Belize - Adventures in Paradise

And a Couple More Back Steps

2012-01-28T07:36:00.000-06:00

If we were doing the two-step, I'd trip and fall.

What a run of stuff not fitting, breaking, falling apart, etc. First it's the new bathroom cabinet not quite fitting, then the kitchen sink leaking everywhere, then the coffee maker dies, then the Isuzu A/C not working (it was only charged half-way, and now - wait for it...

The swimming pool. Yes, folks, the damn pool has now developed a crack under the skimmer, causing water to leak out of the pool. I'm almost afraid to stick my head out from under the covers in the morning, except it's warm enough that we're sleeping without using any covers.

Fortunately, everything so far has been an easy fix. The bathroom cabinet is trimmed down, installed and works great; the kitchen sink has been thoroughly re-caulked, Teflon-taped and fittings tightened, thanks in no small part to Dianna's assistance with that project; the coffee maker made it to the trash (after I toyed with the idea of repairing it) and a replacement procured from the pool house; the Isuzu A/C has been completely charged and has the capability to freeze occupants in place; and John Harris, our pool-builder, is on tap to bring his crew in Wednesday morning to not only fix the crack and strengthen the area around and over the skimmer, but he's going to re-do some areas around the lip of the pool where the Diamond Brite wasn't looking quite as sparkly as it should. And, it should be only a one day project - Drain the pool Tuesday afternoon or evening, work on the pool Wednesday morning and afternoon, and fill it Wednesday evening.

What happened to the 'it comes in three's' thing? I think that's just a crock. I think it comes how it comes and you just have to deal with it. Well, I'm tired of it and want to go back to the 'three thing' rule.

So, can we take the day off?

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

2012-01-24T19:07:00.000-06:00

Wouldn't you just know it... We (well, Dianna actually) spent a good part of the day yesterday reorganizing the bathroom after we completed the installation of our new bathroom medicine cabinets and shelving.

Bathroom Cabinet From the Doorway

Today, was supposed to be easy. We were going to do up the dishes (that is a team effort) and sweep and put all the remaining debris away - like the old and rusty over-the-toilet shelf, and our little three drawer thing that we've had for ages, stuff like that. Then, we were planning on relaxing for the rest of the day. Maybe spend some time in the pool and just kick back and take it easy.

Bathroom Cabinet From the Shower

Nope. Not us. Nosiree! We had something else to do. For some unknown reason we were both looking in the under-sink cabinet and I mentioned to Dianna that I thought we should put something under our 'Tupperware' containers (actually, our collection of margarine and yogurt containers) as it seemed kind of oily and wet.

Well, one thing led to another, as it does in these situations and before we knew what had hit us we had everything hauled out of the under-sink cabinets and found that we had a bona fide leak from the hot water line and sink shut-off valve.

Kitchen Blown Apart

The very next thing, I was rooting around found myself enroute to Lano's Hardware (trip #1, for those who count such things) to buy a new valve. Got that installed and, sumbeach, the press fitting of the line was leaking too. Back to Lano's (trip #2). This time, I bought two replacement lines, figuring that if I didn't also change out the cold water side... Well, you can guess.

Kitchen's A Wreck

Anyway, I got back and Dianna and I began scraping all the putty tape off the sink and the countertop. Now it was time to get some putty tape (Trip #3). And, I thought, brilliantly, that when we originally installed the sink, there were no sink clips, which actually hold the sink in place to the counter top and draw the sink down close to the counter, thus minimizing opportunities for leakage from the counter top.

Since by now, it was almost lunch time, I thought I'd stop at Mario's and pick up a couple orders of rice and beans and stew chicken for lunch. That part was fine. The part that didn't work out too well was the sink clips and the putty tape.

I stopped at Lano's again and asked Kim if he had any sink clips and putty tape. He immediately dove under the counter and came up with a plastic bag full of metal bits. We managed to untie the bag and examined the contents. I asked him if he knew how the pieces were supposed to work. His answer was a giggled "No." As far as the putty tape (I know I've bought it there before, but that doesn't mean anything) there as a "No" for that as well.

I continued playing with the clips for a couple more minutes and decided something must be missing. So, I didn't buy them. I figured I'd scoot over to Villa's Imports and see if they had my sink clips.

Mysterious Sink Clip

Villa's, short and sweet, no on both counts. Ok, what now? Still a couple minutes till twelve noon. Shoot for it, go over to National Hardware and see if Andy knows what's what.

Well, I get over to National and manage to talk to Andy. He didn't have any putty tape either. I asked him what everyone used to secure their sinks to the counter top. They use adhesive acrylic caulk. This was the same answer I'd gotten from each of the other stores as well. Ok, I'd buy a couple of tubes of that. Now for the clips. Andy went back to one of his shelves and also came up with a tied plastic bag. By the time I'd gotten it opened, Andy had slipped out onto his motorcycle and left for lunch. I asked the other sales folks if they knew how the clips were supposed to be used. Again "No". Well, by this time, I figured they were probably the correct clips. I was just too dumb to figure them out, so I bought the bag (it held eight clips).

On to Mario's. I was getting hungry. Rice and beans - true fast food. I had the two meals bagged and on the road in about three minutes. Dianna and I took a well-deserved break for lunch.

She looked at the clips and couldn't figure them out either. By then, it was time for her to take a nap. So, I got on the computer and searched for the clips on the Intertubes. They have all sorts, just not the ones I was looking for.

Shortly thereafter, Denis called, saying he needed a ride home from Rick Magana's, our mechanic. While ferrying Denis back, I had him look at a set of the clips as well. He couldn't make sense of them either. He did look under his kitchen sink after we got back home. No dice. His sink doesn't have clips either. Apparently his installers couldn't figure it out either.

Ok. That meant I was going to use the caulk to hold everything together and screw the clips. Reassembly of everything went quite well. We only had one minor leak that was easily solved. The caulking went down equally easy, and then we were done. Not bad. Four O'clock in the afternoon and we were at exactly the place we'd been at eight in the morning. A whole day shot. Oh, well, we actually did stop a potentially bad leak, and the sink got re-caulked - something I'd been wanting to do, just really not right now.

I do plan to make it back down to National (would that trip count?) and see if Andy knows how the clips are supposed to work. Just not today. It's time for a beer.

Bathroom's Finishing Touches

2012-01-22T08:09:00.001-06:00

Finally, after about three and a half years, we're just about done with putting our bathroom together.

We had Kim and Ruth Longsworth's Bessa Decor cabinet shop fabricate a custom medicine cabinet and shelving for us and they installed it yesterday.

Here's a part of the design drawing I came up with for the cabinets.

Part of the Design

The idea I had was that they would probably bring the cabinet in three pieces and install it, along with a spacer to give the cabinet a final close-fit look. Surprise, surprise. What they showed up with was a one-piece unit that they actually had to plane and sand down to fit. Always a different interpretation.

Sanding The Cabinet

After a bit of planing and sanding, it was ready for installation. It was still a tight fit. But it really looks nice now that it's in place.

Checking the Cabinet Out

Here you can see the interior of the medicine cabinet itself.

Inside the Medicine Cabinet

Here's a view of the final adjustment during the installation. It's all supported by screws into the wall studs, so it should be pretty bomb-proof.

Adjusting the Fit

During the installation, even after the planing and sanding, it was still necessary to temporarily remove some of the bathroom door molding and a light switch in order that the cabinet assembly could be passed alongside.

Reinstalling Door Trim

Then a bit of cleanup and touch-up some of the paint and it was done.

Final Cleanup

We let it sit overnight so all the paint had plenty of time to thoroughly dry. The next two shots show the completed medicine cabinet. In the mirror you can see a bit of the other cabinet we had them make. It has three drawers on the bottom. It is long and narrow and was hard to take a photo of it so that's all you see.

Medicine Cabinet Showing Other Cabinet

Another View

Today, we'll put the bathroom back together. I hope we have enough storage.

Art of Quality

2012-01-20T10:38:00.001-06:00

Finally, some quality art in Corozal... Well, on the northern approaches to Corozal anyway. To be specific, the Mira Montes Bar on the Northern Highway, about half a mile north of Corozal.

Here's the whole 'Monty' so to speak. This is right alongside the highway as you're coming into town. Sort of hard to miss, although I didn't see any flashing lights directing your attention to it.

Mira Montes Bar

And for those whose eyesight may be failing, here's a blowup of just the mural.

Close-Up of the Mural

I understand through the grapevine that some folks feel it's not really representative of Belizean women. Hmmm, must be in the same vein that 'Little Annie Fanny', who was a cartoon character featured in Playboy magazine (a well known literary rag) back in the 60's (for those of you who may go back that far) was representative of the archetype of American women,

Anyway, I thought the mural was kinda fun. What do you think?

Some Of Our Garden

2012-01-15T09:37:00.002-06:00

The other day,, actually, the day before Christmas, I went around and shot several photos of flowers in our yard. I had been waiting for inspiration to hit to come up with an idea for a Christmas card. Finally, I thought of using our pink Poinsettias somehow.

