FRUIT, STAR-FRUIT & STARS

We had been wondering if the plants growing in our lawn that looked like pineapples were in fact these, when suddenly we noticed that one had started to flower and grow its fruit. An exquisite star-burst flower/fruit of many colours, mauves, reds, pinks, blue-greens, has pushed up out of the leaves. A pineapple is growing really fast.

Also in our garden, we have a star-fruit tree. We have never seen one of these before and don't know if they grow anywhere other than in the Seychelles.The tree has dainty little clusters of pink flowers, but the fruits are the real eye-catchers. They are large and look like shiny yellow decorations hanging in the tree. The skins are very waxy, but you can eat the fruit skins and all. They taste and look rather like oranges inside, being similar in texture and having the same kind of pips. When you look at them end on, or sliced through horizontally, you can see where they get their name from.

Two paw-paw (or papaye) trees in the front of our house give us a more or less constant supply of fruit. The birds get plenty too. I always used to cut these lengthways, but recently cut one across its circumference and was intrigued to see how the central hollow where the pips are is star-shaped. It is an almost perfect 5 pointed star. The star-fruit is more like a Christmas star.

The real stars here are exceptionally brilliant, as there is no pollution.

Wee beasties

There are pretty geckos here. They are shy and scuttle up the wall or behind a curtain if you get too close. We're fond of Freddy, a cheeky Madagascan fody. He knows his way in and out of the house and often comes into the kitchen to look for crumbs......

But that's when we stop looking at the 'wee beasties' through rose-tinted spectacles.....

The other geckos are much more intrusive and ugly. They get into everything. Our kettle and toasters have covers now. We've boiled a few in the dishwasher . They mess everywhere too. This would make good glue - it sticks to granite, tiles, glass wood, plastic etc.

Spiders run boldly into the house and then disappear, reappearing when you least expect them to e.g. when you're reaching for your towel. A lot of screaming goes on in our house We have been told they are all harmless - so why do they give us the shivers?

In the evenings, mosquitoes, enormous cockroaches, and sometimes flying ants or leathery rhino beetles come flying in. We take it in turns now to swat the cockraoches with a flyswatter - more screaming if we miss and they run towards us (yes both of us!).

We found a monster 12 cm long centipede lurking on a skirting board. It had two vicious looking spikes at its rear end. It clung tenaciously to the end of the broom, not wanting a flying lesson, but on the second swing, it sailed off into the bush below our house. Wasps make mud nests on curtains. Tiny ants get into the sealed sugar container....

Then out of the blue, three dragonflies grace us with their presence. One appeared in the kitchen, another in a bedroom. They stayed for a while, then flew away. I found a third one dead, but intact, with its wings spread. I was able to study it close up and was blown away by its beauty and intricacy; its iridescent wings, its little face, composed of many parts, the lacy web of its wings. Having these visit felt like a privilege.