Friday, March 30, 2012

A Whole Lotta Photos

It's been rain on and off, off and on, with spotlights of sun keeping me close to  home. A good thing, as it should be. Out to the chicks, out to the water, out to the garden. The cat never far away. I am wallowing in home. Wallow wallow.

Little Stumpy, back in general population now!
Show me your tail feathers!
'Whenever you are done messing about with what could be my lunch, I'm ready'
Gifts of the rain
I had taken the above photo and turned off the camera when I looked up and basically in front of my face, a foot away, was this guy. He just sat there, posing (how do you like this side, no this side no this side, excuse me while I groom, now this side) for about two minutes. I finally stopped taking shots and just stood there, looking at him looking at me. He won, I walked before he flew. Nice.


I've never seen so many of his colors before (and trust me, I've looked a lot)
Now, get this side
My good friends call me Spike
I'm sorry but...is this bird for real?
Front and centered
Is that a...cat down there?

After that, I was pretty filled with magic-ness. It started to rain again and I decided not to press my photographic luck. Bread and bed instead. Have I mentioned life is good?

(Have you ever been using regular milk in your coffee and then splurged on half and half and poured it like milk? Baby coffee drink. Next!)


Some glad it's Friday music

Have a fortunate Friday! Do something frivolous.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Where Was I?

These busy days caught up to me, so I took a little blog break. All is well, life is good!

Right now there is a gorgeous tree in bloom around Culebra. I've seen them big and little, the blossoms bright as the sun...and I mean that! They are such a startling yellow...pow to the eyes. (I went to take a photo of one in my neighborhood, in the yard of a house where I hardly EVER see anyone. Of course, the porch was full of people, so rather than explain that I was not taking a photo of them, but their tree, I decided I'll wait until I see one of the other ones. Semana Santa strikes again!)

The night sky has also been putting on a show. See if you can tell which one is the photo I took. And if you haven't been checking the sky at night, get yourselves out there: it's free, it's beautiful and it's the only sky we've got, so enjoy it!



















This is NOT the yellow blooming tree mentioned above. This is my frangipani that, year after year, barely grows but then, with the slightest heavy rain, blooms with these gorgeous flowers. When I got it, the flowers were coral.  Then it didn't bloom for about five years. Now they are this color. Surprises are good. Sometimes.



How are the chicks, MJ? Glad you asked, because they are growing so fast, I can literally see big changes in them every day. See the tail buds? That's new on some of them, moving on from just cute fuzzy butts. A few of them are also showing white/yellow feathers around their eyes. And, I had to amputate a chicken toe. Aiiiiiieeee! Really.


One of the chicks had been standing around with its foot tucked up under it like a flamingo. I wasn't really worried, until she seemed to be sitting down a lot and that toe seemed really swollen. I took her inside and washed her little foot. I could now see that the claw/nail was almost sliced off. Some astringent, some salve and then trying to wrap the toe (which probably isn't really called a toe and which wasn't at all easy - just in case you've ever wondered, hey! how hard could it be to wrap the middle toe of a baby chicken with gauze and tape? Hard.) I put her back in the big pen but the other chicks were bugging her bandage. I moved her to another cage and then she began bugging her bandage. It was still on when, after one more check, I went to bed.

In the morning the bandage was off. Looking at the toe, the swelling had gone down some but it was really looking pretty dead - the claw part, not the chick. I washed it again and decided to just clip it off with some scissors. The teeny toe stub bled a tiny bit. More salve and back to segregation. She is peeping like mad for her sisters, but I'm going to wait and let some more healing happen first.

Send positive vibes her way, she needs them. I, on the other toe, am traumatized for life and nothing will help; don't waste your energy. I'm not posting a photo of Little Stumpy just in case something happens and we get sad. She's about cracker size though, so all would not be lost. Just kidding.

Dinner at Zaco's Taco's with Sue, Alex and Alex's friend Lexie was yum, more yum, really yum - repeat. The pork burrito will let me have lunch for tomorrow. I am as stuffed as that burrito, I'm pretty sure. Must have been the chips.


Our outside table was near Zach's kitchen window. He heard me whinging on about no pork belly (sold out, natch) and surprised me, somehow coming up with a mini pork belly taco; at least I'm 99.9% sure it was pork belly. I'm 100% sure it was incredible, and Sue got her first taste of the addiction. (Would this not make a great birthday cake? So pretty.) Maybe it wasn't just the chips.

Have a free-from-toe-stubbing Thursday! Do something non-traumatic.

