Fireflies

If you are in Goiás for any amount of time, you will become familiar with a style of music called Sertanejo (pronounced: "sehr-tah-nay-zhoh"), which is the Brazilian cousin of Country and Tejano genres.

Paula Fernandes is the reigning queen of Sertanejo. Her voice is as amazing as she is beautiful. Her song Vagalumes (pronounced: "vah-gah-loo-meez") from her 2005 cd Canções do Vento Sul (Songs of the South Wind) is a magical song about fireflies... the night sky... and love of the woodlands under the stars.

Or something.

As a nature lover, night owl, and reluctant romantic, I find it intoxicating.

Below are the translated lyrics. Keep in mind that some things just don't translate directly, which can make for some pretty disjointed sentences. (...but then again, so do most of my blog posts.) Regardless, I'm sure you'll find this song enchanting. Youtube user Vlad Rio did such a great job on this video, how can you not?

Vagalumes brilhavam nas estrelas
tentavam como vê-las,
apaixonadamente
essa história começa quando um dia
sentir sua magia
pulsando em minha frente

alegria e medo se juntaram
dentro do meu peito
onde um coração
não sabia o que havia acontecido,
mas aquilo só podia ser paixão

amores que se acendem
ao céu azul se rendem
mistérios e perfumes
dos seres vagalumes
que fazem da noite
o seu sertão cercado de beleza e luzes...
hummm...
hummm...
hummm...

alegria e medo se juntaram
dentro do meu peito
onde um coração
não sabia o que havia acontecido,
mas, aquilo só podia ser paixão

amores que se acendem
ao céu azul se rendem
mistérios e perfumes
dos seres vagalumes
que fazem da noite
o seu sertão cercado de beleza e luzes...
hummm...
hummm...
hummm...

amores que se acendem
ao céu azul se rendem
mistérios e perfumes
dos seres vagalumes
que fazem da noite
o seu sertão cercado de beleza e luzes...
hummm...
hummm...
hummm...


Fireflies glowed among the stars
tried to see them,
passionately...
This story begins when one day
I felt their magic
pulsating in front of me...

Joy and fear joined together
inside my chest
wherein the heart
not knowing what had happened,
...but this could only be passion.

Lovers that light up
the blue sky surrender
mysteries and perfumes
of firefly beings...
They make the night,
their woodlands, surrounded by beauty and lights...
ooooo...
ooooo...
ooooo...

Joy and fear joined together
inside my chest
wherein the heart
not knowing what had happened,
...but this could only be passion.

Lovers that light up
the blue sky surrender
mysteries and perfumes
of firefly beings...
They make the night,
their woodlands, surrounded by beauty and lights ...
ooooo...
ooooo...
ooooo...

Lovers that light up
the blue sky surrender
mysteries and perfumes
of firefly beings...
They make the night,
their woodlands, surrounded by beauty and lights...
ooooo...
ooooo...
ooooo...

Here's an Idea of Who We'll See...

A trio of Roseate Spoonbills...




In Portuguese it's called a duck,
but in English it's known as an Orinoco Goose...




I'll show you the close-ups later...
See how big the Jaburus are compared to the boat?
That's a Black Skimmer passing by.




Bathing beauties...
A group of Saffron Finches...




A Burrowing Owl...




The ever-elusive Hoatzin, or "Neymar" as I like to call them...
(Just google "Neymar hairstyles" and you'll see why.)




A rare glimpse of the Great Black Hawk...




This little fish is known as the "Peixe-agulha," or Needlefish,
though it doesn't appear to have teeth like others by that name.
The ones I've seen are about 5 inches long.



I see you lookin' at me, lookin' at you...




Freshwater stingrays are everywhere.

FYI: When entering the river, you must shuffle your feet to avoid stepping on a stingray & getting a spike through your calf or foot.

I wonder who we'll see this year? Hopefully, I will be able to get a little closer to some of the more standoffish storks & herons. I still haven't seen a puma, although I did get some shots of its tracks through our camp on the first night of our last camping trip. (What a rush!)

I also finally captured a few shots of a freshwater dolphin last year, but they were only of a flipper! It looked like the boto was waving at me. I realized that they don't only toy with fishermen, but the paparazzi, as well. I will try my best to get a better pic this year.

It looks like this will be the last post until the third week of July. Feel free to explore the archives to see if there is something you missed. Comments won't show up right away, since they will only be moderated when I return. For those of you in the U-S-of-A, I hope you have a great & safe 4th!

See you soon!

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Teeth Impressions - Serra da Mesa

It could take a month to capture the rows of teeth that line Lago de Serra da Mesa.

The "gullet" (valleys between the points of the teeth) as well as the "set" (the amount of bend of a saw tooth) vary from place to place within the expanse of the 689 square miles now covered by Serra da Mesa, the largest reservoir by volume in Brazil.

Here are a few more examples of the horizon on "Table Saw Lake."

Somewhere in the middle of the lake, amongst the islands...

Just after sundown...

Abstract Sunset - courtesy of a bobbing boat.

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Sunsets at Serra da Mesa

Good Friday

'Easter Eve'

Easter Sunday Sunset

On Easter weekend we stayed at a place on Lago de Serra da Mesa ("Table Saw Lake"). Presumably, the lake gets its name from the panoramic view of the horizon, where hills jut into the sky like a spiky row of teeth on a saw blade. That is, unless you happen to be floating behind one of the many islands that weave through the middle of the lake - in this case, you may only see a 'tooth' or two, for a time. For someone unfamiliar with the layout, it can be quite a challenge navigating though the veritable maze of islands clustered together.

