It's been hot and sunny. People are beginning to worry about when the rain will come. It's been uncomfortable for humans, especially around midday. However, it's been decent weather for mango and cashew trees. It's harvest season for both crops right now!
Early this week, I saw a small monitor lizard swimming and hunting in a mangrove. From head to tail tip, it was probably the length of my forearm. I can't be sure, because, fortunately for me, it was about 12 feet away. Monitor lizards can be aggressive towards humans.
I learned about the life cycle of the milkfish (Chanos chanos) this week. It's a very common fish to find in the markets here. Many Southeast Asian food cultures feature this fish. What I did not know was that these fish are born in estuaries, or river mouths. They spend their childhood in mangrove waters. They then spend their adult lives in schools circling coral reefs.
