Butterflies (and Caterpillars)

Over the past couple of weeks and up until now, if you happen to stop to smell the roses, you'll notice that there are many butterflies floating about.  Drive down any road, or gaze at a flowering bush, or look into canopy trees, and you'll see many black butterflies with white polka dots, or yellow butterflies, or orange monarchs fluttering in the air.  Give them more than a passing fancy and you'll observe that they are often dancing with one another.  If you're lucky, and you are careful to tread quietly, you may find them clustered together as if they were gossiping about the day's events.

They are all beautiful, but I think the prettiest of them all are the tiny little tan-gray butterflies that upon closer examination have spectacular designs on their wings.  Ahh, the little things always surprise you with their beauty!

In the trees (and shrubs) around my house, there are many caterpillars and many chrysalises.  The ficus tree out in our front yard is looking like a Christmas tree with all the chrysalises hanging like ornaments from it's leaves.  My family collected a couple of the chrysalises to see what type of butterfly will come out from them.  It's a great little experiment we're conducting and the kids (including myself) are just waiting impatiently.

In the past couple of years, I've been fortunate enough to capture these beautiful butterflies in photos and videos.  I'm not quite sure how many cycles Saipan has with it's butterflies, but looking back at my photos and videos, they seem to come out in force in September and October.

Butterflies (and caterpillars), they're a subtle part of this beautiful island, and another reason why I Luv Saipan.

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This is one of my very first videos I've put together starring the tiny beautiful butterfly that happened to fly into my kitchen.

(hu guaiya hao mama)

Scenic Drive through Marpi

On a day when the rain stopped and the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, we went on a scenic drive up to Marpi, in the northern tip of Saipan.  Marpi is a must see if you ever visit Saipan.  Most of the historical sites and natural landmarks are located here, such as Banzai Cliff, Last Command Post, Suicide Cliff, the Grotto, and Bird Island.

The best way to experience the scenic drive through Marpi is to slow down to 30 miles and hour, roll down the windows, stick your hand out to surf the wind with your palm, and listen to your favorite reggae song.  Even better, if you're not driving and you know someone with a pickup, sit back in the truck bed and let the wind whip up your hair while taking in the greenery, the trees, the limestone cliffs, the winding road, the occasional horse or cow on the side, and the views of the ocean, that in sum, put you in a laid back country mood.

I can't count how many times I've taken the scenic drive through Marpi as a passenger or as a driver.  I never get tired of it.  It's the "Sunday Drive" destination here on Saipan, and it's another reason I Luv Saipan.

Here are some other videos I've put together over the past couple of years while taking in the scenic drive through Marpi.  Enjoy.

(hu guaiya hao mama)

Rain and Harvest

Rain, showers, downpours
Sun, waiting, then shines briefly
Wind, clouds, rain once more

That's my little haiku about Saipan's rainy season and it sums up this past month.  The rainy season usually runs from late July through October, and this is the time of the year to watch out for tropical storms and typhoons.

The rain is a welcome change to the hot months of May and June, but it does put a damper on the outdoor activities.  Right now the vegetation around the island is in hyper-growth.  For instance, cutting the grass has become a weekly chore (when it's not raining).  If I let it slide to every other week, which is my normal schedule during the dry season, the grass would be at high ankle length, and pushing a mower through high grass is not fun.

This past month, we had a special treat: a harvest to be more specific.  You may recall my post about the green mangos, pineapple and calamansi, anyway, our pineapple and our calamansi were ready to be picked.  The pineapple was sweet, juicy, and oh so delicious.  The kids loved snacking on the fresh piña.  As for the calamansi, they were quickly used for our dipping sauces and marinades.  

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As I close this post, the rain outside has begun to pour more heavily.  I have to admit, this isn't my favorite time of the year, but it is a nice change.  The temperature is a little cooler, the island replenishes it's water supply, and the vegetation is lush and green.  And so, even during the rainy season, I Luv Saipan.

(hu guaiya hao mama)