WARNING: this post contains images that may be disturbing to some. If you are opposed to the killing of animals, you may want to skip this post. Likewise, if you are one of my friends that uses this blog as an educational took for your children, you may wish to review it alone first so you can better explain what’s going on.

Chalio came over to our house all afluster. “Come take a picture, we’re going to kill a sheep, says my papa” he blurted out, then ran off. We get asked to take pictures a lot, so this is no big suprise, especially since this sheep was to celebrate an important event: the three-day birthday of the new baby. I grabbed my camera and went on over.

“Mira!” said Galindo as he was holding the leadrope. “Es kanxek!” Yep, this one was one of those weird four-horned sheep. Nas Palas tied ropes onto its hind legs and hoisted it to the rafters. Then he handed me the big Buck knife I got them for Christmas, and told me it was my turn to kill the sheep. He gave me a few pointers on how to hit the jugular, and how to hold the throat out of the way so that I don’t cut that accidentally, lest all the stomach contents come flying out and make a big mess (they do cut it later). Right, so here’s the picture. I did an OK job, and he bled out quickly enough.

Emily was watching, holding baby Delmi in the traditional Guatemalan style. She noticed the gallery of enthralled kids on the hill behind me and caught them on film. That deserved a “high five”, which they timidly provided. Since Chalio knows us a lot better than the other kids, he was just goofing around the whole time, including making a little dance routine up with the sheep legs someone gave him.

<