03/15/2016 My niece’s daughter Jillian and her friend Caeli arrived on Saturday afternoon. Since I was tied to the airport I had Bill pick them up and take them to the grocery store before they came back here. I got home around 5 and de-stressed for a bit before we got the girls some dinner.
Sunday morning we were all awake bright and early for another day of adventure on the Radical Catamaran EXPAT day. There was supposed to be a full boat but approx. 10 people cancelled due to the weather. Both of the girls were really excited and looking forward to the day. I have to say I was very lucky to be able to go two Sundays in a row. We started out sitting outside, enjoying the scenery until just outside of Oak Ridge, it started to rain. And it rained hard for a little while. Most of the people were under cover, eating cookies and muffins. The sea was a little rough then too. As we neared the first snorkel spot the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. I told the girls the guys from the boat would pick up on them right away and as soon as we hit the water, they had personal tour guides.
Jillian and Caeli at the start of the 7 hour day.Snorkeling the cow with the guys from the boat.Tube coral, this same shot may be in my last blog too.Christmas Tree WormsYou can see the actual worm in these photos. It’s the flat thing closest to the coral, the trees are appendages on the worms back.Intermediate blue tangA cluster of feather dustersMore flamingo tongues. The Flamingo Tongue (Cyphoma gibbosum) grows to an inch (25 mm) long. Its shell is cream-colored, but can only be seen when the animal is disturbed, as under normal circumstances it is covered by a fleshy, yellow-to-orange mantle decorated with numerous irregular, black-edged spots. If the Flamingo Tongue is disturbed or stressed, it withdraws its mantle tissue. Only then does its attractive cream-colored shell become visible. (Coral Magazine)weird coralNot a clue but I think it was alive..Feather dusters, they retreat into the little hollow tubes when disturbed.Obsessed.Banded Butterfly fishurchinCoral is so fascinating, I could (and have) snorkeled for hours.Sea Rodsred coralA Flamingo tongue on a sea rod. I usually see them on sea fans. This looks like the covering is partially retracted.Barrel Sponge, I think??A smooth trunkfish, it was so gorgeous!Another barrel.Spiny blue seastars on the tube coralEveryone else was back at the boat, hanging around in the water or on the boat. I was still snorkeling around the south side of the cow and decided to swim out to sea more. I am so glad I did. It was a different world out there. The coral was bigger and more dense, there was a larger variety of fish and I saw this guy lurking about. I started to swim closer to look, not wanting to get too close and he started to move so I moved too, quickly. I knew it wasn’t a green moray, duh, because the damn thing had spots. But I’ve seen spotted morays before and this looked different. Then again, who am I to say, I’m not an expert. It was a gorgeous eel, probably around 2′ long.People vacation here. I live here.Caeli, about as big as a minute..So, story is, when Capt’n Ron comes on the Radical Cat, Ed brings him a nice big chair. Someone (Rob B) changed Ron to Rob. However he used the incorrect color of marker. The evidence was blatant.Really Rob?? Too funny!It was dark and ominous that morning and again coming back at night. We did get dumped on for a little while but then it stopped, the sun came out and it was gorgeous.A fun group of people!CaeliJill talking with a group of ladies who came to Jazzercize on the beach, or something like that.My friend KathyRain cells off in the distanceDidn’t realize how dark the sky was until looking at these photos!Coming back into Oak Ridge/Pandytown.
Monday was the day with the least amount of cruise ships on the island so we headed for West Bay Beach. I was able to snag chairs at Bananarama for 1/2 price because I sweet talked the guy. They are all so nice there anyhow. It wasn’t very sunny and we kept hoping for the sun to break through the clouds and bless us with sunshine but that didn’t happen until we were half way home. Jill and I snorkeled, I took her out through the channel and to the deeper water then swam up towards black rock and along it. Great array of fish but what was the best was the huge parrot fish that was almost posing for me.
Parrot FishParrot Fish are a recycling machine. They turn coral and rock into fine sand in the process of grazing algae from them. This particular one is called a Stoplight Parrotfish.Gorgeous fish! The colors were brilliant.Parrot Fish and a blue head.Under the seaNot sure of the fish here, blue is a blue tang, I think the one with yellow is a spotfin butterfly fish, the other may be a brown chromis.Bluestriped gruntStoplight parrotfish in the red phase.SquirrelfishAn elusive DoctorfishNeedlefishMr Parrotfish showing his denture like teeth, all the better to graze the coral..FishesCaeli was exploring the beach while Jill and I snorkeled.LobsterI think this is a schoolmaster snapper, but not positive..Another stoplight parrotfishSergeant majors. These guys nibble on you because the stupid tourists feed them. Fish don’t need fed, they have their own eco-system. Feeding them is not cool.Caeli and Jill at BananaramaThe sea as far as you can seeJill’s chilling..Bye bye United # 1434Perfection in blue
When we were done snorkeling we drove to West End and parked. I wanted to go to the Shawn Jackson Gallery and the girls wanted to do a little shopping. I bought the coveted Faces of Roatan book at Shawn’s gallery. After that I called Lisa and Rob to see if we could stop and see Bandit and Sable on our way back down island.
Bandit, he’s the swimmer and spends his free time swimming around the pool.BanditGetting some loving from Bandit.Sable got in on it too. These two pups were meant to be together, they are side by side 24/7. So grateful Rob and Lisa gave them good homes.Sable baby!Double loving. Bandit is marked like Barrio and Sable looks like Max, except my two have floppy ears and these two have pointy ears.I was in dog heaven.
The next day we went to Mega Paca where Caeli scored a Burberry sweater for 28 LPS, about $1.00 and Jill got some cute tops. Then we went to the Iguana Farm. We went down to the water and checked out the huge tarpon and other fish and admired the stunning view of French Cay.
Big old maleEnjoying the sunshine.Another lizard on the wall of Sam and Chelsie’s house.Coco drinking some gatorade.BeautifulJillianJill and Caeli
After there we went to Parrot Tree and hung out at the 320′ long pool. It was pretty nice, very few people around at all. We swam, floated, napped and ate there.
JillianJill under the waterfall.Caeli and JillianMe and JillianI love this pool!
On Wednesday we picked up Nidia and two guys and then met Rosalie and Bob and Bill and Alexi across from the airport. We were taking the new picnic table that Kelly Flowers built for Doña Maria to her. The table he so kindly made will last her for the rest of her life. Until now, she had no table to grind her corn on or to sit and have a cup of coffee.
The hired muscles practically ran up the path to Doña Maria’s house.Nidia and Doña MariaNidia’s brother, one of our muscle guys looking at the food Bob and Rosalie brought for Doña Maria.Nidia’s brother, Nidia, Caeli, Jill and MariaShowing her the goodies Rosalie and Bob brought her.A hug from RosalieCaeli, Maria and JillBaby chicksDoña Maria’s one room home. Bob said he wouldn’t spend 1 night there. Me neither.Alexi went along in case we needed more muscle. He is teasing the chickens here..Bob and Rosalie with Maria. It’s kind of funny, she is always smiling but when you take her photo she’s not..The girls and I with Maria. I took photos of her when we took her to get her hair done and this trip I gave her the pictures. She couldn’t stop looking at them, I’m sure they were the first photos of herself that she has ever had.Nidia, Abuela (what Nidia calls Maria, it means grandmother) and Nidia’s sweet brother.
