08/09/2016 I’m recovered from company and have been in chill mode for many weeks, nothing I have to do except enjoy my life on the island. We spent a few days waiting for Hurricane Earl, who, at the last minute changed paths and headed straight for Belize. They got hit, we just got rain and wind. Very thankful we were spared and sad for the people in BZE.
This is what we could have been hit with.
A few weeks ago Nidia was contacted by Carnival cruise lines that their employees had taken it upon themselves to organize a food drive for the elderly on Roatan. We met Nidia and Mac at Mahogany Bay at noon to pick up the cruise ship employees and take them and their 60 bags of food to the East End of the island. Due to some snafu, it took longer to pick them up than planned but we got them and were on our way to Pandytown. The people were waiting when we got there.
Alexi helping load the stuff on to Mac’s truckWe had the 2 on the right and the girl 3rd from the left riding with us. Two of them were from South Africa and the other from the states.I of course, found dogs. I was pulling ticks off this little girl when the owner approached me and said I could have her. I said, Thank you but no. He said her name was Lola. One Lola is all I can handle. She was adorable.
Next stop was Punta Caliente but when we got there a few crew members had to be back on the ship so we left and took them back to Mahogany Bay.
These are the folks from Punta Caliente coming to meet us. The employees would like to do this monthly, which is pretty awesome!
On July 30th Because We Care did a breakfast for the people in Hottest Sparrow, a community many times forgotten. I got there around 6:45AM and didn’t really do much until the ladies cooking the food were finished, then I helped serve, made chocolate milk for the kids, passed out drinks, some soccer balls donated by Trish and Dave Symons and then helped pass out toys and gifts and clean up. It was a fun morning.
The kitchen. My friend Carly from Blue Island Divers graciously helped with the cooking.Plates of food, eggs, bacon, sausage, tortillas, cheese, beans and juice and milk.Lots of hungry kidsI love the older sibling holding their younger brother/sister.Sweet brothersThere is not much in the way of fruits or vegetables in their diets.Of course, I was feeding the dogs all the left overs.These kids got some donated soccer balls, some from Trish and Dave and someone else donated a few larger ones as well.The school director with the ones I gave him, I also gave him a ball pump from Trish and Dave.Little girls with their Barbie (sic) dolls.Your guess is as good as mine.They passed out balls and were a few short so we gave this guy a soccer ball, he was thrilled.What’s a party without a Piñata?Nidia was throwing the candyNidia and her box of mystery giftsTom’s shoesHe was so funny with the ball in his shirt
We were fortunate enough to meet some new friends from California via Alex. Kevin and Pam bought some land near us and plan on building on it. They had never been to the East End of the island so we took them to La Sirena, our favorite place.
The end of the world.We stopped along the way and gave these boys a soccer ball (again, thank you Trish and Dave)
On the way home we stopped at the pirate ship and our friend the guard was there. He gave us another tour and some more wooden stuff, like a Seahorse statue that I am in love with.
I finally got a decent photo of the chandelier. It’s stunning, as far as chandeliers go.And Pam got to hold onto an M 16!The mast and rigging on the closed down nightclubOh yes, I got a reserved sign too.Rooftop viewReally. 5 dogs!Such a pretty skyBarrio and Max swimmingMaxiedoodle
We have had so many people over for dinner lately and that is always fun, especially when it’s a nice day and we can be in the pool.
Dave, Trish and JeanieThe stunning Duchess of Camp Bay. There is only one.Roger and some dogs..They love each other.
I picked up my twinnie Ann and we went snorkeling at West Bay again and then had some drinks (of course) at Grand Roatan.
Neon Goby on coralAnn in the swimParrot fish. I love their lips.Lots of small Chromis.Love the coralI see you!More cool coralSucks that we live somewhere so ugly.My favorite beach
This past week I did something I’ve wanted to do for a long long long time. I got my dive refresher and went diving. Thanks to Eric White of Blue Island Divers, he made my dreams come true once again. It’s been over 12 years since I dove and I really wanted and needed a refresher. Diving is dangerous, it’s good to go over these things. Eric was excellent and made me feel very comfortable. I’m looking forward to diving again with him as soon as I return. Thank you Eric! (his wife and I are friends and she cooked at the community breakfast, great people)
We did a 62′ deep dive, the water was 80 degrees. I was able to dive in my swimsuit. I had my Ariel moment and will be doing it as often as possible now. There is nothing like being down there and looking at the vast world under the sea. Fish are so lucky.