So, I shot the pink Poinsettia tree below for starters, then decided to take a closer shot of one of the nicer pink bits.

Pink Poinsettia Tree

Which is what you see below. Then I got the idea of trying to remove the background from the flower. I wasn't sure at all how that would go, especially since I hadn't used Photoshop to any great extent before.

The One I Picked

I got lucky with Photoshop and even managed to add in a radial gray tone behind it which really seemed to class it up some.

After PhotoShoping

As a final touch, I added in the lettering on a curve. I almost always have problems doing this. This time, however, it turned out fine. And there we had a Christmas card.

Finally, Our Christmas Card

Here's the shots of several of the flowers from our yard. We have a pink poinsettia tree (about eight feet tall), and then, right next to it is a red poinsettia tree, about the same height.

The Red Poinsettia Tree

We have several hibiscus bushes all around the yard, which produce myriad flowers, all gorgeous.

Hibiscus Flower

More Hibiscus Flowers

We've got Bougainvillaea all along the fence line. Bougainvillaea also feature long, stiff, and very sharp spikes, which make them idea as a perimeter planting. Sort of a grown-in security plant, and flowering as a bonus.

Some Other Bougainvillaea Flowers

We've got some species of vinca (thanks Emily).

White Vinca

Purple Vinca

Purple Vinca With Raindrops

And more Hibiscus.

Nice White Hibiscus

Yet More White Hibiscus

And some yellow ones, that Dianna thinks may be hibiscus, but she wasn't sure. I have no idea. I just like 'em. Gunnar commented and corrected us. It's an Allamanda.

Allamanda or Yellow Bell (Thanks to Gunnar)

And several bushes of Firecrackers. BTW, doves love to roost and nest under them. Why they like to be so near the ground is beyond me. They're not the brightest birds in the area.

Red Firecrackers Look Like Ladyfingers

And we have some mystery flowers that kind of look like miniature hydrangeas. Gunnar says they're a Penta.

Penta (Also thanks to Gunnar)

And lastly, some beautiful red celosia (thanks again, Emily) flowers. We're not sure what their actual name is either.

Celosia or Cockscomb (thanks Gunnar)

Closeup Celosia

There's more here, but that's all I shot this time. I'll take some others later on and share those with you as well.

A Sunday Morning Grab Bag - On a Sunday No Less

2012-01-15T03:47:00.000-06:00

Hoo, boy! Talk about being on the ball. It's been quite a while since I've done one of these Grab Bag postings, and the fact that it'll actually be posted on a Sunday morning, just gets one all a-quiver, y'know?

We're going to do it a tad different today. Starting with the most recent item and work our way back and we'll see just how far we get.

Right out of the bag is one of the new restaurants here in Corozal. La Louisianne, on Seventh Avenue (Northern Highway), where Club Malibu used to be. Well, what can I say? I had written earlier with some hopes of Cajun cuisine. Near as I can tell, that'd be one dish on the menu, which is on the wall right outside their front door. We haven't eaten there as yet. Might give breakfast a try.

La Louisianne's Menu

I took both of these shots yesterday morning during 'walkies'. I was struck by the near silhouette presented by the guys here hauling wet concrete up a home-made ladder, two straight flights up to the roof. Keep in mind that a five gallon bucket of wet concrete weighs on the order of 100 or more pounds. And this is a fairly large building, making for a big pour. A lot of hours going up and down, up and down.

Two Flights Straight Up

This next one looks rather strange. Believe it or not, it's the newest boat launching ramp in Corozal. I'll take some more detailed photos of it when I pass by after the sun has come up. For now, I was quite taken with the jumbled look in the pre-dawn earliness. Looks like something got bombed to smithereens.

The New Boat Ramp

This long stretch of mauve, violet, aubergine, purple, or whatever you want to call it, is Dianna's pride and joy - at least when it's in bloom. It's garlic vine. The leaves and the flowers do have a definite garlic smell, but it doesn't produce any garlic. Dang it, and we love garlic too. Sure is gorgeous when you walk by. Unfortunately, now the flowers are going away, but for the month or so that they are here it's a great sight to see.

Garlic Vine Blooming

Now, this little devil, looks like he's under water, right? Well, he is! This is Huey, our automatic pool vacuum. He's named after the little 'droids' in the movie 'Silent Running' with Bruce Dern. Thanks to Vivien (our across the street neighbor) for bringing down the great eyes and foam material for the eyebrows.

I glued them on with silicone adhesive. Don't they just look terrifying? Huey loves to attack toes whenever they're on the pool bottom.

Huey's New Look

This shot is taken in the vicinity of the Hokol Kin Guesthouse. I thought the Visitor Center clock tower (which is being rehabbed) and the sunrise made a nice shot. the bright lights are the huge spots that light up the basketball court on the far side, right next to the Thunderbolt pier.

Pre-Dawn Down Town

This mural is on one of the little traffic islands at the intersection formerly known as 'Cannon Corners'. Basically, at the intersection where White Saphire Gifts and Technicell Cell Phone Repair are located. I'd like to get a better shot of it one of these days. I'll just have to take time to do that.

Updated Sign

Every now and then, we get RV's (recreational vehicles, for those who don't know) who come to town, stop along the waterfront for a day or two and then move on. Most seem to be doing rather extensive journeys, like Tierra del Fuego, Argentina to Barrow, Alaska or something equally strenuous. This one, looked like it had a lot of DIY modifications to it. I don't have a clue where they were from/bound. At the time of day I pass by most of the time, I'm sure the occupants wouldn't be inclined to engage me in conversation. I mean, they haven't even started their coffee pots yet.

Staying Along The Waterfront

Ok. Well, I guess that's about it for this session. If I find more of interest, I'll see about getting it up here on the Intertubes.

Till then, Cheers

And No One Even Got Zapped

2012-01-12T12:07:00.000-06:00

The wiring project for the palapa is done, and we're all safe. That's important because according to a British news article I read this morning (I forgot which one), it said that because of slowing economies worldwide, DIY projects had increased to around fifty-some percent of homeowners now doing their own home projects.

I'm just guessing here, but I'd be willing to bet that a significant number of those involve some form of electrical project, since it's hard to find spaces that don't have electrical outlets and/or switches, etc.

As a result, insurance claims have also escalated (surprise, surprise). The article said that the increase was due mostly to many of these projects ending in disaster. An increase of some 11 percent of those who ‘have a go’ at some home project end up submitting a claim on their policies.

We could have done that, but I played it safe by hiring a qualified electrician, Joe Folgorait, who did all the technical stuff - like adding two new breakers, wiring up a switch and a three outlets. I opted to play electrician's assistant and 'gofer' for the two days of the project, helping pull wire, run to the hardware store, get the right part out of the parts bin, paint conduit and boxes to help them blend in, etc. Much safer that way.

To begin with, we ran wire from the pool house utility room, where Joe installed two breakers in the power panel. The wire was run in PVC conduit out to the palapa. The photo below shows Cody tamping the fill marl back in place after we'd run the wiring.

Cody Tamping Wiring Trenches

Once we got it out to the palapa, Joe began hooking up the lighting switch and the outlets.

Joe Hooking Up Outlets

Joe did a nice job of hiding the wiring in the overhead of the palapa.

Joe Running Wire To Palapa Apex

We split the wiring with one circuit powering the palapa and the other powering an outlet over by the BBQ. Eventually that circuit will have more on it than just one outlet. There will eventually be about ten lamps on the back fence that will be added to the circuit. All in good time.

Joe Working On BBQ Area Outlet

Last Friday, Carlos had cast the palapa table. Even though it's still formed up, we put it to work holding the electrical stuff as we worked. At one point, we tested it strength by putting ladder on it and Joe on the ladder to hook up the lamp which was hung from the central apex of the palapa.

We Even Put The New Table To Us

Speaking of the lamp - it's a nautical-looking thing. We found it at Lano's Hardware when we went looking for a chandelier or something to hang there. We found a brushed aluminum lantern at first. When the girl who was helping us went to get it, she got a different lamp that wasn't even on display. We looked at it and decided we liked it better than what we'd seen on display. This was the result. It fits in just great.

Palapa Lantern

When it was all said and done, I still managed to get a real sense of satisfaction with a job well done.

Is This Camelot?

2012-01-08T14:50:00.000-06:00

By Geroge, it sure is beginning to look like it, what with the brand new round table and all. It was a small project, but one of those that took pretty much all day. The table ended up being four-foot diameter and about four inches thick - pretty good sized, but still in keeping with the size of the palapa.

Carlos Smoothing Poured Concrete

Carlos spent most of the morning prepping the form - wood bottom surface and Celotex (same thing as Masonite) for the roundy part of the form. It really looks nice.

Kane Almost Done With The Pour

Kane, the go-to guy for working thatch in the palapa also is young enough to hump the 100-pound 5-gallon buckets of concrete, of which it took several to complete the pour.

Carlos Getting It All Even

Carlos worked in between each bucket-full to ensure the table top became level and that it was a consistent thickness.

