Uncategorized – Page 14 – Mermaid on a Raft

Doña Maria de la Luz

10/08/2015 Yesterday morning Carmen and Marilyn were dropped off at my house by Alex, we loaded up the car, sprayed more bug repellent on us on top of the already sprayed bug repellent (I mean, we were jungle bound), Marilyn and I loaded our walking sticks into my car and we set off to meet Nidia at the Roatan Culture Village. We were going to see Doña Maria, the lady we went to see last week but she wasn’t home. I had a bag of stuff for her, shampoo, creme rinse, body soap, air freshener, some plastic cups, laundry and dish soap and some dish scrubbers, plus a used pair (new condition) of Keen sandals for her. Nidia had some flip flops and 3 dresses for her too. She had also asked for some black water dye because she wanted to color her hair. However, she was in for a big surprise. Nidia had arranged for her to get her hair done at Sophiestication Salon and Spa in Coxen Hole. They graciously said they would give her a hair color and cut and mani, pedi for free.

The walk in to her place is challenging in the beginning because there are some very steep, uneven steps carved into the side of the hill. I was so grateful for the walking stick Bill made me that morning, it makes up for not having 2 good knees.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — I didn’t even notice this tunnel the first time I went there. Nidia said it doesn’t go back very far.

We made it to her house, obviously earlier than she had expected us. She was stoking the fire in her mud oven when we arrived. We started getting out the goodies we had for her and showing her what we brought.

We were ready to go to town and she led us off the mountain. At one point I yelled to Nidia, “Why is she running?” She moved so fast down that path and when it came to the stairs I think she jogged down them. I remarked to Marilyn about it and Marilyn tried to make it sound reasonable that she did it so easily because of a lower center of gravity. Yeah, maybe that’s it. We got her buckled in the front seat and off we went to Sophiestication Salon at Plaza Mar.

We took that stuff to the car and went back to see how she was doing.

Remember, this woman lives in the jungle, she doesn’t even own a mirror, let alone beauty products. Despite the fact that she is probably in the sun much of the day she has exquisite skin, especially for a lady her age.

Marilyn and Carmen and I went to Super Islena looking for a corn grinder and a bucket with a lid. No corn grinder in the several places we looked but Carmen did find a nice lidded bucket to keep the rats out of her beans and flour. We went back to the salon and her hair was being combed out and straightened. SHE LOOKED LIKE A DIFFERENT WOMAN.

This is the real shocker though, what a change in her looks. She was so thrilled.

Just as we were getting ready to leave Plaza Mar it started raining. We got into the car quickly so she didn’t get her new hairdo wet. This time Nidia took us in a different way (so thankful for my AWD Outlander) since it was raining and we had lots more stuff to carry for her.

She was so upset that she couldn’t offer us anything. She wanted to make us tortillas but we showed up earlier than she expected. She must have apologized to Nidia about it several times. It really amazes me that she was so worried about giving us something; she has no idea that she already did, something way better than any tortilla ever could be. Just the experience of spending a day with this amazing woman was so exhilarating. It made me realize that the fact that my kitchen isn’t done is not really a big deal, that no door yet on my pantry is insignificant. She has so little and is so happy.

We also found out that in the 8 years she has been on the island (she came from Olanchito on the mainland with her son and his wife, they were allowed to build a “house” on the land in exchange for being caretakers, his wife must be gone and her son is only there sporadically) she has never been to the east end of Roatan. We plan to take her on a day trip, maybe a boat ride, get her out and away from the jungle so she too can experience the beauty of this island.

Meeting Nidia has changed my whole path on this island. She gives of herself everyday to so many people, she gives her time, her energy and her love. If she needs to raise money for something she does it, with the goal clearly set in her sights. Nothing stops her, no person is insignificant in her eyes. She does so much for the children and the seniors on this island that just being with her has made me a better person. Now I get to share Nidia with my friends, Carmen and Marilyn. They have joined me on several events that Nidia has taken me to. I can’t imagine better people to hang out with and to help Nidia do what she does best, helping those who need help.

After we left Doña Maria we dropped Nidia off at her store and stopped at the new liquor store in town. We each bought a few bottles of wine and sampled some Bailey’s Dulch de Leche, ohmyyummy!! Dangerous stuff. By the time we left there it was POURING. We got soaked just getting in the car. We stopped in Los Fuertes and Marilyn found the corn grinder for Doña Maria in one of the stores. And we got more soaked. By the time we got to French Harbor the rain had subsided so we decided to drag our soggy semi muddy selves into Herbie’s for some lunch. We had a “fried” lunch and drinks and then headed back to Oak Ridge, where I dropped Marilyn and Carmen off. Alex was coming in the boat to get them and whisk them home.

Such a simply fabulous day with 3 fabulous ladies and sweet Doña Maria. Nidia, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of what you do. I love you lots and look forward to more adventures!

****Just a side note: We are looking for donations for the Christmas party for the children. We need to buy about 1000 gifts and then get food and drinks for the parties and some Piñatas for the games. In the past, Because We Care did a food drive and supplied bags of food for the parents and toys for the kids right before the holidays. Last year it was evident that things were taking a negative turn. People were not thankful for what they were given, they were angry because they expected more or different or better. Because We Care works very hard to raise the money for these events and to finish weeks of driving all over the island and passing out things to some (not all) ungrateful people takes a lot of the fun out of it.

This year it’s just about the kids, that’s it. Santa will be available to pass out gifts to all the kids and if we can raise enough $$ we will throw a party for the kids on each end of the island. (The majority of the people we help have no cars or means of transportation). If you are interested in donating please email me @ ledfutt@gmail.com. I guarantee every cent goes to the kids on this island.

Thank you.

All about the dogs

10/08/2015 I’m on a roll today. Blog # 2, with # 3 to follow tomorrow.

The morning after the Rehab concert we delivered my beloved Pilates Allegro Reformer to my friend Jill’s Pilates Studio, Core Pilates. It has been sitting in the downstairs unused by me and I felt guilty as hell about it. If I haven’t used it in 2 years, I’m not going to, I’m getting older, not younger. When I messaged Jill to see if she was interested in buying it she was amazed because, like she says, “who owns a reformer?” Well, I do and back in Washington I used it almost nightly. It was also a fabulous prop for my crazy friend Kevin to perform on during our parties.

IMG_20151004_085703 — Most people don’t see a Pilates machine and have hysterical fits of laughter from memories about a friend using the machine. I feel sorry for them and grateful for all of our gang in WA who were able to experience the hilarity of Kevin performing feats that we never thought were humanly possible on a Pilates machine.

When we got home we piled the Beach Boys in the car and headed for Big Bight for them to go swimming. They knew where we were and literally FLEW out of the car and ran to the beach. Excitement was coursing through their veins. So was the testosterone, but that was in their brains. They were scrappy.

When the pups were tired and laying around, too pooped to play any longer, we brought them home and I had the fun job of bathing all 3 of them and then I bathed Frito too because she stunk.

We have been spending many evenings on the roof, watching the sun go down. The dogs love it up there, they “guard” the property quite well. It also gives them a large unobstructed battlefield. OMG. It gets crazy up there with 5 dogs running laps.

