Fathers' Day 2012

Today, in honor of Fathers' Day, the boys and I planned a very Chip-Centric day.  First, I made sausage and biscuits for breakfast, w/ fresh pineapple.  Then we went to the Instituto Butantan--a research facility where they study venom & anti-venom.  On their lovely wooded campus, which is so quiet and peaceful you feel like you've left the city behind, they also have some museums/zoos.  We got to see hundreds of snakes--some of which were HUGE (anaconda, python), some which were swimming, some which were climbing.  We also got to glimpse in the monkey cages where, we assume, they keep the test animals--very clean and safe.  We also got to see the historical museum, where they have old centrifuges and whatnot from earlier times.

Here are the boys & Chip.  See the big snake coiled up in the tree behind them?

Like I said, this place was quite and peaceful--and a great place for some old geezers to play some kick-around soccer.  These guys were OLD and still heading the ball.

There was a courtyard filled with many, many mosaics of snakes, lizards, and insects:

Some ants carrying pieces of purple flower petals:

William, watching the ants:

William, the scientist, at the Microbiology museum.  I think he's looking at Dengue fever.

The boys in a car w/ famous scientists (?):

Quinn, Carlos Chagas, and William:

A totally amazing reproduction of Middle Ages "doctor" attire. The cone was to be filled w/ aromatic herbs to protect against stench and disease.  The red glasses protected against the Evil Eye of the diseased.  The wand was for touching the ill and to keep them at a safe distance.  How creepy would it be to get a housecall from this guy?

Anyone want to guess what this is for?*

Then we took Chip to see some AMERICAN FOOTBALL--the Paulista Championship game, between the Sao Paulo Storm and the someplace Spartans.  I couldn't believe how many players they had.  We left early, but the Storm was winning, and given their record, probably took home the trophy.  Even though this was gridiron and not "the beautiful game" the crowd was enthusiastic.  The fence around the field is to keep the fans off the field--after a touchdown some guys would jump up on the fence and shake it  I can't imagine how it must be at a soccer game.  Hopefully, we'll be able to catch some more games.  Open seating and only $5 a ticket.  And the kids got in free.

 *One would strap a cow, upright, to this table, and then rotate the table, to make it easier to scrape off the abdominal pustules of cowpox, necessary for the smallpox vaccine.