Moving from the jungle to the desert. Mermaid on a cactus?
Oops, I did it again.
03/13/2015 Two boys always come for wood because they know Bill saves all his non-treated lumber for them. Their mommas burn it to cook the food in the wood “stove” or over a plain old fire. The last time they made a mess and left stuff on the driveway and helped themselves to coconuts. We are more than happy to keep giving them wood and allowing them to cut the branches that break and the stuff laying on the ground but they must, in the process, learn respect for other peoples property. This is a value sadly lacking in Central America. Today Miguel was here and he told them in Spanish, no more messes, there can be nothing on the driveway, nothing AND, if they want a coconut they must ask first. If they don’t and they take it without asking permission, that’s stealing. We will always give them coconuts, when they ask. When Bill and Miguel were talking to them Miguel was explaining about them leaving a mess on the driveway, immediately one of the 2 boys pointed to the little one and said HE DID IT!
On my way into Eldon’s grocery looking for an apple corer (hahaha, jokes on me) I saw this car parked in the lot. The photo speaks for itself. You can’t make this shit up.
Yes friends, that is your brand new bumper made out of STYROFOAM. Don’t be all jealous and hateful because you don’t have one, they are relatively inexpensive as long as you don’t have to buy the TV that the foam was around.
I freaking love this island.
The TOMS shoe delivery has begun. On Monday I went with my friends Nidia and Abraham and many other volunteers to begin fitting 2300 of the island kids with shoes. Some of these kids had on socks so big there was 3″ of extra sock stuffed in the toes of their shoes. Many had no socks or else their socks had tops but no bottoms. One little boy was so excited about his new shoes he hugged me. Today was the first day, they will deliver the rest of the week. TOMS is very explicit about who gets shoes, there are names on lists and those kids MUST be in school. It’s very organized and specific, not just random shoe give aways. I applaud TOMS shoes for what they do for poor children all over the world. I actually got to meet the young girl who wrote to TOMS and asked for them to distribute shoes in Honduras. Many of the volunteers are children that were raised in an orphanage on the mainland and they travel around and fit kids with shoes.
First stop, Oak Ridge. From there we split into 4 groups and went to different schools. I went with Abraham and Addy and Sarah out to Pandytown.They love camerascute boysHer hair was all in neat little pony tailsThey saw sports equipment in my carmass pandemoniumlining up waiting for shoesTOMS rocksThis was in Pandytown where we fit shoes.Classroomdespite the fact it’s lethal, it’s still in useTeachers desk and chairFitting shoesThere were ceiling fans but none of them worked. Of course.This was my first hug.Wall with hole clear through itThen we were off to Punta Gorda. This was a big school.The school yard. All of the schools have pulperias, little stores that sell candy and chips, not a healthy thing in them.shoes shoes shoesMy friend Sarah, she also writes for Women Who Live on Rocksword.This was a school near our house, up on the hill.Addy from CanadaDesk graveyardso adorablewe fit these shoes outside..
This was the last stop for the day. The next morning we met at Punta Gorda and some of us split off and went to Jonesville. This school is W A Y up on a hill and it’s a really huge school. They even have a computer room with computers in it. Three levels of classrooms and a huge open area on the lower level.
On the way to Jonesvilleshoe treeAbandoned buildings on school groundsWalkway up to schoolrickety stairsJonesville schoolI was amazed at the bathrooms, damn near civilized. So much more than most of the schools.view from 3rd floor of schoolthe line upBack to Punta Gorda for lunchview from restaurantRight alongside the roadMilton BightMany mothers bring their babies and hang out at the school while their kids are there.waiting for shoesnames on the wallsilhouette of 2 kids outside the roomThis was the last school for the day in Las Fuertes. Nidia asked if I wanted to skip it because it’s pretty far past my house. I said, “no, I’ll go there too.”We got the desks set up and then they decided to use benches so we moved the desks outside.
In the process of moving the desks out on the open area I saw a dog limping across the schoolyard. I thought she just had a limp until she got closer and I saw the open wound on her paw. She was trying to get up in a trash can looking for food. I had some cheese in my lunch bag so I fed it to her, she damn near bit me she was so hungry. I was freaking out so I called Bill and my first words were, “there is a dog here and I’m taking her.” I went to the store and got a bag of Fritos to lure her closer to me. Two little girls were helping me. I handed the one the bag of chips and my keys and scooped the dog up and put her in the back of my car. I called Bethany, the vets assistant and told her what was going on, She said to come at 7:30 the next day.
I honestly think I went to that school for a reason, to find Frito and help her. Another time I was in the right place at the right time. Just like being behind the truck that hit Highway.
When I got home I fed her and offered her water. She ate all of her food and chowed down some yogurt. Her paw was a mess, it was swollen 3 times the size it should be and was a huge open wound with the bone sticking out. Our friend Cleo brought some old clean sheets and a pillow and I made her a bed in a large dog crate. We fed her again and carried her to go potty but she didn’t go. I gave her some chicken broth just to get liquid in her and she drank all of that. I have never seen a dog so dirty or flea infested, she was way worse than Lola. We penned her in the crate all night so nothing would bother her. She was quiet as a mouse. I decided to name her Frito, since I fed her some so I could snatch her. The next morning we took her to the vets. She was sitting up in the back of the car looking out. Doc sedated her and then tried as hard as he could to push the bone back in but he couldn’t get it to go. After further inspection he realized that the bone itself was infected and that she needed an amputation. I knew all along that was going to happen but prayed there would be a better outcome. Later that day Bill and I took her down to the ferry and sent her over to Le Ceiba to the doctor’s clinic. She was picked up by another vet there. They were to do the surgery the next morning but it didn’t happen. She had to have several baths to get her clean and they had to get the room sterilized. They were operating this morning (Friday.) I was headed to the therapist for my arm and was going to Umbul Umbul on the way. I cried the whole way from the ferry to the store. Just sobbed. All I have been able to think about is Frito and how scared she must be and how much pain she may be in. I know this is the best thing for her and that she will live a good life when she comes home because I am going to spoil the hell out of her.
So yes, we will have 4 dogs and a cat. I am that person.
My new girl, Frito.This is her happily stoned on her way to the ferry.
She is to come home on the ferry on Monday. I can’t wait.
And then there is this one.
She jumps up on the new plastic table we got (because she was chewing on the good one) and looks in the window at me.I slid the screen open and she crawled in and stood on my laptop.
Because Lola can jump up on the table I have DOG NOSE ART on my house windows,
She is getting big and she is STILL PEEING!!!
We are finishing the painting in the guest condo. Alexi cleaned window tracks and Bill made a single bed frame today that Alexi will paint. My cleaning gal comes next week and then I can decorate and get ready for our guests who arrive in 2 weeks. I can’t wait!!!
Living on an island was a life long dream of mine. In 2012 I moved to Roatan and lived there for 4 months, went back to the US, packed up our belongings and sold our house. In Oct of 2013 we moved there permanently. Our house was completed in July of 2014 and we moved in. After 6+ years, I was ready to go back to the US. I made the move in Dec of 2019 and my husband came a year later. Here we are in Arizona, waiting for our island house to sell so we can sell this place and move on. I guess I'm more like a traveling mermaid.
Oh, my goodness, those children are adorable~ How wonderful that you are taking in another sweet dog that needs you…many blessings to you!!!
These photos are gorgeous! And that Lola, oh so precious 🙂 Sending tons of good vibes to Frito this weekend ❤ ❤ ❤