Wildlife

We are definitely experiencing the great outdoors of the tropics, both inside and outside of our home. I feel pretty jumpy at any sensation that might mean there is any little critter on or near me these days. But, so is life here.

First, there are the bats. I've mentioned them before. Apparently Barbados is 'known' for bats. We certainly didn't know that. And, even more striking, some people out there (my friend in Canada told me) think of this college in particular as being infested with bats. Lovely. We're fairly sure there are some living in the attic. They have at least been there recently - and for a long time. We're working to rid the place of their evidence.

Then, there are the lizards. These guys don't bother me as much, but I would still prefer to see them outside and not scampering across my bathroom ceiling and then letting go at just the right time to come flying right toward my face and send me scampering and squealing across the bedroom.

Then, there are the monkeys! Thankfully, these have not made it into our house and I don't expect them to make it through the bars on our doors and windows. The kids and I were SO excited to finally see the monkeys this week. We've been telling Isaiah about the monkeys on campus for about, oh, 8 months. So it really was exhilarating to see about 5 monkeys climbing around the giant mango tree behind our house. I'd never seen a loose, wild monkey, but hopefully we'll soon be saying what Isaiah's little Caribbean friend has declared to us - "I see plenty monkeys!"

There are also frogs - or toads? - all over the place. I had never thought about the intelligence of frogs, but living near them has taught me that they aren't the most brilliant of God's creation. For one, they will hop repeatedly into a stone step that is too high for them, banging their little head over and over. For another, they apparently don't know the danger of cars as evidenced by their little flattened bodies all over campus (and the one that we 'popped' as we drove over it!). They fill our yard at night and I have felt one brush over my foot more than once.

Campus also abounds with ducks, fish in the lily pond, and an array of bugs (fleas being the most irritating). I am thankful that I've yet to see a spider. The lizards, bats, and frogs may be serving me on that front.