February 26,2011

Today we woke up knowing we were leaving our wonderful house on this fabulous island. It is hard to say goodbye. We worked so hard getting so much accomplished and then we must go. I do think we enjoyed ourselves as much as anyone could. Of course, it couldn't be a more beautiful day.

We organized things for awhile and then took the bikes over to Southern Cross Club to settle our bill with them for all the yummy meals we enjoyed there. We said our goodbyes and pedaled back home. It was a pleasant ride.

Once we got back, we took some more photos to remember the place. I did pretty good with the food this year. We hardly had anything to dispose of. Again, one of the "hard" things for me to do is dump the ice cubes. I'm always filling ice cube trays to keep my supply up only to dump them in the end. We use a ton of ice here as it is very warm. No more ice tea for us now, we will be switching to hot tea.

We had a nice flight over to Grand Cayman. Guy Harvey was on our flight and we had a nice visit. He had a video photographer with him and also was taking a ton of photos. He is a very famous painter of fish and Caribbean waters. He is quite the artist. Of course, he has formed a foundation, The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, and it is furthering the saving of the environment.

We had a nice dinner at the outdoor sea side restaurant at the Marriott Hotel. We had surf and turf (lobster and steak). It was super good. We watched the sun set over the water. Very pretty. Our flight leaves at 8:16 A.M. tomorrow and we are hoping it won't be too cold at home. We are used to mid eighties and warm sun so it will be an adjustment.

The photos were taken by Richard today. Notice how my coconut has grown in just one year.

Carolyn

February 25, 2011

This is a photo just like one we took last year in this same spot. The lighting is better on this one. What fun!

This morning is a lovely day again in Little Cayman. After a hearty breakfast and a load of laundry, I started to do some serious relaxing. I watered the little coconut trees down on the beach. Richard planted several more today. We just buried the coconuts in the sand and will see what happens. That is what some locals said to do. We'll see. This is drought time here so it helps to water things that are starting out.

After lunch, we headed to Bloody Bay of course. The water was nice and calm and clear. We were hoping to swim with the turtles again today. No dice! Did see a nice nurse shark and a really large sting ray. There were a lot of big snappers. It was a really nice snorkel. After snorkeling Richard went fishing over there and I read my book. When he was fishing this morning, he broke his fly rod. Hopefully, he can get a new section for it.

We have been busy using up our food as we head to Grand Cayman on the 4:10 PM flight tomorrow. Our four and a half weeks have gone by quickly. We have a little shopping to do at Grand and the next day will head to Chicago and on home. I better quick soak up some more sun and warmth. This weather was made for me. I'll happily come back next year.

Richard the builder is picking us up to take us to the airport tomorrow. This is sure nice of him. I have to remind him that I like progress photos of the bathroom. Although it would be fun to just be surprised also.

What a fun vacation this has been.

Carolyn

February 24, 2011 Thursday

Here is a picture of the sunset tonight taken from our deck. There were a few clouds in the horizen.

This is another shot of the sunset. This also shows the latest area we cleared out. There are some rocks on top of the sand yet that we have to move. We'll do that next year. Our sandy beach is getting bigger and bigger.

I woke up in this wonderful paradise again today. How lucky am I! Richard took off fishing in the morning and I put in a load of laundry and just flat out enjoyed myself. I watered my little coconut trees, walked around, looked around, fiddled around, sat around and was just amazed at how great everything looked. This scenery is really something.

After lunch we headed over to Bloody Bay to snorkel. The waves were really coming in. We were debating if we should give it a try when we spotted a couple turtles. That was it! We jumped right in. We found them and swam around with them. I think they enjoy it too. We also saw some rays. We were sure glad we snorkeled. It is hard to get in and out when the waves are coming in like that. What a good time though.

After we got home, Richard tried fishing again and I took my book and sat on the beach in my wonderful teak lounge chair. Boy, did I relax. That was one of the most enjoyable times of my life. I truly mean that. I had to force myself to get up and take a shower and make supper.

We are trying not to work anymore these last days. It is nice. Tonight is very peaceful here. The stars are shining and it is cool out for good sleeping. Just a slight breeze is about. I am leaving our swim wear on the line overnight. It is a good night for it. We took our garbage out to the end of the drive tonight. We took flashlights along as it is very dark. We are careful not to step on any hermit crabs on the way. They are so cute.

Carolyn Janssen

February 23, 2011 Wednesday

This photo shows Richard fishing on our beach front today.