They love to stick their heads through the rails. Before the rails, they leaned over the edge and we were always afraid they would get rough housing and someone would fall off, one of the main reasons for the rails. Well, the dogs and people.

Bill bought a whole chicken for the dog food and threw it in the crock pot for 5 hours, then we added veggies and cooked rice. It makes enough food to add to their dried food for about 8 days. The chicken turned out really good.

In fact the chicken was so good, we made one for ourselves the other evening and invited Mr. John, our neighbor up for dinner. I made mashed potatoes, stuffing, the whole works. Biggest meal we have had for a long time. I also made my all time favorite peanut butter pie. I could eat a whole one alone, and then puke for 2 days.

After dinner we were cleaning up and Bill was feeding the pups some scraps. They were salivating all over.

The other day I got the brainy OCD desire to organize ALL OF THE DOG COLLARS (from Helping Paws Across Borders vet team) that were in 2 huge bags in my spare bedroom. Frito bean decided to help me.

Today is Thursday, tomorrow is the 100th birthday party for Aunty Clara in Coxen Hole and Saturday finds me back at the airport again. I still have one more blog to get out today about our day in the jungle with Doña Maria, it was so amazing. If the dogs keep on sleeping and I can keep on concentrating, it will be published later today.

Finding your tribe

10/07/2015 ** ANYTHING IN BOLD ITALICS IS A LINK, BE BRAVE AND CLICK IT FOR SOME FUN

Another Friday, another afternoon at BJ’s with my new personally set limits. We took Maxillicious with us because he has been aggressive with the other 2 boys. Can you say TOO MUCH TESTOSTERONE?? He was so good I was amazed. He just laid on the floor and watched the people, he didn’t bark or jump up on anyone, he acted like a well trained dog. Marilyn and I discussed plans for the next night even though Carmen and Brett weren’t there.

12080137_10153351238533533_6213044446311677487_o — But he’s my sweetie and I hold him anyhow

Saturday evening was the second Because We Care concert to raise $$ for Rehab for Ursula and Frances. They are 2 ladies Nidia has known for a long time and is doing her best to get the money to ensure they complete treatment. The concert was downtown at the Juan Brooks School. We wanted to support Nidia in her efforts and we also wanted to be there to wish her Happy Birthday. We got there early and the concert was running late. Honduras. So we did what anyone else would do, we walked to the grocery, got beer and wine and drank in the car. Actually Bill and Alex went to get the booze, we sat and finished off the first bottle of wine with the music on and the door opened. Carmen had to pee so she found a dark corner of the parking lot to go. Unfortunately she peed on her new sandals because she peed crooked, the sandals were sparkly too. But that’s not why she peed on them. Just about the time Carmen went to pee, Nidia walked by. She had no idea we were there, it was really weird. We were happy to see her, she looked gorgeous, well, she is gorgeous. We had a few things for her birthday so we gave them to her there. I also handed her my half full orange (never done an orange Solo before, only red) Solo cup of wine. She informed us the concert was for drug rehab, not alcohol, we were cool. Not that we needed rehab or anything. We went to the concert and the guest singer, Ursula, the lady that was in rehab for drug addiction, was 2 hours late. TO HER OWN $$$ RAISING CONCERT, SHE WAS LATE. She was getting her nails done. Marilyn had a water bottle with wine in it (@ the Rehab concert) and Carmen had her own orange Solo cup.

I think at one point I had the cup, passed it back to Brett to give to Carmen and she proclaimed, “No, I’m too drunk and hungry to drink anymore”. {They tried to make me go to rehab, I said no, no, no.} The lady in front of her turned and scowled, after all, we were at a Rehab concert. I walked out front to talk to Nidia and on the way back inside Marilyn and Alex were walking towards me, Alex came up and grabbed me and started swirling me around this parking lot that had crater size holes in it, dancing. Yes, we were the only people dancing. I had on 3″ wedges for the first time in over 2 1/2 years, I could barely walk, let alone dance. It was wonderful.

It was getting late and none of us had eaten so we left the concert for Rehab b/c we were lacking sustainable nutrition with our wine. We went to Romeo’s, a fancy restaurant, for dinner. It sits on the water in French Harbor and my friend Connie and her husband own it. {She is the lady who started Cattleya school for the physically and mentally challenged students. I go there and help when I’m needed.} As soon as we got there Bill got a call from a neighbor who said our dogs were barking like crazy. We thought, oh well, there’s a rabbit..then our other neighbor calls, he’s 86 and deaf as a doorknob. He heard them too. He said he would walk up and then call us. He didn’t call so Bill called him and he was at our fence and the dogs were barking so loud they couldn’t talk. By this time we had our drinks and were deciding what to do.

We all placed our orders and five minutes later decided we have to get them “to go.” Right before our meals were ready to go we got another phone call that the dogs had stopped barking. Hmmmm. What does that mean?

12049397_891262517575919_8446047198327736213_n — Obviously because Alex is absent from this photo, I was Marilyn’s love-sub. Alex was being a gentleman and getting the car and waiting, and waiting for us..No blame on the restaurant, we ordered a lot of food to go.

It means it’s time to pose for pics while we wait for our food to be done, then we jumped in the waiting car and came to our house.

The Beach Boys led by Highway were barking when we came up the hill but not that much. Frito was doing her f*cking seal impersonations, UGH. That drives me crazy. Seriously, she sounds like we have a Flock of Seals inside. {And the guy that was going to give her a new home said she doesn’t bark. OMG.} Anyhow, we get home, go upstairs with eleventy boxes of food, bag of ice, random beers and some wine that was diluted by ice cubes. The dogs were fine, the house was secure and they were barking BECAUSE THEY COULD. We weren’t here to stop them.

We all stood around our island and ate like a bunch of starved heathens. Once all of our bellies were full, we all wanted to lay down and sleep. Marilyn and Alex and Brett and Carmen still had a drive and a boat ride to get home. They’re like island pioneers, or maybe pirates, whatever.

Anyhow, a completely random, crazy stupid, disrupted evening turned out to be a blast.

The tribe has spoken. They were all voted in, they can stay.

Setting limits

09/29/2015 It’s been another quiet week here. We are happy to be able to enjoy the roof with the dogs. They seem to think it’s free for all time up there and go a little crazy. Until we get the pergola built, we have to wait until the sun goes down some or else we’ll melt up there. Speaking of melting, it’s been stinking hot and humid here.

We decided since we had such a boringly normal week we would hit BJ’s on Friday. If you’re an ex-pat and not been to BJ’s, you’re missing out. BJ’s is a wooden building on the waterway in Oak Ridge. The building is nothing, the view is fabulous, boats coming and going, cruising by, people headed home when going by boat is the only way to get there. Like many of my friends, boat access only. With only water access, it’s a different way of life. We arrived at BJ’s around 1.

I happened to have a petition that was being circulated on the island to try to get a good cop returned; he was rotated to the mainland. I wanted to get some more sigs on it so I took it there. I was successful in many ways that afternoon.

