Another Point of Viewing

Once more house/cat sitting and once more from a hill. A new hill, an old view but new every minute just the same. I can almost see my not rushin' cat from here!

Living on a tiny island, there are only so many places to go, but I've not been to nearly all of them yet. Roads appear that are as yet unridden on by me. Paths in the brush that speak of deer call and sometimes I follow, but sometimes not. A deer can deal with a few feet of unseen drop off better than I. As it should be. Lucky deer.

There are bird feeders up here. If you've read this blog much you're aware I like to play Janey Birdfeeder, putting feeders up when I go traveling if they aren't there already. Usually, it works and a place without birds is suddenly with them. There are promises to keep it up and starter bags of food and who knows what happens next?

I used to sell bird feeders at the cart, a good and beautiful item to stock. So it may seem odd that I don't have bird feeders of my own - who knows, maybe Johnny didn't have his own apple trees either. In my yard there is enough going on naturally that it is one giant bird feeding system. But the feeders here made possible some gorgeous moments yesterday and I know there is more to come.

Even though there are two feeders, the banana quit and the hummer both want to use the same one. Of course they do.

Incoming! Scared, but hanging tight.

 I don't see you. You aren't there. 

3 second peace accord

It's tiring, watching all of that activity. Luckily, I have a solution for that. 

 Have a salubrious Saturday. Do something sublime.

Some Culebra Colors

I'm up on the hill now, but as I was getting ready to leave, this sailboat and speedboat were each moving across the bay, one in a roaring froth of foaming white water, one in a gentle swath of white sail.

Up on the hill the world is different. Overviews really are viewed over, sounds rise up like smoke - voices and vehicles, roosters and dogs, from not just a neighbor or out on my street, but from ground up to my ears, a whole hillside of sound. Not quite a cacophony, but like aural tracers, my ears almost twitch looking for sources.

In the middle is a great playground that just got a fresh paint job. At water's edge is a house compound that also just got a fresh paint job. Nice work! Especially if you like purples and blues...and I do.

But I'll take corals too.

One of my chores up here is to keep the plants happy, something I really like to do. My usual goal is to get something wind blown and ragged to have at least one bloom by the time the home/pet people get back. It's really windy up here, a lot of the time and it's a tough environment for plants, but somehow, most of them hang on, year after year.  

This volunteer tomato out in the side yard is producing some of the best cherry tomatoes I've had for a while.

Frangipani over Vieques

It always takes me a day or so to adjust to being up here. Dogs, for one thing. They are not cats. 

They stood there, staring at a) cats b) the sound of dogs barking below c) the wind, and I could read their doggy minds. "If we didn't have these damn fence collars on, we'd be sooooooo on it!"

There is the cat (one of two) here that I fostered as a wee one, now grown up. There must be something about cats with definitive tail tips that makes them awesome cats. 

And now, down to the chicks, down to the Cat, down to the water's edge. It feels like Saturday.

Have a be special Saturday.    Do something searching that you find.

Lola and Lucy Time

With two of my favorite winter visiting girls here and not being at the cart corner, where in years past I'd see them every day, we took some time to hang out at Dinghy Dock and Zaco's, finishing with ice cream at Willy's. Ok, they had ice cream. I was stuffed full of nachos and tacos (I ordered the goat special, if you'd like to know, and it was good!).

Lucy kept the tooth fairy busy this year! We were at Dinghy Dock for a sing-a-long,
but Lucy wasn't in sing into the mic mode. Hey, when you have a grin like that, that's song enough for me.

My present of sea glass and a couple of pretty shells, complete with a sweet note.
 Lola and Lucy know what their Island Woman likes. Thank you for that really sincere smile, Lola! 

We watched a mama and her babies in Zaco's backyard. Good camo.

Except for this brilliantly white chick.
It had a worm and no intention of going with the crowd. Mama gives chase.

The nachos at Zaco's are really good (no, Lucy, they aren't spicy (unless you put some hot sauce on 'em)!
The mojitos are pretty fine too, report David and Molly. 

On the way to ice cream, we ran into Computer/Balloon John and his wonderful parents
(I know they are wonderful because of the over-the-years worth of stories John has told me about them).
I'm looking forward to having a bit of time together before they head back home. 

Another day dawns in Paradox, where every day holds the 'what will happen next?' potential. I'm ready. Right after this next cup of coffee.

Have a slow it down Saturday. Do something softly.

Saturday in the Park...Ok, the Library and the Plaza.

Today at 3 is the AWC auction at the library! Don't wish you'd been there, just be there. This evening, at the plaza, there will be a tribute to the 'PanMan'. I'm trying like crazy to get all the info on this and can't find it (where did I put that digital message anyway?). If you knew this guy, you'll be there. If you enjoy steel pan music, you'll be there. If you know all the details including his name which I feel awful not to have here, leave a comment please!

