Catching Up Isn't Hard to Do

At least, using photos it isn't hard to catch up. There are photos I haven't got because they are on my son's computer and we haven't done that email thing yet, but you'll get the idea(s).

Two big things and a lot of small things happened while I was away. One was two of my children experiencing Culebra for the first time. Their introduction happened during, and because of, the second thing, turning 60 years on the planet. Maybe weirdly, I've looked forward to being 60 since I was 20, for all sorts of reasons. I'm not disappointed. I'd say what sort of internal events I'm noticing, but that would jinx them, so I'm not. Let's just put it that counting to ten is a lot easier now, that living an imperfect life in an imperfect world feels more like a pair of old jeans than new, squeaky tight shoes. Keep in mind I rarely ever wear old jeans, or squeaky tight shoes...

Sure glad they got these lines painted.

Birthdays have traditions. The first thing I do is look in the mirror and say to myself, ok, this is what ___ looks like. Go live! (minus taking a photo, which I've never done before, though one year I dropped and broke the mirror...good thing I'm not superstitious)

The second thing I do is take a beach walk, sometimes a long one, sometimes not so long. This was the first thing I saw this year. I'll take it!

Bird flurry

Susie and Jacinto had a blessed event with the birth of two baby goats. There's something about baby goats that demand cuddling. We must obey.

Elijah with the girl who matches his shirt.

The mama goat was having a bit of a hard time nursing, so Susie and Jacinto bridged the gap. All is back in order now.

It was so great to have Ann back on island for awhile. We got to hear some good New York stories, lots of them about the great food so easily available, so a few of us gathered at Zaco's, where some of our local good food was scarfedinhaleddemolished enjoyed. If you haven't tried the corn on the cob, do it! And the crab and shrimp chips and...well, get thee to Zaco's! 

Zach's birthday was coming up as well - there are a LOT of June birthdays around here - and somehow, up there in New York, Ann found a birthday card of Zach when he was a baby. He hasn't changed a bit.

This is such a fake photo! I never drove the golf cart we rented. Elijah did a great job of keeping us on the road, pulling over to let faster vehicles pass (NOT on a curve and NOT on a hilltop). To get to my party (the surprise party that wasn't a surprise - it's not easy keeping secrets on Culebra), balloons adorned the chariot. I think all the golf carts could benefit from balloons. And thoughtful drivers.

Some random party photos. Ann and Francie made such a wonderful party - I definitely won't forget this one!

Molly made this amazing cake, chocolate and white with berries and I don't even know what. It went fast! Bonnie also made a cake, carrot cake, which is, in my family as well as theirs (who knew?), the traditional birthday cake. It lasted about as long as Molly's cake; not long. There is a photo somewhere...

I thought about wearing this tiara every day this year but there would be no room for my sunglasses.

Matt got a great shot of most of the party folk. A few had left but most were there and my heart is still singing.

What doesn't make my heart sing is this horse who has been hanging around my yard lately. Thirsty to the point of trying to drink out of the hose while I was watering plants (oh! a horse! hmmm) and then inhaling about 3 gallons of water. Scarred, missing an eye, front leg bleeding, this horse has obviously been to hell and back. My neighbor is trying to find the owner - who, unless very sick or dead should be in horse abuse jail...no doubt I won't find out what happens, but there is a permanent bucket of water around, just in case. Well watered, this profile in courage played.

Also on the animal front, but the good side, Teresa is fostering four lovely, lively pups who got a little beach time yesterday. If you've ever watched kids getting out at recess, you'll have a partial idea of their joy.

All four are up for adoption once they've been neutered and caught up on their latest vaccines. Call AWC or Teresa if you have room for a big happy lab mix dog in your life!

Wait! No flowers? No birds? No sea and sky? Of course there is. Everywhere. Some are here.

Shhh. I've hidden these from the iguanas!