Here is another fishing shot from today. Note my little coconut on the left. It is growing nicely.

This picture shows our beach today. We have worked hard clearing the area on the right side. Our jungle is slow but sure being cleared. It is hard to get it all on one picture now.

This big guy (iguana) visited our drive way yesterday.

Today we are living life to the fullest. It is great! We woke up to another beautiful day. Richard went fishing in the morning and I took care of the beach. That hammock is sure comfy.

After lunch we headed to Bloody Bay. The waves were too big for snorkeling so we headed to Point of Sands. Now this was no easy task! It was another seven miles to bike. We had to pedal against the wind and it was all a little uphill. I am not exaggerating. Boy did we work. There was not a cloud in the sky. Just that glorious sun shining on us. We did finally make it. Our friend Lynn has a beautiful home there. She gave us a nice cold drink. Best I ever had. We enjoyed our snorkeling. The ride home was very nice. The wind was at our backs and it was a little downhill.

We got home a little after 5:00. Being Wednesday, we wanted to go to Wet Your Whistle Wednesday at Southern Cross. This starts at 6:00. We got cleaned up and had a snack and left on the bikes again. Boy was it hard to get back on that bike! About 7:30 I was just too hungry to carry on. Luckily, they let us eat dinner there. They have the best food on earth.

Now I sit here in front of the open window with a soft breeze blowing on me. There are a million or more stars in the sky tonight and you can see everyone of them. I'm trying to soak this all in for future memories.

February 22, 2011 Tuesday

Our weather here at Little Cayman is back to normal. No more wind. It is just pleasant breezes now. Lovely! We went on a super long bike ride this afternoon touring the island. We stopped at the store and I worried they wouldn't let me in as I was sweating so much. Bloody Bay was nice and smooth today. Snorkel heaven!

We finally got notice today that we did not get the car. Someone actually paid more for it. We are ok with it. There are other options when we are ready. Riding bikes works fine for us right now. The island is pretty small.

There was a big iguana in the drive today. They are very interesting. I gave him some lettuce but not where he would think it was from me. The Blue Lagoon has one that comes the same time everyday and waits to be fed. He is almost like a pet. Good heavens!

We only have a few days left now so I am hoping the weather is not too bad in Ames. I have only worn flip flops the whole time here. It will feel weird to put shoes on. What am I saying? I'll be wearing BOOTS!

February 21,2011 Monday

Today is still a windy day. This wind is lasting and not so common. Keeps the house very comfortable. We are getting ready for our construction project, so I called some places to see if anyone needed some of our furniture. In the end we gave our TV, DVD player, a cupboard/cabinet, and desk to the girl who works and lives over at the Blue Lagoon. She was so excited to get the stuff. Our place is looking pretty bare now.

Richard the builder came today and we finalized everything, so looks like it's a go. He was surprised how we had changed our plan to a new location. He will also do a few other things for us while we are gone too.

Of course, we worked on the beach again. Every day it gets better and better. I guess it is time to go home so I can get rested up.

February 20, 2011 Sunday

Here is a photo of the barge out behind Owen Island. The huge yacht is on the right.

This is a shot of the house from the "street" side. We now have this cleared out so you can see the water on the right side of the house in the background.

This is an update on the beach. After I took this shot we cleared out more jungle.

This photo nicely shows the new porch. We are very happy with it.

Another shot of beach and house. We have worked on the beach since this.

Today we woke up to an exciting morning. The barge was right outside our living room window. The sea has been very rough so it didn't arrive on Wednesday and now it is Sunday and we are still waiting. It finally made it to the dock but had to hang out all day because it was too rough to come close. There is also a huge yacht parked out there but it may just be biding time for the seas to calm. Things are hopping around here for sure.

We finally ate breakfast. We needed to make a trip to the store. I had absolutely nothing to give Richard for lunch. We were hoping there would be something at the store even though the barge wasn't making it in. But the fishing bug bit Richard and he took off. He didn't get back until 11:45. No lunch! We had to hurry as the store closes at 1:00 on Sunday. We raced on the bikes. The wind was howling. What a ride! Coming back was a real workout.

The chain saw needed a new blade, which we picked up at the store this trip also. After a good lunch we worked on the jungle again. Richard cleared out some really big boulders using the chain saw. We are making very good progress. We now see way more of our beach front.

We spent some time picking out supplies for the new bathroom today too. On the internet we found our shower, sink, etc. Tomorrow the builder is coming by. This day is almost over and I am starting to mourn that my time here is almost finished for this year. When you're living the good life, it is hard to quit.