What a rewarding day, everyone enjoyed meeting Doña Maria and are all ready to go back and see her. My next visit I am taking corn for the chickens, some chicken meal and of course, cold coca cola. My friend Ann has some chairs and cushions for her so I’ll more than likely get her to go along with me. It’s so sweet how people want to help Maria, she has so little and when we give her things, we benefit more from the giving that she does receiving. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. Thank you Kelly for making the table, a perfectly honorable gesture from a pirate like you.
Thursday we were planning to snorkel with Eduardo, my friend the cop. Wednesday evening he messaged me that he was on the mainland and wouldn’t be home until Saturday. The girls and I went to Barefoot Cay anyhow. The plan was to snorkel and float in the calm protected area near the palapa. With the wind blowing, there was NO calm protected water. The winds were howling and the sea was churning. The current was so strong that we would have been swept to West Bay in no time, maybe even off to Utila or Belize. We stayed at the pool the majority of the day, it was so peaceful and relaxing.
View from the pool, there was a huge boat anchored there too.Seating area by poolThe pool is amazingThe walk out to the palapaSo pretty but look at the hammocks! They were upside down from the wind.Waves breaking on the reefGetting some strong wavesFabulous table made with hand made tiles.
Friday was the last full day on the island and we were planning a trip to the school in Pandytown, then going to Camp Bay to eat at La Sirena and ending up at BJ’s of course. We drove out to Pandytown and stopped along the way when we saw little boys playing by the road. I had a full bag of Hot Wheels cars that were brought down by my friends John and Lizeth Fowler. The first place we stopped the boys were sitting along the road. The one looks like he was going to cry but he was happy, honest! Next stop there was a small boy standing on the table while his mother scrubbed clothes in a basin. He was very excited to get a car.
Spanish Hill going into Oak RidgeCute cute cute!! So cute, he got 2.How can these little boys be so darn cute?This little boys mother was doing laundry when we stopped. She was really nice, spoke perfect English.These 3 came from the blue house in the background.The girls at La SirenaCaeli eating Jill’s rum punch laden pineapple.Wall artI really love la Sirena. EXCEPT, I went there for onion rings and they were out of onions. I cried, well almost and the waiter magically got an onion from somewhere!!We met this dog is 2012, he was a puppy and looked like Highway did as a pup. His name is Diego and he is much bigger than Highway is now.The pristine end of the islandAnother friendly dogLa Sirena has a new signThe girls with Miss PiggyWe were on the beach when someone said, I’ll take your picture Deb. It was my friend Jill, so thanks Jill for snapping this photo of the 4 of us.The turn off to Camp BayWe made it to BJ’s while the band was still playing. My sandals broke at a school in Pandy town so I was barefoot the rest of the day which isn’t a big deal except I hate having dirty feet. I think the girls had their fill of Rum Punches, laying on the dock is not a normal adventure for BJ’s. Now planking, that is normal for BJ’s.Next thing I know, they are going for a boat ride with Keri and Doug’s neighbor in their boat. Caeli left her sandals on the dock, luckily Evereld picked them up and took them to the bar.The Banditos, missing AlexKathy, doing an Irish jig.Evereld’s rasta boat.
All in all, I think they had a great time, they met a lot of people, went a lot of places and saw things they have never seen before. We came home Friday evening and miraculously found stuff to eat. The girls did some packing and we all went to be early.
I had to work at the airport again on Saturday so they rode in with Cindy and I. It took them forever to get checked in and by the time they were done I had to go inside to get ready for the first flight. I hugged them both good bye and they were off, until the next time.
Before I close, I met a new friend at the airport, her name is Chris O’Dell. She is not just ANY Chris O’Dell. She used to work for Apple Records in London and personally knows / knew all of the Beatles, Yoko, The Stones, Dylan, Clapton. She sang in the chorus of Hey Jude, she was on the roof for the Beatles last ever concert as a group, she is the real deal. George Harrison even wrote a song about her called Miss O’Dell. She wrote a book by the same name, I am slowly reading it, absorbing and processing every word she utters. I get to see this woman every Saturday. I am in utter awe. Check it out:
Since I have nothing that tops that, I’m outta here..
03/13/016 It’s been a long time, hope I can remember how to do this blog thing. I have been so busy and exhausted when I get home that blogging is the last thing on my mind. Actually, there is nothing on my mind.
Aside of the airport insanity which I won’t bother even discussing because it makes me tired thinking about it, it’s been a busy few weeks.
The vets from Helping Paws Across Borders came on Feb 27th. It was a nightmare at the airport the day they arrived because a vet on the island had their meds confiscated. It took until Monday afternoon to get them back. Sunday I had arranged a day on the Radical Catamaran for the group. It was a beautiful day to be out on the water. Everyone that was here except for the group organizer and her daughter joined in on the fun.
The water wasn’t as clear as it normally was because it had been monsoon season a few days prior to the sail, things were still settling in the sea. Despite that, I got some great photos.
Just leaving Oak Ridge. Sue, the lady in pink had both of her bags go missing. Luckily my friend Ana found them at the airport and delivered them Sunday evening, a day after they arrived. Better late than never.Tube coralFinally, a Flamingo Tongue. It’s a snail and I read that the leopard marking (tongue) retracts into the shell if you touch it. Amazing.. Sea FanMy addiction, Christmas Tree WormsMore tube coralBanded Butterfly FishGuess I’m addicted to this tube coral tooMore wormsSue, Tiffany and MikeSail upDonna, what a sweet lady!!gorgeous skyDr. Adena, Dr. Danny, MC, Rob and SueDonna and Linda, two ladies staying at a friend’s in Parrot Tree. Both Donna and Linda are excellent vet tech’s. They and several other techs monitored the animals as they came out of surger, constantly moving the animals from side to side to make sure they woke soon after their surgery.Darrin, Darryl, Dr Adena, MC and Steph. A great bunch of dog loving people.Donna, Linda and her husband Mike. They all were staying at Parrot tree. Sue is in pink. I got to know Donna, Linda, Mike and Dr Danny better than the others after driving them around for 4 days. Really awesome people.The group enjoying the day.
The next day I picked Dr Danny and Mike up and took them to the iguana farm to look at an older iguana with a lump on his leg. Luckily they found the iguana while we were there, the lizards are not in enclosures, they wander free, thousands of them.
It is mating season and the males were aggressive towards each other.Yes, they climb stairs with ease.This is a black spiny tailed iguana. They are indigenous to Roatan. National Geographic did a show at Arch’ s Iguana Farmand also tagged the black spiny tails (turquoise blue on neck) while there to monitor them. This species are meat eaters. Green Iguanas are not.Female green iguana and a black spiny tailSoaking up the raysIguanas everywhere. The male iguanas have large muscle sacks on the sides of their faces. They enable them to open their jaws up pretty far and if your finger happens to get in the way, well, it won’t be pretty.
