Oaxacan Life: Part 8-- Nature Scenes in Honor of El Dia de Madre Tierra (Earth Day)

 Narrowing down photos in honor of Earth Day in Mexico (literally translated as "Day of Mother Earth"-- so lovely!) was an excruciating task. Over the course of the 8 months I have now been in Mexico, the scenes of nature keep me frequently dazzled and awed. So as not to go crazy, I had to narrow my selections down to my absolute favorites. Some may be repeats of past blogs, so I hope you don't mind, my loyal readers!

I have divided the photos into 3 parts: 1) animals; 2) skies & vistas; 3) trees and flowers. The included photos span all of my travels in Mexico: the pueblo of Mazunte (west coast);  Oaxaca city and its countryside; the east coast cities and beaches. Enjoy this visual feast!

Animals ( all wild, including "wild" dogs roaming in the hills): 


Fabulously camouflaged, Mazunte beach crab!


Mazunte June Beetle


Mazunte butterfly--not sure what kind


Scorpion in Mazunte, caught in a cup by a neighbor...yikes! He did set it free....


Dolphin off of the Mazunte coast...had to use cell phone zoom so not great resolution, I am afraid...still, it was a wonderful sight! 


Adorable Mazunte frog!


Another magnificent butterfly, caught inside the mesh screen of the kitchen patio of my Airbnb abode in Mazunte. I was perpetually setting them free;  they couldn't find their way out, and would have died otherwise.


Magnificent Monarch, spreading its gorgeous wings just for me!


Cancun gull, drifting lazily over the land toward the ocean.


My all time favorite Mexican critter: the iguana. LOVE these guys! So regal! This one was on Isla de Mujeres, where they were prolific on the beach cliffs. 


Exhibitionist anteater! This guy, when not grooming him/herself, was busy scrounging for trash left by tourists at the Mayan ruins of Tulum. 


My friend, chowing down on some delectable vegetation! 


These brave guys were quite the beggars on the beaches of Progreso, a quaint town not far from Merida, where Julie and I stayed, in the Yucatan. 


"Wild" Oaxacan dog in the hills above the town, where I frequently hike.


Sadly, these precious pups were already jaded and afraid to come near me. Hikers  leave them food and water, so they do okay living in the hills, but theirs cannot be terribly happy lives. Breaks my heart, truly. 


A truly noble and photogenic hill pooch!



Black Oaxacan squirrel, unperturbed by my presence. 



Street dog, not hill dog, but too irresistible
 not to include in the series!




Ducks and geese of a hill town near Oaxaca called Huyapam. My friend and I cycled to the lake in this town, where these guys happily reside. 

OK, not a wild animal, but too cute not to include! This little fella was being herded--along with his older companions--into a marshy area in the San Felipe hills above Oaxaca in order to munch on some tasty vegetation. I stumbled upon the goats while doing a random hike in these parts. Made my day! 


Well...you could certainly say this trio of canines were wildly happy, at least! 



Skies, magnificent skies (and various vistas!):

Also happy: my friend Tanya and I, happy hikers in the hills above Oaxaca! 


Mazunte sunset


Mazunte clouds, prior to an afternoon shower


Mazunte beach at sunrise


Another Mazunte sunrise 


Pristine Mazunte beach...oh what a brilliant, blue sky!


Full moon in Mazunte


Stormy sky over the beach at Isla de Mujeres


Sunset sky in Oaxaca, from high in the hills overlooking the town.


Same view, moments later...


And yet more dramatic! Un-doctored, I promise! 


Countryside, east of Oaxaca city


Ahhh, the fields of wild flowers... complimented by hills and incredible sky!


Different hills, different day...overlooking Oaxaca






One of the most gorgeous, clear days in Oaxaca.... taken in the wintertime. 


From my "terraza"! I never tire of admiring the views from "on high"-- I climb a flight of stairs above my apartment, and this is my reward! Oaxaca is home to some magnificent afternoon thunderstorms...looking south.

Same eve, from the terrace, looking west  into the setting sun.... 

From the terrace, looking north


Amazing day of cycling along a dirt trail with my cycling buddies. 


Looking at the riders just ahead of me as we rode through the magnificent countryside. 

And finally.... trees and flowers:

(mostly in Oaxaca; some in other locations as Mexico... a couple in Guatemala. Most are unlabeled as I am fairly worthless when it comes to knowing plant and flower names!)


These orchids were growing in the beautiful garden of the Airbnb where I stayed in Guatemala. 

The Airbnb garden, containing the above orchids and many other exquisite plants. 

 




LOVE the bougainvilleas... there are many different colors, present EVERYWHERE in Oaxaca!


This variety is quite prevalent.... these beautiful pink bougainvilleas are growing at my very own apartment building here in Oaxaca!  











 Fairy floss?!?  That is the closest I could come to identifying this fantastic nocturnal bloom!

Same flower as above... just the white variety! 








Delightful little blooms on my very own apartment balcony! 


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