Speaking of Mermaids, Robby and Julie brought me this mug. It keeps water cold and ice stays ice for 12 hours. It’s an Ozark Mtn. mug.
Love this mug.
All was fabulous with the mug until yesterday when I took my mermaid cup to our friends Dave and Trish’s for a party.
Trish in the “pink hat.” That’s another story for another time.Dave (Trish’s husband) and David on the raftThe guysThe sky, part way down their road.
The ice stayed ice, just had to refill the water several times while there. (in between glasses of wine) Even after the cup sat along the pool in the sun, the outside was warm, inside ice cold. I filled it again before I left our friends. We got home, put things away, fed the dogs and I laid down to watch some Netflix. I filled my cup w/ more water when we got home and had the cup sitting on the floor while I was on the couch. Around 9 I got up to go to bed and wanted to put more ice in the cup, I took the lid off and there was a small 1′ long Gecko floating belly up in my cup. I FREAKED OUT! Needless to say, I was over the top out of my mind thinking I might have sucked it up in the straw. OMG. I am going to devise something to keep the hole small enough that nothing can crawl in it ever again. Never ever ever again.
Today we delivered the clothes that Robby and Julie brought for Alexi’s brother, nephew and sisters. It was a success because everything fit. They were very appreciative and said thank you very much. I also gave Efraim and Osman a soccer ball donated by Dave and Trish. Earlier I took Alexi to Mega Paca and bought him 2 long sleeve white shirts for school, 3 pair of long pants, 2 black, 1 navy, some underwear, a few pairs of athletic pants and a couple t-shirts. Then we went to LST and bought him a brand new pair of black shoes for school. This is just the beginning of helping him. Thanks to Liza and Mike, Karl, Christy, Brenda and Sean. Thanks also to Tarra for the Old Navy flip-flops. They fit Alexi and he was thrilled to have a few pairs of new shoes. We’re going to take care of a few months of school for him also ($15.00/mo). I’ll keep you posted. Thank you all so much. The little boys and the girls were so excited with all of their new things and Alexi is looking forward to starting school with new clothes!
Alexi and his Mega Paca haul.New kicksAlexi’s younger sister Jessica, she is a beautiful young girl. She said that her step dad won’t allow her to talk to any boys and he hits her if she does. He’s a sick man.Alexi’s 19 year old sister Julianna. She has a 4 year old son, Osman.OsmanBill with Alexi’s 7 year old brother. He is the same size as his 4 year old nephew.Bill and OsmanThis kid is adorableMother and sonMax and Efraim, Alexi’s little brotherAlexi and Juliana hauling their load of clothes home. They were so excited.
That’s it, I’m off to bed. I just wanted to get this stuff out of my mind because I’ll be gone 2 weeks and won’t have time to do any blogging then. Mom and Dad have finally said they would move closer to my sister Missy in Olney, MD. They will be 5 minutes away instead of 90+. So much easier. I plan to help them go through stuff, donate and pack, should be an interesting visit.
I’ll post this mañana, I’m off to fill up my water mug (and check for geckos) and then going to bed.
06/28/2015 I started this on 6/24 but somehow it’s 4 days later. I have no idea what happened to those 4 days.
Wednesday night was a night from hell. OMG, the thunder and lightning shook this place. It was booming. I got up around 2 and checked on the pups and dogs and they were sleeping and not getting wet. Rain was pouring in all of the windows so we closed them and went back to bed. Around 2:49 there was a vicious rumbling crack and a flash instantaneously. That sucker was close. I fumbled my way to the door and all the dogs wanted in. YAY. That means:
1. blocking off the stairway so Lola can’t go down and eat the kitty roca, it keeps Luck downstairs and still gives Ems room to slink by and go down to potty. Close bedroom door.
2. grabbing the bathroom rug, the cord for the hair dryer and any and all shoes, baskets laying on the floor and relocating them.
3. Laying newspapers down so they may be inclined to pee on them. One did pee but then they instead decided on a night time gig of making confetti from newspapers. They are good.
