Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Hello from paradise!  Today I took a nap, a nice long one.  In the night, Richard woke me up as it was raining.  It rained about one second!  A big wind had started and brought us a few drops.  He was planning on going fishing but at 5:30 the waves were too big at the cut so they cancelled.  These are all good excuses for a nap!  The wind was blowing this morning but calmed later in the afternoon.  It was a lovely day.  I did some jungle cutting and raked up a lot of sea grape leaves and did a workout in the morning. 

This afternoon we organized the back underneath of the house.  We have a lot of lumber left over from building the Murphy bed.  It looks very nice and clean down there now. 

Natalie and Michael arrive tomorrow.  We are so excited to see them and have fun with them here on the island. 

Monday, February 25, 2019

Today was a perfect day in paradise!  I could not have asked for more perfect weather.  We got up early so Richard could go fishing.  The boat battery problem is finally solved.  Keeping this boat running here is an adventure in itself!  We had a couple over for dinner last night and he went fishing with Richard this morning.  While they fished, I did my workout and then worked on some outside trimming.  This work could be done everyday. 

After lunch, I was reading in my hammock on the beach.  I felt the slightest tap on the edge of my hammock.  There joining me was a nice green anoli.  He was a good sized one.  He walked along the edge of my hammock and every once in awhile stopped to look at me.  I talked to him and he would cock his head trying to understand my gibberish.  We had such a nice time! 

We made a quick trip to our tiny grocery store.  No bananas, a couple cartons of eggs left that have a couple days left before expired, sandwich meat that is outdated, no milk, no yogurt.  This is hard!  When we got back to the house, I got in the water.  I forgot all about our sad little store. 

Saturday, February 23, 2019

Tonight I fixed chicken fajitas for dinner and boy were they yummy.  I wish we could catch some of these roosters roaming around our island and cook them for dinner.  All of a sudden we have a lot of chickens!  They are just wanting to be a free meal!  Ha!

Today was a great day!  The weather was spectacular and I am just happy to be here.  This afternoon, we went snorkeling.  We went to the bloody bay wall but down to a different area.  The coral was so beautiful.  Our coral is alive and healthy.  The coral off of Florida is pretty much dead now.  We are doing everything we can to keep our coral healthy. 

These two conch got turned upside down.  Richard dove down and righted them.  Poor guys.

Thursday, February 21, 2019

It was a beautiful day today here on Little Cayman.  This morning, I tidied up the beach.  The famous sticker removal job.  Of any work one can do, that is the worst!  I can cut brush in the jungle, move heavy rocks, rake dinner plate size leaves...nothing compares to sticker removal from sand.  It must be done.  I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in the sticker maze.  Each year it is less of a problem.

This afternoon, I celebrated this glorious day in the water.  How lucky am I!!  This evening we went to a presentation on Mercury levels in fish.  It was presented by Dr. Cecelia Chen from Dartmouth College.  She is working with the CCMI research lab on Little Cayman.  When we got home we spent some time enjoying the beautiful starry sky.  Soon the bright moon will rise. 

We have finally found a few geckos on our property.  What a find!  This morning, a very large iguana named Lionel, visited us.  He brought with him two very young iguanas.  One was very small, and the other just a little bit bigger.  This is good news.  We want to have a good population of rock iguanas. 

Our new chest freezer is now safely installed in our storage room.  It arrived on the barge with no issues.  Now I can stock up on food when they have something in our tiny store.  We are really accumulating things on this island.  The freezer will be another thing to do when we leave in April.  It will have to be defrosted and cleaned too.     

Wednesday, February 20,2019

This morning I did my workout and it was a hot day for it.  Boy, did I sweat!  I did a load of laundry and other house work.  Doesn't take long to get things done here as this is not a huge house.  I also spent time enjoying the beach so I guess one could say, I get easily side tracked! 

Last night, I was in a deep sleep when I was rudely awakened by heavy rain blowing in the windows.  2:30 in the morning and I fly out of bed to close windows! Our cisterns are full again!  It is so strange how these rains show up out of nowhere.  Very different that Iowa.  As long as I wake up to sunshine, I am fine with an overnight rain shower. 

