I know it has been a while since I posted a new entry. My apologies for the delay. This is the first of what I hope is at least a two part post. I am trying to capture an image of all the fauna I see running around.
As I become more familiar with my location, I see more and more life teeming all around. Although I don’t want to get particularly close to some of it, it’s fascinating to watch.
As you can see, this isn’t living fauna, per se, but it’s fitting for the base. 🙂 This work of art was created my one of the craftsmen here.
In the desert, one doesn’t normally expect to find a koi pond. However, here the brine water (the by-product of water purification) has to go somewhere. It creates a little lake and the operators have discovered koi enjoy the water.
This predator is adept at digging beneath the sand. In fact, as a result it is named the Sand Boa. In the hot desert sun, the sand provides needed relief for this reptile. It often buries itself and only exposes its head, waiting for a small rodent to scurry by. Like all boas, it uses constriction to subdue its prey.
In fact, this cute, little guy could end up being dinner for the sand boa.
The Praying Mantis.
This is an example of fauna that I don’t want to get too close to. Unfortunately, he chose to get close to me this week. In my room here, I have 5 glue covered white boards on the floor. They are intended to catch rodents, but as you can see here, it also catches other little critters. This particular scorpion got stuck to the one that is right next to my bed… Fortunately, he chose to traverse the board, instead of my bed. If you’re interested in this particular species, its scientific name is Androctonus crassicauda. I originally thought he was only a “medium dangerous” species, but just got an email from a scorpion expert correcting me and said that this little guy is “bad boy #1” and is perhaps the most deadly scorpion in the region. Nice, huh?
Here’s another image of him with his pincers open.
As an aside, I also discovered a small (relatively) harmless scorpion in my office as well. So, they are rather common here. For those of you who live in the desert, it’s no big deal, but this is my first time seeing a number of them in a short period of time. The scorpion below is, Mesobuthus eupeus. Supposedly, its sting is painful, but not as serious as the one above.
Then, to finish the fauna section, with a friendlier animal.
The last and only image of flora from the area is this flower. It bloomed for about 3 weeks, then disappeared.
Well, that sums up the small flora and fauna from my area here. Hopefully, I will be able to add another post with more plants and animals soon.
So, until the next post.
–Jim
Month: June 2007
Army promotion
Recently, I had the honor of leading a promotion ceremony for an Army Lieutenant. It’s not often sister services are able to partake in these kind of ceremonies.
The order from the President authorizing the promotion was read in front of her platoon at the base post office which they run.
Then, I administered the Oath of Office, which is the oath to affirm officers of the military will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
At the conclusion of the oath, salutes were exchanged.
And the congratulatory handshake.
It’s convenient that Army rank is now affixed with Velcro, since her gold second lieutenant rank was ripped off and replaced with the silver, first lieutenant bar.
Finally, she ended with a few comments to her soldiers. The promotion from second lieutenant to first is an significant step in a military career. The new rank carries with it an increase in stature, but also an increase in responsibility and accountability.
As an Air Force Airman, it was an honor to be a part of this important ceremony for an Army Soldier.
–Jim