Our guide led us down a narrow street in Cartegena where we encountered a man sitting on the pavement painting local scenes on little rectangle mirrors. He promised to demonstrate his technique by finishing a mirror in "two minutes, uh, maybe 20 seconds." He worked rapidly and a steady hand, working mostly with his fingers but adding a few fine brush strokes near the end. Everyone seemed mesmerized. I don't think anyone was timing him. When he finished he drew applause from the tour group. The guide translated the deal for him: one mirror for $7, or two for $10. The bargain hunters in our group knew a deal when they saw one. I don't think anyone bought just one mirror. Ours grace the wall in the foyer, a reminder of our trip to Colombia. I wondered if our guide gets a cut, or if the painter is his brother-in-law.
It's a natural phenomenon that happens every year in Alaska (and elsewhere that have salmon but we're talking Alaska right now). Young salmon make the trip down the river to get to the ocean. When they're about two years old, mature salmon leap themselves up the creeks of salmon country to spawn and die. Then it begins all over again. It's a perilous time for a salmon egg. The sea gulls know and they come up to where the eggs are and try to get some of them. Only a fraction of the eggs that are laid ever make it to become baby salmon and make the trip down the river to the sea. It's a cycle of life for these fish. The spawning part takes place from about mid-July to mid-September, so we're right at the end of the season. So, Linda and I are on a fabulous trip to Alaska that began with an overland trek to the interior of Alaska. You may have seen some of our posts. If not, you should look at them. You'll catch some glimpses of life past and present in ...
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