February 19, 2011 Saturday

It was another good sleeping night and I awoke refreshed. Richard headed out to fish early and I tackled the debris on the beach where we cleared some more jungle. I only lasted a little over an hour and headed in for an ice tea, my book, and the hammock. Very enjoyable. Then Richard returned. He had photos of fish that he caught. He got a box fish, which are good to eat but it was not huge so he let it go. They are very interesting looking fish. They are blue and look like Brain Coral. Very pretty with a giant eye. He almost had a snapper.

After lunch, we got on the bikes and headed for Bloody Bay to snorkel. There were 3 foot waves coming in. Beautiful to look at but not to snorkel in. We headed home. It was a good bike ride. Richard decided to fish out front and I took out my kayak.

After that we decided to get a little work done with that chain saw that arrived.

Today we had a little green lizard about 4 inches total length try to get in the house at the sliding door. We had a heck of a time convincing him to turn around. Very cute. I've been so relaxed and enjoying this place. It will be hard to leave again.

February 18, 2011 Friday

Another perfect day in paradise. How can it be true? It is. I worked off and on raking up sea grape leaves. Nothing serious about it though. When finished, I have a pile a little bigger than a Toyota Yaris. How about that! We will eliminate them soon.

After an early lunch we found ourselves working on the new bathroom plan. We thought we were settled on the location and all. Then I said, " what about here". We planned it out. Then I said, " what about here". So we found ourselves with three different plans. We moved furniture and measured and taped each one out. This was very time consuming and energy absorbing. We did finally pick a plan and location. We hate to lose our big open floor plan and this plan disrupts it the least. It will be nice to have a second bathroom so people can come visit us and be comfortable.

The wind is finally gone this afternoon. Hurray! We also no longer have a cloud in the sky. We took our kayaks out after supper at 6:30. The water was smooth as glass. We saw a couple sting rays and six lobster. We stayed out there until very dark. We were wanting the full moon to come out and light up the water. The full moon here is beyond words. I want everyone to see it. Just breathtaking.

The chain saw arrived late in the afternoon today. With this perfect weather, we are hitting the water. Chain sawing can wait. I am going to snorkel until the fish are sick of me and boot me out of the water.

February 17, 2011 Thursday

Phote of wave coming in at the breakers. The tide was way out.

The things I painted orange are on the shelves in the bedroom. The basket is made from island grape branches and vines. I also painted the conch shell, coral and shell shaped vase/plate.

Richard with his kayak on the breakers.

Same photo. Whoops!

Richard's big barracuda. He was fun to catch.

What a day! We got up and got going right away. We decided to take our kayaks out even though it is still windy. It was a workout but we made it out and about. Fun! Richard tried to do a little bone fishing. Later in the morning we started clearing more of the jungle. We are still waiting for the chain saw Richard the builder promised. That will help a lot.

After lunch we worked for a while and then headed out on the water again. Richard wanted to try fishing out on the breakers. The tide was way out because of the full moon. He caught a big barracuda. I saw tons of sting rays and huge fish. It was fun.

The moon is full tonight and unbelievably bright. It is like daylight. I love walking on the beach under a full moon.

February 16,2011 Wednesday

Another day waking up in paradise. It was beautiful sleeping weather again last night. I awoke refreshed. We took a bike ride to the grocery store for a few items early. It was fun. We met Mark and Marsha there and had a little visit. They said they had stopped by our house one day, but we weren't home. It was one of the times we were gone snorkeling. Hopefully, they'll try again.

Today I painted some items orange. I put them on my shelving in the bedroom. They look great. I took a photo and will post it tomorrow night. It was fun to do a little project and have it turn out. We did some more clearing and started a nice fire. Seems we just love to work. It has been a little windy here for a few days so we use the days for work. Tomorrow will be different. Here we come water!

Tonight was Wet Your Whistle Wednesday at SSC. Tons of people were there. We had a good time. The bike ride there seems so easy now. I believe we have gotten used to it. Tomorrow we may try biking all the way to Point of Sand. It is a long way. If the sun is out and the wind is against you it can make you sweat. I may have to jump in the water and snorkel then!! Yes!

I did manage to enjoy the beach today a few times too. I never ignore my hammock that's for sure. This is the life!

February 15, 2011 Tuesday

It is already the middle of the month. Time is just flying by and I want to enjoy every minute while I am in paradise. After that wonderful Valentine's Day dinner I slept very good. I am still remembering that great desert.