A vet and a tech were going to go there and remove the lump from the iguanas leg but the owners decided to allow nature to do it’s thing, especially since he was such an old guy.
The next two days I picked up the gang at Parrot tree and we went to the clinic. They were setting up and we were checking in patients.
The group setting upPaca, a young man who is paid by his neighbors to bring their dogs for treatment. He is holding Flat P for my friends granddaughter.Another young cutie holding Flat P.HPABTICKS!!!When we checked this guy in he had on a t-shirt that said Once a Pirate, Always a Pirate. I jokingly told Douglas to tell him I wanted his shirt. I was in the parking lot giving some dogs water when he approached me. He had gone home and changed his shirt and brought me the pirate shirt. I insisted he allow me to give him some $$ for the shirt. He made my day.MC and Dr DannyLou, Donna and Linda doing their angel thing..recovery unitTwo cutiesDoggie in a bagPolly wanted wormed, they don’t worm birds.Part of the crowd.cutiesDr Adena and a customer
The first day we saw over 70 animals and the 2nd day almost double that. I could only do 2 days, I had company coming Saturday, airport duty Friday and Sat and a cleaning lady only 1 of those days. I cleaned a lot, both levels had to be done and the downstairs had been used as Bill’s workshop storage. It came out looking pretty good. Sat. I got to the airport at 11:30 and guests began arriving at 12:30. My nieces daughter Jillian (her sister Jen was here last June) and her college roommate Caeli arrived for a week. I greeted them at the airport and Bill picked them up so I could continue working until all the flights got in. It was a long day. I got home around 5:30. Once I took some time to chill out we made some dinner for the girls. It was the beginning of an adventure filled week.
Our gate was delivered but there was a miscommunication between Bill and Jose. Bill thought Jose was cutting the concrete for the metal gate track to go in, Jose thought Bill was. Bill cut it in, now we are waiting for Jose to come and install it and we will have a gate.
They did a really nice job.It’s big and not easy to move around.
I’m breaking this in to 2 blogs, a separate one for the week I sent with Jill and Caeli. I’ll leave you with this fabulous story and picture. My friend Jessie and I worked together at Peoples Bank for a few years. She always made me laugh with her craziness. Recently she posted this photo on FB, look at it closely.
Her caption was Cole cooked a turkey. And then she commented: remember-that-one-time-we-cooked-the-sink-drain-with-the-turkey-said-only-us.
I can’t tell you how many times I have looked at this and cracked up. Only you Jessie, only you!!
01/31/2016 Saturdays have become a blur to me. This past one was no exception. The weather on the eastern side of the US was causing a major upheavel to the flights arriving from and departing to the US. Many passengers did not make it off the island on Sat., therefore missing all of their connections in the US.. That’s just the way it goes when you travel, Mother Nature is the Ultimate Bitchacha. She wins all the time.
Monday Bob and Rosalie and Marilyn picked me up for our Mondays Don’t Suck days in Camp Bay. We had a great turnout because Franklin and Francie’s kids were here. (3 of them were to leave but couldn’t due to weather) We played some volleyball with the young ones putting us to shame. We forget they can run and we’re old. Well, I should speak for myself, I can NOT run, not even if Channing Tatum was at the finish line. But believe me, I can crawl really fast.
After Volleyball we all cooled off in the angry sea. The waves were pretty high and there was a strong current pushing us westward, it still felt marvelous. We had food, drinks and music. At one point I began a congo line and the women joined in. We danced down around the volleyball net and back up the beach. We plan to do a synchronized version tomorrow that will be filmed.
Beautiful Barbon BeachThe Duchess of Camp Bay got a wild hair to climb a tree.Unfortunately for her she ran out of wine once in said tree. Franklin came to her rescue.She managed to get the wine from her foot to her hand with no spillage reported.The Duchess was happy once again. We all strive to ensure the Duchess is always happy.She peacefully finished her wine, surrounded by branches.I am so serious. MONDAYS DO NOT SUCK.Foreigners to our beach. They were rather rude and ignored us when we spoke. Obviously he never got the memo, no mixing vertical and horizontal stripes.The duchess wore this shirt to the beach. I think that’s her on the front.A tense volleyball game.Francie and the Duchess doing their toe thingNo suitable captionYes, she poured wine on herself.squished Noni fruitAnother lost ZORIE. We thought it may belong to David Groatan but he marks his with a R and an L.Pity us that we have to play volleyball in such an ugly spot.perfectionPart of the gang..Leave only footprints.
Wednesday I went to Coxen Hole muni to attempt to pay the property taxes for my friends. The place was packed. Nidia followed up on it and we need more info than I had because it’s their first time paying. We’ll get this figured out yet.. After that I went to my hair gal Nadia to get my roots corrected.
Thursday Carmen and I had a day of fun in the sun planned, however, there was no sun. We went to Mega Paca looking for accessories for the upcoming Pirate party and actually scored some cool stuff. After that we went to Arch’s Iguana Farm and ran into Mr. Arch himself. I also got to meet my friend Gale’s (Sam Arch’s sister) daughter, Derricka. Oh my, what a doll she is. After that I gave Carmen a tour of Parrot Tree, we checked on my friends home for her and then went to Cal’s for garlic bread and wine. It was a wonderful day spent with a good friend! While taking Carmen home we saw an unusual sight and I was fortunate enough to catch up to the guy.
The only way this photo could be better would be if someone was sitting in the rocker.
Friday was the last Spanish class for awhile. After that, it was off to BJs with my newest Mega Paca score, a brand new Woozie (wine glass koozie).
Perfect design and everything..Just be sure to put it on the glass before the wine goes in.I got the girls to plank again, front to back: Keri, Llyn, me, Marilyn (grabbing my ass) and Jeanie grabbing Marilyn’s assThen we posed for a group photo and it looks like I am choking Kathy but I’m not, she’s just being dramatic..
Bill wasn’t working at the house so he planned to come to BJ’s also. When I got out of class Roger said Bill called and there was a dog fight and he got bitten separating the dogs. I didn’t have my phone so I used Rogers to call him back. Apparently Frito got loose and went right for Lola’s throat, for no reason other than hate. In the process of breaking it up, Lola bit him pretty hard on his thumb. I convinced him a beer would make it feel better so he came over for a little while. Frito just hates Lola’s guts because the puppies (Frito’s pups) adore Lola.
When I left for class it was cool, in the 70’s here. I had on leggings and a short dress/top. Obviously before we planked I was hot because I took these off in the bar and tied them around my bag strap.
When I got home around 3:30 I was so tired I laid down on the couch and slept until 8:30. I woke up, ate yogurt and went to bed. In the morning I was kind of surprised to see my leggings where they were. Oh well, it is what it is.
Saturday I was at the airport until 4:30. The Delta flight was 2 hours late leaving Hotlanta (Atlanta) because the galley oven wouldn’t turn on. What a shame, without it the 5 first class passengers would just have to go without their reheated previously cooked bland nasty food.