We Had A Good-Sized Peanut Gallery

As luck would have it, the table pour occurred on a Friday, which meant that we had a pretty good Happy Hour crowd to play the role of supervisors for the pour.

Carlos Floating the Finish

Finally, here's Carlos putting the finishing touches on the table before knocking off for the day. I have to confess, with as smooth as it was after Carlos got done with it and left, I came out later and noticed a bug stuck in the concrete. Naturally, I grabbed a piece of paper and gently tried to remove it so there would be no permanent reminder on the table. Well, guess what? I managed to leave a few scratches in the tabletop, even though I was trying to be extremely careful. We had talked about possibly tiling the top, so it now looks as though that is just what we're going to have to do - thanks to my skills at bug removal.

Still, it's a mighty grand looking table. I can't wait to have a party around it. It'll be fun - scratches and all.

New Beer A-Brewin'

2012-01-04T08:59:00.000-06:00

I'm a little late in posting this, but, thanks to the new Brewmaster for Belize Brewing Co. Ltd., Nolan Michael, we had a new flavor to sample during this holiday season - Sorrel Stout. A rather sweet-tasting, 7% alcohol, stout, it will only be available during the holidays. Sorrel is the first of Belikin's seasonal brews. I must say, a welcome change. Not that I want to drink only the stout, but one every now and then is a nice change of pace.

Belikin's New Seasonal Brew

Sorrel Stout was so popular it sold out in only 10 days. We were lucky enough to score a full case of the stuff. In fact we still have a few left. We'll savor those slowly too.

We're now looking forward to the next seasonal brews. Hopefully, we'll have one for each season. One can only imagine all the lagers, hefeweisens, IPAs, bocks, spice beers, etc., that might be forthcoming - Hey, as long as I'm dreaming, right?

It's Possessed

2012-01-02T20:37:00.000-06:00

There's no other way to describe it. My weather station is possessed.

Pictured below is the unit which lives on the roof of our pool house. I have no other way to describe what has happened to it. For those of you who have noticed, and for those even fewer of you who've voiced - well, written, comments to me concerning the rather cold temperatures the thing has been registering for the past two or more months, you may have noticed that sometime during the night last night, it suddenly came to life, registering more or less correct local temperature readings. It still isn't worth a shilling as far as rainfall amounts.

Demons Inhabit The Thing

Speaking of rainfall, maybe that's what shocked it back to life. The extreme amount of rain we received yesterday might have caused the little demons to seek shelter inside it and that sparked it back into some sort of functioning existence.

I replaced the regular AA-sized batteries in the receiving unit that is connected to my laptop. That had no noticeable effect whatsoever. I did that over a month ago. My next thought was to replace the three rechargeable AA-sized batteries in the roof-top sending unit. That was going to wait till I could make a trip to Brodie's in Belize City. I still plan on doing that. Just so you don't get the idea that I'd head all the way down to BC just for three small batteries, I have a shopping list that's been being compiled by Dianna and myself for about as long as the weather station has been inoperable. Hmmm, I wonder. Is there a connection? Naah, that would be too far-fetched. Infested with demons makes much more sense.

Just so you know, I did contact the unit's manufacturer about the problem, to no avail. They said the problem was something not even related to what I was asking about. Sort of like when you ask a question at work to the IT wizards about your work computer and you get an answer clearly showing they weren't even listening to you in the first place.

Anyway, enjoy the new year and the seemingly new life my weather station is experiencing. Just don't be surprised if it starts asking to see Father Damien or wants to eat split pea soup.

On second thought, maybe an exorcism is what's needed... or new batteries.

Braving the Chilly Waters

2012-01-02T04:16:00.000-06:00

Several members of the Corozal Men's Club (TKWDN) along with their wives and friends braved the frigid waters this first day of the new year 2012, in the first ever (and we hope, continuing) Corozal Men's Club Polar Bear Swim and BBQ.

We even had certificates to hand out along with a commemorative t-shirt (available at cost, of course) for those brave enough to at least dip a toe into the frigid waters.

Polar Bear Swim Certificate of Accomplishment and T-shirt

Everything kicked off around one PM with very nice weather, sunshine and scattered clouds, with the temp a chilly 82 - strangely, the same temp as the water.

Alan and Elsie Sporting Their New Tees

Elsie was in charge of setting things up so that, after the swim, loading the plates went smooth and orderly, so that we minimized hypothermia among the participants. Alan was co-Chef d'Barbecue and made sure none of the hot dogs suffered unnecessarily.

Bruce and Denis made sure there was an orderly distribution of certificates and t-shirts among the participants.

Bruce Keeping Track Of Certificates and Tees

And, here's the tees, all in order.

The Tees Ready For Distribution

The certificates were impressive. Many, including Chuck, said they were suitable for framing.

Chuck Showing Off His New Certificate

The t-shirts, probably not suitable for framing, were a popular feature as modeled by Colleen. Although one has to wonder why she's holding a capped bottle of beer.

Colleen Showing Off Her New Tee

There were a lot of conversations going on around the place. Groups formed and reformed all afternoon.

Polar Bear Revelers

A lot of this activity, I'm sure, was simply folks working up the courage to get in the water. It did take a certain amount of bravery to do that.

Never A Shortage Of Conversation

Always a good tale to be told.

Some More Of the Crew

The menu didn't vary much, as we only had hot dogs - some with cheese in them and some without. But, Doug and Alan ran a tight ship around the BBQ pit. This was the first tryout for our BBQ, made from an old butane gas bottle. Slow to heat up, but once it got going, they managed to keep everything from burning. Good job guys!

Doug and Alan Our Erstwhile Chefs d'Barbecue

As you can see, it took a fair amount of lubrication to keep the barbecue process functioning smoothly. I'm sure Carlo Rossi played a large part in that.

Doug Hard At Work

It actually took more that just the two of them to manage the BBQ area. Here's a few of the folks who volunteered to help during the cooking process. Good cooks always want lots of help in the kitchen, don't they?

Just Hangin' Around

It was a struggle throughout the afternoon as people gamely tried to enter the local waters. It required a herculean effort just to get down the steps. In fact, it nearly took your breath away upon first entering the pool.

Elsie and Maria Braving the Frigid Waters

We had several different groupings of folks braving the waters. Here's another shot of some of the revelers in action.

Roger, Maria Elsie and Dianna Braving the Frigid Waters

Like I said, the commemorative t-shirts were a popular item. Some folks required more assistance than others in getting theirs on correctly as Elsie demonstrates, helping Alan get his sorted out.

Elsie Helping Alan With His New Tee

Ahh, the official, big, group photo of most of the brave polar bears. There's Twyla fullfilling the letter of the requirements with a toe dipped in the icy waters.

Braving the Frigid Waters For The Official Foto

Colleen even brought over a centerpiece for the table. A cute little bobble-head ornament who dances the hula. It's uncanny how much he looks like Jim, one of our former members, now living up north in Florida.

Colleen's Musical Hula Ornament - Looks Suspiciously Like Jim

Of course, all good things must come to an end. Just about the time things here were beginning to wind down, the heavens unleashed buckets of rain. And more rain, and more rain. In fact, once it started, it didn't quit till early in the morning of the 2nd. in fact, it's thundering outside right now, so I don't think it's done yet.

Of Course, Later In The Day It Turned

We managed to finish just in time. Colleen and Bruce had ridden their bikes here, getting their feet wet coming through the mud and rainwater crossing the the road. They left just before this latest downpour started. I imagine they had a time of it getting back home.

Rain And More Rain

We were lucky to have such nice weather for the polar bear soiree. Yesterday, New Year's Eve, Colleen and Bruce had an afternoon New Year's party, complete with ham. We missed that because of so much rain at the time. I thought this was supposed to be the dry season. I think we've gotten more rain in the past month than we did all through the rainy season.

Our road certainly looks like it. We've been severely hampered walking the dogs - the water and mud on the road is too deep. In fact, in some places on the road it's nearing the bottom of the doors on an SUV. Some cabbies have even refused to try driving through the mess.

New Eateries In Town

2011-12-28T10:49:00.000-06:00

Something I haven't talked about in some time is places to eat here in Corozal. It's about time that I do, as we've got several new places for you to tie on the feed bag.

There's Corozo Blues, located in one of the coolest locations in town. On the Northern Highway here Haley's used to be, it's tucked in the corner as you round the bend coming north into Corozal, just in front of Tony's Inn and Beach Resort and across the road from Menzie's Caribbean Village RV Park and Campground.

Corozo Blue's Street Sign

We ate there last evening with Denis and Vivien, neighbors of ours from across the street. We all had pizza, cooked in Corozo Blue's wood-fired brick pizza oven. Without doubt, the best pizza we've had in Belize.

Corozo Blue's

They've done an amazing job with the remodeling. The place is gorgeous. Blue's has a varied international menu at reasonable and higher-end prices for Corozal, superbly appointed furnishings, good service and atmosphere. We ate on their patio, simply the best location going. It's not a place I'd eat at every day, but now and then and for special occasions, it'd be hard to beat.