Today we worked on the beach again and burned a huge pile of jungle debris. We slow but sure are cleaning out more of our property. When one is working by hand it is a slow process. Luckily the water called to us. We took off on our kayaks and relaxed on the water. While I was out a huge sting ray swam right under my boat. I was in very shallow water and could see him easily. Then I was over beyond Johnny's house and once again in shallow water and spotted a big star fish. That was really something. I have never seen one at Little Cayman before.

This morning when we got up we noticed a huge Catamaran moored over by Owen Island. It is for sure at least a $6 million dollar boat. There must be a celebrity on the island. Tomorrow I may get to "town" and investigate. In the afternoon Castro stopped over from the Blue Lagoon boat dock. He is a local, born and raised here. His full name is Fidel Castro Christian. Everyone calls him Castro. We also have an Elvis on the island too. He is a local also and is the garbage collector. The only true mechanic on the island is a man named Michael Jackson. So, we have a Castro, Elvis and Michael Jackson. How about that!

After dinner tonight we walked around outside under the nearly full moon. It was almost as bright as sunlight. The light bounces right off the sand and really brightens things up. Very lovely. One has to wonder how everyday can be so perfect, but it is. We are sure lucky to be here.

February 14,2011 Monday

Picture of my desert tonight. It was cherries in a Grand Mainar Sauce over ice cream. Super good!

Here we are at our table. The napkins were folded like hearts. There were also lots of special lights and other cool decorations.

This is a photo of our Papaya tree. It has three nice big papayas on it and several tiny ones starting. It is a shame we won't be here when they are ripe. I guess these are the really good ones.

Richard took this shot of the house today. This is what you see when you drive up to the house. The shutters are all finished. Now all you have to do to close them is open the one hook and swing them over the window and secure the two hasp latches.

Happy Valentines Day! We have been having some wind here again overnight and it was still blowing this morning. We decided with it being cloudy and winding, this was a good work day. I managed to finish tons of painting. All the steps and other areas that needed to be painted are now finished. At 5:30 PM Richard finished the hurricane shutters. Hurray! We are so thrilled. What a job!

At 6:00 P.M. we pedaled over to Southern Cross Club to celebrate Valentines Day. I have been looking forward to this since we got here in January. The meal was spectacular. I hated for it to end. They have a wonderful chef. Everything was decorated real nice too. Peter, the owner, gave each of the ladies a red rose. I brought it home on the bike and put it in a vase (bottle). I had so much fun. We visited with lots of old "friends" again from past years and some of the island dwellers like us were there too. There was a really good crowd.

The ride home was very nice. This island life definitely agrees with me. Today we planted another coconut tree on the beach. It is fun to see how they have grown each year we come back.

February 13, 2011 Sunday

The fishing guide is holding the baracuda that Richard caught. This is the fish from the Saturday morning outing.

The sun rising over the ocean Saturday morning while out deep sea fishing.

Photo taken while standing on Blue Lagoons dock. The Great Egrets were in the trees roosting.

Photo from the dock. Notice the calm water. Our mangrove trees are to the left.

After a wonderful sleeping night, we slept in. I didn't wake up until 7:15. The wind was up today and the hardy breeze was great. The water was a little rougher, so we used this day as a shutter day. We are almost finished. I have actually started painting some of the house area from the new porch and steps.

We pedaled our bikes to the grocery store late morning. It was easy riding going but coming back home was work. A nice workout. Grocery shopping two days in a row. We definitely can get our food cheaper from Village Square than Richard. He is called Little Cayman Distributors. He said if I e-mailed him my list of things he would order it in on the barge and turn on my fridge and have it in the house when I arrive. There is no charge for this service. Of course, his groceries are twice the price. We'll see. It would be nice.

I have to admit, while working, we do take breaks just to walk the property and enjoy the place. We are pretty happy here. The weather is just so perfect all the time. How can this be. We'll take it.

Tonight I roasted a whole chicken for dinner. I usually don't do such a thing. It was the only chicken available at the time. We enjoyed it, it was very good.

February 12,2011 Saturday

Today we got up at 5:40 A.M. Richard went deep sea fishing and Jeremy the fishing guide was picking him up at 6:30 on the Blue Lagoon dock. We were out there before the sun came up. It was beautiful. The breeze was still and the water was like glass. We watched the big white Egrets that roost at night in the trees next to the Blue Lagoon. They all fly in from the breakers every evening. It is nice to watch them. We took photos, but they are not on my computer yet to post here. There was also two pelicans on the water. I moved rocks on the beach after he left and then lay in the hammock on the porch and read my book with an ice water. It was nice.