12080014_887230677998099_8438438798185110269_o — The Banditos, the guy on the far left was a tourist who got up to sing.

12068663_887230917998075_3993620972431625918_o — BJ herself, enjoying the music.

12030517_887232111331289_6131913679761233974_o — Larry in the hat and Kelly, a wanabee Larry in the matching shirt behind him.

12027279_887230094664824_3431516153392528559_o — My friend Carmen singing with the band, she’s good!

12022602_887228644664969_5403319037056248805_o — Peggy and Alex, didn’t get to hear Peggy sing!

12022565_887228987998268_1555176150128102038_o — #3 wine down.

12015121_887228844664949_4190431612202000000_o — Betty and BJ. **All of the photos at BJ’s are courtesy of Marilyn Northagen Poirier.**

So this is my story:

#1. They had white wine, even if it was served in a jelly glass. Thank you Marilyn, you rock and thank you for taking proper wine glasses to the bar for them to use. I had a jelly glass full of wine.

#2. I got a full page of signatures on the petition. I had another glass of wine in a wine glass.

#3. I think I may have had another glass of wine after Marilyn and I got some exceedingly good news that caused us to act out on the pier.

#4. I danced several times in my bare feet, it was fabulous. I had another glass of wine and was drinking Kelly’s drink also.

#5. I believe I may have also guzzled the last sip out of Marilyn’s glass at some point before we Bill decided it was a good idea to leave.

#6. May have made plans for a party at our house, which is fine, but I didn’t remember when it was for.

We got home before 4 PM and I drank a bottle of water and went to bed and slept until 9 PM. When I woke up I filled a bowl with lettuce, put grated cheese and dressing on it and ate it. For dinner. I then drank more water and could not go to sleep. It sucked because I had the airport gig the next day and obviously I drank too much wine on an empty stomach. I had already slept 5 hours. Ridiculousness.

I now have self imposed limits.

On Saturday I volunteered to fill in for one of the greeters at the airport. I always enjoy my time spent there, getting to meet new people and talk to them about the island; it’s a fun afternoon. My friend Kathy had just arrived back on the rock and decided to wait until I was done and then I would give her a ride to her boat. (She lives boat access only) We had a great day in immigration, it went smoothly despite the fact that 2 planes landed 10 minutes apart. I met lots of fun people and hopefully made them feel welcomed to the island.

Kathy and I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and as soon as I walked in I saw people I had spoken with at the airport. They all said hello and a few aisles later I helped them pick out some booze for the week. I mean, obviously I would know this. I gave Kathy a ride to BJ’s and then came home w/ groceries for the party that we may be having. Only issue is that while at the store, my phone was dead. I always keep my grocery list on a program called KEEP on my phone. I could NOT access my list. I forgot shit.

That’s OK though because Bill had to go to ACE in the morning for something plus he was picking up primer for our other friends who were coming to dinner and live boat access only too. He stopped at the store and got what I forgot, which by the way was very minimal. AS IN, I remembered.

Sunday we busted our butts cleaning up around here, we were indeed having friends over. The house does get bad, there are things laying all over the kitchen island and the porch and house is a mess with dog stuff. BUT, when you have 6 dogs and a cat, you get special passes for hairy floors and hairy whiskers. It’s the hairy whiskers that get me all the time. Sunday was the eve of the blood moon and the lunar eclipse.

12052564_887234557997711_4380043329303598237_o — Bill and I on the roof

12045790_887234914664342_4691197355903598660_o — Brett, Alex and Bill

12030358_887235607997606_3938162151856050957_o — Brett, the other half of Brett and Carmen

12010782_887235061330994_2865795273117015946_o — Carmen, they are from South Dakota and now live here.

12017479_887234144664419_485746886603920215_o — They have an awesome water access home on the beach. Pretty sweet deal. I posted photos before of being at their place.

12017663_887236071330893_8133535260511133762_o — Sunset over the North shore

12068848_887235934664240_6048002286537072474_o — Sky over the south shore. **All of these photos were also taken by Marilyn ..**

We saw zip, zero, nada of the blood moon due to clouds. However, just when we thought all hope was gone, the clouds cleared away and we were treated to the eclipse. Of course, my camera was downstairs and I was ultimately too lazy to go get it. Just for the record, I only had 2 glasses of wine and then switched to water. A much better idea for me.

It was a fun evening up on the roof with great friends. It will be much nicer once we get it finished up there and have a few creature comforts..

On Tuesday I joined Nidia and her friend Lidia on a trek to go visit Doña Maria, who lives alone in the jungle. Nidia and Lidia had been to visit her not too long ago. She had a request for a few more items so we were going to deliver them. These photos of Doña Maria were taken when Nidia and Lidia went to see her.

12003212_979599695396903_4018563601676488839_n — Peeling sugar cane with her machete

12004776_979599498730256_7921719574399201588_n — Showing Nidia her church dress, she needs a new one.

12037937_979599512063588_6019696297284058877_n — She also needs some new shoes.

12039605_979599338730272_6329513113681731783_n — She LOVES Coke so they took her some and also some groceries.

We started our trek at the Roatan Culture Village, a place I never knew existed. It is an old resort that must have been pretty darn amazing in it’s day. We parked my car and walked through a gate and I was dumbfounded. There in the midst of the jungle is this eerily cool old resort. It is very run down, has had no visitors for some time.

Karl Stanley (click on his name) lives on Roatan and he has done more for chronicling and capturing things below the sea than many who came before him. Marine Biologists from all over the world come here to go down in Idabel with Karl to 2000′ feet below the surface. Check out his adventures here: https://fathomlessinnerspace.wordpress.com/2013/09/28/magical-mantas-and-pink-pyrozomes/

We trudged all the way up to her house and she wasn’t home. Now, it’s not like she has a lot of places to go. She is 82 and lives in the middle of the jungle, alone. She has no electricity, no running water,no bathroom, no kitchen. She has a few neighbors further up the valley.

We walked on up to her neighbors house but nobody was home there either.

Disappointed that Doña Maria was not there, we headed back down to my car. On the way we dropped the coke off at her house, kind of hid it as a surprise for her.

Our plans are to go another day, very soon. I bought her shampoo, cream rinse, soap, dish soap, laundry powder, toilet paper, some plastic glasses and a pair of used Keen shoes in great condition. Nidia has a few dresses and some slippers for her. Hopefully we’ll go soon! We didn’t leave the other things we got for her because we were afraid someone would happen by and take them so we will be going back and I will be taking a walking stick and wearing more bug spray for sure.

These last few photos are random shots so bear with me.

12091331_10205348473771898_896282021873614948_o — My friend Kathy’s watchie took this photo of a snake in her yard. We all (ASS)umed it was a boa but turns out it is a rat snake. A big assed rat snake,

12091328_10205348473651895_7189208589440792135_o — Hello, I see you………………………..

12069004_10205348473251885_5495729234968599403_o — Yep, big assed snake

12048799_10206106071549824_2053498944_n — Not to be outdone by Kathy and her big assed snake, Bill killed another Coral (poisonous) on our porch the other eve.