Another nice eatery is the Copper Horse Inn, comprising a restaurant and hotel. Located at 4th Street and 2nd Avenue, in the former Marc Anthony Hotel and Butchie's Restaurant, it's set along the sea front on the northern end of Corozal, just north of the Sea Breeze Hotel. The lady who owns it is remodeling the hotel rooms and has done a very nice job re-doing the restaurant. Very pleasant atmosphere, and the menu is very good. Portions are large and reasonably priced as well.

Copper Horse Inn

Eating on the Copper Horse's porch is still as much fun as it used to be with Butchie's. The menu features north American-style dishes and is very well presented. The chocolate cake desert looks scrumptious and is very popular.

Next, is the Wood House Bistro, a Chinese restaurant. I know what you're thinking, 'Great. All we need is another Chinese restaurant here in Corozal.' Well, apparently we do, because I've not heard a negative word about the food. Very well prepared and presented in a wood structure - an almost mirror image to Primo's Casita a couple doors north.

Wood House Bistro

Their specialty is Szechuan food, so when the menu says 'hot' or 'spicy', be ready. They mean it. I'm looking forward to getting my taste buds activated there.

At long last, we have another Indian restaurant in Corozal - well, actually in Ranchito (a village on the south edge of Corozal). According to Craig (a friend of ours who is seeing if they really do freeze off of a brass monkey. He spent Christmas up in South Dakota) "D Jackson's is not really a restaurant, it used to be two brothers on bikes selling samosas. About a month ago the papa stopped by the house, he was selling butter chicken and curry chicken out of his car. He dropped off a menu that had 20 items on it that you can order (their phone number is 664-2686) and he will deliver. The food is pretty good.". In fact, we've bought several things (samosa's and roti's) from the young boys on their bikes. They carry everything in plastic coolers and use squeeze-horns to announce their presence. I can vouch for Craig's statement - the food is pretty good.

I heard about D. Jackson's from Bruce (who's bringing me a copy of their menu). He heard about it from Craig. How Craig found it I have no idea. Maybe I'll email him and ask. They deliver all over Ranchito and Corozal at no additional charge either. It seems pretty reasonably priced and with a pretty comprehensive menu - curry dishes, masalas, rotis, tandooris, etc. I know it sounds kind of confusing. It was to us as well till we figured that we were each talking about the same place.

There's also a new take-away chicken wing joint, Crabby E's. We've gotten their wings once so far. Nice and spicy. You can get it mild as well, or even get the sauce on the side for even more control. Portions are nice and big. They leave off the wing tips, so there's no wasted bit included that you can't eat.

Crabby E's Take Out

The way it works at Crabby E's is you drive up (or call, once they get to know you) and place your order. Then go shopping somewhere in Corozal for a half-hour, then come back and pick up your order. Simple, eh? Good, simple eats!

And last on the list is one I've written about before - La Louisianne, located in the former Club Malibu on 7th Avenue.

La Louisianne Restaurant

Still no idea about the menu or anything other than we've heard through the grape vine that they're opening on New Years.

Doing all this has made me hungry. I'm going out to the kitchen and fix myself a peanut butter and dill pickle sandwich.

Happy Holidays One and All!

2011-12-24T10:36:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone,

We are thinking of you in this holiday season with our best wishes from Belize.

Sorry it took so long to get our card out. Inspiration sometimes is slower than we would like.

The poinsettia is one of the pink ones growing as a nine-foot tree in our garden.

We're wishing you the best holiday season ever and of course, our best wishes for a great new year.

With Love,
Dave and Dianna

The Patio Project Moves Along

2011-12-20T19:13:00.000-06:00

It's been some time since I showed what's happening with the patio/BBQ/Palapa project - whatever it's called. Anyway, here's some views of what's been happening.

Stepping into the 'way-back machine' (anyone remember Mr. Peabody and Sherman?) This first shot is from September. It shows Carlos hard at work building a column that will eventually support a concrete table or counter - depending on how we use it at any given time.

Carlos Building a Column

This next photo shows the start (more or less) of actual construction of the palapa in the patio area. Carlos and the boys are carrying the first vertical post for the palapa to be placed in holes that Carlos has already dug. Don't let anyone kid you, this lumber weighs a ton. It took the three of them to lift that log and run to the patio are where they dropped it and rested before placing it upright.

Kane, Carlos and Eddy Bringing The Posts In

Carrying a slightly lighter log, here they come at a fast trot into the patio area.

Carrying In A Post

After catching their breath, then they still must yard each log up into a vertical stance and ensure it goes into the hole.

Hoisting A Post Up

Of course, each post must be oriented vertically - even if the logs themselves are somewhat crooked.

Making Sure They're Vertical

They also need to be centered in each hole. No easy task if the post has to be adjusted.

Centering In The Hole

Then supports are nailed to each post to ensure they stay vertical, so that the next step, the concrete pour can take place.

Adding Supports

Then the concrete is poured and that's pretty much it for that day as the concrete needs time to set properly. Below you can see all the posts right after the concrete pour.

Posts Concreted In Place

About midway through the pour, I had a flash of an idea. I still had a couple of garden hose hangers waiting to be put to use in our yard. These were made a couple of years ago by our Godson, Isaiel Pech. He's an artistic welder who, given the opportunity, can do some creative things with metal. Anyway I grabbed one and had our caretaker, Cody, dig a hole for it near the patio area.

I had a hunch the guys were going to have some concrete left over that would be just perfect to fill that hole and provide a home for the hose hanger. I think it looks quite nice right there.

Hose Hanger Finally In Place

I also realized that I haven't shown any shots of the completed BBQ area. So, here it is. Carlos got creative and created this free-flowing cover for it. Looks pretty cool.

BBQ Area Almost Finished

I had mentioned Cody. He happened to be working right where the hose hanger was going to be placed. He was moving some black dirt into that area, so it was easy for him to be able to dig the small hole for the hanger. This shot is of him bringing a barrow-full of black dirt into the area.

Cody Bringing In Black Dirt

And, then dumping it in place.

Where The Black Dirt Is Going

Next on the agenda is putting up all the support wood and braces for the palapa. But first, a quick glimpse of a black orchid, which is the national flower of Belize. We have one growing on a tree in our patio area. It's doing amazingly well.

Black Orchid - The National Flower

First up is placing the primary supports that run between each vertical post. The guys placed some scaffolding in the middle of the palapa to help with the work. Here's a shot of Kane up on that while Carlos and his brother, Eddy trim some of the supports.

Kane Up On The Scaffolding

The post is notched out and the end of the support is set in place. Then it's drilled through and a threaded rod with nuts and washers is fitted and tightened to make everything bombproof.

Mounting Primary Supports

As I mentioned, each piece is custom-fitted and trimmed. Here's Carlos and Eddy doing just that. Carlos is very proud of his chain saw. It's noise almost made me homesick for the Northwest.

Carlos Trimming Posts

And, almost as soon as you think it, the rest of the framing goes up. They're fitting the final angled supports to a central round piece of lumber as a focal point for the roof and to provide a nice anchor point after the fact for a lighting fixture under the center of the palapa when it's done.

Adding Top Supports

They work their way around the palapa, mounting more of the supports. Each one is bored and fastened with threaded rod making for a very sturdy structure.

Adding Last Support Poles

Just before they start applying thatch, Carlos went around and trimmed excess wood from each of the supports, making a nice uniform structure.

Carlos Trimming Supports

The final step before thatching is to place the 'tiny sticks' that go horizontally around the palapa. These are what the thatch is actually anchored to. These also are nailed into place and secured with wire around each support.

Adding Horizontal Support Sticks

First, the thatch has to be delivered. This batch came just in the nick of time and took about five minutes to be off-loaded. Thatch is becoming more and more expensive as they have to go further into the bush to get quality thatch. The thatch for this project cost about $500 BZD. This is a relatively small palapa.

Off-Loading Thatch

And, finally, they're ready to begin the thatch operation. Here Carlos is getting a bundle of thatch ready for Kane to hoist into the overhead of the palapa.

Getting Ready to Hoist the First Bundle

Then, once it's hoisted, Kane has to secure it so that he can pull off thatch one at a time and braid them into the structure of the palapa.

Securing The First Bundle

This photo shows Kane working on the first row of thatch. This goes completely around the palapa. It's anchored with wire tied around the thatch and anchored to the supports, making for a very sturdy structure.

Kane Braiding the First Row of Thatch

About two-thirds of the way through the project, we had to go get more thatch. The truck wasn't available so my trusty Isuzu substituted. Here it's being loaded with thatch.

Partially Loaded

Kane is busily tying the fronds of thatch into handy bundles, using lengths of vine as a rope.

Kane Tying A Bundle of Tatch

I think we can cram some more in there. At least Carlos is trying to shove more in. It all fit, so looks are deceiving.

I Think We Can Squeeze A Few More In

Back at the ranch, Kane is once again applying the thatch. Here, he's almost done, working on the very top of the palapa.