Sunday we took the boys swimming @ Parrot Tree again. My new friend from Canada, Diane and her husband Andy are staying there so they walked over to the lagoon and met us. The boys played for about an hour while we chatted. They slowly started to get tired and once they reached the point of groveling in the sand, it was time to leave.
Gringo, Barrio and Mad Max3 stoogesThey were really good but still explored every area they could.So lucky we can take them there to swim. Once Diane and Andy get their home built, it’s beachfront and they said we can bring the boys there to swim too. They are fellow dog lovers.
We came home and I bathed all 3 of the dogs, did some laundry and we all napped for awhile. At 4 we had to meet our friend Miguel in Oak Ridge. We found another bag of soccer jerseys buried in the spare room so we ran them over to him. This is the progress on the Ark disco/casino/nightclub. It’s going to be quite the place.
You can see the masts from a distanceThey have all the rigging upThey are adding waves and sea creaturesfrom the rearOctopus, crabs, sailfish, turtle..amazingand a dolphinAnd the obligatory skull. I wonder if I could borrow it for the Pirate party this week??
Last, but certainly not least, my poor 90 year old Mom fell and broke her wrist. She was at the computer, the desk chair is armless w/ wheels and they have a mat under it so it rolls easily. Obviously it rolls too easily and got out from under her. She went down on her wrist and broke it in 2 places. They don’t want to operate so they put her in traction and set and cast it. She’s in a lot of pain right now and her knee is bothering her too. I imagine she wrenched that when she fell. So thankful for my sister who got down there as soon as she could safely drive. Hoping things get better and her wrist heals up quickly.
Next week is action packed; hopefully I am not too tired to blog about it. Being retired and having this much fun every day is hard work..I’m trying like hell not to be boring.
01/25/2016 There she went just walking ‘cross the floor, singing do wah diddy diddy down diddy do
snappin’ her fingers and shufflin’ her feet, singin’ do-wah diddy-diddy down diddy-do
She looked good, LOOKED GOOD
she looked fine, LOOKED FINE
she looked good, she looked fine
and I nearly lost my mind
Before I knew it she was walkin’ next to me,
And then she was dead.
Squashed by Bill’s shoe. A big assed scorpion, upstairs, in the kitchen and we’ve never had them upstairs before. Not happy about this, I want scorpion barriers. Good news is the big ones don’t have as much venom as the little ones. So the natives say.
I didn’t take a photo of the squashed scorpion because I’m gross, but not that gross. The last time we found a big scorpion, it was the same scenario but it was in the rental house, not ours. The first one was bigger. After the first one met its demise, it laid dead on a paper towel on the kitchen table for 3 days before someone finally threw the damn thing out.
So began my week on the rock.
Sunday morning we took the 3 boys to Parrot Tree for an early morning swim. They were so excited to be there! Not much makes me happier than seeing these 3 guys running and jumping in the water, chasing each other, over and under the beach chairs, up the steps and jumping off the wall. They were exhausted after 30 minutes.
Gringo is readyThey love the waterMy ottersThey climb on each other’s backs all the time. Bottom pup usually goes under..L to R, Gringo, Barrio and MaxilliciousBarrio and GringoAfter their swim we ran to the grocery store. We saw another car flipped over. By the time Bill ran into the store to grab just a few things and we passed by again, the car was upright, ready to be driven home.
Monday I went to Mondays Don’t Suck with Gypsy Rosalie and Bob. There were only a handful of us there but my favorite Cookie Monster, Roger is back on the rock. We didn’t have the volleyball net so we just ate and drank. A few brave ones went in the water, it was a rough sea for sure.
Doesn’t matter what the weather is, being on the beach with friends is the best.AArrgghh matey!Barbon Beach, Camp BayFoamy surfwhip it, whip it good.. Kathy with her noodle..
I was invited to a spa day at Francie’s this past week. I met Jeanie at the top of the hill in Oak Ridge (her husband dropped her off). We met our badass girlfriend Marilyn at BJ’s at 9:30 and she took us by boat to Big Rock, Franklin and Francie’s utterly fabulous home. (click on Big Rock and check out this property, it is for rent and it’s top notch)
There were 3 ladies to do massages, mani’s and pedi’s. I passed on the massage due to still sore ribs and had a nice relaxing pedi. We had a great lunch, bowls of fruit and some adult beverages. Franklin came home from golfing and made us some specialty drinks with fresh grated nutmeg on top, oh my yummy!!
The pool at Big Rock.Badass Marilyn getting her maniThe outdoor kitchen at Big Rock, Francie and JeanieThe man of the hour, grating nutmeg for our Pussers Pain Killer drinks!This woman makes me do bad things. She looks all innocent and shit, but she is NOT…Our drinksAnother pool viewTurquoise toesA massage with a view..wish my ribs weren’t so sore, I would have loved this!Their new baby Rocky. I was in love..Francie’s slutty Pirate toesThe view from the steps going down to the boat.Darkness was descending upon us..Pudens bringing Marilyn’s boat around for usBig RockI love this badass womanBig Rock sits up on the hill above the beach.Through the mangroves and back to BJ’s
It was almost totally dark when I got home, a long day away from the babies..What a wonderful way to spend a day with friends. So lucky.
This island is divided into 2 parts, Roatan and Santos Guardiola. I am very thankful to say I live in Santos Guardiola. Each part has their own mayor, ours is Carson Dilbert and I know him well enough to always get a hug and a kiss every time I see him. He is a good man who is trying to do what is right. The mayor on the other end of the island is not quite an upstanding person. When the DEI came in here toting guns and closing businesses, he left the island. He was not here to stop them. Just recently he proposed a new tax plan that is discriminatory, ridiculous and illegal. He thought in his nonfunctioning brain that this was a smart way to get some new $$ for raises for many of the people who work at the municipal. The business people were up in arms over this, taxing foreign dive instructors and other ridiculous things.. Anyhow, my friends on the other end of the island decided to have a march against what he is doing. Ironically, as soon as he got wind of what was going to happen he supposedly rescinded the cruise ship tax and the raises. he thought the march was cancelled. Surprise.. we were still marching.
I got to the airport where the march began at 8 AM. My friend Daine was there and Nidia’s oldest son Franklin. I helped pass out t-shirts and by 9 AM we had passed out 500 of them (purchased with $$ Daine and Nidia raised) that said Roatan United on them.
At 9:15 we were off, the march had started.
