Lionfish from the deep

Today found us enjoying each other's company. From family and friends, love begins!  We are showing love here, or at least trying to show it. We are not allowed to pay for anything and to us it can be rather upsetting. We came here with money to spend, and yet we are not being allowed to use it. I am also at a wits end as far as helping to cook or clean. I am clueless about indian dishes, and there are many helpers that do the cleaning every day.

And so we walked in the indian heat around the block. There are at least 7 houses here that are in various stages of construction.  There is one that has a deep basement being started, or should I say rebuilt. Land here in Delhi is very expensive,  so when you want a better home, you start with what you have and add on . The one with the deep basement is basically being built all over again. That process that will take about a year or so. In the meantime while on our walk, we saw men with pads on their heads carrying baskets with rocks and sand to a cement mixer. The man running the machine was adding lime and water to make concrete.  Virtually every building here is concrete with walls about 2 feet thick! The thickness is for protection against the heat. It also makes for some pretty awesome storage cabinets. They combine large concrete blocks (no holes) with cement to create the buildings.

We also passed one of the local parks that are getting ready for a large festival throughout the city next month. Lots of metal scaffolding and even more bamboo. I can imagine after our daughters wedding here the thousands of yards of fabric they will be covered with! There are also thousand upon thousands of flowers. The massive staues they use are currently being made nearby at a temple. They are constructed by artists that come in from the outlying villages from straw and clay. Afterward they are elaborately painted to use in the festival. They are then put into the river where they simply dissolve. Our daughter picked a beautiful place to call home.

Why lionfish going down?  I hear tell that lionfish will cover a reef and the divers will gleefully catch them, both for the environment and the meat. I have yet to taste lionfish though myself. The problem with the divers clearing the reef?  The lionfish can go to depths of 2000 feet,  and after the divers leave they repopulate the area.

Lionfish going down, acrylic on canvas, 12x12
Day 71 of the 100 days-100 paintings 2018