Kane Working On the Top Again

Here's a long view of the project showing its relative size compared to the patio area.

The Long View

Kane is all but done in this shot, squeezing a few more bundles into the top area of the palapa.

Kane Finishing the Top

At long last, it's finished. Here Kane is descending the ladder after a hard day's work.

Finished At Last!

Here's a gorgeous view looking up toward the center of the palapa. It's really too bad the thatch doesn't stay this color forever. It's quite nice like this. You can also see the round piece of wood the light will be mounted to.

From the Inside, Looking Up

Just a bit more touching up to do from the inside, to make sure everything is uniform.

Kane Adding Some Finishing Touches

Here's a view from the palapa toward our swimming pool. the floor of the palapa and patio area will be covered either in pavers, flag-stone of some sort, or perhaps concrete. The idea is to allow a seamless transition from the pool deck to the patio and vice versa without needing to put flip-flops or other footwear on.

Inside Looking To the Poo

The next phase of this project will be Carlos casting a concrete pillar and round table in the middle of the palapa, so folks can comfortably sit in chairs around the table and still be sheltered by the palapa. Of course, I'll include a few shots of that piece of the project as well.

An Adventure Unfolded

2011-12-06T08:13:00.000-06:00

For those of you who read about the dangerous adventure repleat with dragons and jousting and such, the following picture will be familiar. It's a photo of the three members of the Corozal Men's Group who were able to make the officially sanctioned Men's Group outing to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye.

Dave, Craig, and Doug managed to get to the Corozal Airstrip and to Maya Island Airlines for the 7:30 AM flight to San Pedro. I asked a lady who was waiting in the passenger lounge (no lie - they have one) if she would be kind enough to snap a shot of us to mark the official kick-off of the adventure.

Tres Caballeros

The flight over was uneventful. We got off the plane and walked from the Maya terminal around the end of the airstrip to Ruby's Hotel.

Ruby's Hotel New Beach-side Office

They've changed things around some at Ruby's. The breezeway between the hotel and the coffee shop is closed at night, causing one to have to walk around to the beach-side of the hotel to gain entrance. The other change, as you can see in the photo above, Ruby's office is now located right on the beach, which actually is quite nice and convenient. Besides, they have a cooler and sell cold beer right there.

As our rooms weren't quite ready and it was early (the flight was only 17 minutes long) we decided to grab some breakfast from a nice little sand-floored restaurant a couple hundred feet down the beach. We stored our bags at Ruby's office and headed off to put on the feed bags.

Returning from breakfast, our rooms weren't quite ready yet, so we felt obligated to see if the Belikin was up to snuff. It was.

Doug Looking For Something

The above photo shows Doug rummaging for something on the lower deck at Ruby's while we're waiting for our rooms to be ready.

We had two assignments to meet for the weekend, neither mandated by the Men's Group. One, I've detailed in the previous post (http://winjama.blogspot.com/2011/12/expedition-returns.html), with the other from Craig who wanted to visit the Greenhouse, a grocery store with a great selection of fresh produce.

We spent a good bit of Friday just walking around downtown San Pedro, stopping in the odd shop or two and trying out a couple other places for food or drink, as Craig is ably demonstrating below.

Craig Enjoying A Concoction

After we got into our rooms and dropped off our bags, we rested for a bit up on the third floor deck at Ruby's. It's pretty nice with a view that is simply unbeatable as you can see by the following few photos. Ruby's is amazing. For $40.00 US, you get an unpretentious room, complete with fan and private bathroom. It's located right smack-dab in the center of town and right on the beach. Hard to beat.

Here's some of the views from the deck:

Looking South At The Cats

Straight East - Magnificent!

This next one is a bit odd. The previous night we couldn't figure out what the stairs were for on this pier. From the angle we had while dining, it looked like some large vessel would pull in and use the stairs, but that didn't really make sense.

Finally, with this view, it does. The pier is cut on the diagonal so a ferry boat can pull in without unduly rocking its passengers and load or offload easily. The stairs go up and over the ferry thus connected both sides of the pier. Kinda cool, unless you have to haul baggage, tanks or whatever up and over. Then it might be a pain.

Odd Cut Pier

This is the view looking north from the 3rd floor deck.

Looking North

And a broader view looking South.

South From Ruby's

Sunday morning, I just couldn't resist. The sun was beginning to peak through and the palms framed the cat just nicely, so I snapped this one.

A Nice Sunrise

These next shots show some of the development going on north of the cut on Ambergris Caye. Quite a few of these condo-cottages are being built. Some have covered observation decks, garages for golf carts, etc.

One of the Condo-Cottages

This one I liked as it seemed like something we might want to try at our place if we ever build up the second level on our pool house. A living palapa as it were.

Green Cover For the Deck

Here's a shot showing the garage at one of the places. I'm assuming the posts above are for a cover to be built.

While we were cruising around, we, of course, had to stop at a few watering holes and make sure everything was up to par. At the Palapa Bar, out on the end of long pier, we stayed for a few beers and convened the official meeting scheduled for the Men's Group. After appropriate salutations and libation, we adjourned and continued our trek.

Garage Example - Steep Ramp

And finally, here's one with a zinc roof as the cover. Turns out quite nice. I have no idea how much they cost, who the developer is or anything. If you're interested, take your own trip and check it out.

And With A Covered Deck

Saturday night, after spending the day carousing around the northern part of the island on a golf cart - interesting thing to learn how to drive. Simple once you get the hang of it, we went to Wild Mango's for supper. Great food, by the way.

Craig and I each had a nice 'umbrella' drink. Some concoction with banana and other stuff in it. I have no idea what it was. Doug contented himself with tequila shots.

Craig Being a Smartass

At some point, Craig got ahold of the camera and took some table-high shots of me.

Dinner At Mango's

We took the opportunity to toast our Men's Group brothers who were unable to make the trek with us. It was a fun weekend. We're looking forward to doing more - maybe at least once or twice a year instead of once every two years.

More Dinner At Mango's

Last thing on Saturday night, was a parade of lighted boats. I managed to get a photo of one of them. This particular boat had live music. The local school drum band was on board and cranking for all they were worth. Craig took some others after I had gone to bed. He reported that as the parade continued the nice orderly line of boats became somewhat jumbled at the end. Rum does have its effect, doesn't it?

Parade of Boats

And, finally, Sunday, at 10:00 AM, we mounted the stairs to the plane for our journey back to Corozal. Mae and their dog More, met Craig at the airstrip. Doug and I, being health conscious at that time, opted to walk home from the airstrip.

All in all a great weekend and a lot of fun. Of course, we'll make a formal report back to the Men's Group at the next meeting.

The Expedition Returns

2011-12-05T14:42:00.001-06:00

Dateline... the wilds of Ambergris - Our intrepid travelers, the Corozal Men's Group Expeditionary Force (also known as the Bohemian Expeditionary and Epicurean Reportage (BEER) contingent, has just reported back from it's task of finding the fabled and long-lost Debbie's Beach, private hideaway on the north part of Ambergris Caye..

Tres Caballeros

This place, long dreamed about by armchair explorers, was taken up as a sacred mission by members of the aforesaid BEER contingent, to attempt to locate it and to, if possible, conduct an orderly and organized reconnoiter to determine, if it in fact, was as it appeared upon the aether, known in some more pedestrian circles as the Internet.

Having corralled a trusty steed, initially foreign to our skills, the contingent ensured the probable success of the mission by ensuring that there was sufficient quantity and variety of liquid nourishment aboard as we set out on our quest


Aboard the Subdued Beast

Along the way, we spotted many a maiden, fair and otherwise, and all manner of strange mounts, trained by many local lords and vassals, to ease their travels.

What Manner of Beast This Be?

Also, lest ye think this a route of leisure alone, we accosted all manner of dragons. Protecting their lair with breathing fire, we braved their keep, subduing some and chasing others, One huge mighty dragon, invisible though he was, we trapped in a stable and forced him to joust. We narrowly avoided injury to our steed and ourselves. Once free from his nefarious clutches, we continued our noble quest.

Dragons, Aye, And Plenty

Many the miles of dusty trail, we thanked the smarter of our band who foresaw the wisdom of stopping and ensuring our larder was full. An assortment of ales and stouts, a seasonal brew among the lot, we braved the trek.

Many Long and Barren Miles

At last we spied a spire of hope. A pole, looking out at yon lagoon. With the skies clearing, we took heart that our quest would complete in a satisfactory aire.

Hoof Prints Around, Obviously a Restful Lay-by

Near the end of our trek, fearing we might run out of supplies before finding the point of our quest, we spied a gate guarding a bridge and moat. This looked likely and beckoned us hither. Dare we go? Of course! We're not the Bohemian Expeditionary and Epicurean Reportage contingent for nothing!

The Outer Walls and Castle Gate

We vanquished our fears and urged our steed onto the creaky bridge. In the middle of the moat we cheered our pluck. Success will be ours just a short ride away.

