Daze for Daydreams

Every once in awhile, a moment happens and around here the first thought is, only on Culebra! Of course, I'm sure every place has those things happen but I'm not every place. 

Yesterday morning going to the ferry was one of those moments. 

It was pretty much dark when I came upon these cows loaded up and ready to be put on the ferry. Where were they going? To a big stud bull? To be made into dinner portions? Who knows? Not I. 

The tide was low and the ramp was steep. The cows went on truck first. They didn't raise a moo. I kept thinking of the Pony on My Boat song. If you aren't familiar with it, you should be. It's a wonderful song.

The weather was extraordinarily beautiful on the way over, shiny and bright. Even El Yunque was standing in cloudlessness, though I foolishly didn't get a photo of that while gawping about it.

We were trying to figure out what is on the top of the center house.
I still can't figure it out.

Errands took as long as errands take. For me it was a buying frenzy, little this and that's the houseboat calls for. I listen and obey. Until finally, like holding my breath under water just a few seconds too long, I burst to the surface, gulped some air and got the hell out of there. 

Ann said she wanted to sit by the window
since we couldn't sit outside (and why can't we? I don't know).
The bottom of the window came to just about the top of her head.
At one point I looked out and saw this flying by. 

Zaco's had the perfect follow up to a day of errands and purchases.

With no Pam's or Ann's list (someone help them!!) it was
pretty quiet at Zaco's. Which was pretty nice, sorry Moni!

It was fun to hear Eddie singing. He'll be back next year we hope!

It's sad that Gil is so shy. I think there is therapy for that.

Wiki joined in, as did Olivia. It t'were a beautiful thing.

Sigh

Some days you can just wrap Culebra around yourself like a cozy blanket and be lulled to sleep. Like that.

Have a savory Saturday. Do something sublimely spunky!

Happy Birthdays on Culebra

Oh those wacky kids. Keeping up with a 51 year old is an exercise in fun exhaustion, frisky as a puppy and won't go down for naps either. But I managed and along the way ran into my favorite just turned sweet 16 (ok, ok) heart embraced one.

Happy birthday, Helena! with your very proud Papa

During a yard walkabout here, we found the yard full of beauty. But two things in particular stood out.

Breakfast settled, it was time for a beachwalk. The other birthday girl chose Flamenco. So did a whole lot of other people.

We love dribble castles! Thanks, castle creator, whoever you were.

The folks making a commercial were here too. Some of our locals were also in the commercial but we didn't stay around for the actual filming. 

I'm not sure what was going on with this guy but he looked very relaxed while having one arm and a floatation device at the ready for any rogue wave that might come along.

So do we!

Home to relax for awhile and get freshened up for an evening out (about the time I usually am heading home if I am out) at Zaco's Taco's. We met up with some cruisers who knew Tina and Mark from out on the seas and their expectations were high. Zaco's delivered on all counts, from awesome servers, a great bartender and that guy in the kitchen cooking? He should be promoted. Nice work! Empty plates! And thanks for the treat.

Terrible quality but I love this photo!

Cruisers and land person

At Dinghy Dock for a ritual Greg flower

Culebra showed herself well but all good things must blend to an end. Finally it was time for home and bed and sleep and dreams. Good ones. If I behave myself, I might be ready to do this again next year. Happy birthday, Tina, I'm real glad you reached 51! Now go have a beautiful year.

Have a tailor made Thursday. Do something tantalizing.

Hibiscus ~ If You Must Belong to a Club

There is something about the hibiscus blossom that catches most eyes, be it the simple and oh so common single petal red or the dinner-plate-sized multi-colored hybrid. I'm sure those people are out there, but I've never heard anyone say 'I don't like hibiscus flowers.' Their brightness, with deeply colored centers, that brilliant yellow pistil on so many of them; most humans are drawn like kids to swings.

Hibiscus belong to the 'here today, gone tomorrow' family of blooms. From the tightly closed bud to the blossom, and then, once again, closed, a frankly unattractive blown beauty past its prime all too quickly. Almost ephemeral in the rolling seasons, yet seemingly, at least in our tropical clime, always there. Plus, they are edible!