Calling it a night. I organized 2 bags of dog collars after I got home from an early morning with Because We Care and CALM Ministries from Baton Rouge, LA. We passed out school supplies to 400 kids in Oak Ridge.

More on that later, didn’t feel it was appropriate with my confessions of too much wine..

IMG_20150930_120638 — I wanted to nap, the Beach Boys wanted to party!

The Bean is back

09/18/2015 Yes, Frito Bean was returned to us, well actually Bill went to get her. The people who adopted her didn’t feel she barked enough. Seems that someone stole her food dish off the porch while she was there and she didn’t bark. I don’t know if she barked or not, all I know is she must not have felt at home yet. Whatever the reason, Bill went to get her on Monday and she cried like a baby when she saw him pull up. Obviously she is happy enough being here, even if she is separated from the others and we’ll just keep it like that, if she’s happy, we’re happy. And, we’re back to 6 dogs. YAY.

Tuesday was Independence day in Honduras. There were parades and marching bands from all of the schools out in full force, clogging the already clogged up roads. It’s really kind of insane that they march on the main streets, as there are no other roads, not an alternate route and traffic is stopped. What if there were a fire in one of the old wooden buildings in downtown Coxen Hole and the streets were filled with thousands of people, I don’t know what they would do. The whole block would be gone in minutes. I guess that’s how they do things here.

The parade was to be over at 11 so I planned to pick up a friend and meet some other friends at a specific location downtown. Marilyn got to my house around 10 and we left for Coxen Hole, not knowing whether we would be stopped for a parade or not. We encountered no parades (if I had not allowed time for them we would certainly positively have been stuck in one) and made it to Eldon’s where I was meeting Lauren.

Lauren is a new friend I met on Facebook. She posted that she needed to buy a cat scratching post. I told her she would not find one here but my husband could make her one. I’m so good at volunteering him for things. Well, the cat scratch pole was a challenge, but he was up for it. She wanted it 3′ high and weighted and covered with sisal rope. The only place we could find sisal was ACE and it was .25 a foot.

Lauren and I became friends on FB and through messenger I invited her to the all consuming craziness that is a Honduran celebration of any type. I said I would pick her up at Eldon’s grocery store. We met there and I drove into town so we could park (hahahaha) and meet Chris and Shannon and their kids for the Children’s Celebration. {I met Chris and Shannon on FB and was at the airport to greet them the day they moved here.}

We drove down the main street and the closer we got the more impossibly ridiculous it looked. Most of the cars in front of me were doing 19 point turns in the middle of the 2 lane road with cars assaulting you from every angle. I followed suit. I ORIGINALLY planned to meet Chris and Shannon at the parking lot across from Carrion; however, you could not get within 20′ of the entrance. I turned around and went to a small parking lot by a sort of hardware store. There was a dirt road alongside the building and we wondered if it might take us where we wanted to be. It did not, however it took us to a dead freaking end with no place to turn around. My option was backing up with a 3′ drop off on my left and buildings on my right on a quasi dirt path. Those who know me know that backing up is not my forte’. Garage doors, tractors, etc. I made it back to the original spot and parked the car to go talk to a guy on the other side of the fence. He spoke English and was very nice, he said I could park there and he would keep an eye on the car. We gave him a few bucks and set out for town. I was carrying 2~ 30 packs of raw eggs and 12 big spoons. Once we got into the crazy crowds, I reached for my phone to call Shannon and realized I had left it in my car, WAY back there through the crowds. DAMN. We watched a few marching bands as we pushed and shoved our way through the crowds, I really enjoy watching them, except when in the hot sun surrounded by 300,000 other people. The kids were in full dress uniforms, long sleeves, long pants, hats, capes and gloves. Sweat much??

Click here to watch the bands and pay close attention to the kids moving, they are into the rhythm.

We walked down to the lot where the Children’s Celebration was to be held with a quick stop off so I could hug Miss Catherine (Daine’s Mom). We found the lot where the party was to be but it was locked and there was nobody around. I left my eggs with Marilyn and Lauren and I walked back to my car so I could get my phone to call Shannon. Lauren was hot and not being used to the insanity of these things, she was ready to grab her cat scratch pole and get a cab home. After I tried to return Shannon’s missed call, I decided to move my car closer to the party; except the lot I was going to park in was all of a sudden closed. I thought I was screwed until I found a spot across from Woods Clinic in a small lot. I had seen Nidia on the way to get my car so I knew things were happening soon. When I got to the lot they were setting up tables and starting to put the sandals and toys and gifts out for the kids.

She had all the kids line up before we started any of the activities. What she really was doing was PUMPING THEM UP. And it worked.

They did a foot race, literally, one guy ran in his bare feet and another in his socks. We had traffic blocked off (again, on the main road).

After the races we moved the crowd inside the parking lot and had some other contests there. First they did a spaghetti eating contest. The plates were heaped with spaghetti in tomato sauce.

Next up was the chugging contest with a 1/2 liter bottle of warm Pepsi. The boys all got up on stage and once Nidia blew the whistle, they started chugging. Some of them started coughing and had it coming out their noses, some were burping while others were pacing it, not guzzling. One boy got a little carried away and puked all over the stage and on the kids standing right up front. It was so gross. Obviously, he lost.

We were going to leave after this but the Plat Pole was going to be next so we stayed so Marilyn could see it (and of course, I wanted to watch it again).

We didn’t stay for the whole plat pole dance because Marilyn’s car was at my house, from there she had to drive to Oak Ridge and then jump in her boat to get home. I was hoping to have her make the trip while it was still light out, but, this is Roatan and that didn’t happen. We had smooth sailing until we got to Los Fuertes, right before the BIP gas station traffic came to a STOP. We barely moved for 45 minutes. I asked some guys passing by what was going on and they said marching band. Just when you least expect it…foiled again. It was dark by the time we got to our house. I was so exhausted all I wanted to do was shower and go to bed!

The guys have been here working on the roof rails so someone had to be here to put the dogs in or out, it’s been a week of sticking close to home. Wednesday morning I was meeting Brenda and Toni to pick up the stuff that Helping Paws Across Borders left here. I got to BJ’s around 8:30. Once we had my car loaded and I mean loaded, it was packed so full that only the 2 front seats were open. Brenda got in and Toni squeezed on her lap with his head out the window. We drove like that to my house so we could unload all of the stuff. Then the 3 of us went to town. She had to get paperwork from Doc C, go to Carniagro and Eldon’s. After Eldon’s they were going to Bojangles for one last time. I had milk, eggs and cheese in my car so I decided to come on home and they would taxi it back to their boat. I’m sad because they are moving back to Germany, I’m really going to miss them. Vet clinics won’t be the same without them.

They stopped the next day on their way to the ferry to give me one last bag and to say our final goodbye. I was crying..

Bill has been working on the cabinets and a security system for the house. The cabinets are finished and hung and now I have much more storage and several empty drawers. Next is the cameras for the security stuff.

The dogs have been spending way more time inside and they love it. I’m OK with that except I have to clean the floor everyday, well, I should clean it everyday, but I don’t.

