've had a thunderstorm every day for the past...4? 5? One of the ones while I was last in the jungle had an average lightning-strike-rate of well over 60spm. Which is just MENTAL.

Ok. You're not here for meteorology. That's fine. I get it. You only love me for my monkeys.

March 15th

And a quick illustration of Nigeria's tech-killing ability. None of these work. I'm not sure why the charity for which I work keeps them. Possibly as talismans? Talismen?

March 16th

Want to do a spot of fishing down-steam of the chemical plant, Matthew? Damned good idea, Paul! Don't mind if we do.

March 17th

The Nigerian Military Patrolling the river. They get shot at a lot. Occasionally by the police.

March 18th

Really felt like climbing to the top, out of sight, and spending the day here.

March 19th

Healthy food for healthy living!!! And a competition Guen could have won.

March 20th -WOT? CENSORSHIP? THIS SHALL NOT STAND...OH? Oh it shall? Fine.

This is the centre of Calabar. Note that it is exactly the same as any rural village, apart from concrete replaces mud for wall material. And apparently they have Sky. Also, on the equator, why don't Sky dishes point straight up?

March 21st

Oh, yeah, also, while walking along I saw that the ground was strewn with MASSIVE caterpillar droppings. (One can tell that they come from a caterpillar on account of their snowflake shaped cross section. The more you know...). The tree tops were too high above to see any animal life, but I did find this in a nearby gutter. Bloody thing was like a three-inch, spiky tank.

March 22nd

Also, I spent a good twenty minutes, a couple of days ago, trying to get a good picture of this kingfisher. Failed, but it did leave me something for my trouble.

Cool, eh? That, my friends, is Halcyon senegalensis.

March 16th - Two Months Down.

Or...up...possibly? Not sure.

Anyway, I've done two of them today. No, that sounds like I did them this morning. I didn't. What I mean is that today marks the second monniversary of my arrival. You knew what I meant.

Also, joy of joys, callay calloo (mixing it up a little there): Photobucket and BlogSpot appear to be talking to each other today, so this is a reversion to my normal visual style.

Mar 7th

This monkey. This is the one that moved when I tried to shoot it. Sitting on a road. It is a small road, not a massive monkey:

Here are some more of my patients. These ones are still inside their paddock.

Mar 8th

Metallic green cockroach. I didn't know blattodea could do metallic. Impressed.

Hissing cockroach with wings. How do I know it's a hissing cockroach? Because I poked it to see if it would hiss. And it did. QED.

Mar 9th

Photography Expedition = Bugs. And also a flowering pineapple.

So, yeah. There you go. Bugs and a flowering pineapple.

Mar 10th

Obviously no pictures of a dead monkey. That was too sad and they are too gross. Instead, have some night bugs. Who said "Not more bugs!"? I heard you. Get out. OUT.

This is what she'd look like with a chimney on her. If she were a spider:

Beetle with UV-glow eyes. Funny for all involved apart from the beetle, which goes blind if you shine a UV light at it.

Mar 11th

Party bug:

Mar 12th

Grasshopper, because why not?

Mar 13th

Ants from the forest:

Mar 14th

Ants and butterflies from the forest. The inclusion of the butterflies is SPECIFICALLY for Sarah.

Oh, and, just so you know: That tumour that I couldn't operate on? I went back to do it yesterday. Bloody thing's only gone away by itself. Wasn't a tumour! operating would have been the wrong thing to do. I am, as you all know and I have suspected for some time now: A LUCKY BUGGER.

For those that want to know how I'm feeling right now: http://youtu.be/Hzl6P1n88wY