Celebrating Our Quest In Sight

Arriving into the courtyard we rode. Hidden in the trees, it looks a goodly place, full of promise of rest and fun, Caribbean sunrise and set, visions of things to come.

In the Courtyard

Thus, to ensure we've come this far, with no error in our path, a sign we spy upon the walls. "Debbie's Beach" it proudly calls. Strange name and all, it looks just fine. We'll scout anon then mount up and head on.

A Squinty Glare Assures the Place

The far side of the castle shows the enchanted sea and just beyond, the reef keeps safe, waves crashing, creating a muted roar, protecting all who come this far.

At the Eastern Gate, A Private Dock. White Sand Beach and More

Back in the castle proper, all manner of relaxing contrivances just await. Maintained by Rife, the resident vassal, who maintains all in readiness for our call.

Round Tub and Bubbles Await

Next a square tub within the larger, seems stretching toward infinity's distance. We'll try it soon, just you wait.

Mysterious Structures - A Square Within A Square

And thus our tale comes to an end. We the contingent of BEER, were running low. We had many inns along our route, which awaited our custom.

But, never fear. Your steeds stand ready. You'll be making this trek. Many wonders yet await!

Blown Pressure Tank

2011-11-28T13:34:00.001-06:00

Our reverse osmosis (RO) system tends to be one of those things we don't think about very often.

Oh, sure, several times a year my calendar software reminds me that it's time to change either filters, the UV lamp or perhaps the membrane for the unit. Other than that, it's pretty much self-sustaining, providing us with all the drinking water we need - actually, more than enough. It gives us enough drinking water for the two of us and also more than enough for however many workers we may have on site at any given time (at least a couple of gallons each day).

That's been about it... till now.

The other day, I went down to the 'basement' as we call it - the ground level, to do some laundry (I take it downstairs and do the washing, Dianna does the drying - now hanging it on the line, and brings it back up. A team effort), and I noticed a damp spot on the floor right in the vicinity of the RO system, the water line inlet into the house, and the water softener. It didn't look like it was a huge flood, just damp, and I didn't feel like dealing with it right then, so I left it for a couple of days.

When I finally got back down there to scope it out, it took a few minutes to figure out just what was causing the leak. Uh-oh. Major problem. It looked like the RO system pressure tank was leaking.

So, I shut the RO system down, disconnected the line (the yellow poly line in the photos) from the RO filtration unit and used my hand cart to wheel the tank (partially full of water) outside where I opened the stop-cock and let the water stream out. This took several minutes and was shooting the water a good 15 feet or so.

Then, I used my pen-knife to depress the air filler valve (just like on your care tires) to release all the air pressure in the tank. Good thing that I did that too, as when I used a wrench to remove the stop-cock fitting from the tank, the whole thing just twisted off from the tank. If I'd have done that with it full of pressurized water and air, I could easily have caused myself some real damage.

As you can see, the tank obviously suffered some rust damage. early on in its life, I had some driposis occurring that took me quite some time to notice, and the damage just kept on growing. Probably helped along by the humidity we have down here.

Failed RO System Pressure Tank

Here's an expanded view of the fitting that just rusted right off the tank. The first I knew of it, as I said, was some water on the floor. It was coming from this part of the tank. A potentially dangerous situation (Thanks to Dianna for being my hand model).

Closeup of Tank Failure

Dangerous enough that it could have been deadly - seriously! Of course, I read the warning label after the fact. It was just providential that I did everything correctly to prevent a catastrophic event from happening.

Pressure Tank Warning Label

After I got the tank emptied of air and water, I took the old fitting and went around to several hardware stores looking for a replacement (Villa's, Cinty's - two locations, and finally Lano's). It being Sunday, time was of the essence. Everyone closed for the day at noon, so, not only did I have to find a suitable tank, but I had to purchase the right fittings.

Luckily, I had some elbows and a couple lengths of 3/4" PVC Sked 40 pipe on hand. That made the parts acquisition a bit easier.

My old tank was a 14-gal. pressure tank, so that's what I went looking for. Naturally, no one had that animal. Mr. Lan was the only one in town who had tanks and his was a 19-gal. one.

I bought it and the necessary fittings and headed home to put things to right.

You'll notice the fittings on the old tank were on top of the tank, whereas, on the new one, of course, they're on the bottom.

I tried to find some new poly tubing to make up for the increased distance, but that was something else that was out of stock everywhere. Luckily, I hit on the idea of routing the piping back up to the top of the tank where the old poly tubing could still be used.

New Tank and Fittings

New tanks come pre-pressurized to 40 psi. Since Doug and I had recently 'calibrated' both of my tanks (the other tank is at the well head), I knew this one needed to be set at 18 psi. Which meant that all I had to do was vent the valve till I got the tank down to 18 psi.

After hooking the RO system back up to household current and turning the water supply back on, all it took was a few hours of letting the RO system recharge itself and we were back in business with even more water storage capability than we had before - and much safer too.

Just in case you're wondering, here's our wall-mounted RO filtration system. It's mounted directly above the tank. It looks confusing, but is really simple and foolproof to operate. It has a paper filter (the clear tank on the right) two charcoal filters (the two on the left), A UV lamp to kill backteria, etc., and finally a RO membrane to remove all the other bad stuff. I pre-filter the whole thing by running all household water through another paper filter and the water-softener system before it ever actually gets to the RO system, so water is filtered like seven times before we drink it. It tastes as good or better than anything we get commercially.

RO Filtration System

I thought you'd like to know, don't neglect your water system. The life you save could be your own!

What Was In There?

2011-11-14T16:21:00.000-06:00

The other day, Saturday, if you want particulars, I had to load about eight plastic chairs into the Isuzu for the Corozal Men's Group meeting at Stan's house. No biggy. It took about five minutes to get the chairs, fold down the rear seat and load the chairs.

While I was loading the chairs, and telling the girls that "No, there won't be any rides right now.", I saw a plumpish gecko hanging onto one of the chairs as I loaded the stack into the car.

I told him "You better get out of there. You'll be stuck in here for days." Then, I lost track of the gecko and went on about my business - gathering some beer to take with me, along with chips and salsa.

The meeting and the rest of the day went without causing any memorable events. So, here comes Sunday. I've got a list of errands to run. Stopping at a couple of auto parts places to see if I can get the correct sized lamps for my Isuzu's instrument cluster. Of course, no such luck. They list them by size not by vehicle type, etc. This was followed by the usual stop at Lano's hardware and a couple other places for small items.

A few more stops and then finally, the last one - New World Market for some groceries.
As I came out with a full bag of bread, coffee creamer, etc., etc., I opened up the car, and put the bag in the back seat. Of course it was immediately and closely inspected by the girls, along with me for a ride.

Then, I jumped into the driver's seat and hit the ignition. Right away, the A/C fan (which doubles as the heater fan) starts sounding like a poor imitation of a John Deere tractor. Cindy, who was riding shotgun at the time, immediately perked up and jumped down to the floor, staring intently at the source of the sound.

I wiggled the switch around a bit and then turned it off, to Cindy's vast relief. At first I thought it might be a piece of paper caught in the fan, but with the vibration it was creating, no way. More than paper. A gecko, perhaps, was my next thought.

This morning, I had to make a run downtown to Alek' Tailor Shop to pick up some pillows we'd had him re-cover along with a shirt he was rehabbing the button holes on for me. Of course none of that was done yet (maybe tomorrow).

That gave me time to run the Isuzu up to Rick's our erstwhile mechanic to check out why my fan was trying to self-destruct. I mentioned the possibility of the gecko to Rick. He just chuckled.

About 1:30 this afternoon, Rick delivered the Isuzu to me. As I was taking him back up to his shop, I asked what caused the horrible noise in the fan?

Would you believe, Rick said "A rat."

"A what?"

"A rat. Not a big one, but a rat"

Wow. Neither of us could figure out how he got in. There's no direct opening into the fan compartment of the Isuzu.

Anyway, mystery solved... for now. The upside is that the fan motor is much quieter nor. The downside is that the A/C has stopped making cold. I bet that little bugger gnawed through some pipe or other in his attempts to escape the confines of the Isuzu.

The gecko probably lured him into that trap. They're like that you know. They stare at you with those limpid dark eyes and cause you (or at least rats) to do all sorts of weird things - like crawl into fan housings, for example.

Being lured by the wily gecko was the last escapade he got into. Either the fan killed him or his gnawing on the piping did him in.

Either way. things have gotten quickly back to normal.

Just thought you'd want to know for the next time your fan starts sounding like a John Deere.

A Visit To the Skin Doctor

2011-11-09T06:36:00.001-06:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, we made a trip to Orange Walk Town to visit the dermatologist. Dianna, Loreta, Barb, and myself all had appointments with Dr. Peter Craig, Dermatologist with Belize Healthcare Partners, Ltd., of Belize City.

He comes up to Orange Walk on Tuesdays and to San Ignacio on Saturdays, making it easier for clients such as us to see him without having to trek all the way to Belize City.