4. Attempt to go back to sleep. I succeeded, Bill did not. I awoke to newspaper confetti ALL OVER THE FLOOR, some of it had been peed on. I somehow managed to take the pups outside, I do not remember doing this. I then went back to bed. Bill got up a bit later and fed the pups. When I awoke the second time the reality of the flipping mess awaiting me smacked me right in the face. I freaked immediately b/c there was a pee puddle and the inside of it was red. My immediate over the top thought was blood in one of the pups urine. Which pup? Max the one who was ill but is crazy good now. I was sick to my stomach in an instant and went to clean it up when I realized that what I assumed was blood was indeed a piece of freshly made red confetti, made flat by the copius amounts of dog urine on it. BASTARDS. The weather has been crap all day, rain, thunder, dogs in, dogs out, dogs finding gross lizard tails in the house. If you don’t want to be grossed out, scroll fast, it’s ugly.
yeah, I know disgusting, but hey, it’s reality down here.
Yep, another glorious day with dogs inside.
1 big, 2 small puppies
So, I digress. Back to our company. I realized I failed to add any photos from our sun day at Parrot tree.
Beauty surrounds youThe Lagoon, Highways #1 favorite placeOn the pointJenPoolJen at the lagoonKathy at the lagoonReading on the ‘bed’
Thursday we had PLANNED to go to Havana Beach club for an afternoon swim, some drinks, etc. On the way there, we stopped and got SOME MORE MANGOES from our friends!! So lucky, they were delicious!
Sweet as candy.
We drove on down to Havana where we always pay the $2.50 US, [L 50] per person to get in and use a lounge chair (most of which are torn to the extent that they are useless.)
At the entrance we were told the fee to use the beach and facilities was $10.00 US per person, no way Jose, so not worth it. We left and drove 5 minute further to Turquoise Bay and they were delightful. N0 admittance charge, their lounges are new and have cushions, they have excellent drinks and they welcomed our business. I will be a repeat visitor there for sure. They also have kayaks to rent and Subway water sports is located there, should you want to dive or snorkel. Beyond beautiful.
Jen reading, me dreaming (sleeping)Bill sleeping tooDeserted beach, we can see the little island in front of the beach (not pictured) from our house.
We had sandwiches with us so we ate them and got drinks from the bar.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMonkey La La
Monkey LaLa is:
1 oz Baileys 1 oz Kahlua 1/2 oz Vodka 1/2 oz Rum 2 oz cream of coconut splash of milk or cream, blend in a blender filled with ice. Add decorative squirts of chocolate syrup on the top, Viola’
Jen and Kathy shellingCool Spotted Ray 3-D art on the wall separating the next propertyBoat tied to dockNice walkway out to the palapa, complete with non-torn chairs and even chair pads
Nice way to spend the afternoon. When we got home we were beat again, picked at a meal and watched a movie.
Friday was a no cruise ship day so we were off to West Bay Beach again for some sun and fun. Instead of going to Banarama we were going to Grand Roatan. On the way we made a stop at South Shore Canopy. It was the first zip-line I did on the island with Olivia in 2010 and it was Jen’s first zip-line ever! If was just as fun, we had 2 young guys, were the only people on the lines, no waiting. Jen won’t forget this one, zipping though the trees upside down, pretty euphoric feeling. They bounced us too which an unusual experience. I much prefer going like hell, with the wind at my face, hoping they can body check me on the platform if I’m coming in too fast. It’s been done. It was a fun zip, enjoyed being the one to accompany Jen on her second “first”. I failed to mention, that when Jen and I snorkeled on Monday it was her first time snorkeling, she was a pro right away. No hesitation, just lets go!
I love this girl, she is ready for anything you want to do. No fear!!Before flight, Jen and KathyYes, I knew we were coming yet still wore a dress (beach cover-up w/ suit under)FLYINGupside downyeah yeah yeahSuperwomanYep, she loved it.Yep, flew upside down
bridge belowit really is fun to fly across the top of the jungle..wish I could do it for hours.She’s got a monkey in her back
Jen loved zip-lining!! After that we were off to the beach. I won’t mention the stupid tiny cone @ Grand Roatan that was in the middle of the entrance and maybe 6″ high. The security guard found no humor in the fact that I drove over it. Of course I did, you can’t see it. I asked if it was a trick. duh. He didn’t think that was funny either.
