The rest of the story…..

meds

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.

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yeah, I know disgusting, but hey, it’s reality down here.

Yep, another glorious day with dogs inside.

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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.

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Beauty surrounds you
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The Lagoon, Highways #1 favorite place
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On the point
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Jen
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Pool
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Jen at the lagoon
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Kathy at the lagoon
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Reading 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!

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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.

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Jen reading, me dreaming (sleeping)
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Bill sleeping too
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Deserted 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.

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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’

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Jen and Kathy shelling
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Cool Spotted Ray 3-D art on the wall separating the next property
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Boat tied to dock
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Nice 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! It 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 was 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 let’s go!

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I love this girl, she is ready for anything you want to do. No fear!!
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Before flight, Jen and Kathy
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Yes, I knew we were coming yet still wore a dress (beach cover-up w/ suit under)
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FLYING
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upside down
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yeah yeah yeah
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Superwoman
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Yep, she loved it.
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Yep, flew upside down
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bridge below
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it really is fun to fly across the top of the jungle..wish I could do it for hours.
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She’s got a monkey on 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 there snorkeling 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.

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Parrot fish
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Jenny fish
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fish in the coral
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seascape
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under the sea
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Tangs
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coral
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I believe this is lobed star coral
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I 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,
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so many fish
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A big grouper
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Striped fish are Sergeant Majors, not sure what others are.
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Tang
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First lobster I’ve ever seen in West Bay
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Maybe a Queen Parrotfish?
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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.

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Parrotfish
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Queen Angelfish
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Deep channel we swam through
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I love my Olympus TG 3 camera, it captured these cleaner goby fish so vividly.
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coral and the sea floor
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Another Mermaid is born…
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Coral
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close up of the coral
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Beautiful 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.

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Barrio escapes
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He 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.

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Gorgeous!! Jen had one also with a different design, and a Vera packpack, bag and matching wallet..
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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:

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It’s a KEEN, made out of rice bags. Bought it in 2009/2010. It said, KEEP AWAY FROM WATER.
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Bad shape
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I 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.

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My Tank, love this boy so much.
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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..

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Kathy on the roof. We are finally getting rails in the “waves” so people don’t fall off. They have been ordered.
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Jen loved it up here, she came up most evenings to enjoy the wind and the evening sky.
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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.

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This is it plugged in daytime..
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This is at night

It’s really gorgeous. I am keeping it safe until Bill builds the entertainment center and it will have its 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??

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And then Jen gives me this Alex and Ani Mermaid bracelet. I beyond love it.
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The bracelet
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Kathy made me this and it is the perfect colors to wear with my Mermaid bracelet.
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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.

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Final pic, this 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

Recent TV (Netflix) binge: BLOODLINE

It’s been awhile

vit sea06/22/2015 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.

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These are all that are left 😦
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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.

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OMY OHMYYUMMY
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I also was given a loofah filled with seeds. I shook the seeds out, peeled off the rind and have 2 new shower sponges.
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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.

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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.

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La Sirena
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On the dock, we should have planked.
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Bill and his sister Kathy
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Me and Jen, love this girl. She is studying for her Doctorate in Physical Therapy.
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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…

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So stunningly gorgeous
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Jen and Kathy
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beautiful
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Jen

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 urchin
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Brain coral with polyps of some sort
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Ribbon coral??
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Yellowtail Damselfish Intermediate
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Parrotfish
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First time snorkeling for Jen, this girl has no qualms, no fears, just, “let’s do it.”
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Some kind of coral
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More Christmas tree worms
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Jen the fish
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Lunch @ Banarama
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Swinging 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.

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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.

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Bandit and Sable
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View from Beach Grill, Blue Bahia
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She wasn’t sure of me but then she recognized my smell and gave me kisses galore.
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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..

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They are everywhere
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Jen feeding them
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In the trees
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close up
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Mani/pedi anyone??
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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.

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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..

Vitamin Sea, I love you….

And they called it puppy love….

bacation from05/04/2015  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.

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Kids reciting things in Spanish and English for us.
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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.

 

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The desks in the school
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twisted rusted metal
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They are in bad shape
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students sitting outside on their new desks
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school doorknob
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Happy 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.
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Getting toothbrushes and school supplies. Karen (KP) in pink.
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I remembered several of the students from fitting shoes
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Nidia 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.