We got to Orange Walk thanks to Loreta's quick thinking - borrowing Judy's Explorer as my Isuzu's A/C fan had given up the ghost. We took advantage of the trip to combine a bit of shopping with the medical visitations.

Our first stop was to Belize Comex Paints, Ltd., paint shop. Dianna bought a gallon of a pretty blue to paint our bathroom. What's nice about Comex Paints is that they do the pigment mixing by computer and they keep your paint purchases on computer, just in case you need to re-order the same color in the future. Loreta bought three or four pints of paint that looked like pints of sherbet ice cream.

From there we went to the Boundary Store, Belizes version of Good Will or Value Village, but a major shopping stop anytime we go to Orange Walk. You always find stuff just not available anywhere in Belize.

Our next stop was to People's Grocery, to pick up some other items. People's isn't quite the major stop that it used to be. The stores in Corozal nowadays carry much of the same stuff that People's used to be the only place around to carry the items. They still have some things that are available now and then or not at all in Corozal. So, it's still worth the stop.

After People's, then it was time to head over to the clinic to visit with the doctor. The clinic is easy to find - if you know where Candy's Ice Cream Parlor is located (it's across the street). If you don't know where Candy's is, it's tough to find. There's no sign indicating a doctor shop is there.

Anyway, we got into the clinic and after a bit, one at a time we got to be examined by Dr. Craig.

A bit of an aside here. Dr. Craig doesn't have an "M.D." after his name. But that is no cause for alarm. He has an M.B.B.S. What's that, you might ask? Well, simply put, it's a professional degree awarded in the U.K. and many Commonwealth countries for the practice of medicine is that of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS as well as other acronyms). This degree typically requires between four and six years of study and clinical training, and is equivalent to the North American MD degree.

It's about the same as the difference between a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) and a Doctor of Medical Dentistry (DMD). The basic difference there is what dental school a person graduated from, not a difference in qualifications.

Dr. Craig also holds a MTM & H (Master of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene) degree and a Master of Science degree. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. His specialty is in tropical medicine and diseases.

So, each of us got a visit with Dr. Craig. I think each of us got the usual keratosis pilaris growths burned off. Well, I guess 'burned off' is wrong. Dr. Craig froze them using liquid nitrogen. In about 8 days or so, the growths should more or less just fall off.

He examined us head to foot, looking for melanomas, etc. Basically, we all came out with clean bills of health. A nice feeling to have that taken care of. Dr. Craig does want to see Dianna in about four weeks to make sure he got all of the growth on her temple zapped the first time around. So, probably another shopping trip involving the Boundary.

I've already plugged in to our calendar to schedule our next annual visit with him.

Costs were very reasonable. the Office visit and consultation was $70.00 BZD each, with the treatments, costing an additional $75.00 BZD each. Just can't beat the prices with a stick, y'know?

While one or the other of us was in with the doctor, the rest of us went up the road to a clothing shop where they were having a 'One Dollar' sale. Every item was only $1.00 BZD. I got two tropical shirts. The girls got swim suits and various other things. Just hard to beat those prices.

After the doctor's visits, we had worked up a powerful appetite. Off we went, again, to Carlos' Pizzeria. Bummer... As we pulled up, we saw the gate to the restaurant was closed. As luck would have it, they're closed on Tuesdays. Well, all was not lost. We just changed course for Nahil Mayab restaurant - another favorite of ours.

From there it was a nice drive back to Corozal. We realized after we got home, that we were exhausted. A long, busy day. Time relax on the front porch and time for a Belikin.

Cheers.

Y'know There's Days...

2011-11-09T04:36:00.000-06:00

Y'know There's Days when things just don't quite work out the way you had them planned.

Just the other day, Monday for example. I needed to go over to Chetumal to get some gas and to go to Sam's Club to pick up some lamps Dianna had seen over there. Doug went with me as he needed to pick up some things from Chedraui. So, off we went to the border.

We got through Belize Immigration and drove over to the Mexican side of the border. It was a little crowded but didn't seem too out of the ordinary.

We were waiting for a parking space to open up. Doug decided to run in and clear Mexican Immigration and to pick up a copy of the necessary form for me. It would speed things just a little bit.

Right after he left, a security guard came over and told me I'd have to keep circling the building as I couldn't just stop and wait.

I had circled the building about three or four times. Just about then Doug came out with my form all filled out and ready for my signature. And, just then a parking space opened up, so I grabbed it.

It had taken him all that time just to get the forms. He hadn't yet cleared Mexican Immigration, so we both went inside to clear.

As we came out I reached into my pocket for my keys... Uh oh... No keys. My first thought was that I had dropped them and began looking for them in my immediate vicinity. Nope. Nada.

About then, the sinking feeling began. I wouldn't have... surely... As we looked into the Isuzu, sure enough. There they were dangling from the ignition.

Sunny beaches. What a dumb stunt to pull! And here with it crowded and everything. What do we do?

First, Doug was trying to think of how to get Twyla, his wife, to get my spare set and bring them to the border. Then we thought of having Cody, my caretaker, bring the set. Then the question was, did I have a set? I called Dianna and stayed on the line as she rummaged through our spare key bin. Oh, yes! Found 'em.

Then I remembered that Cody had ridden his bike to work. Drat. Did his wife need the car for errands? We got Cody on the line to find out.

No, he'd just left the car at home. Yes, he would go get it and head up to the border. Whew!

As luck would have it, we picked probably the best spot in the parking lot to park - shady, nice breeze, out of the way of other cars. Perfect. Now, as long as the guard doesn't harass us to move.

We figured it would take Cody about a half hour to get to the border, so about then, I went up to stand on the bridge over the Rio Hondo which separates Belize from Mexico, figuring I could see him easier from up there and get the keys from him.

As I stood there, I began to wonder how Cody would get turned around to head back to Belize. Not easy. Maybe I should walk over the bridge to the Belize side and wait for him there.

I suppose, if things had been really organized, I would have been intercepted by authorities from either side since now I was legally in Mexico, but had just walked back onto Belize soil, where I was technically illegal, with no stamp in my passport showing I had departed Mexico. Oh well, roll the dice and take my chances.

I figured that since the Free Zone was right there, no one would know if I was actually going to the Zone or what, so I thought I could do it without too much trouble. I was right.

Pretty soon, I spied Cody trotting up to the bridge where I was waiting. He gave me the keys and we both headed in opposite directions.

I got back to the car and Doug and I departed the border area for the bug spray station, where you have to make a stop to get your car sprayed for bugs as you come into Mexico. It's an agricultural thing.

We did that (it costs sixty pesos - a little over four bucks, US) and headed on down the highway toward Sam's Club.

We decided to stop for lunch before we went shopping, as we had worked up an appetite doing all that waiting.

I thought it was getting a little warm inside the car so I cranked up the fan speed for the A/C. A few minutes later, it still seemed warmish. I felt the A/C vent. Nothing. Just a trickle of cool coming out. I jiggled the fan switch back and forth. No effect. Crap. The fan's busted. And it was becoming a warm day.

At what point should I have realized it would have been better to have stayed home and maybe just gone down and cleaned the pool or something?

Anyway, we got lunch under our belts and made it without incident to Sam's, where I picked up the box containing the lamps.

We completed the rest of our mission. I got a full tank of gas, Doug got his stuff, although that took him longer than he thought it would at Chedraui as they had rearranged the store.

Getting back across the border into Belize was non-eventful. I did have to pay duty on the lamps (roughly 20% of the value). We got home and everything was as it should be, except for the broken fan motor.

I got the Isuzu up to Rick, my mechanic. Doug and I had already checked all the fuses. That wasn't the problem. Rick looked at it and determined it was the fan motor itself that was gone. Of course not an easy fix.

Normally it wouldn't have been a big deal, but the following day (yesterday) I was supposed to be driving Dianna, Loreta, Barb, and myself to Orange Walk Town for appointments with the dermatologist. It should be an annual visit to the dermatologist, but in our case, it was almost five years since we'd done it. Better late than ever.

Anyway, I thought I'd have to cancel the trip, what with no A/C and all. I called Loreta to let her know. She came up with a plan to save the day. She was going to borrow Judy's Explorer as Judy was out of town anyway, and we could still make the trip.

So, all's well that end's well - as someone famous once said.

Coming Down To The Wire...

2011-11-06T10:21:00.000-06:00

The last day of hurricane season, November 30th, is but twenty-three days and a wake-up away, but don't relax just yet. Why, you ask? The weather reports for both the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific show no storms or other systems tracking our way "Elsewhere...tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.". Why not relax? It's over for the year, isn't it?

Well, not quite. Why, it was just back in 2007, December to be exact. December 10th through the 16th. Tropical Storm Olga came roaring in to the Caribbean with 60 MPH winds and eventually killed 40 people.

By the time Olga came near Belize and headed up the Yucatan Channel, all that was left was a small cluster of intense thunderstorms, but her configuration remained fairly-well defined as it approached our coast, giving all of us here a severe case of the jitters, especially after Hurricane Dean in August.