Monday, March 26, 2012

That Was Different




Because of uncontrollable circumstances (boring, not resolved but worked around), bread and hot sauce day was yesterday, Sunday, instead of Friday. There was a whole different feel to life on the street, a feeling that happens in a lot of places on a Sunday, but I only live here. It's almost like the very air is different, more serene, even if it is blowing like stink out - which it wasn't, much (the umbrella is my wind gauge; if it doesn't blow over or away, it's not real windy out. Don't try this at home, leave it to the highly educated in wind specialists. Thank you).

So there I was, glad the morning rain moved away, with a book that was only half interesting, a cat who was wondering what I was doing, and all around me, hummingbirds, banana quits, lizards, bougainvillea blooms on steroids. Instead of in bed/getting ready for Sunday Funday at Dakity/thinking of doing other things that need doing but get put off because it is Sunday.

Because we've had a lot of rain lately, sunlight seemed more major, light seems brighter.





I love his little claws and sassy 'do



This reminds me of a Chinese calendar, those long cloth kinds with mountains and flowers on them


Late in the afternoon, Bonilla came by to do some work on the dinghy. By then, it was actually hot out, but a few more things got done, to make way for more things that need to get done. It's happening!

Have a mountains in the mist Monday. Do something meandering (even if it is just in your head).

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Settle Down Sunday

It looks like a line of rain is making its way to us via the VI's. But it also looks like we could have some clearing up later on. So get comfortable, whatever you are doing, and enjoy your Sunday!

When the sun decides to play, it really likes to play. Greys go wild!
Desert roses don't just grow in the desert. I don't even know if they grow in the desert; I've never been.
This looks like a tropical island. Amazing.
Spider lilies don't bite.
Have a soothing Sunday. Do something spaciously.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Saturday Sweeps

I've been having a lot of fun with a couple of sites that were shared with me, so I thought I'd include them today. One is called Retronaut, a daily grouping of old photos of various and sundry things, people and places. One was a revelation to me (no one knowing me will be real surprised I didn't know this, only lately have movies or television series become a part of my life, via Netflix streaming, thanks, Sarah! I think.)

Did you know that the Hollywood sign in...er...Hollywood originally said Hollywoodland and was built to highlight a housing development? I didn't. The story with photos can be found here.

I think there must be some existential meaning to this photo but damned if I can figure it out.
This other site, AirPano, is incredible. Lots and lots and LOTS of places that have been filmed panoramically, and you can play with the many views, zooming swirling shifting perspective getting dizzy and sort of feeling queasy. It's a bit addictive if you like this sort of thing, so don't have a soufflé in the oven when you decide to check this out. Thank you, Michael Justis!

A tune with Michael and DeAnna on St. Croix
(Trailer Trash With an Ocean View)

While back on Culebra, last night I did this brilliant video of Grady and Louis playing a really good song. The light on the bay was magic light time awesome. The people were happy. Everything was perfect and I was very excited about posting it today. Except for one little detail. I only recorded one second of it. One. Second. Somewhere I hit off, or stop recording or something. Operator error, operator impaired. Bummer. I did get a few other shots, but stopped taking photos because I had it all on the brilliant video. Oops.

Magic light time 
Hi, Computer Balloon John! 
Okay, I was singing, that should explain everything (photo credit: Debbie Newman...grrrr)
Grady and Lewis sang and played some great tunes. We'll have to do the Beatles another day/night.

It was just one of those times when, tired after a long, long day, with Francie and I (the photo I am NOT posting) thinking that stopping for one drink was on the menu. Except I ran into a few people I really wanted to see (David and Sean, so good to see you both! We'll discuss the bad trash issue at Bahia Linda with trash bags in hand sometime...hey campers, clean up after yourselves! Really). And I kept leaving but staying. Until I really did leave. Fun Culebra time. Sorry about the singing. 

Light is in the sky, along with clouds. Right now, we're in the clear! Hope it stays that way.


Have an unsaturated Saturday! Do something sunny. 

And please please please? Pick up your trash and take it to a trash can or the dump or anywhere but on the beach or in the woods. Culebra thanks you.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Culebra Free Range Friday or If April Showers Bring May Flowers, And Climate Change is Changing, Then What?

What I mean is, now, with the climate upside down all over the world, I have to wait for someone clever to make up a March/April rhyme about showers and flowers. Because I briefly tried and, though the first cup of tea isn't quite finished, I'm usually pretty good at this sort of mindless entertainment and come up with crap nothing. March makes a much better word for talking about a physical action than incorporating into any sort of month inspired doggerel poetry. It is definitely one of those onomatopoeic words, sounding like its one meaning (that one syllable, that harsh'ch' ending). I almost sit up straighter just thinking about it and wonder where my parade flag is (and yes, I do think about things like this, more than I'd care to admit but probably less than you, patient reader, imagine. Or not).