After lunch Richard the builder picked us up so we could grocery shop at his store. How nice. He is very expensive though. Tomorrow I will ride my bike to the Village Square and buy a few things too. Some of his things are more than twice the price. Richards off brand OJ is $6.87 where I can get Minute Maid same size for $3.79. This is CI price. Add a couple more dollars as I have to pay US price. These are the frozen cans. I mix it with water here at the house.

When we got back home we both took a nap. I took mine under the coconut tree. It was splendid. Boy, did I sleep! Then it was back to work painting while Richard constructed shutters again. Only four to go. We can't wait to finish. Once we are finished with projects on our house we can just come here and relax. Next year when we are here the plan is to paint the inside. The new bathroom with be finished so that is a good time to paint. We will get all new appliances then too.

This afternoon the breeze came up and it is cool and beautiful now. I am here alone as Richard went to play Texas Hold Um Poker with the guys at Head O'Bay. Sounds like fun.

It will be a good sleeping night with this nice cool breeze blowing in the windows.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Picture of Richard's bike with the cart for hauling hooked behind it. Notice my hammock is ready under the coconut tree.

Picture of Richard on scaffolding. Note we still have to paint the side and posts of the steps.

Photo of Richard and me at Bloody Bay today preparing to snorkel.

What a day! I enjoyed myself from start to finish. We woke up to a very calm day. Barely a breeze. The water was very flat. I hurried through my morning chores and started to paint. This painting has to be kept up as Richard needs painted boards for the shutters. I finished my benches also, so I am pleased. We worked until 11:30 and had lunch. Then we both headed for a hammock to rest up. This is important!

At 1:00 we got ready and headed to Bloody Bay on our bikes. At last it is time to snorkel again. The water was very nice. It was also warm. Unlike the time we were over with Brandon when it was cold. I don't ever remember it being cold like it was when we took Brandon over there. We headed straight out to the 40 ft. water. It was beautiful. On the way there was a 5ft. Barracuda. He was way down on the bottom. Suddenly, he came for me. I got away. Richard growled at him and that seemed to work. Exciting. Saw a giant sting ray with a jack right on top of him, some really huge grouper and some very large parrot fish and lots of other critters. It was wonderful.

When we got out of the water we had a little snack and relaxed on the beach. We were alone in the world. It was so peaceful and beautiful. I could have stayed there the rest of my life. We did pedal back to the house. We washed the salt off ourselves at our outdoor shower and hung our things to dry. I took a shower and started supper. Richard put the finishing touches on another shutter. He only has four to go! Boy, will we celebrate when these are completely finished.

We did put a bid on the car that the Cayman National Bank is selling. I wonder when we will find out if they accepted our bid?

This was a spectacular day. It should be a good sleeping night. The temp is supposed to cool to the low to mid 70's. Sweet dreams.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

I am still waking up and looking out the window from bed at a coconut palm. What a view! Today we got right to work on shutters and painting so we could eat early lunch and head to "town". The bank is selling their car and we want to have a look at it. They are taking bids on it. It was quite a hot bike ride. The minute we got there I dashed right into the bank to cool off. They keep their air conditioning really cold. Turns out the car is a 97 Toyota. We are going to put a very low bid on it. It would be interesting to have a car here. I'm not sure how I feel about it. We just are not here that long right now. If they accept our bid, we'll be the proud new owners of a vehicle.

I started painting on the big benches today. The small ones turned out nicely. This was a nice relaxing day. Very beautiful weather again. The sky was as blue as it could get today. I sat on the beach and watched the sun set again. I made potato salad today and we had it with left over meat loaf and broccoli. We seem to always have hearty appetites here. The barge didn't come in this last Wednesday and they were down to only one airplane instead of two. The plane needed work. They would only fly passengers over and no cargo. The grocery store is completely out of bread. They are out of most everything. I am out of bread too and most everything. We may have to live on coconuts for a few days. Just part of the adventure.

The moon is very bright tonight and bounces off the sand. We went on an evening stroll. You just want it to last forever.

