Culebra Free Range (Foodless) Friday

While I have been up the hill, we had a blessed event next door that I only realized this morning. Remember that big, sturdy, but rather fat horse of whom I've taken lots of photos? That wasn't fat.

Mama and baby were, for a moment, alarmed when I came around the hillside. I was pretty surprised myself.

No, it wasnt fat, or extreme sturdiness. It was this darling one.

She or he (I didn't check and can't quite tell from this photo) starting heading over to me,
but then ran, in that giggly coltish way that seems to barely touch earth, back to Mama.

Where a snack and safety were waiting.

 It was that time of morning where the sun, barely past the horizon, was blazing off of everything, making the world sharp and still golden at the same time. 

Gumbo limbo, junk trees and mangroves in the sun

Chanticleer and his court don't care about new baby horses or how the sun sparkles on the water. Their life mission is food, sex, babies, repeat. Excepting his mission of prideful crowing and strutting, and I must admit, he does them both very well.

In full voice. 

The ladies and children heed and obey. As they will, until a worthy challenger comes along.

I'm off to spend some time playing with a new toy. After years of just saying no, I've finally chosen to join the world of real (versus way too expensive throwaway type) cell phone users. Having put down requirements quite a few years back - that it would do everything I wanted it to do - allow me to be connected to my computer, for a biggie - and be less expensive than my land line, they've been met now, and so far beyond. With Claro becoming the telephone company from hell, I was nudged over the edge. Ok, more like I bodily threw myself over the edge and am waving Claro a one fingered farewell. 

Just so you know? You really CAN buy used phones on  ebay that are exactly as described (in this case, 'mint condition and works perfectly'), for less than half the price of a new one. That's what I did.
Of course, make sure there is a return policy available and that your seller has a good reputation.

Thanks to Computer/Balloon John, who took over from my fumbling attempts to set it up, I now am almost functional to get and make calls, and a bit more (which just reminded me I forgot to ask about voicemail...oops). 

He rapidly ran over the pages he'd set up for me; the phone, the camera, email, different web applications including two for weather; music, scanning bar codes and texts for further research, and others that get me out of trouble if I screw up, which I shall, no doubt. But the best one, the one I have to say makes me eat my 'I won't need a bunch of apps' words, is the metal detector. Yes. A metal detector on my phone. I have always wanted a metal detector (I know, I'm such a nerd, sorry to down all your 'she's cool' visions, I've tried to tell you!), especially growing up on the beaches of Florida where I bet fortunes have been made metal detecting. Well, I'm not looking to make a fortune (there is no lie detector on the phone, thankfully), but it would be fun to find something interesting. I'll let you know when I make my big score. Of course I will. As long as none of you are involved with the IRS. Now, what's my number?

No food today, sorry! I was busy eating technology.

Have a find something new in your world Friday! Do something that moves you forward.

Update: I figured out voicemail! Some woman lives in my phone and walked me right through it! Thanks, chica!

How Did It Get to be Thursday Already?

Looking up. The cool factor doesn't stop in this place. 

Between housesitting and working (painting, sanding, oiling, more painting, coming home to feed critters and taking care of up the hill critters, for the most part) I've managed to do more sleeping than much about blogging. Then, today, I woke up with my back saying 'Walk slightly sideways, hitch your leg a fraction forward, ok, now the other one' which amounted to sort of walking. Apparently, last night while I THOUGHT I was sleeping, I was out practicing for the Olympics, throwing those big and extremely heavy balls for the distance! I hope I won a medal. If I find it, I can hang it from the ceiling and and watch it catch and reflect light, from my prone position. It will be beautiful.

So what follows will be a ramble of not much in the way of photos, but random moments of the last few days. The weather has been funky, grey then sunny, hot and cool, rain spits and dry. In other words, just about normal for this time of year, except for being a few weeks too early. With less rain. Never mind. Point is, the few moments I've seen really pretty 'view' photos have been inopportune to take a photo and the rest have just been hazy. So what you see is what you get. Unlike real life.

View from another housesitting hill. I keep waiting for a super clear day, but...not yet

The porch I've been living on, pretty much. See that chaise lounge? I'm taking it home with me. Sorry, house owner.

A peek into the cool, serene bed room (it's really a bed room structure,
very Caribbean, very awesome) where I do my best Olympic workouts.

I took this photo because Walt wanted me to. For a beer can, it's pretty wonderful.
I expect to see many tattoos that look just like this. 

On my way back up the hill, these horses were all hanging around.
The baby was my real interest but there was a car behind me and the photo ops got limited real fast. 

See that rope? It's not connected to anything. We see that a lot around here.
See that baby? He's soooo cute! We see that a lot around here too.

Yes, this is popcorn popping in a glass pot. Well, sort of.

I know, contain your excitement. This is stuff I actually (and obviously) take photos of, usually for my own entertainment - and yes, I've told you, over and over, I'm easily entertained. The reason I took this is because the person who lives here has these glass pots (what is the difference between a pot and a pan anyway? You want to know? Go here) and I like them. I also like popcorn and eat a lot of it, and thought, that would be neat to see it popping (easily entertained, remember). Except, in case you want to try this, it doesn't work. The popcorn burned on the bottom and only about half of it popped. Maybe my old pyrex pots/pans were different, but apparently this sort has a different temperature thing going on. Experiment failure. Next.

Last but obviously not least...if you need your fix of pre-dawn Culebra's riotously cacophonous bird song, rooster crowing, cat mewling with twinkling lights, you've come to the right place. If not, you know what to (not) do. Sorry about the clicking noises, my camera is loud.

Have an un-troubled Thursday. Do something terrifically triumphant.

Sunday Funday and It Could Have Rained All Night

This morning's weather was supposed to happen yesterday, overcast and rainy. But instead it was breezy and beautiful, so Sunday Funday went on as hoped for. It's always a surprise as to who will show up and yesterday could claim that one well. Cruisers and locals, kids and cops. Ok, one cop. With a new tat.

If you can't guess, that's Culebra and surrounding islands. I'm not big on tattoos, but this one is pretty great!

This really happened but I asked him to do it again. How could I not?

Just another beautiful day in Paradox

Fish swimmer jumper diver boy with a great grin

The afternoon came down and everyone slowly headed home. Except the one who was already home. Thank you!

The weather map is not supposed to look like this, but it does, as Tropical Storm Alberto does its slow move off the East coast of the US.