Yes, I am aware that my boobs make the shirt look distorted..They said Roatan Unidos on the back.Just the beginning, the banner asks what happened to the 500 million Lempira budget, where was it spent?I took a pic of my sweet friend Ana taking a photo of me.Coming into town, photo by M Tejada600 people strong, photo credit, Aaron EtchesIn front of the municipal office, photo credit Aaron EtchesThey were peering out their windowsOur tax dollars hard at work paying the municipal employees.Cops guarding the entrance, one of them was my friend Eduardo who hugged me and wanted to know when we were going snorkeling.People from all over the world who call this island home, along with people born and raised here attended this march. I walked with my friends, Ana, Daine, Eric and Carly, Milesse and Nidia. Ana, Daine and Nidia are Honduran.I was proud to be a part of this. Do these new taxes directly affect us, not directly, more like a trickle effect, but they affect my friends and their businesses and the tourism dollars that this island depends on to support the economy. Our infastucture is in need of a major overhaul yet the Mayor is spending money on Municipal restaurants, an invisible hardware store, a farm on a neighboring island and quartz crystals that will generate electricity. If you believe that, I’ve got a bridge to sell you. This is a poor country, money needs to be spent intelligently.My gorgeous friend Nidia in the middle with the head wrap on. I love this lady!!This says it all.
Of course, the illustrious Mayor was nowhere to be seen. His minions took to Facebook afterwards and claimed we were all disgruntled people with a political agenda and not business owners. Bullshit. There were MANY business owners there.
I left downtown Coxen Hole at 11:15, buzzed by the house, Bill gave me a cup of ice water and my books for Spanish class and I drove like the local taxis do so I could get to class on time. It had rained a little while we were marching so I was semi wet, semi sweaty and really needed wine. I made it through my fun Spanish class taught by Francie and immediately headed to BJ’s with the gang afterwards. Luckily I got there before Jeanie and got the biggest wine glass.. Bitchacha!!
Saturday I was back doing my airport gig. The poor people traveling to the east coast were doomed. Francie’s family didn’t leave as planned, they were headed to the Northeast and decided to wait until Monday to even try to make their connections! It was a long day at RTB. The plane that was supposed to be there at 12:20 arrived at 3:20, we didn’t leave the airport until 4 PM, exhaustion set it, however I still made chicken noodle soup for dinner, it was just what I needed. That and vodka. AND, I just talked about the airport again, oh well, it is a part of my life.
This letter was received about us, the Volunteer Airport Greeters, it is the very reason we do what we do.
In my line of business I travel internationally quite frequently and lately, work with Vegas Electric has been bringing me to Roatan on a more regular basis.
As a frequent traveler in the Americas, I usually know what to expect – a short flight from Houston that may or may not be on time, the signature Roatan warmth as we deplane, and a long line with an air conditioning system that may or may not work. As mentioned, that is more or less what I expect when arriving in Roatan, and to be fair it is not very different than similar destinations in the Americas I travel to.
During my last trip to Roatan however, something was different. We were a little bit late, and the warm embrace of the breeze was unchanged as we deplaned, but something was different with the line at immigration. It was the group of mostly ladies from the Roatan Tourism Board (or Chamber) uncertain of the actual name. They were smiling, they were engaging, they were speaking to every person in line, quite a welcoming sight and experience. It made the usually tedious nature of waiting for your turn go a lot faster, a lot easier and in the end, entirely changed the disposition of the passengers, the immigration officers and the room in general. What a great way to arrive.
The excellent initiative of establishing a formal island welcome in this fashion, makes a difference to new arrivals to Roatan. I can tell you it made a difference to me, and that I also saw it in the faces of other passengers. This is an excellent initiative that in my view should continue as the ladies warmth, smiles and positive energy made a big difference in the arrival and ensure the Roatan difference is felt from before immigration.
As you continue to work towards strengthening and differentiating the Roatan tourist experience, I think this should be an element retained and when possible, extended.
Regards and very nice to meet you.
I love my airport gig and the people I meet there. It’s lobby leading, just not for Bank of America, although they did teach me well.
It was a blustery weekend on the rock. It looked like a battlefield when I walked the dogs.
Gringo, (R) is 9 months old and towers over his momma Frito the seal. She stops dead when I’m walking her, then runs like hell and face plants. She only has 3 legs, guess she forgets that.Neighbors pool, I can use anytime I want. It’s a bit chilly now, maybe 60’s..if it gets really hot or I’m just really hot, it may happen. I’m used to cold water swims, I lived in Washington, I swam in a river and a lake that were both fed by glaciers.Trumpet tree leaves littered our driveway. A certain part of these trees are a preferred food for sloths. There is a sloth farm here. No lie.These are huge leaves!!Gringo on the R is so much bigger than seal lips (Frito).Such a gorgeous boy.
The locals were freezing their butts off, wearing sweaters and layers of long shirts. It was mid 70’s with a cool wind from the north. I wasn’t cold. I’m still not cold, except I do have on socks with my flip flops..
A couple more photos before I proofread this 19 times and publish it. This is our granddaughter Alexah, she is 13.
Maybe I’m partial but I think she is gorgeous!
This is Chloee, she will be 10 in February.
Look at her dimples, she just got about 4″ cut off her hair, this is the new do. I think she’s a beauty too!
We are so excited for July to come so we can spend some time with the girls and Chance and Alecia. I can’t wait to take them snorkeling and show them around this gorgeous island!!
Signing off this cool breezy January night, going to watch some American Horror Story. I’m wildly fascinated with it.
Get your socks and velour sweatsuits out tonight, it’s going to be a brisk one..it’s 73 degrees at 9:20 PM..
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
05/04/2015 Click here if you want to listen to Paul Anka croon Puppy Love while you read. Thanks Marilyn for the blog title.
We are living in Puppy Central. It’s a special kind of neighborhood, one where you don’t get shit done all day long because all you do is PUPPY STARE. Yes, we sit for hours and watch these little creatures develop before our very eyes. Their eyes opened and they are all a milky blue color, they really can’t see very well yet but that is coming. Cuteness abounds in this household, so does puppy pee and poop. We have lots of both!
My friend KP arrived on Sunday, she had been bumped to first class so she was off the plane immediately and in line. It only took her about 5 minutes in immigration, a record for anyone I’ve picked up at the airport! We haven’t seen each other for at least 20 years but once together, there was no time space. We went to our house, unloaded suitcases, visited puppies then went to Parrot Tree to float in the lagoon and drink some beer.
It was an oppressively hot few days with the “real feel” temp well over 100 degrees. The sweat was abundant on every square inch of the body. We didn’t get out of the water except to get more beers. Bill had dinner ready when we got home and we had drinks on the roof.
The next morning we got up early and waited for Nidia’s call. We were headed to Pandy Town to deliver desks and school supplies. We met the crew at 8 and followed them down into Pandy Town. School wasn’t in session but they had the students from Pandy Town and Calabash Bight waiting for us to arrive. This is the school we went to the first day I helped with the TOM’s shoe delivery. The classrooms are in bad shape, there were desks with sharp pieces of rusted metal sticking up in the air still being used! Desks were very needed here. There were only 6 in a room that has 23 students.
Kids reciting things in Spanish and English for us.Nidia telling the students about the Desk Drive and about the people who generously donate the desks. She also always tells them that they have to respect the desks and take care of them or they won’t get any more.