So we’re hanging at Grand Roatan for the afternoon, the waiters there are always really polite and chill if you say you’re going to snorkel and then eat,no worries..NO $10.00 FEE TO ENTER EITHER. We all got some H2O to drink then Jen and I went to snorkel a bit. We were going to attempt to go along Black Rock. Yeah, right, I always drift east of it and end up out there. We were pretty far out theresnorkeling around for some time and were a good distance from shore so we started swimming back. We experienced quite a few changes in the water temperature, nice and warm at 80+ then it felt like 60 for a minute or two, then warm again. Different currents. I love the ocean.
Parrot fishJenny fishfish in the coralseascapeunder the seaTangscoralI believe this is lobed star coralI don’t know what kind of fish these are but there were hundreds of them. If I swam into the school they dispersed around me, never touching me. So amazing,so many fishA big grouperStriped fish are Sergeant Majors, not sure what others are.TangFirst lobster I’ve ever seen in West BayMaybe a Queen Parrotfish?Yep, she loves it.
We got out and had lunch at Grand Roatan (part of the deal to be allowed to use their tables but not the chaise lounges. Said I wasn’t going there again but did..easy entrance to where I want to be on the reef. ) After lunch we went out again and swam through their designated channel out to the reef. MY GAWD it was fabulously beautiful. We had a great snorkel and saw an abundance of fish. This makes me happy because the coral in this particular area has been hit hard from over tourism, it’s sad, ..good there are fish, wish people would STOP FEEDING THEM. They’re NOT YOUR PETS. DAMMIT! STOP WITH THE FOOD. Anyhow, here are some shots.
ParrotfishQueen AngelfishDeep channel we swam throughI love my Olympus TG 3 camera, it captured these cleaner goby fish so vividly.coral and the sea floorAnother Mermaid is born…Coralclose up of the coralBeautiful sea fan
It was a great day snorkeling, I know Jen really enjoyed herself and even mentioned she may want to get certified to dive. We meandered on home and Bill had dinner almost ready. By the time we had all showered the meal was waiting to be eaten.
Kathy and Jen had some packing to do and we just kind of hung out with the pups for the evening. There is no more putting them in their super huge crate in the living room, they crawl right out.
Barrio escapesHe thinks he’s cool
Saturday morning before we left for the airport I noticed Kathy’s Vera Bradley beach tote laying on the counter, didn’t think too much about it, they were packing and all.
Gorgeous!! Jen had one also with a different design, and a Vera packpack, bag and matching wallet..Kathy decided she was leaving her brand new beach bag for me. How sweet was that? I love it so much I’m afraid to use it.
My beach bag looks like this:
It’s a KEEN, made out of rice bags. Bought it in 2009/2010. It said, KEEP AWAY FROM WATER.Bad shapeI should have been ashamed to even use it
We ran a few errands in Coxen Hole on Saturday morning before we took them to the airport. When we got there we found out their flight was late arriving, in fact, it left Atlanta very late. We got them checked in and hung around talking to people that we knew. While there Kevin called to see if we were home, they wanted to come get Tank. Bill told him we would call when we got home. Finally, at the time their flight was scheduled to depart it landed. This meant an hour turn around at least. At that point, we decided to say our good byes and headed home. We called Kevin and Claire and they came right over. I was crying before they got here and cried when they were leaving.
My Tank, love this boy so much.What a dude
I know Tank has a good home with them but he was such a special boy, we loved him so. After spending pretty much every minute with a pup for 9 weeks, it creates an unbelievable bond. These pups were {and still are} a lot of work but I wouldn’t trade them for anything..
Kathy on the roof. We are finally getting rails in the “waves” so people don’t fall off. They have been ordered.Jen loved it up here, she came up most evenings to enjoy the wind and the evening sky.Drying the wet soggy toys
Kathy and Jen brought us down some stuff we had ordered on Amazon, YAY, the truck windows all work again!!! Now if I could get headlights for my car I would be very happy! Kathy bought me a gorgeous Mermaid lamp, in fact, the story is, they had one in the store where she works and when she saw it she thought of me and my love for mermaids, but someone bought it. Quite some time later another employee found another one they didn’t even know they had. Kathy felt it was an omen for her to come visit.