Serra da Mesa has 689 square miles of some of the consistently prettiest views in this state! I have yet to see actual bad weather on this lake. It's like the Bermuda Triangle of bad weather - you just can't find it here. We usually see rain on "the other side" of the lake, wherever that may be. Meanwhile, back on the lake... the sunlight dances on the waves, the boats bob on the water, and dragonflies weave in & around the remaining trees that stand as reminders of the forest that lies below.

There have been trips where we drove for 5 hours straight, in the pouring rain, only to arrive at the lake ...where it quickly went from slightly overcast to stunning, in a matter of hours. Likewise, we have packed up & set out from a lovely day at the lake, only to spend the next 5 hours in a downpour on our way home.

Although there hasn't been any bad weather to speak of, I can't imagine that it would spoil the experience for me, if there was. This weekend certainly didn't disappoint... It was amazing, as always.

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Strata

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View of the countryside just outside of Goiânia this past February.

Newfound Friend in Fortaleza

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Fabulous Feathers and Marvelous Masks - Carnaval in the Country

During Carnaval this year, I got to see all of the colorful displays and fancy feathers without all of the noise.

Well, except for the fight I witnessed between a couple of Caracaras and a Seriema defending her nest...




...and the pair of talkative "Mulatos" (Yellow-chevroned Parakeets) that freaked whenever someone came around the side of the house. (They had recently invested in a cozy nest, conveniently located right under the roof tiles over the rear bathroom.)


...then there was the group of Toucans that seemed to have a comment for everything, as they observed us from every angle of the property...



...and the Southern Lapwings (Quero-quero) whose full-time job appears to be that of sounding the alarm. Once we have our home, I may opt for a pair of these to live in our yard, as opposed to getting a guard dog.


Only the "Pica-pau-do-campo" (Campo Flicker, or Ground Dwelling Woodpecker) couple seemed to go about their business in silence.



The "Curicacas" (Buff-necked Ibis) pretty much kept to themselves, not really minding the presence of anyone else.


One surprise was the Whistling Heron ("Maria-faceira") couple that was feeding right behind the house. The owner of the farm said he had never seen this type of bird around those parts before.

When he saw the pictures, he thought that I’d stumbled upon them in one of his fields, but they were, in fact, only about 25 yards behind the porch where we'd been hanging out all weekend. Apparently, they were keeping it low-key, as no one ever heard them whistle...

(Sorry for the quality of the pics! It was near dusk, so the lighting wasn't quite right.)

One of the most beautiful songs I heard all weekend was performed by the Saffron Finch (Canário da Terra) - I could listen to these little beauties all day long.


There were a few instances when these stunners really strutted their stuff, to let me know that I had approached too closely. That was my cue to put my own fancy footwork to use, and back up to a safer distance.

All in all, it was a very colorful & exciting holiday weekend.





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The Other Side of Carnaval

When I arrived in Brazil, I wondered how we would spend the annual Carnaval holiday, and if there were alternatives. I expected partying in the streets, but aside from this made-up mental picture I honestly had no idea what it would be like.

As it turns out, there is an ever-growing portion of the Brazilian population who do not celebrate Carnaval - and it's not just the "evangelicos" [evangelicals]...

I don’t know if it's a Goiânia thing, but the Carnaval holiday weekend is when a lot of families get together at their farm, ranch, or holiday home along the river or lake. It reminds me of the 4th of July weekend celebrations back home.

Depending on the family, they may or may not engage in festive activities (party string/foam fights, fireworks, dancing, playing the guitar or other instruments, play games, etc.) ...or they may just use the days off for some serious R & R. There is usually a TV on somewhere, where someone may be watching the televised Carnaval processions, but that's about the extent of it.

Others who may not have the option or inclination to head out of town, may just use the downtime to catch up on sleep, listen to their favorite music (which they will stress is not Samba) and surf the internet. More and more, the younger generations will tell you that they don't identify with the Carnaval culture, but instead find the Hard Rock, Punk Rock, Emo, Hipster, and/or Alternative "tribos" [cliques] to be their thing.

Here are a couple of the various pics I've come across on facebook in the past month.




This is the first year we didn't go camping or fishing, and instead stayed with some friends out on their farm. In the evenings, friends & family came out for dinner, and stayed into the wee hours of the morning, just having a good time. Some days it was a lunch hour bar-b-que that lasted the rest of the day and into the night, but there really was no schedule...

...no cell phones...

...and no internet...

Aside from the TV on in the distant background (for the teens & women interested in keeping up with their evening "novelas" [soap operas] followed by the live Carnaval celebration on Globo) it was a rare and relished opportunity to completely unplug and unwind.

I had the pleasure of roaming the farmlands in my man's truck, armed with my camera & my ipod. Words cannot express how perfect it was. Storm clouds would roll through the area late in the afternoons, which would be my cue to go in search of wide, open spaces. I found some quiet & far removed spots that the owner of the farm later insisted he had never even seen...

Not only was I finally able to "exhale," but inhaling the fresh outdoor air that I miss daily in the city left me feeling alllll riiiight.

Here's a glimpse of what my Carnaval vacation looked like. There's more to come, as I took 500+ pics. :)

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