From Hidden Valley Hibiscus:

photo credit: unknown (source)

Tea makers report that all parts of the hibiscus plant can be used, but that the flowers make a sweeter tea, and the leaves make a more astringent tea. Hibiscus tea was traditionally used to soothe or help a variety of ailments, from coughs and skin diseases to high blood pressure, gallbladder attacks, heart disease, and even some cancers. Whether these claims have any basis in science or fact, we have no idea. It is known that hibiscus leaves and flowers do contain certain antioxidants, such as flavanoids, and proanthocyanidins, and have a kind of diuretic effect on at least some animals. There have even been a few recent medical studies with animals on the effects of using Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flowers as a treatment for certain medical conditions because of these antioxidants, some with successful results.

Over at Zaco's Taco's you can try hibiscus tea or have it in a margarita, just in case you want to experiment before plucking all the petals off your neighbor's hibiscus plant.

Interested in finding out more? Check this out. And remember, there are a lot of varieties  of hibiscus! If they can be grown in the UK, you can probably grow them where ever you are. Well, unless you live in Antarctica, in which case you'll have to do more reading on your own anyway.

Have a try-out Thursday! Do something taste full.

Something Old, Something New ~ But Lots Better

Coming in the house sitting gate this morning after feeding the home critters, a banana quit zoomed by me. My first thought was of missing seeing them more, as I do in my own yard: that even though this place of house sitting has its lovely junglesque qualities, not much in the way of random was to be seen. The universe laughed in time with the air above my head vibrating, a low bass chortle if you will.  More than air was vibrating. There, where a week ago a full flowering of crepe myrtle waved, was now something new, something totally unexpected.

Remember this bounteous beauty?

That jet-propelled female was dive bombing me and I didn't even know it, unaware 'r me. Her home nest above me was quivering from her sudden diversion departure. How does one miss a nest that is passed under at least five times a day? Easily, when one forgets to look up. What a kind and funny reminder!

Back side view, or, what I saw first. Quiver quiver not included.

Door to the rising sun...bird feng shui

Yesterday was one of those days that you didn't run into anyone who failed to slip into the conversation, or even just the greeting in passing, what a beautiful day it was. Indeed. The sun shone, but not harshly, in skies clean (clean like laundry off the line clean! like baby out of the bath! like...ok) and blue. Even the clouds seemed to be made of fuller, fluffier stuff than in the weeks gone by. No Sahara dust. No humidity pressing down even the horizon.

In the midst of July and a coolness in the air. Repeat, a coolness in the air. Snorkeling in the morning, instead of bathtubishly warm water, there was refreshment and a sense of 'almostalmost' too cool. Laugh if you will, we get cold easily here. But in July? It was a gift of a day. All day and into the evening, the 12th of July. Gift Day.

Zach is back from holiday and back to cooking up yum. At 12 sharp the place was almost full, a testimony to good eats. And good drinks. None of us were feeling alcoholically inclined, instead re-visiting another addiction, Zach's hibiscus tea. This tea is so delicious and so pretty that overdosing is not only possible, but likely. Just so you know; fair warning and all that. No photo, it would have been like trying to capture a beautiful stained glass window, it works, but it's not the same without tasting it. Um...the tea, not a stained glass window. That would be silly.

Friday usually means music at Dinghy Dock, with 2 Doug's and a Mariel. We got a special treat yesterday when Wiki joined them for a couple of tunes, his conga beat and grin spot on, as if they'd been collaborating for ages. Which, in the world of musicians, they have. I had a few flash memories of musician friends meeting each other, sitting down and...oops, I digress.

Good good good good vibrations (no, they don't sing that song)

 After Wiki, Erin sat in for a song. She leaves on Sunday so if you want to say fare well (because she will most definitely be back), now's your chance!

In the midst of good came a big surprise of wowwowwow good. I was sitting on the steps when a man turned to me with a smile and after the first split second of who? I'd leapt up and clamped on in hugging a friend that I thought I'd never see again. A health journey that had pretty much every complication possible had landed him on the living side, despite a Jimmy the Greek 1000000000 to 1 odds. Sometimes, it happens.

We'll let Mike do the smoking and drinking, Jim can do the grinning

Gift Day. I toldja.

Have a salute the serendipitously sacred Saturday! Do something scrumptious.