This is it plugged in daytime..This is at night
It’s really gorgeous. I am keeping it safe until Bill builds the entertainment center and it will have it’s own special protected spot to be. Love love love this..I’m thinking about asking Trace to paint it, I think it would be magical…What do you guys think??
And then Jen gives me this Alex and Ani Mermaid bracelet. I beyond love it.The braceletKathy made me this and it is the perfect colors to wear with my Mermaid bracelet.Kathy also made me dishcloths. These are near and dear to my heart.
Bill’s Mother used to make me these dishcloths and extra thick pot holders. They are my favorites, there are no better. Several friends have made or bought me the handmade dishcloths and I cherish them, as I do these!
So this post, yeah, I’m done, burned out on it. It’s been a rainy shitty weekend and I don’t remember much of the past week except Sunday, which I will post about later.
Trace said it was going to be 100 in Washington this weekend, he went climbing, alone… It was cool out, actually comfortable and thundering and lightning here. I’ll take 100. And a beach.
Final pic, this was was on my sink scrubbing brush the other morning. Bill removed him for me…
Movies I have recently watched, some older, some new.
Cake, Wild, The Theory of Everything, Big Eyes, Birdman, The Age of Adaline, Still Alice, The Hundred Foot Journey, Gone Girl
06/22/2015 Our much anticipated guests have come and gone, we wish they had stayed longer than a week. We had semi decent weather while they were here so that was a bonus. Their flight was delayed arriving, then all 3 flights landed {American, Delta and United} within minutes of each other which turns the small immigration room into a virtual circus. Luckily Kathy was old enough to get in the resident line and she took Jen with her; then my friends at the airport grabbed them and put them in the front of the line. Perks…
We, unfortunately had to take a puppy with us to the airport. Max was sick all day Friday with a variety of symptoms. I managed to get in touch with some vets who came from Tegus for a weekend to set up shop here. We had an 11:30 appointment. Max was sick beyond sick on Friday all day and into the night but we gave him a little Pepto Bismol and in about 45 minutes he rallied. We still planned to go to the vet to get to the bottom of this. They were busy and behind schedule and with the plane being late and 3 planes arriving at once we made it to the airport in time to see them get taken to the front of the line. Our friends Kevin and Claire were there. Claire has wanted to see the pups for weeks but Kevin kept saying no more dogs. He saw me with Max, grabbed him and went down to where Claire was standing. When he came back he asked if Max was the biggest, we said no Tank is at home. He said we’ll probably take him. Happy, but so sad.
These are all that are left 😦Before Tank left
We came back here and got Jen and Kathy situated then went up on the roof for awhile. After dinner it was early to bed for everyone.
Sunday morning looked ugly, it rained, then cleared then rained some more. We had planned to have Alexi dog sit while we were entertaining our company so Bill went to get him. I’m not sure what good it is even having him here because all he does is surf the web on the Kindle I gave him. This too confuses me because he barely can read or write..
We left for Camp Bay around noon, final destination La Sirena. Right before we left we got a call from a friend who wanted to give us some mangoes. We stopped by on the way and got a BOX of yummy fragrant delicious fresh picked mangoes.
OMY OHMYYUMMYI also was given a loofah filled with seeds. I shook the seeds out, peeled off the rind and have 2 new shower sponges.So big I cut it in half! Can’t get more natural than that.
After that we made a detour through Punta Gorda and then to Oak Ridge where we pointed out the highlights on the way. We then headed to Heaven. Well, that’s what the sign says and I think we’ve been there many times.
If there’s a sign, it must be close by
Jen and Kathy could not believe the condition of “the road” to get to Camp Bay. I guess I’m just used to deplorable roads. We had a great time at La Sirena, had some lunch and the waiter thought I ordered a Port Royal AND a rum punch so I didn’t want to hurt his feelings and drank both.
La SirenaOn the dock, we should have planked.Bill and his sister KathyMe and Jen, love this girl. She is studying for her Doctorate in Physical Therapy.Such a sweetheart
Jimmy was there so we talked to him for quite awhile, always interesting conversation. By the time we got home everyone was tired and not hungry for a big dinner. We picked at food, ate some mangoes and went to bed.