This morning I was going to walk the pups and Frito, one at a time. I attempted to let 1 pup out but 2 managed to scamper outside and run down the driveway and back up, ears blowing in the wind. Bill and I were trying to catch them but they were too busy running. I was just about to grab Barrio when they both went running to the bank along the house. One side is steep but manageable and planted with trees and bananas, the other side is a sharp drop off onto a barbed wire fence and weeds. Gringo hit the weeds and disappeared. I screamed and Bill came running. I got Barrio back inside and went to help Bill rescue Gringo. I could hear him crying and see him but could not get to him. It’s all itch weed and briars and thorns down there. Bill went one way over the bank but couldn’t get to him so he tied a rope around a pillar and lowered himself down over the cliff. Once Gringo saw him he went to him. Bill shoved Gringo up to me and pulled himself up by the rope. Bill immediately went inside to take a shower to get the itch stuff off. I checked Gringo and he wasn’t hurt, no barbed wire cuts or anything. I’ll be so glad when that is fenced off and we can let them out there and not worry about them falling down into the abyss.

Our roof rails are done, finally. Bill went up there with the vacuum and actually cleaned up the metal fragments on the roof. We are looking forward to being able to go up there and watch the sunset tonight, with the dogs. Especially now that we know they can’t fall off.

Next we are having the roof fiber glassed (since it’s flat it will guarantee no leaks) and then the pergola goes up. Bill still has to puppy proof one area because the other night Max jumped right out to the roof and took off running. Not cool Max, not cool at all.

I’m out of here, but let me first say, always WASH the damn knife after you have chopped up a jalapeno. Rinsing it does not remove the hot, therefore the lime you cut for your Dos Equis will be spicy as shit. Lesson learned.

seven minus two equals five

09/13/2015 A lot of you will think less of me after this post, but life is what it is and sometimes changes have to be made.

When I moved to Roatan in Nov of 2012 we had a dog, Dooce and a cat, Emmy.

IMGP1265 — Dooce. She hated having her photo taken.

I took Ems to Roa with me because she is clearly my cat. Dooce stayed home with Bill. While on Roatan I saw a pup get hit by a big truck.

310091_10151282299403533_1510180390_n — The day I found him it was rainy and he was filthy dirty. I happened to have a cat litter box in my car so I used that as a bed.

I stopped and grabbed the pup and called the only vet on the island that day and got the pup sewn up. I named him Highway, we now had another dog. Bill came down to get me when it was time for me to go home in March. I took the cat, he took the dog. Our big dog at home wasn’t sure what to make of this crazy thing running around in circles, but she adapted and fell in love with him.

She was playing, really, she never hurt him.

Jump ahead to October 2013, we had sold our house and pretty much everything we owned and were moving to Roatan with 2 dogs and a cat. In December of that year our friends were leaving the island and they had 3 dogs they were looking to place before they left. We offered to take Lucky, a big white male. He and Highway and Dooce got along fine.

Lucky, Highway and Dooce on their morning walk

Dooce passed away unexpectedly in Nov. of 2014. It was heartbreaking. She was only 9. Dooce raised Highway, he adored her.

On Dec. 23rd we were at our mechanics when I saw Lola, a beautiful 7 week old puppy. I commented that she was so cute I could take her home. The owner of the shop said, “Lady, you can have her”. Damn. I had another dog.

1604875_10152766076218533_7947708875549484009_n — Meet Lola

Lucky never liked Lola, he was snappy with her and he seemed to get grumpier every day. He growled if she touched him and showed her his teeth. Now to be fair to Lucky, he had 2 other mature dogs he previously lived with and he had a good sized piece of property to roam and chase things on. He did not have that here, we have a small fenced area and the dogs go for daily walks but no room to really roam. Lucky was always different than my other dogs in that he wouldn’t allow you to take a toy from him or allow you to touch his food or his body while he was eating. With my dogs I can take food out of their mouths while they eat, I train them that way. I can take anything away from them, even if I have to pry their mouths open to get it. They will not bite me.

We had several instances where Lucky got very aggressive with toys and food, to the point that he bit me on 2 separate occasions. He didn’t hurt me but he let me know he was boss. However, he’s not the boss. I am.

Then we got Frito. He didn’t seem to mind her, she was in her own little world most of the time anyhow, searching for morsels of food or trying to rub her belly on something.

11046741_10152864455658533_4661913135645660683_n — The day I found her. Her front paw had the bone sticking out of it and was badly infected. She would have died within a few weeks.

IMG_20150317_210511 — After surgery. What a determined dog, I’ve never met a dog quite like Frito.

What we didn’t know was that she was pregnant and a month after she had her leg amputated she had 7 puppies. For the first month the big dogs didn’t pay any attention to the pups but once the pups became mobile, it was a different story. Lola was in love, Frito wanted no part of her own brood, they had teeth and there were 7 feeders, Highway was ambivalent and Lucky was pissed. It was an inconvenience for him. We overlooked his growing frustrations due to the fact that we were consumed with nourishing and taking care of these puppies.

I don’t know if it was the number of pups or the daily proximity of the pups, but they were getting to Lucky. They couldn’t get anywhere near him without him showing his impressive teeth & snapping and snarling at them. Puppies don’t take a hint, they keep going back for more and try as we may we couldn’t be there 24/7. We started having Lucky sleep inside so we didn’t have to worry about him hurting the pups. That was a real pain in the ass for me because he sheds like no other dog ever. I could brush him for hours and not even begin to get the loose hair off his body. We did this to try and appease Lucky, we even started allowing him out front during the day to wander while Bill was working there. He enjoyed that as well.

Also in this time frame Frito and Lola started having fights. Frito, the momma didn’t want to nurse anymore so we were keeping her separated from the pups most of the time so she could dry up. Lola all of a sudden claimed ownership of the pups and if Frito came around and the pups went after momma to nurse Lola got mad and went at Frito. Just keep this in mind…it plays a part in my fragile mental state. Also, remember, I found fabulous homes for 4 of the pups. 7-4=3, which is how many pups I ended up keeping.

{Let me digress just a moment here. I have never before in my life had a pup born in front of me, watched it grow every day, took over bottle feeling when momma stopped nursing, made special formula for them so they would grow healthy and strong, gotten up in the middle of the night and fed them and gotten up at sun rise to take them to potty in attempts to house break them.

This happened for a few months. Bill built a crate, then a bigger crate, then a huge crate IN OUR LIVING ROOM.

We were with these pups 24/7. He puppy proofed all the decks and stairs, he built a crate on the shaded porch, barriers to keep them safe, you name it, we did it. These pups consumed us, but that’s OK. We sort of brought them into this world, we wanted to make sure they all had a fair shake. My intention was to keep none of them. Then I decided I had to keep Barrio. It got worse from there. Back to the story.}

There were a few evenings when Lucky really got after one of the pups but none as bad as when Chance was here visiting. The dogs were all out on the porch, Lola, Highway, Lucky and 3 pups. I have no clue what happened prior, but Luck went after Gringo and Gringo howled so loud that our neighbors up on the hill heard him and wondered what was going on. Chance and I ran out on the porch and I was yelling for Bill to come get Lucky. Bill didn’t realize Frito was in the house and when he opened the door to come help me, Frito ran out and she and Lola started fighting. There I am holding Gringo who was so terrified that he was howling and shaking and then he started to pee uncontrollably. All over himself and me. Bill got Lola and Frito separated and then took Lucky and Frito downstairs. I checked Gringo out and could find no wounds other than being traumatized. Me, I was a wreck. 2 dog fights in 3 minutes.