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Looking towards LFK from Big French Key. I prefer BFK because they respect and protect the reef.
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There was an Asian guy snorkeling while wearing his FLIP FLOPS. The red is the sandals.
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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.

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The students getting ready to be fit for new shoes!
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This little girl is so cute, I have a photo of her carrying her new desk in the day we delivered them.
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The whiteboard in the background. They had to move some things to make room for it and the desk.
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The little boy in the blue shirt is the one I had to use socks to make his new shoes fit.
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KP fitting shoes
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Finally, socks and they fit!!!
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cupcakes
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This 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.

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A bag of pencil sharpeners
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Leaning tower of crayons
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Pencils, notebooks, rulers, erasers
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Colored pencils
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new backpacks
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Construction paper and water colors, toothbrushes, kleenex
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over 50 glue sticks
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We 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.

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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!

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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.

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Our friend Joe and his brother Pete at La Sirena.
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Me and KP
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Leaving 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.

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House on the Bahia road. The water/shoreline is not very far behind these homes.
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Store
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Brightly painted buildings
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traffic jam on the Bahia Rd.
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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.)

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3 more metal sea creatures for the wall
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And 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!

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Pasta with sauce and black olives, $8.00. It was A LOT of food.
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Definitely going back.
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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.

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Dude on a Jet Board, $75.00 for 15 minutes.
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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…

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Bandit in the middle, Sable on top of him
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KP 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!
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2 week old acrobats, Sable and Bandit
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Unfortunately their poop blends in nicely with the floor
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Lots of puppy breath too
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It seems like these two are always together, it’s really cool because they are going to be together when they get adopted.
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I covered them up, so sweet!
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poser
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Convention at the boobs
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Highway meeting his Niece and Nephews
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Lola decides to climb on in
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Frito didn’t even care. I thought she would rip their lips off.
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Eyes are open but they still can’t see.
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smelling each other
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Mosh pit
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busting out
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We love this guy, a little too much.
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Rob holding Bandit. They came to visit and kept switching puppies.
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I think Lisa dressed to match Sable.
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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.

They came to see what I was doing down here.

phone

Whoever said “Time flies when you’re having fun” knows their shit! I can’t believe a week has flown by and Cicily and Cheryl are on their way home. I hated to see them go. We were very busy the whole time they were here, so much so that I’m whooped!

Their flight was two hours late arriving in Roatan due to mechanical problems. I always check flight tracker so I was aware and watching the flight online. I arrived at RTB moments after the plane landed. They got through immigration pretty fast and we were on our way. First stop, Eldon’s for groceries. After that we went back to the Bulk Gourmet for a few things and headed home.

Once they got settled we went down to our neighbor John’s pool for a dip. It felt fantastic and the water was nice and clear. (unfortunately not always the case) We floated for a while and then came back up to the house. Bill was making pizza for dinner with fresh pineapples and mozzarella and provolone cheeses. Yummy stuff!

The plan was to hit West Bay Beach early on Friday. There were no cruise ships in either port and the insanity surrounding Semana Santa hadn’t quite kicked in. We got there before ten and went snorkeling right away. Cicily has snorkeled recently but it’s been years for Cheryl. It didn’t take long for them to get their sea legs. Cicily has a messed up snorkel so we were going to get a new one on the way home. After snorkeling we put that stuff in the car, got our rafts and plopped on the chairs at Banarama.

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Sea fan
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Christmas Tree worms
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Fishies, big one is a Yellow Goatfish
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Squirrel fish
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Blue tangs
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Coral
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close up of elliptical star coral
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tiny sea urchin shell
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Parrot fish
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French Angelfish
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school of tangs
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A most gorgeous fish, Stoplight Parrotfish
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Stoplight Parrotfish, fabulous markings
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Yellowtail juvenile damselfish, it was neon.
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Not sure what kind of fish this is, anyone know??
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Cheryl, getting ready to get her float on.
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West Bay beach
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yes, it’s that perfect.
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Paradise

The three of us floated on the rafts for a while with some cold cervezas. It’s all great floating until your beer is empty and you need another. They seriously need surf delivery. We ate some lunch there then decided to call it a day. On the way home the car miraculously drove itself to Umbul Umbul. So funny how it does that, talk about auto pilot!! I was pissed because I forgot to bring a check and I only had a little cash with me, which fortunately limited my spending. Probably a good thing. Cis and Cheryl were having a blast and each bought some cool things. We hit Barefoot Key on the way home for a new snorkel for Cis and came back to the house. Bill had supper cooking for us when we arrived.