February 9, 2011 Wednesday

Goodmorning paradise! We woke up to a windy morning. It sure felt good. I did a little laundry and it was dry in a second and just like in a clothes dryer. I started painting the benches today. I have never done anything like this before and it is kind of fun. I finished the smaller ones so tomorrow I will do the big ones. I first put a kilnz on and then 3 coats of paint. Things dry super quick here. Then I noticed the front door needed a fresh coat. On it goes. Painting can get kind of addictive. One is always finding one more thing to paint. I found all kinds of things to "touch up".

Supper was in the oven while I was painting and suddenly it was ready and I was still painting. I quickly put it away and had food on the table when I realized Richard was in the shower. I forgot it was "wet your whistle Wednesday" at Southern Cross Club. We ate in a hurry, left the dishes and tried to make me presentable. I was a mess. I combed my hair and put on some lipstick and got on the bike and headed to SSC. Everyone was there and we had a good time. We got caught up with the island folk.

Today Richard got some more shutters done. I took a photo of him on the scaffolding. We didn't get to snorkel today again. We thought it was too windy and the waves would make it difficult to get in the water. We can try tomorrow. This afternoon Richard noticed the bone fish were feeding right outside the house. He jumped off the scaffolding and ran for his kayak. The waters were a little rough but he managed to catch a couple bone fish. He sure looked happy on his return.

Tonight we sat out on the porch and enjoyed the beach after dark. The moon is almost half now and we could see just a little. It was so pretty and peaceful. This afternoon I also squeezed in a short hammock snooze. The coconut trees kept me perfectly shaded and there was a gentle breeze. How great is that!

Attached are a couple photos of the beach in progress. This year our priority was to finish the shutters. It is a big project.

February 8,2011 Tuesday

After a warm, still night we awoke to another perfect day in paradise. It was another work day for us. Richard worked hard at the shutters. He received scaffolding from Richard the builder last night. That will definitely help. I worked more on raking the beach and then tackled the front yard. I think that is it for me. I am going to have fun for awhile now. Enough work!

The middle of the afternoon today it suddenly started to rain. It smelled so good! I just ran around in it like a nut. It didn't rain down at Southern Cross. Just our area. We enjoyed it.

I made a meat loaf tonight for dinner. At 6:30 I then headed over to the Blue Lagoon for ladies night. There was nine of us there tonight. We had a fun time. I could have eaten dinner there too but decided just to have a drink and visit.

This should be a good sleeping night tonight. The air is cooler with less humidity. Today I took some photos of the grounds. Tomorrow I will post some updates. I might do some painting tomorrow too. I just remembered that I want to paint the benches in the house. I also still have to paint the base area of the new porch. I'm not sure I can do it as it is so high up. I don't care for ladders very much.

Richard just announced he wants to do some fishing tomorrow, so it sounds like he is ready for some fun too. We think we have decided on a name for our house. Sea Shack was a good one but now we are leaning towards The Gecko Shack. Ah, decisions!

February 7, 2011 Monday

Sunday was Super Bowl Sunday. We had a hearty breakfast after awaking to a beautiful day. We worked on hurricane shutters and made good progress. I have become a painting fool! In the afternoon I decided I didn't like that bush in the middle of my beach. It was hard work but I removed it. What a difference! Then Richard started removing things on the Blue Lagoon side of our property. Now we see tons more of our beach water. It is sure nice. We'll take more photos to remember it when we are all done this year. Some of the bush stuff grew too much along the walkway next to our steps, so I tackled it. Wow, does it look nice now. This took all afternoon. We finally stopped around 4:00. Time to get ready for the Party. Boy, did I have a good time. They showed it on a huge screen, outside. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. Dinner was wonderful, of course. We met Pete and Karen. They built a new house next door to Head o Bay. Really nice place they call Mango Manor. We are thinking of naming our place the Sea Shack. Another couple who stay a week every year at SSC arrived Sunday too. It was nice to see them again.

When the game was over we hopped on our bikes and pedaled on home. It was so nice to have our new lights on our bikes. What a peaceful ride home. We enjoyed it. I did not blog as it was 10:30 when we got home. Off to bed we go.

Monday, it is back to work for us. Not a cloud in the sky all day and 85 degrees again but there we were painting and installing shutters. We do have 12 to construct. Richard is a slave driver! No snorkeling for me again today.

Tonight is leftovers for supper, so that's easy. Maybe I'll squeeze in a kayak ride. But I just heard my hammock calling me. I am going to relax a little before dinner. This easy life is the greatest!