Our currently grey and rainy weather is what brought this on, obviously. Rain hasn't been much around here lately and especially not a day long into night into next day pattern. Everything in the yard looks so happy, I just cannot complain (except for some people I know who have stolen time to be here and are not quite getting the sun anticipated) or quit walking around looking at each new bud of growth.


The rain is barely a patter on the roof right now. Soft soft. The cat is fed and back to curled up, the chicks are still eating - eating machines they are! - and I'm on cup of tea two. While I should be almost ready to sell bread today, due to a propane problem, I'm deferring until Sunday and, looking at the radar, relieved that I won't have to be soggy this morning.


Rain will not, I'm sure, stop the veggie guy. If he has any of the purple potatoes, pick up a few! I had some the other night, simple fix of sliced, along with some (veggie guy) shallots, also sliced, in a tiny bit of bacon fat from the precious reserves. It was sort of a glorified hash browns thing, by ingredients if not by cooking method. Saute until potatoes are done, salt and pepper to taste and call it delicious. The potatoes do have a different taste, if anything they seem to have an almost sweet aspect. Or maybe that was the shallots. I only know for a taste treat, it was really good, along with the beauty of the potato. I mean, look at that, it's Art!

Yes, Francie, this is for you.
The early grey sky is getting lighter. The radar looks like there might be clearing ahead. Who knows, it might turn out to be another beautiful day in Paradox after all!


Have a full of Expectations Friday! Do something freewheeling.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Two Lost Dogs...Can You Help?

This is an additional post because I didn't want it to get lost. From Teresa.



"Please if you can help reunite these two friendly male dogs with their family, it would be much appreciated!  Both have green/redstriped collars on and have to be someone's pets. I am sure that someone is missing them and want to get them back to where they belong ASAP as I cannot keep them. They were picked up in front of the PostOffice Sunday afternoon because one had been injured and could notwalk.  He is now fully recovered and good as new.  Signs have been posted around town and photos posted on facebook but noone has claimed them.  If you can help, please do so by asking your neighbors if they know who they belong to and hopefully they can be taken home very soon.  Thank you!.  787-409-6380 or teresatallevast @ gmail . com"

It's All Happening At the Zoo

Culebra time can be a lot of things, but sometimes it feels like the universe is just having a great chuckle, in a good way. Yesterday, Bonilla came to work on my dinghy, something I've been waiting for, for almost two years. Not him working on it, just others saying they would who didn't, until Bonilla. I think I've mentioned money isn't always much of a motivator on Culebra? Try having five guys, all of whom, at one time or another, agreed to do the job, sitting at Dinghy Dock, en masse, discussing the really best way to complete the job. Imagine me, not too loudly howling, "I don't CARE, just somebody DO something!" But yesterday the work got started. The materials are bought and I bet one of these days, I'll have an 'after' photo, with my awesome Tortola dinghy back in the water. Ok. I won't bet $.

'Before'
Another thing I've been waiting on (with the delay no one's fault but my own, for various reasons) finally happened yesterday. Not quite how I expected, but sometimes - maybe a lot more than some times - you just have to say yes to the 'not quite' to get to where you want to go. And so it is with these baby Rhode Island Reds (yes, they aren't too red, are they? but hopefully they will grow into SOME sort of chicken that lays large brown eggs, the mama was red at least...); they won't always be babies. I'm crooning egg laying songs to them already. Thank you, Dee!

Eight fast moving happy chicks - the concrete block is for two things, one,
chickens like to be 'up' and two, it gives them something to peck at and keep their beaks happy.
I'm sure there is some fancy bought thing for this, but a quarter of a concrete block works!


There is a cover that goes over this feeder but they couldn't quite get to it.
Much more fun to just jump into your plate of food, right?
I know why the caged chick peeps
Before it got dark, I started thinking it still is getting pretty cool at night and it was pretty windy too, so I took an old towel and put it in the corner, thinking they could bunch up and stay warm. This morning I went out to feed them and...worst fear realized, NO chicks. Not one. No peep peeping. I lift up the towel and there they all were; they'd crept inside, just like they would under their mother's wing. Startled but not frightened, they reeled around in the sudden movement and light like a bunch of tiny drunks for a second or two, so I put out food and water and put the towel back over them, my heartbeat back to normal again and grin firmly in place. Being a chicken farmer is going to be interesting.

A new season is upon my life, right in time for Spring. Chickens and boats. Makes sense to me!

Have a take it as it tumbles Thursday. Do something non-troubling.