The desks in the schooltwisted rusted metalThey are in bad shapestudents sitting outside on their new desksschool doorknobHappy students. The chairs were taken inside after Nidia told them about taking care of them. We were all done passing out school stuff when a teacher came out with a little boy. He had been in the classroom taking care of his desk.Getting toothbrushes and school supplies. Karen (KP) in pink.I remembered several of the students from fitting shoesNidia with the students
This was the last time I was going to see Addy, Brian and Nancy before they headed back to Canada after being here 3 months working in the schools and the clinic. Actually those 3 worked almost every day of their 3 months here. So happy we became friends, hope to see them again!
Later on Monday, KP and I went to Lady Lee and bought some toys to take to the kinder. We got a set of big Lego blocks, a few puzzles and a small interactive toy set. That evening we made cupcakes for the students in El Higuero, we were going there Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday we went to Big French Key for a few hours. There were several cruise ship people there but it wasn’t too crowded. We spent the majority of our time there on rafts in the water. It was just too dam hot to get out.
Looking towards LFK from Big French Key. I prefer BFK because they respect and protect the reef.There was an Asian guy snorkeling while wearing his FLIP FLOPS. The red is the sandals.No, BFK isn’t as fancy as LFK but it’s better for me, and it’s the same water..
We got home about 2 PM and Bill and Alexi loaded the desk and the whiteboard up, we grabbed the cupcakes and the juice packs KP bought, the school supplies and toys and TOMs shoes and went down in the valley. The teacher was in the midst of a lesson but was very happy to be interrupted by us. The students were excited to get new shoes. One of the little boys needed a smaller shoe and we didn’t have any but luckily I had a pack of new socks and put a pair on him and the shoes were fine. There was no way we could leave one little boy without new shoes. KP brought little Koala pins from Australia for all of the students, They loved them and were excited when she clipped them onto their shirts. We had Alexi tell the teacher about the donations, (she doesn’t speak any English) who paid for the whiteboard and toys and they showed the teacher which markers to use on the whiteboard and how to flip it over. When we left the kids were digging into the cupcakes and juice. These students are so sweet and it felt really good to give something to this (pregnant) teacher who volunteers her time. Thank you again Walt and Judy Kaiser, I still have lots of $$ left to spend, just finding the biggest needs.
The students getting ready to be fit for new shoes!This little girl is so cute, I have a photo of her carrying her new desk in the day we delivered them.The whiteboard in the background. They had to move some things to make room for it and the desk.The little boy in the blue shirt is the one I had to use socks to make his new shoes fit.KP fitting shoesFinally, socks and they fit!!!cupcakesThis is the classroom. Really, it is. There were chickens and dogs running all over.
When we got home we rushed around getting showers before Dave and Lynda came for dinner. They were leaving on Thursday and we wanted to get together one more time. I’m so happy we finally got to meet them!
On Tuesday afternoon I got a FB message from a friend. She and her husband have the Free Radical catamaran that I’ve been on a few times. They had 28 backpacks and several bags stuffed full of school supplies and needed to get it out of their boat. I said I would come and get it so Wednesday morning KP and I met them at BJ’s. They were not kidding when the said they had A LOT OF STUFF. OMG!! It’s like an office supply store in the downstairs living room.
A bag of pencil sharpenersLeaning tower of crayonsPencils, notebooks, rulers, erasersColored pencilsnew backpacksConstruction paper and water colors, toothbrushes, kleenexover 50 glue sticksWe emptied the backpacks, sorted the stuff, then put one of pretty much everything in each pack. We had so much stuff left over that will be given to teachers.
That was a hot sweaty job that required wine and lots of fans. It’s so exciting to get all of this stuff for the kids. Thanks so much to all the teachers who took the time to buy and transport this to Roatan and thanks to Ed and Julie for storing it.
KP and I also checked out the clothing store in Los Fuertes. I was amazed at how much stuff they had. I’ve found somewhere to buy clothes!! I got 3 tops and a skirt for $13.00. Only problem was it was so hot in there that I couldn’t get some things on because I was a sweat ball. Next time I’ll go on a cooler day.
Wednesday eve we went to Cal’s for dinner. Fabulous meal as always, never disappointed there!
Headed to Heaven, AKA La Sirena
On Thursday it was raining and gray, not much to do outside so we headed to Camp Bay for lunch. It was drizzling on and off, not pouring by any means. There were 6 people there when we arrived, Joe and his brother were 2 of them. We had a good lunch, talked to the other people and Joe and Pete. We always run in to interesting people at La Sirena.
Our friend Joe and his brother Pete at La Sirena.Me and KPLeaving La Sirena
Friday KP and I were beach bound, gloomy or not. It was Labor Day here on the island which meant that a lot of places were closed and there was a big riot parade in Los Fuertes. We knew before we left that traffic would be ugly and that we would have to take the Bahia road. It was ugly on the Bahia road but we really didn’t have to wait all that long.
House on the Bahia road. The water/shoreline is not very far behind these homes.StoreBrightly painted buildingstraffic jam on the Bahia Rd.Traffic jam headed east into Las Fuertes, glad we were going the other way.
KP wanted to do some shopping so we went to West End, hoping that the stores would be open. There weren’t many people in West End, not like there usually are. We wandered around, went in a few stores. I bought some things for the house (downstairs.)
3 more metal sea creatures for the wallAnd additional hanging space for the small bedroom, (thanks Cheryl for the idea)
When Cis and Cheryl were here we were looking for a place called Eataly in West End to grab lunch. We walked way down the road, but not far enough. Today KP and I found it and we fell in love. Their pasta is home made, sauce is too and it was a delicious and filling lunch!
Pasta with sauce and black olives, $8.00. It was A LOT of food.Definitely going back.Looks out over West End road and the water.
After our stomachs were full we went to West Bay beach and parked our butts on chairs at Banarama and drank beer while watching people on the Jet Boards. Looks like fun but extremely hard work to actually stand up. We made a quick grocery stop on the way home. KP had to pack tonight as she was leaving on Saturday.
Dude on a Jet Board, $75.00 for 15 minutes.The beach was empty and the water was rough. Usually this beach is smooth and calm but there was a storm headed our way.
Saturday I took KP to the airport for her 1 PM flight on United to Houston. I left the airport and went home to get Bill, we were doing free skin cancer checks at Barefoot Key. We got there @ 1, left around 2:30, got groceries and came home. I started making my breakfast for the week, got that all cleaned up, washed all the dishes and decided to sit down and relax. Just as I did I noticed a message from KP, she was STILL at the airport, flight canceled. I put my bra back on and drove as fast as I could to the airport. We left there at 5:30 after realizing it would be easier and faster to call United from the house and get the flight re-booked. Plus, it was going to get dark soon and I have NO HEADLIGHTS still. She got booked on Avianca, leaving Roa @ 11AM on Sunday. Bill was going to have to take her to the airport because I was headed to Helene with Nidia and Because We Care.
