Monday Musings

Truthfully, even though it is not that early*, I've been awake a long time so that musing thing has given way to more practical thoughts of 'to do's' and 'to don'ts'. So beyond a tropical storm given us some seriously much needed rain (how seriously much needed was it, MJ? So needed that the water authorities on the big island planned to start rationing water on Wednesday - not sure of the status right now but hoping it was enough to delay that decision seriously needed), it's been pretty quiet around here.

In the quiet, memories of when I first got here surfaced. Rarely hearing vehicles, daily hearing horses hooves. Seeing empty beaches, often. Listening to congas wafting over the water. Knowing any brief times of loud music from surrounding areas meant it was a big holiday. Yes, yes, nostalgia blah blah blah. But enjoyable when it is in the present, si?

My favorite manatee sculpture

Coral tree?

 And now on to the rock and will it roll portion of our show.

Jim says he couldn't see the Indian. Can you?

One rock holding up the world

*This is super late because my connection is so horrible. But it is still Monday and I'm still musing.

Have a mellow MondayEvening. Do something mesmerizing.

Tuesday no news Day /and/ Happy First of March!

I'm off to San Juan (or I'm still asleep or I'm in San Juan, or maybe I'm back from San Juan, depending on your reading habits) to hang out with my friend Lorraine before she goes back to cold country. But this is what yesterday was like at Zoni beach. Windy. Wild. Insanely blue skies. Beyond beautiful. Again.

And this is just something that made me feel good, so I hope it does the same for you. It's a trailer from a movie that I have no doubt I will think is a winner, in the category of the heart. Yes, children, I still haven't quite climbed out of the 60's. And I'm fine with that.

Have a tactile Tuesday! Do something touching.

Busy in Culebra

Season time can be busy time here and I think I just went through a rush of busyness enough for the year...a good thing, but not for posting. Rain canceled plans for today so I have been enjoying some lazy. So lazy that, while it has been rainy, sunny, grey, and rainy some more, I'm posting some photos I took a few days ago at Zoni; one of those breathtaking days that no camera does justice to compared to reality.

Right now, it's sunny and that means the laundry will get to dry. Being lazy doesn't mean bon bons in bed with books...totally!

Happy birthday, Zulema!

Last minute messages from Culebra...

Tonight is (shocked I'm mentioning this, aren't you?) Chefs for Charity! A big help is that there will be vans transporting anyone who wants to park at El Eden and not have to deal with parking up at Bahia Marina. The official version goes like this:

During Chefs for Charity, you can park at El Eden. We will have 3 vans running continuously during the activity. We will have security guards as well.

Very helpful! Thanks, planners.

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Don Monchin's service will be tomorrow, for all who want to pay their respects to the man who truly was a legend in his own time, and will remain one to his people as long as there is a Culebra, as well as to those many, spread far and wide, who respected and admired his courage, passion and wisdom.


From The Culebra Calendar:

[The viewing of Don Monchin] will be...at the Methodist Church in Culebra on Saturday  November 6 to Sunday, then approximately at 2:00pm he will be taken to his birthplace Playa Flamenco, to the location of the protest chapel, erected during the years of struggle, for a brief farewell, he will be buried at 4:00 pm..

Per Lourdes, Don Monchín specifically requested in lieu of flowers to please make a donation to the Methodist Church; he wanted the church to have air conditioning.

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We are alongside the scorpion tail end of Tomas weather wise...with what will be on and off sun, clouds, rain and dry...dry for tonight, please!

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From one end of the island to the other, I got to play tourist with my company 
and ended up at Zoni...a good way to end the afternoon...
(thanks, Mike and Kevin, up at Bahia Marina - I'm still laughing)

Have a soul saturated Saturday! Do something simple.

Wavin' on

Because today is not about the sun (so far, it's been glorious rain showers and the radar shows more to come -  the plants are drinking deep  I'm not complaining!!), How do I love the huge differences in these two days? Let me show the ways

New leaves pushing the old ones out

Wind & rain blow down

But that's today. Back to yesterday, through the magical means of digital manipulation...when the sun was shining..

Another bird came calling..."Start the day! Start the day!"

Have a peaceful Sunday...

A holiday feeling

Yesterday I went out to Zoni with an old friend and some new ones who are staying at a house there this week. A house that happens to be one of my very favorite houses on Culebra, with the beach only steps away from the yard and the house high enough to give an outrageous view, while comfortable enough that sand on the floors feels right - even if it gets swept out every morning. These are three tidy guys!

I took so many photos, it was very hard to weed them out, but here are some of the ones that made the cut. Don't forget you can click on the photos to make them bigger!

Culebrita lighthouse

Hazy Horizon

Fishing on the rocks (he got one too!)

It's the little things...

Sunset

And then the cooking began! Through a roundabout series of contacts, Doug finally procured 3 lobsters from a long awaited catch. One monster, one huge, one small. I brought along my hot sauce pot and the water finally boiled...in went Mr. Gigantico. Susie and Ramon would be so proud of me!!


Finally he was done (okay, he needed about 10 more minutes but by then it was too late, I was once again covered in lobster juice and the guys were gaga-ing over the enormous amount of tail meat, while other sections were being opened and feasted on. Suddenly there was butter and rice and salad (these guys work fast) and I was busy with the other lobsters...and eating lobster...and drinking wine, which seemed to flow endlessly, while eating yet more lobster. I think we ate lobster for an hour before the newspapers were swept away, the dishes were done - yep, the guys did all that - and we were back on the porch watching the moon over the sea.


After a long beach walk, we all hit our respective sleep spots. I can testify, that house has a very comfortable couch! Thanks for the pillow, Paul!

This morning I woke at pre-dawn as usual, but with no roosters crowing and no CWIM asking for a head scratch and breakfast. The lads were still all abed. It was time for a walk on the beach...called out by this bird.

Singing in the dawn

And Sol came shining

An early fisherman

Obviously a turtle who took her time finding her spot last night

Rock bottom

Prehistoric turtle sleeping

Fish were going crazy in the water, at one point swirling around my feet, but I couldn't get a photo of any of them! Instead I ran on the sand as they moved fast on some feeding frenzy and suddenly poof! they were gone. There were some pretty little waves though. Here are a few that I liked...





I came back to find Doug was making tea for me, since he remembered I talk about tea a lot - very nice, and coffee for the rest of the crew. Then it was time to get home to CWIM and the chickens and re-start the day.

Oh, that can wait...I think it's time to take a nap. Thanks, Doug and buds for having me over - it was a wonderful mini holiday!