Butterflies

Can you recommend a good book for identifying Taiwan's butterflies? I know next to nothing and want something quick and easy.

Thanks so much
Rich

05

23

13

Insects

Richard, can you identify these?

Christmas and Chinese New Years

Opening presents from Grandma

Vilian with his new train

Vaji with his gift from Auntie Ada

Auntie Abas helps Vaji with his new toy

On Christmas Eve, Namasia usually has a midnight candle walk. This year was no different, but it was the first time that the whole village really got together after Typhoon Morakot.

Vilian

Alas, Vaji, Vilian and cousin Dane'efu (Dahu's)

Vilian with Cousin Dane'efu (Biung's) and friend

Vaji and Dane'efu


In the morning, the whole village has games. Vilian and Mom.

Vaji

Vilian and Cousin, Lamada's Dane'efu


Alas trying to catch a hoop without dropping a piece of bread squeezed between their faces?

Me, skipping rope with a woman shorter than myself after walking an obstacle course with those things that you see on our left. Our team won.

Most Chinese New Year's we take a trip to Alishan to visit with Alas' mother's side of the family. Her mother was from Leye and she was married off when she was fourteen. The woman in the middle wearing purple is the mother's brother's wife.

She gave us some lettuce

Biung, Maidal and great aunt

The lettuce grows really big up there

Good food and lots of rice wine boiled in bamboo

We visited the Tzu Chi permanent housing complex in Shanlin that some of Alas' family are going to live in.

Beautiful houses completely furnished.

I'm interested how the mountain people will adjust to suburbia

Then back to our land where Richard was having fun with bottle rockets

Dumb......

and dumber.

Vaji Vilian and Cousin Dane'fu (Vilian's)

Guantzuling

Dahu with his kids. His house is in the background

All you can see is the attic, the rest was buried. It was reasonably intact, but was dismantled by bulldozers.

Vaji, Vilian and cousins play with their newborn nephew.

MingTzu's new hotspring

Caoshan Moonworld

We took a trip to Tainan's Moonworld with Eric to check out his moonworld pad. I hadn't been out that way for a while and there is no better guide than Eric. He took us through "Dafen." You won't find it on a map. Not only because it was a small back road, but also because Eric makes up his own names for places. Great day with some cool spots.

'Epiphany Ridge' near Eric's houseThe sun was going down when we got to The Coolest Place in Moonworld

BambooNeighbors House
Alas and VilianAbasVaji and Vilian play with an excavatorEric explains moonworldEric's Place