The Helene trip will be another post because this is too long and I don’t even have any puppy photos, so here we go. PUPPY CENTRAL! You may want to play Puppy Love again, just saying…
Bandit in the middle, Sable on top of himKP brought the dogs chew sticks. We didn’t think about how hard it would be for Frito to hold hers in her front PAW so KP held it for awhile, then I did. Frito thoroughly enjoyed it. She also enjoyed the beef jerky she stole out of KP’s suitcase. Damn potlicker dogs!2 week old acrobats, Sable and BanditUnfortunately their poop blends in nicely with the floorLots of puppy breath tooIt seems like these two are always together, it’s really cool because they are going to be together when they get adopted.I covered them up, so sweet!poserConvention at the boobsHighway meeting his Niece and NephewsLola decides to climb on inFrito didn’t even care. I thought she would rip their lips off.Eyes are open but they still can’t see.smelling each otherMosh pitbusting outWe love this guy, a little too much.Rob holding Bandit. They came to visit and kept switching puppies.I think Lisa dressed to match Sable.Bandit in his daddy’s arms.
So there you have it, cutest puppies ever. Funny, none of them look like Frito and they don’t all look alike.
04/10/2015 Since my company left I have kind of been a homebody. I haven’t been running off here and there for a few reasons, mainly, we had to get my car in the shop for the electrical issue (exploded brand spanking new headlight bulb and the door dinger dinging without my key in the ignition.) My car was in the shop for 2 days and I finally got it back Wed. night. More on that situation later.
On Sunday Bill and I met Walter at Parrot Tree Plantation for lunch and some pool time. It was crowded when we got there but cleared out then got crowded again. The second crowd was enough to send us home!
I will admit that I slept a lot on Monday and Tuesday DURING THE DAY. I’m still hacking like I have major fur balls and I can’t make it stop. On Wednesday while my car was still in the shop Janice asked if I wanted to get some supplies for the kinder down in the valley below us. This is the kindergarten that I went to with Abraham and Nidia to deliver desks. I met Janice at the bottom of our driveway and rode with her to Coco View. We had to take a boat over to the bodega to get the stuff.
Bats outside of the bodegaMr. Lizard wasn’t afraid of me at all!Trip backI love boats!
When my friends Cicily and Cheryl came they brought a bag of school supplies, pencils, crayons (the big box that was always my favorite) paints and brushes, a pencil sharpener and erasers. I bet these kids have never used a pencil sharpener before! My friend from high school who I haven’t seen since then also generously sent money to me to buy some supplies for the schools. We used some of the money to buy the materials and Bill built this white board. The teacher is a volunteer and currently she uses a notebook to write things on and holds it up to the class. Thank you so much Walt and Judy Kaiser, you two rock! I haven’t spent all of the $$ yet but will post photos when I do.
The white board Bill made, it has a locking mechanism on the sides so you can flip it and use the other side too.Supplies
Nidia also was given a desk for this teacher at the kinder. Some day next week we will be delivering the goodies, along with cupcakes and balloons for the kids. They will also get NEW TOMS shoes!! We were going to do it Thursday but the TOMS shoes came in so we set off delivering them instead.
You would think that 5306 pairs of shoes would cover the kids on the island but it didn’t. Thursday I left the house at 6:45 to get to Sandy Bay @ 7:30. As soon as I got out of my car I smelled something electrical, like hot wires. Abraham looked at it and didn’t see smoke or anything at that point. Nancy and Addy and Brian, our friends from Canada were there helping so Nancy decided to ride with me. We left for the school in Mudhole, it was out first stop. When we got there my car smelled HOT. Abraham disconnected the one headlight but the high beam indicator was still on even though my lights were off. Not cool. I sure don’t want an electrical fire in my car, I have no insurance.
The school in MudholeLots of shoesCute little boysDifferent grades thanking usThe one and only Nidia Webster on the left and a classroom of grateful children.
We were getting bitten by sand flies there so I was happy to move on! After there we went east to a school up on the hill in French Cay. I was familiar with this school because our architect used to live behind it.
The boxes of shoes have to be carried up to each school, set up in size order, then fitted. It’s not an easy task but it is so rewarding.Yep, this is the nutritional garbage the kids can buy while at school.Unusual windowsBags of beans or rice, not sure which, stacked in the classroom.The fitting begins.Recess. They had some hula hoops and a twine jump rope.
From there we headed to a school I’ve driven by a zillion times and never noticed. There was not a road per se down into it but an abrupt drop off of the pavement. Thankful for my AWD car, even if the headlights are shit.
One of the classrooms at the school in Brick Bay.We set up outside and had the volunteers sit on chairs and the kids stood.Getting sizedThe once white white board
That school was a quickie and there was a lot of help. Nancy and I were in this classroom talking to 2 young boys who were very knowledgeable about the map of Honduras. They were giving us pronunciation tips; we were so engrossed that we missed the fact that our group was leaving!
From there we went to Santa Maria. We delivered food and toys there at Christmas time.
Santa Maria. This was a small school also.Unusual to see curtains like this in a school.This little girl is gorgeous!Ornate bird wrought iron window bars
Our next stop was Isla Bonita. I had never heard of this school nor had a clue where it even was. The road to get down to it was very steep. Nidia asked me to look at it to see if I could go down it with my car. Yep, I sure can, no problem at all, just put it in low and go! This too was a very small school, we didn’t even take the boxes of shoes off of the truck.
I parked at the “church.” Yes, this is their church.One of the houses by the schoolI don’t know if this was a house or bathrooms.These were hanging on the classroom wall. Aliens??Nidia on the left and the kids saying thank you!
Just a few more stops and the day would be over. Next was a big school in Spanish town. The school director was told to have the kids there at 1 but she reportedly told the students 2. We fit as many as were there and then waited. All but 20 some showed up.
Nidia checking names off her list.Remnants of a MaypoleKids waitingAnother empty First Aid station. Heaven forbid there is an emergency.They must be required to have a First Aid cabinet, whether it has supplies or not is a non issue.Snapped this little boy laying on the ground.
Our last school was in Wild Cane. Nidia and Abraham and Because We Care delivered 10 desks to the school recently and now the kids were getting shoes.
The school is held in the concrete buildingMy friends Nancy in the orange top and Addy in the orange and white fitting shoes. I was their runner again.Nancy got this little boy who we were told got burned over a year ago and the burn is still healing. His foot looked awful!! She fit his left foot instead and he wasn’t made to wear the shoes like the other kids.Camera fascinationThe girl on the right had some development issues but she was really sweet.So cute!!The school snack shop, full of non nutritious food items. There were chickens running around and a few dogs that I did my best to ignore.The kids thanking us.
The TOMS One for One program is alive and well. I had heard about it before and feel truly blessed to now be able to be a part of it. I have so much respect for Nidia Webster and what she does for this island, she really is an amazing woman who gives so much of her time and energy to help others less fortunate than she is.
When you go to these schools and see the children and the classrooms it really hits you hard. These kids are barely given a fighting chance to survive let alone successfully exist in the world to which they are born into. I am not insinuating that the kids parents don’t love them, I’m sure they do, but they absolutely can not afford to care for them in a normal manner. Many of the parents have no education, no work, no source of income and it is so very evident in the eyes of these kids.
I didn’t go with them today because of my car issues. Bill’s truck is in the shop too getting something with the clutch fixed. Tomorrow I am going with them to Helene to take desks and shoes to the kids there. This is the island that is part of Roatan but is separated and only accessible by boat. This should be a fabulous day!