Monday was a semi sunny day and I thought we should head west, all the way west, to West Bay beach. We took the scenic route through Coxen Hole and made it to West Bay in under 40 minutes, not bad. We settled ourselves at Banarama and went in the water to float on the rafts. It felt so good and has been too long. DAMMIT, I live here…
So stunningly gorgeousJen and KathybeautifulJen
Jen and I walked down past Infinity Bay to snorkel. She said she was cool with deep water so we went for a swim and saw some pretty cool stuff.
white sea urchinBrain coral with polyps of some sortRibbon coral??Yellowtail Damselfish IntermediateParrotfishFirst time snorkeling for Jen, this girl has no qualms, no fears, just, “let’s do it.”Some kind of coralMore Christmas tree wormsJen the fishLunch @ BanaramaSwinging on the beach
After lunch we floated for a bit more, then headed home. Bill was making pizza tonight so I had to get veggies cut up. That night we gorged ourselves on grilled pizzas. It was (and has been) so windy it blew the pepperoni right off the pizza into the waiting mouths of 8 dogs. Luckily we had more pepperoni, damn wind.
The pizza was yummy as usual and we were stuffed. Being at the beach in the fresh air, water and wind PLUS snorkeling for awhile is tiring stuff. I think we watched some “Whose Line is it Anyway” and went to bed.
We realized on Tuesday that Max was sick again, same symptoms but getting worse. He was throwing up but there was nothing there, just stomach bile. I messaged my friend to see if Doc was coming on the ferry that evening. She said he was and I said we would pick him up at the ferry for an emergency visit Tuesday eve. Normally he doesn’t start work here until Wed. morn.
Earlier in the day Kathy, Jen and I went to Parrot Tree to float in the pool for awhile. It was empty, we were the only people there. I came home a few times to check on Max so Bill went and picked up Kathy and Jen around 4.
We left for the ferry terminal at 5:30 to pick Doc up and take him to his clinic. Bethany was there waiting to help and translate for us. Max was so dehydrated they couldn’t find a vein for the IV. After about half a dozen times I was pleading saying I could make him drink, don’t stick him anymore. Just about that time they got a vein, they taped it to keep it in place and then administered some shots via the IV. We let him get a good bit of the fluid and then left to take Doc to Brick Bay where he stays while on island. After we dropped him off we had to get gas and realized that Max had gotten the full amount so we took the IV needle out at the gas station.
IV to go
Only in Honduras. We took Bethany home and got back to the house around 8. Kathy and Jen had to fend for themselves but made out just fine. Max seemed lively and he was hungry again so we fed him a light meal. He had to be on Metronidazol for 2 more days.
Wednesday was deemed a West End shopping day. We got a good start on the day and sauntered around West End, checking all my usual haunts. When we were done there we were off to Umbul Umbul, it’s just somewhere I always take company. For lunch we were going to the Beach Grill to see Lisa and Rob and of course my babies, Sable and Bandit. When Lisa and Rob pulled up I couldn’t wait, I had to go see the pups. Lisa said they are doing really good, they are spoiled and sleep on the couch and they even get in the shower on their own when Lisa is in there.
Bandit and SableView from Beach Grill, Blue BahiaShe wasn’t sure of me but then she recognized my smell and gave me kisses galore.Oh I love this sweet boy. Sable and Bandit really get around. They go with Lisa and Rob to Tranquil Seas on music night..
After we left there we went to the Iguana Farm to see all of the iguana’s. They were surprised that there were so many running loose..
They are everywhereJen feeding themIn the treesclose upMani/pedi anyone??Amazing creatures
We were going to Cal’s that night for dinner and we were hungry!! Cal’s wasn’t too busy, food was fabulous as always.
Group shot at Cal’s
I’ll finish this post another day, too many more photos to post and my mind is fried. I drove into Coxen Hole today to inquire about my NON EXISTANT license plate for my car. Three weeks ago I was told 2 weeks and THEY WOULD CALL ME. hahahahahahaha! Today they told me to “keep checking back.” Sure I will, it’s real convenient to drive all the way to Coxen Hole and try to find a spot to park, just makes my day. So, no license plate yet, it was made May 19th, why the hell it hasn’t gotten here yet from the mainland 36 miles away I’ll never know.
One thing I do know is that come hell or high water I am going to go to the beach at least once a week from now on, I NEED IT..It does wonders for my soul..
Mermaid on a Raft 