It was at this point that I realized I could no longer do this 7 dog shit. I am NOT superfreaking woman. I had to make some changes for my everyday sanity. That involved #1, finding homes for Lucky and Frito. Yes, I wanted to re-home Frito. I chose Lola as a pup to raise and Frito, well, I could not turn my back on her in that school yard. I would never have been able to sleep having her face haunting me nightly. I saved her life and (unknowingly) 7 others that day but I could not give her the home she deserved due to Lola. When I took Lucky I was hoping to give him as good a life as he had before but he wasn’t digging living here. I think this is what he was trying to tell us all along. I had to make that call.

At this point Lola and Frito could not be near each other and Lucky couldn’t be trusted with the pups. I was talking to another dog friend and she mentioned someone who may be looking for a dog. Funny, I had just met them a few weeks ago. I called her and she said, sure, bring him over. I took Lucky to meet her male dog in early August. We were going to see how it went the first day. I called on my way home from Camp Bay and she said he was doing fine. We agreed to talk in a day or two and I reminded her she could call at anytime if there was an issue and I would come and get him. There were no problems, he’s digging living there! They have a large piece of property for Lucky to guard and a worker who loves him and plays with him all the time. His new owners adore him, we just saw him the other night. He has slimmed down from all the running up and down the hills, he looked wonderful, his coat was beautiful as always and he was in a great mood. What a good feeling because we honestly felt bad getting rid of him but we knew he wasn’t happy; he told us that by his actions and reactions.

One down, one to go. It was hard to make the decision whether to get rid of Lola or Frito. Lola and Highway are inseparable, he lost Dooce, who raised him so he in turn raised Lola.

Frito was the mother of the pups and a really good dog. Lola and the pups are inseparable too. They follow her everywhere. They are much closer to Lola than Frito.

I made my decison. This morning I saw an ad on a Roatan yahoo group email about a couple looking for a dog. I emailed them a short history about Frito and this is the response I got.

Wow! She sounds like a perfect fit for us. My wife is losing her ability to communicate in coherent sentences (due to too many years raising and teaching homo sapiens of less than 12 years of age) and I often can no longer remember if it was Socrates or Robin Williams that said “an unexamined life is not worth living”. And since I get tired very quickly of watching a four-legged dog run, perhaps watching a three-legged dog run will be less exhausting.

We arranged for him to come meet her. Turns out he has a PHD and an MBA and has been a missionary on the mainland in Honduras for over 20 years. He and his wife recently moved here to help build a school and then retire.

They have been here 1 month and still don’t have a car so he took a taxi and walked up our hill. He liked Frito right away. We talked for a bit and he was ready to take her. He planned to take a taxi home but Bill was going to Eldon’s anyhow so he gave them a ride. I got this email shortly after they got home.

She and I appear to be bonding quite well. We took a long, relaxing walk along the shady side of the harbor near the house. She is proving very good to let me know when she needs to take care of business. She set right next to me as we petted each other. When we returned, she ate well. She very much enjoyed the peanut butter as well as the dog food.

Then someone else posted in the group that they had a dog for him and this is his response:

Thank you for your note. However, we just added Frito, a three-legged young lady that appears as if she will be an excellent addition to our home. Valerie and I have a soft heart for life’s underdogs.

I heard from the people this morning that have her and they said she is fabulous, she went for a walk last night and again this morning. I think Frito will be just fine and I know Lucky is a much happier boy.

We now have 5 dogs and a cat. And I’m good with that. I feel that I have let some people down, that I am no longer the dog rescuer. Be that what it may. I tried, but it was too overwhelming.

As I was writing this last night I had 4 dogs inside and 1 outside on the deck (Highway) going batshit crazy barking. I walked to the window to figure out what the dogs were looking at and I heard it before I saw it. There were some pretty awesome fireworks down on the beach, and to top it off, Mother Nature was putting on her own display of pyrotechnics in the way of heat lightning. It was quite a beautiful evening here on the rock. And 2 dogs quieter.

Maxillicious takes West Bay

09/08/2015 It seems like it’s still August with the weather as hot as it is and not a freaking drop of rain. The lack of any measurable precipitation makes me very thankful for the well we share. We don’t get well water very often but when it’s this dry for a long period, we appreciate the fact that it is available as needed.

Sunday the pups had another beach day. We took them to Paya Bay beach (don’t hate on me Jeanie, I gave them the finger). I’ve been there before and seen the beach but never swam there. We met our friends (and Tank’s parents) around 11. Tank is my boys brother, he is such a love. Paya Bay is a good 25 minutes from home down a hellishly bad dirt and dust laden road. Gringo had crawled up on my lap and fallen asleep. We were almost there when I once again felt a warm trickle down the inside of my thigh. Yep. Gringo peed on my lap for the 3rd time. I think he has a fetish.

Claire and I took the boys in right away. It was a first for mine to swim in waves and initially they ran from them. Once they realized the waves were’t going to swallow them up they put their adventurous faces on and swam into them. Remember, they are at face level with the pups, calf level for me. Much more traumatizing for them.

Paya Bay Beach Resort. You can see the water clears up just off shore.

The pups had a blast until some locals came with small kids. Bill and Kevin put them on leashes. Soon after that Claire and I decided to exit our warm bath in the ocean, got our stuff together and headed for home. The boys were passed out soon afterwards.

We came home, they all got baths, I fed them, showered and we all slept…

Monday morning Maxillicious and I picked Brenda and Toni up in Oak Ridge at BJ’s. We were headed for a day of R&R at West Bay Beach, it was Max’s first time at a civilized beach. We once again chose Bananarama because, well, it’s my spot. After 8 years I just don’t go elsewhere.

Brenda and Toni are moving back to Germany in less than 2 weeks. I’m sad but happy for them. Brenda and I met at the first vet clinic I worked at for Helping Paws Across Borders and we really got along well. We also worked together at the last one and have been doing some dog stuff together too. We plan to do one last clinic before she leaves. Insert super sad face. Toni is her German boyfriend and he is an uber sweetheart, instant love. It was great to spend a day with them and Max at the beach. It was very empty, just a light sprinkling of people minus the annoying, “Wanna massage ladeeee?” NO. I ACTUALLY DON’T. We floated and ate and had a few drinks and floated some more. After 4 hours we decided it was time to make the trek back to the other end of the island. I have to brag. Max was a perfect angel. While he and I were floating, (well, he was on the raft) a lady and man were nearby. They asked me if he liked to swim.

I said, “he loves it.” They then said, “You’re the lady from the airport.” Yep…that is me. Small island. Small world.

While we were eating Max started digging in the sand, which was fine, he likes to dig. However, he was digging with his nose. Check out the video HERE. He was really “digging it”.