On the home front, Bill is working on the upper cabinets for the kitchen. It will be nice to get them done and hung, it is much needed storage space.
The dogs are getting along fine. Frito Bean is FAT and HAPPY.
FritoFrito and Lola
Frito somehow thinks she should be an inside dog and that it is her duty to guard Emmy’s food dish, plus she loves Em’s water fountain. Emmy would rather she be outside all day every day. I have been walking her every morning and this dog can RUN. I kick the dried Hog fruit seeds down the road and she takes off chasing them. It’s the only time I can get her to play. Lola loves to play ball but I can’t get Frito to grasp the concept. Lola is still a pisshead. I’m having Bill bring up the other dog crate and I’m going to start crating her. She will hate it but you know what, I hate dog urine on my porch every day! Lola and the boy next door have a “thing.” He is only 8 weeks old and he bites the living shit out of her. He has needle like teeth. She will take it for awhile and then she snaps.
Lola and her dude OsoA 2 headed dog.I JUST cleaned the window tracks the other day and then it rained. The window didn’t get closed in time and the windowsill was covered in gritty dirty water too.So much for my OCD tendencies.This was laying on the bathroom floor. I leaned over to pick it up when I realized what it was. Thank you Emmy cat for the lizard tail, so nice. GAG ME!
I got another batch of dog biscuits made this morning, mess all cleaned up, think I’ll head outside to the sun for a little bit with the pack.
04/05/2015 Happy Easter everyone. Thanks Cheryl for the blog title. I’m going to attempt to finish the adventures of Cicily, Cheryl and I in this post. One thing I forgot to mention was that Friday evening, after a day on the beach we went to Cal’s Cantina for dinner. Not only is it right down the road from us, it is also the BEST food and restaurant view on the island. I had to add that because what kind of hosts would we be if we didn’t take our guests to Cal’s?
OK, back to the adventures. Sunday was an off and on rainy day. We decided to go for it and headed east. So far the girls had only been west of our house, except for the boat trip with Sam and Chelsie. We stopped at the store in Oak Ridge for drinks and munchies then did a road tour of Oak Ridge and stopped by to see Miguel and Winston.
Narrow road past BJ’s and on the way to the taxi stand.Boat in the harbor
From there we headed east to Camp Bay and Roger and Jeanie’s house. It cleared up on the way and turned out to be a nice day. We visited with Roger and Jeanie for awhile, ooohhed and aaahed over their view and the sounds of the waves crashing on the rocks. Bill discussed some cabinets that Jeanie wants for the kitchen and took some measurements of the wall space.
Roger and Jeanie
After that we went further east to La Sirena, AKA Jimmy’s. Just as we got there we saw our friends Francis and Karen. We stopped to chat with them and I recognized the one guy from the previous day at Pigeon Key. Turns out he is Francis’ brother. Small world, small island. We had rum punches and lunch at La Sirena.
Good food, cold beerFish lunch. I had Onion Rings!!!Cis and Cheryl @ La Sirena
We covered new ground by driving the road over the mountain (sic, this is Roatan, they are big hills compared to where I come from) to Port Royal. It was a really pretty drive, during parts of it you forgot you were on an island, it looked like any other forest. Sort of.
It is, after all a National Park
Next stop was Punta Gorda, actually, we just drove through there to show them the area.
Punta GordaThese columns were very intricately carved. The road alongside them leads back to one of the schools we did the TOMS show drive.
We made our way home and went down to John’s pool for a late afternoon dip. The pool water felt great, not cold at all.
On John’s deckThe sunset was stunning.CherylCicily
On Monday morning we drove down to Sandy Bay to check out Blue Harbor Tropical Arboretum. This is the place that hydroponically grows the fabulous lettuce that we eat here on Roatan. They also grow a variety of herbs that are also sold in the grocery store. FROM THEIR WEBSITE: “Welcome to Blue Harbor Tropical Arboretum, Roatan’s working ”Tropical Eden” covering over 160 eco-friendly acres. Here you will find uniquely spectacular tropical displayed gardens, seasonal fruit and nut orchards, the only tropical botanical “Conservatory” with a 12 ft waterfall in the Caribbean and over 70,000 heads of lettuce and herbs in a working hydroponic produce and herb farm.” We did the self guided tour and it was amazing. You can take your own tour by clicking HERE.
Heliconia’sNoni fruit is known to be used for a variety of illnesses, including cancer and Dengue.Close up of Heliconia’sOrnamental PineappleInside the conservatoryShell GingerColors and texturesOrchidInside the conservatoryCheryl, me and Cicily, at the fruit tastingFirst we were served a plate with 7 different types of fruit on it. We all liked the brown fig looking one of the left the best.Then we were given this and told to each eat a lime slice first, then put the seed of the Miracle Fruit in our mouth and clean all of the stuff off of the seed until all you had left was the black seed itself. Then we were to each eat a slice of lime again. The first slice of lime was bitter as hell, normal for a lime. However, after eating the Miracle Fruit, the second slice of lime was sweet. It wasn’t tart at all. That sensations stayed in your mouth for about 20 minutes. We each bought some cashews and other stuff and were on our way to West End to do some shopping.
West End wasn’t very crowded, people were just starting to make their way to the island for the Semana Santa festivities/craziness. We shopped for a few hours and on the way home stopped at the Bulk Gourmet for lunch, which was delicious as always! Once we got home I gave Nancy a call to see if they would be home. They had just gotten there and she said to come on over. I really wanted them to see their house.
View from the great room deck. The pool isn’t fiinshed but once it is it will be gorgeous.From the bedroom looking out over the property to the entertainment building.
We had a nice visit with them, toured their gardens and looked at the awesome flowers and plants they have. I’m going over once Sebastian returns and get some cuttings!!
The next day was the Pirate Party out in Calabash Bight. We were making rum balls in the morning to take, seemed fitting for a Pirate Party. This is the link for the Rum Balls, they were a huge hit. I made a sign and amazingly even had little pirate swords to stick in them. The sign got wet along with everything else on the ride to the party. Nothing like being at a party with a soaking wet ass. Oh well, once I got some Bandit in me (and yes Nathan and Scott,) I was drinking out of the BOX, I forgot I was wet.
They were so good
We got to BJ’s around 11;45 for a ride to the party. The first boat came and went, we said we would wait for the next one, big mistake. BIG BIG mistake. Pudens son came soon after the first boat left and we climbed aboard. Part way to Big Rock the sky opened up and it freaking POURED BUCKETS!!
I am the wench who got drenched!!The party in full swing. Photo by Cindy Darby MacyBrenda and I chatting, Marilyn and Alex next to me. Photo by Cindy Darby Macy (I think)The fabulous hosts Francie and Franklin Chrstopher. Note the Pirate Flag flying in the background!Cheryl and Llyn and ?? Photo by Cindy Darby MacyThe outdoor kitchenAwesome wooden fishFranklin’s Pirate Pizza menuThe pizza oven
