When Culebra is Good, She's Very, Very Good

We had a sweet rain early this morning, a fine sound for waking up. Alarm clocks should all mimic the sound of rain on the roof. 

With the sun rising, there had to be a rainbow somewhere. Jumping in Housesitting Hill's vehicle, I didn't have to look far - it was flung over the entire island. Oh yes it was!

And then, absorbed by the sky, it was gone. The clarity left behind was no less spectacular.

There is so much beauty here. I won't say I take it for granted, because I don't think I do, except when I'm too caught up in my own blinder vision. But there are moments when the explosion of beauty just knocks me out. That was how it was this morning. I hope you can get a taste of that.

Have a meet the morning Monday. Do something maintaining the motion of the miraculously mundane.

How Local It Gets

With a lot of sleep I was up early enough to watch the moon go down and the sun come up. To get to town and get to the beach. To eat half of a half of a rotisserie chicken from La Pista for breakfast, chased by ginger snaps from Vibra Verde. Ok, the chicken came after the ginger snaps. Who am I to resist simple pleasures? 

T picked me up to head to the beach, which first meant errands. While she was busy in the Post Office, I headed over to Vibra Verde to get something healthy. It's not my fault that these cookies started whispering my name. Loudly.

They make a great breakfast. Too bad I didn't have any milk.

Then we fed the cats. The cats eat and the humans chase the oh so very bold wild chickens away, because the chickens will chase the cats away. They come on like zombies, afraid of very little, especially cats.

Wary for a reason

Newly planted sea grapes. The water was too cold to go swimming, but it didn't stop a couple of visitors who were out snorkeling, heading toward the coral farm and most likely, the turtles who like to hang out there. 

On the way back we stopped at La Pista for chicken but it wasn't ready yet, so a trip to see Digna's natural jewelry was put on the non-existant agenda.

Just a small sample of her beautiful work

By then, the chicken was ready. I actually made it in the door before demolishing the first 1/4. The cat got a few bites of the breast. Luckily for us both, she doesn't like dark meat, because that's for me.

How junked cars are removed on Culebra. We missed the fun part of it being picked up with the dozer bucket. Our dozer operators can move anything, and they do. 

Home again home again. Some days are like this. And that's all I know about that.

Have a non-touristy Thursday. Do something tip-tappingly.

Gorgeous Thursday morning

Dawn is delicious with tea. I've already heard from a friend that it is so clear, St. Croix can be seen from here (40 miles away for those who are not aware of that little factoid). Another thing I love about most of my friends, they also wake up early to look at the world we are so fortunate to find ourselves living in.
(my winter hummingbird is back! bathing in the avocado leaves)

A mini video of dawn from my back yard...the colors were better than they appear here...can you hear the morning? Yes you can.

Have a thoughtful Thursday. Do something slow.

Outside the box

While the Corn Islands off of Nicaragua get torn up by Tropical Storm Ida, we had a dawn as subtle as the breeze barely moving leaves and water.


We've been incredibly fortunate this year as has the Caribbean as a whole, with seriously powerful storms being deflected by shear before they reached us. As isn't unusual for this point in the season, Ida formed to the west of us. But there are people there too, in Nicaragua and Honduras and their satellite islands, in conditions much like many of us in the island chain. Poorly built wooden homes that don't withstand much at all alongside well built homes and resort hotels and compounds.

When I first paid attention to the Corn Islands, I felt an affection for them as they sound much like the island I live on now. Like Culebra, they are jewels that are slowly being discovered, with small populations. Fifty miles offshore, they are as vulnerable as they are wonderfully isolated. While they have been through much worse than Ida, it just doesn't take much on small islands to make a mess. Keep the people of Central America in your thoughts today, Ida isn't done yet.

The moon this morning, while on the wane, was showing her potholes quite clearly.
I always have this urge to tip her up just a little bit more so I can see what I can't see.

One of the last of this batch of papayas, brighter than the sun

If you aren't familiar with M.F.K. Fisher, and you have any interest in food and reading and writing and life, you should get to know her. She wrapped a few dozen lives into one, but broadly, she was a culinary writer who considered food one facet of life's pleasures, one tine of the fork of a spaghetti twirl. I came across one of her quotes yesterday that brought me to word love anew. "Probably one of the most private things in the world is an egg before it is broken." As Gail used to do when hot on sharing a point of view, I must poke you hard in the arm and say, "Am I right? Am I right?" Does Ms. Fisher not nail it? I believe she does.

Start practicing; have a thankful Thursday.