He fell asleep on the ride home. Once I dropped those 2 off at BJ’s he got whiney and cried the whole way home. I fed him because he wouldn’t eat at the beach and afterwards he just chilled out. Max was the only dog still inside at bedtime, he didn’t want to go out with the other ones. Later that evening I went to lay down on the bed and I carried him in and flopped him down with me. He jumped down a few times and wandered around, terrorizing the cat and finally jumped back up and laid down. And that is where he slept until 6 AM. He didn’t move except when I moved him because he was hogging half the bed. Bill had his feet hanging off the side because Max was in his foot spot. He didn’t pee, thankfully..and he didn’t eat all the cat litter. However, Emmy hates me and has done nothing besides lunge out after my bare ankles as I walk by the bed and bitten me. Several times. She rules the roost, or at least she thinks she does.

I recently wrote a little piece for a fellow blogger about living in a small place. You can read it here. Thanks Clara for having me, check out her blog at http://www.expatpartnersurvival.com.

Facebook has several local Roatan pages, things for sale, cars, looking for advice, etc. I peruse them once in awhile, mostly for the entertainment value. Take this one (copied verbatim) for instance:

I am selling. A Nissan. Altima rims 2001. Tourism Air Conditioning. With papers. In rule. Interested. Can talk to the 9770-xxxx. With XXXXXX (don’t want to use their name or number). The car. He is. On Gipson quite west end Roatan.

No price, no condition, no mileage..that’s how we do it here on Roatan.

I worked at theairport again this past Saturday and had a woman approach me as I wove me way through the immigration lines chatting to people. She said, “You’re the blogger aren’t you”? So much fun meeting people who are following my blog. Check out Angie’s blog here.

I have mentioned my friend Sam Arch and his Dad before. They run Arch’s Iguana farm and Sam is the one who takes me snorkeling with Frank the Barracuda and, he took my friends and I to Pigeon Key. Anyhow, this is a great write up about the Arch family. I’m proud to call them friends. You can read the article by clicking here.

It’s bedtime again and Max is curled up on our bed. I don’t know if this will cause an issue with him and the other dogs or not. Do dogs get pissed off about that stuff? Preferential treatment and all?

I’m off to snuggle with my furry little boy.. (Not Bill)

Prosciutto

08/31/2015 It’s been a quiet week, which is a nice change. Brenda and I tried to do a vet clinic on Thursday but the guy who was going to help us was so sick we ended up taking him to the doctor. He had impacted sinuses and was a mess. After a visit with the doc he was on 2 nose sprays and 3 different meds. On the way back to the boat we stopped and treated a puppy, a bigger dog and a severely malnourished cat. The cat was 3 months old and weighed about 2#’s. It is heartbreaking and there is nothing we can do but try and educate the people about feeding the animals. Oh, the 3 month old kittens’ momma was preggo again too. Just what the island needs, more animals.

On Friday I had the pleasure of attending a spelling bee at the Pedro Nufio school in Politilly. I got there around 9 AM, it was (and has been) miserably hot. The school is situated up a very steep road and I had to do a 17 point turn to get my car faced downhill and then hope like hell that my emergency brake was in excellent working condition. I trudged down the dirt road then up the dirt hill to the school, which is situated next to a small cemetery. I walked to the back of the tents, searching for a seat in the shade. There were none. A young boy brought me a blue wooden school desk chair to sit on and I squeezed as close as I could into a shaded area, waiting for Nidia to arrive. In sun like this you will melt in 10 minutes flat. Maybe less if you are not Italian.

The ladies in front of me were the Pandy Town teachers, they recognized me as “the Camera Lady.” I sat there in the sweltering heat for several hours listening to the kids spell. I felt that some of the words were not appropriate words for these young kids who are just learning English, like ALLITERATION. I mean, even the judges had to look up the meanings of the word and the man saying the words didn’t always pronounce them correctly either. I wish I knew for sure the ages but I think it was 4th, 5th and 6th grade. There were a couple really good spellers in the group. You could tell the kids were extremely nervous plus the crowd was loud, lots of kids carrying on, parents talking and arguing. My idea of a spelling bee is the audience is supposed to be “Pin Drop” quiet so the kids can concentrate. Not in Honduras, it’s just not how its done. There was one little boy who knocked my socks off. He walked up, blue shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows, hands in his black pants pockets, this boy was ready to spell. I’ve never seen such confidence is such a young boy . He said the word, spelled it INSTANTLY, no hesitation, repeated it and he was always right. When they gave him the word Prosciutto, I was all WTH?? Most English speaking adults can’t even begin to spell that word but it fell off his lips instaneaously. Many people don’t even know what the hell it is, yet he spelled it. Amazeballs.

I only had to back up and pull forward 6 or 7 times to get out of the parking spot at the school. Someone had totally parked me in. I was a hot sweaty mess (and not in a good way) by the time I maneuvered my car out and started down the hill towards home.

August was a typical hotter than hell month with humidity so high you were in a perpetual state of sweat. So be it, I’m not complaining about the weather in the Caribbean, really, I’m not. I remember when I lived in the states, way back when, 2 years ago, I loved the end of July and all of August. They were typically the only weeks I could really use my ghetto pool. We had always considered putting in a nice pool but given the fact that summer is only 6 weeks long, it wasn’t worth it. That is unless we wanted to HEAT the water. Pools here have the opposite problem. They are too damn hot. I recall going to Parrot Tree with Walter one Sunday and the only way we could be in the water was if we stood under the bridge, where the water was shaded. There was no, “aaah, this feels so awesome” when you entered the water. It was SHIT, “this is hot”.

So this is September now and August forgot to take the heat with it. The other day Bill hooked up a random mister section of hose he brought with us. It was a semi breezy day on our porch so directing the mist was not something we could do.

The pups were afraid, then curious, then fascinated, then they were sure it was their own personal drinking fountain. They were biting at the jets of mist that were spraying into the air from the tiny holes.

For the sheer entertainment of it all, I have been sewing dogs faces together, cutting off noses or paws and re-stitching. NOT A DAMN TOY IS SACRED.

Anything with stuffing meets a swift and sudden death here. There are still 2 crate pillows and 2 specially made dog beds that I am trying to figure out how to make them tooth proof. Aside from a suit of armor, I’m lost, no thoughts, so they sit in a corner of my house.

New dog treat: scrub a huge sweet potato, cut off the ends, slice it 1/4″ thick and bake for 2.5 hours in a 200 degree oven. Then let it cool. The dogs LOVE to chew on it, much better than the nasty chew toys you get in the stores.

I’m going to wrap this up because I want my bed…we took the Beach Boys down to Parrot Tree for a dip. They had their normal fabulous time. They came home, got showered, had lunch and a nice long nap.

Just hanging out for the next few days with the boys, may set the sprinkler up and see if they will play in it. Once again, it’s hot hot hot!!

Sunday will be another swim day for the puppies. This time we are driving to Paya Bay with the Beach Boys, one of their brothers and his parents. Should be a fun day. I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures. Luckily my dogs are used to my camera, Dooce was terrified of it. We always felt she thought the camera stole her soul..Who knows, maybe it did.

catch you later my friends..

