A family is a place where minds come in contact with one another. If these minds love one another the home will be as beautiful as a flower garden. But if these minds get out of harmony with one another it is like a storm that plays havoc with the garden.
-- The Buddha
Now that the solstice done swooshed by I am turning my mind to one of the more rewarding aspects of life in the tropics:garden and watching it grow. I am now starting to water in earnest (read, flood) and the green will burgeon at an almost visible rate. 20 degrees north to south of the middle was invented for impatient gardeners. The centerpiece of the endeavor is the bouganvilla at the corner by the gate. Hacked (as opposed to pruned) by machete to a small mangle when we first came here I am reasonably certain it will be a complete arch over the driveway and about 50 feet down the fence.
The termites lost the war here. Beside the driveway is a large colony of ants. They are red yet the size of the black ants in america. However they are, if anything, more voracious, rapacious, ill tempered and militant than the green ants of down under fame. Suddenly there was this massive column of ants carrying eggs for a few hours and the termites are gone. These ants don't use soldiers. Apparently are mean enough to handle it all by themselves. Just don't stand in this one certain spot in the garden.