Olga helped make 2007's hurricane season one of the few with storm activity both before and after the official dates for hurricane season.

So, just a word to the wise, don't begin putting your hurricane supplies and your evacuation kit away just yet. I'd wait till at least December 15th. Sleep lightly.

A New Eatery On the Horizon?

2011-10-29T13:53:00.002-06:00

Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and filet gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio.
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gayo,
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou.

- Hank Williams

Well, well, well. What have we here?

For the past few months, we've been watching every day (during our early morning dog walkies) as glimpses of remodeling and such appear to have taken place at the former Club Malibu on 7th Avenue (Northern Highway) here in Corozal.

The building had lain vacant and in a sad state of repair for at least a couple of years. The first we noticed that there was perhaps something going on was one morning part of the old thatch roof was gone. It seemed strange to us that someone would only patch part of the roof when it was in such disrepair, but what do we know, having come from the land of hot tar, asphalt shingle, and cedar shake roofs?

It seemed to be fine (to the casual observer) until we entered the rainy (read hurricane) season, when all of a sudden, gray tarps appeared on the roof of the place after one of our relatively heavy downpours. I thought they were just temporary until whoever had patched the roof could be called in to effect proper repairs.

The tarps have been up there for some months now and appear to have become a permanent fixture of the roof. I thought it kind of odd that someone would pay to have a roof repaired and then cover, what ostensibly was a new roof, with tarps. I mean, I have a thatch roof on my parking palapa. It doesn't leak. Eventually, when it does require repair or replacement, if it leaks such that tarps are necessary to keep the wet stuff out, you can bet I'll be harping at someone to come back and fix the roof job so that the tarps can be put to other uses. Anyway, be that as it may, that's not the focus of this posting.

What is the focus is, in part, the newly painted sign over the doorway that we noticed on this morning's walkies.

The New La Louisianne Restaurant

In bright red letters over the doorway, it reads 'La Louisianne Restaurant' - complete with little gold fleurs-de-lis giving that French-Cajun feel. Wow! That immediately conjurs up visions of filet gumbo, catfish stew, crawfish, boudin, Zydeco music, alligator, boiled crab, crawfish etouffee... The list goes on and on.

However, with this being Belize, and the fact that we haven't heard nary a rumor, hint or anything about a new restaurant, what it might conjur up is Cajun rice and beans, Cajun fry-jacks, that sort of thing. One can only hope that that vision is entirely wrong. Some good, spicy Cajun fair would really be a nice addition to the gastronomy of Corozal. We'll just have to let you know what we find out.

I'd mentioned the tarp roofing, the shot below shows a bit of the tarp work on the roof of the place.

La Louisianne Showing The Tarpped Roof

Even with the absence of rumors or anything like that (after all, this is a small town and secrets should be hard to keep closely held) we were excited about the possibilities the name brings to mind.

Stay tuned. There could be some dining adventures ahead... And without seeming too snide, the money they've saved on the roof work, could translate into affordable prices at the dinner table. We'll see.

FLASH! Update... Corozal - the following morning:

No real news, just an update on the signage.

The Rest of the Sign

Still no rumorology on what kind of fare the place is going to offer. What the sign does tell us is there'll be a restaurant, a bar, some karaoke, and gaming. And that's all I know.

Hi Fives All Around!

2011-10-26T10:27:00.001-06:00

Looks like we dodged another one. Hurricane Rina popped up virtually out of nowhere with such speed that she made it into the record books without hardly trying.

Dr. Jeff Masters, Co-Founder of Weather Underground (http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/76750.html), on his blog (http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1970), said that (and I've paraphrased a bit, "Rina became a hurricane just 21 hours after the first tropical depression advisory was issued for her. This is the second fastest since 1851 when records started to be kept. Hurricane Humberto (2007) holds the Atlantic record for fastest intensification from first advisory issued to hurricane strength-- less than 18 hours."

Preparedness-wise, we took down the other half of the awning over the pool deck, rolled up the pool cover and put it and its reel down in the breezeway and generally cleaned up lots of wood from the patio project. We also put deck chairs and such away.

Other than that, I've spent a great deal of time gazing at weather maps and hurricane models, etc.

Unless Rina takes a drastic left turn and whacks us, we've come through this one in fine shape.

So, the beer's cold, the next to last game of the World Series will be on tonight (St. Louis is going to win, so it has to go seven games). With luck, Rina will be the last big event for the current hurricane season, which ends November 30, although we'll still keep a weather-eye peeled through December 15, since we've had tropical storms after the end of November before.

Life is good.

Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain

2011-10-14T08:06:00.000-06:00

Yeah, the pitter-pat of the gently falling rain... Three and a quarter inches in a day? Gimmie a break! Thank God we've got a good drainage system here.

And the non-stop thunder and lightning the other night. I'm still seeing after-images. And our clocks - they're so messed up from the power outages, it'll take weeks to get them consistently back to the correct time.

We managed to avoid some of the many storms around the area. At one time Mexico had one hurricane, one tropical storm and one tropical depression all trying to come ashore in the same area. I think that's what we're dealing with now, the vestiges of those three storms plus some just heavy rain that was working its way north along the western Caribbean.

Everything seemed to arrive over us at nearly the same time, and then it all decided to quit moving for a few days. I know the plants in the garden were getting a little parched (their tongues were hanging out), but there is a limit. We're busy making little life-preservers for them.

Hopefully, we may be on the down side of the deluge. It's now Friday morning and Carlos just showed up for work. He's doing the patio/BBQ project. I need to head into town to get a bag of cement and a 4x8 sheet of Celotex. That's what they call Masonite here. Far as I can tell, it's the same stuff. Anyway, off to work.

Cheers

Put on the Feedbag, Pardner

2011-10-06T09:03:00.000-06:00

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, I got love in my tummy
And I feel like a-lovin you
Love, you're such a sweet thing
Good enough to eat thing
And it's just a-what I'm gonna do

- Yummy, Yummy, Yummy Arthur Resnick/Joey Levine; Ohio Express - 1968

As luck would have it we found another place to further develop the table muscles. Yesterday, I rode over to Orange Walk Town with Mae and Craig. Mae and I both had appointments with Dr. Hoy. About two weeks ago, Mae had had emergency surgery in the States for a detached retina and she was doing her follow-up visits with Dr. Hoy. I was doing my follow-up visits with him as well after my cataract surgery at Dr. Hoy's center in Belize City.

Mae had mentioned before our trip to 'Sugar City' (Orange Walk's nickname) that she had heard of a place there that made a very good pizza. She thought the name of the place was Pancho's Pizza. So, as we were on our way into Sugar City, with Craig driving, Mae and I were lookouts for a sign.

A little bit past the hospital, Mae saw a small white sign that read: 'Carlos' Pizzeria' with an arrow pointing up the hill. "That's It", she cried and we strained our little gray cells to remember what the intersection looked like as they had to hit the ATM downtown first.

After the ATM, we found the turnoff easily as there was also a sign posted from the other direction. Up the hill a couple of short blocks, then a left. About the second place on the left we saw Carlos' Pizzeria.

Not much to look at when you first approach, Carlos' is constructed of wood-framed bamboo in a greenish turquoise with large expanses of screen. Inside there's probably eight or so tables, very clean with white table cloths with plastic covering, ceiling fans and the usual plastic chairs.

As we came in, the proprietor, Carlos, met us and welcomed us to his place. Carlos is quite an engaging character. French Canadian with a strong accent, his eatery is an Italian restaurant.

But, don't let that cultural mix fool you, the food is excellent. Carlos grows his own beef on his property in Blue Creek (yes, that's Mennonite country. You'll have to ask him for that story). For his chickens, he gets them only from Caribbean Chicken. He's very particular about his meats and other ingredients.

His restaurant does have an impressive menu featuring several different pizzas, pasta and other traditional dishes, including hamburgers, etc. He and his wife, Ana, work very hard to provide a nice continental table. He said, "You notice, I don't serve rice and beans."

I had the spaghetti with home-made sausage. Very good. The sausage was slightly spicy and very tasty. The spaghetti noodles were done to a turn, just slightly al-dente, with a very nice and tasty sauce.

Spaghetti With Homemade Sausage

Mae had a sirloin steak, which she said was very good. Carlos was so proud of his meat, he even brought out Mae's steak for her inspection before he cooked it. Craig had the spaghetti with meat sauce. He thought it was good but not exceptional (he should have opted for the sausage - that would have sealed the deal right there).

Anyway, the Belikin was ice-cold. Carlos and Ana had chocolate cake for desert which they tried to get us to eat, but we were just too full. Besides, we had our eye appointments to keep. Another time, perhaps.

Prices? Very reasonable. Most dishes are under $20.00 BZD and beer is $3.50. A place well worth the effort to find and to savor once you're there. Carlos is a very interesting chap to talk to. We had a very enjoyable time and definitely will be back .

Carlos' Pizzeria is located at: 18 Tate Street, Orange Walk Town. Their phone number is 322-1600. Check it out. You won't regret it.