February 5, 2011 Saturday

Another busy day on Little Cayman. Of course, the weather is still so perfect. It is just hard to believe how perfect the weather is. I will forever remember it. Today was a big day. Richard installed my new microwave this morning. It was a ton of work because he had to put a new electric box in. Before I knew it, he had drilled into sheet rock and nothing was covered and the fans were on. Sheet rock dust was everywhere. I've never seen anything like it. I cleaned all morning. I'm including photos of the new micro. It looks very nice we think.

After lunch we started on the shutters. We are trying to mass produce them. Richard constructs and I paint. We got tired so I moved on to raking again on the beach and Richard decided it was time to fish. My kayak called to me and I took off on it. The water was so smooth. Just like glass.

We hung a hammock with the gecko from Emily on the living room wall. A designer said "use what you have", so I did. It looks great but I wonder if it should be a little lower. We also took the shelves down that were in the living room and it looks way better. Now we need a picture on the wall above the sofa. We put the tiny geckos in the bathroom. Cute!

Tomorrow we head to Southern Cross Club for the super bowl game. They are planning to show it on the big outdoor screen. It should be fun. This will give us a chance to try out our new lights on our bikes too. We'll be pedalling home in the pitch black. Look out! Let the good times roll!

February 4, 2011 Friday

Today the weather was perfect again. This is like a broken record. We should have been in the water but work was calling us. Richard got all the ceiling fans installed. We now have new ones everywhere except the bathroom. The fans on the porch are fabulous. Richard the builder came today and we discussed the new bathroom plans. He will build it when we are gone. He does a nice job. He also brought me a few items from his store. Great service. We gave our old fans to the Blue Lagoon as they still work fine and we didn't want to throw them out. Also they have a few that are in pretty bad shape.

We needed a few things from the "hardware" store so off we pedalled on our bikes. It is about 3 miles to the store. Good workout. When we got back I put a pork tenderloin roast on the grill with potatoes. It was very good. Now I have leftovers too. Easy meals ahead.

This was a kind of run of the mill kind of day. I enjoyed the outdoors every chance I got. There has been tons of snow and cold back home so we are fortunate to be here and warm.

February 3, 2011 Thursday

These two photos show Brandon and I at the Wharf Restaurant on the first night on arriving at Grand Cayman on Jan. 26.

Brandon and Richard ate lunch on the "extra day" at The Lighthouse Restaurant at Grand C. The other photo is Brandon at the Blow Holes at G.C.

Here is Brandon getting on the plane to leave Little Cayman. It is a very small plane. I had to say goodby to him here.



This shot is Brandon having a drink at the outdoor rest. at the Marriot. Water in the backgroung.

Thursday I awoke after another night all alone here on the little island. I slept very well again in this fresh warm air. After a quick breakfast and some morning chores I headed to the barge location to pick up our items that we bought at Grand Cayman. There was no one else there so I tried and tried to climb up into the container to no avail. These are the containers just like on a train while waiting at the crossing gate when driving. I was getting my clothes all rust and dirt stained. Finally, Fernando, who works at Southern Cross Club, drove up to get more of their supplies. He was a sweetheart and passed my things down to me. I loaded my vehicle and drove to the new grocery store. It is called the Little Cayman Distributors. They had just received their fresh fruit and veggies on the barge. I bought some nice grapes that cost me $12.42. Yes, that is twelve! Still, I sure had fun buying groceries. I headed back to the house. This car is making life so easy here.

After a nice lunch, I headed to the airport to meet Richard's 1:30 flight. He arrived and we headed home. He got busy installing one of the new ceiling fans in the bedroom as it is very hot at night without it.

At 4:00 we headed back to "town" to return the wonderful vehicle. Perry Mclaughlin (car guy) drove us back to the house. On the way home he took us to see his house. He wanted to show us his mango trees. He has a whole orchard of them. He has a very fruitful hobby! We had to, of course, refill the gas we used in the car. They were completely out of gas so they were expecting new to come in last night. The cost went up 39 cents a gallon CY. so it will be around 45 cents US more. They get the gas here from South America and it is extremely expensive. This is why we will ride the bikes now, I guess. I made supper and then tried to write on my blog but the internet wouldn't work. I had to wait and do it the following morning. That was O.K. as I was ready to sleep anyway. This life of leisure seems to exhaust me.

We got good news that Brandon made it back to the States and is safe in his own apartment again. It is back to work and battling the cold and snow for him. Hopefully, he has some warm and fun memories to get him through. It was sure fun to have him here.