The best laid plans go astray on Roatan

08/26/2015 I worked at the airport on Saturday doing my airport lady gig, which I love doing. You get to meet so many fascinating people who all have stories to tell. I just wish I had the time to hear them all. It was another day that United’s computers were not working and it was taking light years to check someone in. I really feel bad for the people who are waiting in line. I hear them bad mouthing United and that makes me feel bad because I am very partial to United Airlines. It is the airline Bill flew for years when he was working and we are lucky enough to be Premier Gold Elite for life with them. When I got home I decided to sign into my United account and send them a little note telling them of the situation from an outsiders view point. I received a very nice email back and she said she was glad I wrote, she appreciated it, that it was refreshing to get a letter from someone because they cared about the fact that the situation made United look bad. And she gave me 5500 bonus miles. SWEEEEEET!!! They are aware of the issue and are working very hard to find a remedy. She even sent me her personal email so that I may contact her if other issues arrive. YAY for United, we have never received poor service from them.

A few Sundays ago Bill and I went to Turquoise bay for a swim and a float. We each had a monkey lala (drink not the lizard) and I floated and swam for awhile in the pool. It’s nice to go there and not be charged to enter and to be treated like a guest. Kudos to the people running the place.

This past Sunday we took the pups to Big Bight again for a swim. They went crazy when we got there and couldn’t wait to get in the water.

After that it was home and showers for the 3 of them. I scrub every inch of their bodies to get the sand off of them. They don’t love it but they are getting used to it..I fed them, they crashed and I showered and napped too.

We spent another fabulous Monday with our friends Trish and Dave and friends in Sandy Bay. We ate, floated in the pool and watched a boat motor on by that we all assumed was on fire. Apparently, that’s how it always smokes when it runs. Pollution much? I drank too much wine (I know, hard to believe) came home, fed the pups, ate and went to bed.. It’s Dave’s fault, he kept filling my glass.

This morning Bill and I picked up my friends Brenda and Tony from Royal Playa. We were meeting them at BJ’s and taking a dog who belongs to someone who lives on one of the cays (small island) to get a throat X-Ray. The dog, Grizzly, has had a breathing issue since he was born. It sounds like he is gasping for air. We got him in the kennel in the back of the truck at Oak Ridge and stopped at our house for a minute to drop off Alexi and let the roof rail guys in and then went straight to Dr. Calderone’s. Doc looked at the dog and listened to his lungs and said he felt the dog had emphysema. Grizzly was so stressed out by the time we got there that his tongue was swollen and blue from lack of oxygen. He was almost hyperventilating. We knew he would need to be knocked out before the medical center could get him in position to X-Ray him but Doc didn’t think it would be a good idea to sedate him because he may not wake up, his oxygen level was so low at that point. We came to a joint decision, Tony, Brenda, Bill, myself and Doc and Bethany, that it would be in the dog’s best interest not to sedate him but to try to treat him for emphysema and to reduce the fluid in his lungs. We left Tony and Grizzly in the shade at the vets and we continued on to Coxen Hole. The plan was to take a new dog crate to Coxen Hole for Brenda to exchange for a larger one and return a desk to Nidia that had an unfinished phrase on the back of it (we picked that up in Pandy Town before we met Brenda and the dog). The guy who was to have the crate was not there, big surprise!!! and he wouldn’t be back for awhile so Brenda made other arrangements with him. We went to drop the desk to Nidia and Bill wanted to see if he could make a sturdier desk for the same cost for her so she said to keep it. So we still had 2 dog crates and a desk in the back of the truck.

We put the one crate in the back seat with me (Brenda gets carsick and was sitting upfront) and Tony was in the back with the dog. We barely got down Doc’s road when Tony started yelling, Grizzly had jumped out. We got him secured in the back again and went to the pharmacy to get the meds for him. Grizzly wasn’t looking too good. This is a dog who has never been in a crate, a truck or in traffic, he lives on a small little island and is free to do as he pleases. At that point we decided he would be riding in the back seat with me. Now Grizzly weighs 100#’s easily and he was doing more than drooling. It was coming out in buckets because the poor guy was so stressed. He would get up every so often and take huge gasping breaths of air, his tongue was really thick and turning blue again. I was so afraid he was going to have a heart attack on my lap. We made it back to BJ’s and Grizzly is safe (and probably happy as hell) at home. Hopefully the meds Doc gave him will help reduce the fluid so he can breathe better.

Grizzly back home with his buddy. Photo courtesy of Brenda Lee Beckmann

We had plans in order to do everything to be the most resourceful we could and not waste time and Island Time and mañana once again foiled us..

A few other things from the last couple of weeks,

We let the pups in at night to play, sometimes with Frito, sometimes just them. Lola does not like it at all and she just bolts through the window and comes in. One night I forgot to close the window and she was wandering in the bedroom. Three times in 24 hours she ruined the screen. Bill gets so pissed because he has to fix the screen. She could be trained to do it herself but the fact that she lacks an opposable thumb makes it difficult.

Tomorrow is another vet clinic, meeting Brenda and Tony at 9, hopefully not a full day. We are out of vaccines so it is more of a check up on last weeks issues and worms and flea and tick treatment. Friday there is a spelling bee that I am going to go to in Politilly, looking forward to that and Saturday finds me back at the airport.

And that, my friends is how you spend your 26th (yes it’s today) wedding anniversary!!

Rooms full of desks

07/21/2015 On Friday, Roatan Because We Care (BWC) delivered 20 more desks to the school in Pandy Town. For some reason it is one of my favorite schools. It was the first school I fitted TOMS shoes at, so it’s kind of special. It’s also where I got my first hug from this guy.

I was to pick my friend Carmen up and then meet Nidia at the school. On the way to the school I saw the truck with all the desks alongside the road. It had overheated. I took Henry to get a 5 gallon jug of water, Nidia was already calling for back-up so I went to get Carmen and would meet Nidia at the school. The municipal truck must have come right after I left because by the time I met Carmen at the dock, they were just coming across on their boat as I pulled in, we arrived only a few minutes before Nidia, the truck with the desks and the boxes of sandals. Pandemonium ensued. The kinder from Calabash Bight was also there for sandals.

It really is so much fun to go to the schools, especially when the students are anxious for your arrival. Most everyone in Pandy Town school speaks English so it was much easier to communicate with them. I walked around with my photos, showing them to different students and asking if the person in the photo was there. When I found them and gave them the photo I took of them a few months ago they had a variety of reactions. Some were very shy and others got silly and laughed and laughed. I had several students then ask me to take their photo in the hopes I would bring back a picture of them too. These children don’t have photos taken of them so giving them a printed picture is quite fascinating. Their lives are so different than the lives of the majority of the children in the US. Back in the states, most kids wouldn’t care about new desks or a new pair of flip-flops or a printed photo of themselves, here these small things mean a lot to them. It was evident in their smiles.

Thank you to all of you who have donated to Because We Care, we strive to make life better for the kids and families on this island.