The weather is warming up during the day, but I still have my blanket out for sleeping. I remember when fall and winter seemed to last as quickly as a breath in the islands, so I'm loving the coolness and glad for when we get it. "Glad for climate change, MJ?" Uh, in this case, yes I am; I'd be lying otherwise.

Yesterday I was at Zoni - the clouds and colors of the water were dreamy...or it was just sleep deprivation on my part. You decide.

 I love sea grape trees!

In the afternoon there was a really nice time together remembering Kim in photos and talk at the Sand Bar. Walt brought his CD of the many photos people had contributed for her life celebration last year, and also made some wonderful roses and birds from palm fronds. Rebecca put them up on the door of Kim's old store along with some thoughts. It was a good time, with a lot of laughter and a lot of missing. Thanks, Rebecca, for putting it together and supplying the wine. Thanks, Mike, for the space and the sandwiches and the wall for the slideshow. Thanks, Kim, for being so you that we miss you like crazy.

Valentine's Day is coming up, that designated day for romance and lovers to show what they feel, supposedly all year long (sort of like Thanksgiving). Let it be a reminder to love the ones you love, be they lover, friend, child, parent; whoever comes under your cover of love, every day, all the time. Life is short, live it, love in it.

Have a serene Saturday. Do something special for someone.

Happy Saturday

Rain seems to be the word, even though the radar is not showing the gigantic blobs of the last two days, most of which broke up around us. Today it's bits and pieces, some crossing over us, keeping the air cool.

Blooms are rioting!

Spider lily

Flamboyant

Mock Frangipani

Bougainvillea

Neem tree blossoms

Weeds

The bay is green with reflections of the land, with new growth everywhere. Which is good news for the paid weed whackers and we know who you are!


Every once in awhile I see this goose on the bay, this time it was up close. It used to have a partner, but I don't know the story on that...maybe the other one wasn't such a silly goose as to be out in the rain like as this one and myself.


Be open to a serendipitous Saturday. Do something swayable.

Rain glorious rain

I do go on about the rain, I know, each time it is more than a spatter. But we've been in such a long drought that each time the ground actually gets enough rain to look more than hard and dry and dusty, it's a cause for celebration! So don't fret, visitors. The sun will be out sooner than you think.

Even the water seems cleaner

Have a serene Saturday. Do something soothing.

Slippin' into Saturday...fits pretty well so far

 

“Centuries ago, sailors on long voyages used to leave a pair of pigs on every deserted island. Or they'd leave a pair of goats. Either way, on any future visit, the island would be a source of meat. These islands, they were pristine. These were home to breeds of birds with no natural predators. Breeds of birds that lived nowhere else on earth. The plants there, without enemies they evolved without thorns or poisons. Without predators and enemies, these islands, they were paradise. The sailors, the next time they visited these islands, the only things still there would be herds of goats or pigs. .... Does this remind you of anything? Maybe the ol' Adam and Eve story? .... You ever wonder when God's coming back with a lot of barbecue sauce? 

Chuck Palahniuk quotes (American freelance Journalist, Satirist and Novelist.

 

 

“Unless we change our ways and our direction, our greatness as a nation will soon be a footnote in the history books, a distant memory of an offshore island, lost in the mists of time like Camelot, remembered kindly for its noble past.”

Margaret Thatcher (talking about Culebra? I never knew she was here!)

It's good to see the smiles of 'old familiar faces' coming back as season begins. A copy of a Sunday New York Times, some grins, some caraway seeds, some stories. For some, somewhere, it might be chestnuts on the fire...we're just looking for a few good  [chest]nuts. Have an excellent Saturday ~ and for those of you who know who you are, welcome home (for those of you who don't know who you are, we might be able to help with that, but maybe not).

 

 

 

Slow Saturday So Far

It's early yet but already the morning has that languid feel to it...it might be sunny or it might rain, it isn't cool and it's not hot and there is only sort of a breeze. It's as if the day has the energy of a lizard on a rock in the desert, why move if you don't have to? I'll see what happens; it could be the beginning of a train wreck or a miracle.

These miracles are good enough for me, right now. One for drama, one for calm, one a reminder to keep on going and see what happens next. There seems to be a theme going on here. Works for me.

My days of dawns on the hill are waning and every one has been a gift to enjoy

I didn't even notice this ball of bougainvillea until I glanced up looking out my door
instead of straight ahead -funny how you can literally look completely through
amazing things that are right in front of you

And then there was this man, out early to fish...
but even the pelicans are being lazy around here...better luck somewhere else

Have an exquisite Saturday - you know you can!