 Frigate flowing flying

The days have been hazy, humid and hot. Drops of rain come and go, but not for long and not enough. Be careful with the water use, over on the big island a close eye is being kept on the water supply and it isn't a happy eye. With all of that, we swim in the sea to refresh ourselves and slake off the heat at the end of the day, renewed, with the evenings cooler and maybe a breeze. Or that might just be the fan at the end of the bed. 

Life is good. If you made it this far through this posting, thanks for hanging around!

Have a Monday of many moments. Do something mellow.

Simple Sunday ~ Now and Zen

Six and sixty years

Family, friends, laughter high

Thanks and thanks and thanks.

photo credit: Richard Blake - I think

Tiny Home Tuesday ~ A Ramble

A ramble because there are a a few things I saw this week that called loudly, as in hit me on the head bonk loudly. Maybe more hit me in the place emotionally drawn to craftsmanship and imagination. Like that.

There is a guy named Craig Dorsey who remodels old trailers. I could say vintage trailers and his remodels probably deserve the word, but it is overused and abused, so old it is.

This particular remodel is an Airstream. There are things I like about it and things I don't but the talent stands out big time. You can see a lot more photos of this here.

Behind door # 2 is a brilliant idea for a chicken coop. In the article, they call it a chicken house and I understand why. But. It's a coop.

Rain catcher o' rama!! I'd have a bigger catcher though.

Small, but lots of light and air and sitting on those foundation blocks would make it moveable  if one wanted that. There are more photos and more story about the designer, Alex Wyndham, here.

Last up is a tiny home I would like to pick up and move here. It is from Pure Salvage (you can see a lot more photos by clicking the link), the guy who does Tiny Texas Houses, Brad Kittel. While I've seen a lot of his work, I hadn't seen this one before; it was love at first sight. Truly.

photo credit: Brad Kittel

The only thing I don't like is that he writes too often how tiny it is. Having lived in a lot less space for many years, this house - he calls it Little Sister - is small but not so tiny that you couldn't do the Hokey Pokey in there with room to spare. I know for plenty of people, it might be too small, but then, you are probably not reading this anyway. 

Photo credit: Brad Kittel

And there you have it. I didn't include the airliner in a forest (yes, another one) because I don't like it. Maybe you will. If I had an airliner, I'd do it a lot differently, but that's just me. It's not tiny either.

Have a test your tastes Tuesday. Do something thanklessly thoughtful.

p.s. I won't have a computer after today so the blog will be in hiatus until I get my replacement computer. Or a tablet. Or something. See you then!

Walt Makes a Hat

I don't know what happens in your favorite bar on a Friday afternoon, but this sometimes happens in ours!

One perfect palm frond = one hat

You just do this. And then this.

and then this

Really? He's done? No, he's just resting. Medalla helps.

Of course he wasn't done. But almost.

And, of course, I didn't get the shot of the finished product on his head, but if you remember Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat, it looked a lot like that. In a tilty, palm frondy sort of way.

Have a manifestly makeshift Monday. Do something meticulously misshapen.

Simple Sunday ~ Ensenada Honda

Goddess Athena

What pirate lurks within you?

Your spars don't match. Tell.

I'll Fly Away ~ Zoni Beach

mes·mer·ize

ˈmezməˌrīz/

verb

hold the attention of (someone) to the exclusion of all else or so as to transfix them.

Timing truly is everything and yesterday, a brief time at Zoni was the time. 

I hadn't really intended to 'go to the beach' - it was more of a very long turn-around. Time can be elastic that way here, stretched out of seconds and minutes, sometimes hours, to be snapped back to find barely any earth time as we mark it has gone by at all. Mesmerized.

While I was there, the sun played hide and seek (playing havoc with exposure), sometimes it was almost colorless and then that magic combination of light refracted would burst out. The birds didn't care, it was dinner and dancing, me the sandflower observer. While my body was firmly grounded, my spirit was out there, sans catching fish. Thanks, Universe!

Have a salty sight Saturday. Do something soul shaking.