February 2, 2011 Wednesday

It is a hot day here today. I don't want to complain as it is 2 degrees at home with 30 below wind chills. It was 90 degrees in my house today. I had to move slowly. I spent the night alone last night. It was so quiet. I slept good though. Richard called around 7:00 a.m. and let me know that Brandon's flight to Chicago was cancelled. I guess they are getting 24 inches of snow and very high winds. Everything is cancelled back home. Even ISU cancelled. Brandon and Richard are staying another night in Grand Cayman. What a place to be stranded! It is nice Brandon doesn't have to be alone.

I worked around the house and in the yard today. The beach is starting to look pretty good. I don't have a camera right now, so I can't publish new photos. We are going to take pics of the grounds and house when we get some touch ups done.

Today the barge came in. I went to get our stuff but I was a little early so then I stopped at the new grocery store that Richard M. (the builder) started up. He is giving the other tiny store some competition. It has helped bring prices down some. He was there and offered to get my stuff if Richard doesn't get back in time. This is a nice favor as I have to climb way up into the box car from the barge to get our stuff off of a pallet. I got up in the other one that was still there from last week as there were a few things in it. At first I thought I got there late. But no!, I was early.

Today my little gecko friend from last year finally came out to see me again. Right at the bottom of the steps. Same place as last year. Is he really the same one? Hello gecko! It is only 8:30 here but I am going to bed. This perfect life is wearing me out.

We had a beautiful sunset tonight. It was so peaceful and the water was so smooth. I thought about going snorkeling out front of the house today but thought I better save my sunburned legs. They are pretty bad. I stopped at Southern Cross Club today pretty much just to talk to someone. Plus it felt pretty good to get in the car and use the air conditioner.

February 1,2011 Tuesday

Brandon and I getting ready to snorkle.

Brandon and I snorkling.

Brandon with one of his nice catches.

Just a note: I am having trouble with posting photos this year.

This blog is including Jan. 31 and Feb 1 as I got kicked off the internet last night and it destroyed my blog. We had totally beautiful weather here yesterday. Richard went to the store here and picked up a few things and bought valves for the washing machine. Suddenly my washer was leaking terrible. He turned off the water but forgot the hot and flooded the whole bathroom. That floor is nice and clean now. Still, I am very gratefull he is a "jack of all trades"

We had an early lunch and then Richard and Brandon went fishing. They were able to walk on out on the reef and as Brandon was walking suddenly there was a giant 2 foot lobster coming right at him. It was real red with a little yellow on it. The feelers were almost 2 ft long too. He put his paddle out in front and the thing start poking it. What an adventure. He also caught 4 nice fish and 2 barracuda that escaped. It sure was fun to hear him tell the story.

In the afternoon I raked the beach side of the yard. Then I had the hard job of holding down my wonderful teak beach chair and read a fun book. After a dinner of roast beef and potato salad and broccoli the glorious day was complete. This was the day our friends, the Arthurs, headed to Mexico for a week of warm weather. Perfect timing as Ames is getting a bunch of snow and cold temps. this week. Boy are we glad to miss it.

Today, our camera broke. Brandon is leaving his with us to use. What a great son. Thank you Brandon.

February 1, Tuesday

Today was cloudy when we woke up but it cleared up nicely when the sun woke up. This is Brandons last day with us. It sure was fun to have him along. We ate breakfast, did some chores and about 10:30 headed to Bloody Bay on the North Side. Boy did we snorkle. We saw the best of everything. Brandon really loved it. He said he liked it better than Point of Sands.

Unbeknowanced (is that a word) to me, I forgot to put sun block on the back of my legs. I have third degree burns all over the back of my legs. Good heavens! They are on fire. I was out there 3-4 hours! I had the most fun ever though. We had a good hearty lunch after that workout and got clean up. Brandon packed his bag. We took a few photos and a little later headed to the airport. Of course, we went to the Hungry Iguana and each had a fun drink. We sat outside by the water and waited for the plane to arrive.

Richard went along to Grand Cayman with Brandon. He will shop for a new pump tomorrow before coming back to LC. So Brandon will head to Chicago at 8:00 a.m. and hope he doesn't get stuck in the airport. Chicago is getting 24 inches of snow. It is a pretty bad storm. But all one can do is go to get your flight and see if the plane takes off. I just want him to be safe.

So, I am here all alone at the house for the first time. It is super quiet as I have no TV or radio. A tiny island just doesn't have any noise. Good thing I am good at talking to myself. There won't even be any snoring noise in the background tonight.