Every Picture Tells a Story

Thank you, Rod Stewart, though I imagine you didn't sing it first. Waking up this morning there was an extra sound in the air. Beyond the roosters, beyond the sound that daylight makes. A loud susurration, with a little clanking tossed in. My brain surfaced Sleep Lake - it was the sound of concrete being made. Not enough for a truck, too much for screening by hand, it was the yellow one I see around. Though the sound seemed surrounding, then the direction was clear; it was from my closest neighbor's house; she's having needed improvements made.

Now it was time to walk over and see if I was soundly right. Plus, I really like the man doing the work over there. 

Falo is probably the strongest old guy I know. I know a lot of strong old guys, but not like him. 

Strong old guys are smart (or they wouldn't have gotten old) enough to work with young strong guys.

The apprentice serves

Enough added to create just the right mix. It was like watching a true cook at work, no measuring cups needed. 

This will end up being somewhat of a French drain, though I could pretty safely bet it isn't called that here.

It's okay, kid, you can get your hands dirty (just teasing, he's also a hard worker, but he's younger, so that's different)

Falo was one of the first people I met when I came to Culebra (I know two Falos, they are both good guys, very different, but this is about this Falo). He's always had a smile of welcome, not just for me, but for everyone he sees. I see him on projects all over the island, working hard every day, working when he works. His hands grasp the tasks of concrete, fluid in such a dense unwieldy medium; he makes it look airy.

Maybe it was because I've felt weak for so long that his wiry strength feels so vital. The world revolves around our own pivotal point - or at least I admit it too often does for me. I use the visual of his strength to feel stronger, as well as appreciating it being out there in our world. Or maybe I just need some coffee.

Have a work-it-out Wednesday. Do something weighty. 

Tiny Home Tuesday

First though, remember that tonight is the full moon, brought to you by the Universe, for free! Called the Strawberry Moon, Honey Moon or Rose Moon in the Southern Hemisphere, the Cold Moon or Long Night Moon in the Northern Hemisphere. If it is anything like the moon last night, it could also be called the Blazing Your Eyes Out Moon. 

I wasn't expecting to see the moon because clouds have been getting in our way on and off for days now. Sunny, cloudy, rainy repeat. But glancing up from my book, there she was, front and center, framed by my window, my own moon movie. Call her what you will, howl if you choose. Just give her a tip of your hat, where ever you watch the show. Dancing in her light is not mandatory, but quite acceptable.

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I'm not sure what tiny home website brought this place to my attention, bad me, but of the many I've looked at this week, it was the one that stuck in my head. I think it might be the stair case. I'm pretty sure it is the stair case. And the upstairs porch.

This isn't a tiny home on the scale of barely 200 square feet, it's probably more like 400, which is still small to many. If it looks a little anonymous as to decor, that's because it's a rental. I'm not shilling for the guy, I just really like the house.

A rooftop porch off the bedroom? What's not to like? Okay, I'd cover the front entryway porch, especially with the French doors. Especially in a rainy place.

Trey ceilings, a million windows. Look at all of these windows and the light!

The bathroom, for me, is a fail. Shower/toilet combos I get, on boats and RV's, but in cold country, in a house, not so much.  Especially when I've seen homes half this size with showers and sometimes soaking tubs. It doesn't stop me from liking the house, just 'what I would have done' thoughts.

I cropped the above as a close up because when I first looked at this I didn't realize that the backsplash was actually the side of the stairs, something I like a lot more than a ladder. Personal preference maybe, but definitely safer and more comfortable for the feet. A railing would be good, I can imagine a beautiful branch there. 

The cleverness of making the stairs part of the kitchen 'wall' is a pretty brilliant touch. The oven is a convection/baking/microwave combo and there is only a one burner stovetop but that could be an adjunct to a wood burning stove, which, wa la, there just happens to be, but it could be a cook stove instead of just a heating stove. Overall, I really like the idea here, but  I'd give more room to the kitchen for counters and shelving, stealing from the dining area, but that's me. 

The stairs wrap around the kitchen, taking you to the sleeping area.

Plenty of room and plenty of light and french doors to the balcony. Coziness.

That's an outdoor space heater. I think it would become my new best friend. This is cold country.

Confession, I lifted these photos from a variety of sites where this is listed; airbnb, a site called Trovit, another called VRBO. None of them had credits, I'm guessing the owner took them. This post is about the house, but here's a link to one site where you can read more about it.

On a short walk this morning I ran into a boat friend who heard the paranda (one r or two?) this morning about 4. She said the music was particularly good. Amazingly, I slept through it, which might be an historical first. Or it might just mean I went to sleep about an hour before the drive by. I'll go with that.

Have a transcendant Tuesday. Do something truthful.

'Before It's Gone' Post Update Correction!!!

If you listen, you can hear me laughing. I got a call from a constant reader about my post this morning. He gently informed me that the structure I took photos of had NOT, repeat, not anything to do with military useage. It was a cattle scale! The boats would beach, the cattle would be offloaded and led to the scales, then taken where ever they might happen to be going on the island. 

It makes perfect sense. The eye bolts, the center piece, the two foot well at the bottom, yes! Not guns, COWS!

I looked high and low for a scale like the one on Tamarindo beach but couldn't really find one that was similar. Culebra being Culebra, however it was made and used was probably something simple and efficient. 

Which is how we got those big prickly bush trees, by the way, cattle from St. Croix, just so you know. Cattle poop from St. Croix, to be precise. 

So now you know the rest of the much more enjoyable story. I'll try to find out more, I'm sure there are still people around who used those scales, now I just have to find them.

 

Thank you, Jesse!!