Bill got the roof furniture finished while we were at the beach and carried the 4 chairs up to the roof. He just built the table today. We spent many nights on the roof looking at the view and the sky and all the junglish beauty that surrounds us.

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These will NOT blow off the roof for sure!

On Friday evening I got a message from my friend Sam Arch about going to Pigeon Key on Saturday. We were worried about the weather and I said to Sam in a message, “if the weather is bad we can always turn around.” His response was that he never turns around, he always goes where he is headed. Gulp, OK, calling for thunderstorms but, we’ll trust Sam. We met him at 8 AM at the Iguana farm. Most of the iguanas were still in the trees sleeping but there were still quite a few wandering about. Once he got the boat ready, the 5 of us were off. Sam brought his girlfriend Chelsie along for the day. I’m so glad he did and we got to meet her, she is such a sweetie and they are the epitome of young love. So much fun to be around them. Sam was born and raised in the waters around Roatan, he reads, writes and speaks perfect English and Spanish and he knows these waters. I was totally confident in his boating skills and we were in the new boat he and his dad built, Miss French Key. We left French Key a little after 8 and went to Los Fuertes to get gas. On the way east after filling up the sky got darker and darker.

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French Harbor
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love the building in the rear
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Nice boat name
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Ominous dark clouds
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The cow and the calf
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Helene
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dark spot is our destination
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really, it is that color!
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So in love with these hues
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Pigeon Key, takes about 4 minutes to circumnavigate on foot
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weird pods and flowers
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conch wall
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stunning beauty in every direction

Near Calabash it really started raining. Chelsie was chilling in the bow of the boat so the 3 of us stood out of the rain in the cabin with Sam. We went through the mangrove cut and came out at Rocky Point, going right past my friend Perry’s house. Once we cleared Rocky Point the sky started to clear up and the sun came out. Sam was right, it was going to be a beautiful day on Pigeon Key.

We wandered around the island and met some people who came in a boat right after us. They were from Canada, turns out they were relatives of our friend Francis, small island, small world. We found this out the next day at La Sirena.

Sam was going to show us the snorkel area so the 4 of us set off. It was easy swimming going with the current and once we got there it was magical. Really, like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It was a huge underwater garden of every kind of coral you could think of with a vast amount of unusual fish swimming in and out of the huge coral heads. At one point Cicily motioned for me to go up and when I did she said, “I think this is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” It was ahhhhmmmaazzing. Many thanks to Sam Arch and Arch’s Aquatic Adventures.

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This is my friend Sam. I’m so happy I met him (and Chelsie) they are 2 of my favorites for sure. Sam is a fish in the water, he can hold his breath for what seems like 20 minutes and he always spots cool stuff.
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Blue Tangs and Sergeant Majors
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Elkhorn coral
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Maybe Pillar coral???
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under the sea
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Elkhorn
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Coral
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Elkhorn coral
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underwater garden
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Corals and seafans
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Sam grabbed my camera and got this shot and the next one of the Queen Angelfish
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Queen Angelfish
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Black Durgon
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Coral
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Rock beauty, Sam took these two photos
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Rock beauty fish lips Photo Sam Arch
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Reef squid, Cicily spotted these
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So cool!
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Elkhorn
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Sam took this also, this is unusual to see a Porkfish
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awesome coral

It was really hard swimming back to the boat because we were swimming into the current but we made it, exhausted but excited over what we had just seen.

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Cheryl chilling on the boat.
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really, this is in my backyard, so to speak???
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This is one of the reasons I love living here, the colors of the water.
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Bye Bye Pigeon Key, we’ll be back.
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Our intrepid guide/captain and his fabulously gorgeous girlfriend Chelsie!
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Enjoying the trip
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Can we move there tomorrow??

I’m going to end this post after only two days. It’s already long and I’m tired and want to eat and go watch The Voice.

I was supposed to go to a pool party today at Llyn and Wendy’s and I had every intention of going. Until I got home from the airport and grocery shopping and made the mistake of laying down on the bed. That was all it took. I think I need a few days at home for R & R and to assemble my thoughts for the rest of the post of Cicily and Cheryl’s visit to Roatan. I hope they enjoyed being here as much as I enjoyed having them!

Eclectic Twist

Make Each Space an Experience