After lunch, we put my kayak in the back of the truck and headed to the north side.  It was time to do some lobstering.  We snorkeled the reef looking for them.  We put a rock anchor to secure the kayak.  This will be used to haul our mighty load of lobster to shore.  I saw tons of colorful fish and beautiful coral.  I did not see a single lobster!  Richard and Mark both saw a little one.  It was a wonderful time.  It was fine to not get a lobster.  We see really giant lobster when we are in protected waters.  It is like they know to stay where they are safe from us predators. 

Cutie Pie continues to hang out here on our property with us.  I'm so glad he is here yet.  The little bananaquits are loving our water on the porch.  The geckos are gone.  Boy do I miss them.  I hope something is done with all the feral cats on the island.  What a shame!  In just a couple years they took over. 

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Hello paradise!  It was a beautiful morning so I went on a super long bike ride.  Then I lounged on the beach until lunch time.  What a bum I have become! 

We have the most beautiful moon rise again tonight.  I keep trying to get a good photo.  It was so orange and gigantic coming up right on the edge of the coconut tree.  I will always remember it as my pictures just do not make the grade. 

Tonight's moon rise!  It looks like the sun is coming up!  Crazy!

Monday, February 18, 2019

It was another perfect day in paradise.  I was tempted to sleep in this morning as we were out last night.  There was a fund raiser for the Little Cayman Museum and everyone on the island was there.  They were auctioning off photographs.  They were all spectacular and one could spend a tremendous amount of money bidding on them.  I did not!  I did try at the raffle though.  Before we went to the "affair" some friends had us and two other couples over for drinks and hors d'oeuvres.  We sat on their porch looking over the water.  It was a lot of fun!  They had hors d'oeuvres at the fundraiser too.  Really fancy ones. 

We got home late last night and went down on our beach.  There was a little breeze and it was so very nice.  I could have spent the whole night out there. 

Tonight there is a full moon and it is so bright.  I took a photo, but my camera skills are lacking. 

We picked up our mattress yesterday.  It is the wrong one!  This is such a total nightmare!  I called the store and they said it is not worth sending back.  They will have someone they know come pick it up and they are sending us the correct one.  They will pay my shipping fees for the wrong one also.  I must have spent $100 on phone calls trying to get this all figured out!  What a riot!! 

I tried to get a shot of the moon behind the coconut tree from the window.  Note quite right!

Watching the sunset from a hammock on the beach.

Our boat and our beach in the background.  Notice the beach chairs and house behind.

Good night moon!

Saturday, February 16, 2019

It was a hot, very calm day today on our island paradise.  This is what we wanted, as Richard and Mike were driving Mike's new boat over from Grand Cayman today.  They flew over and boated back.  90 miles in the open ocean.  They made it! 

Today I did a work out early and spent time on the phone trying to find our missing mattress.  Late morning it finally showed up!  What a relief!  I spent the afternoon in the water. 

Last night we entertained guests for dinner.  I think I finally figured out how to fix fish tacos.  They were yummy.  That is my new favorite food. 

Tonight it was just Richard and I.  I fixed a bunch of vegges on the grill along with New York Strip Steaks.  Richard likes steak. 

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Happy Valentines Day!  We had a sunny nice day this morning and late morning it thundered and started to rain.  Our cistern is happy to be filled up again.  Luckily, the sky cleared and it is perfect in paradise again.  We enjoyed a lovely sunset. 

Our adventure today involved the anticipated arrival of our new mattress.  When we got to the barge containers there were mattresses, but ours wasn't there.  After numerous phone calls, it has been discovered that ours is missing!  Thompson Shipping is checking the Brac to see if it was sent there by accident.  The crazy thing was, our exact mattress WAS on the barge.  It was labeled for someone else.  Another person on the island ordered our exact mattress also.  Theirs arrived and our is missing.  This has all been confirmed.  So we wait.  I hope they find ours.  Once again, it's a good thing we are in paradise. 

Adventure number two involves the boat.  This morning at 6:00 A.M. Richard went out to start the boat and pick up a couple guys for fishing.  The battery was dead!  He has replaced it twice now.  Finally, he has figured out the problem.  He needs a part that has gone bad.  In the meantime he by-passed wired it and is good to go for tomorrow.  We hope!!

We are so excited to have finally seen Cutie Pie this season.  Yesterday evening, there he was in the yard by our new coconut trees.  He has matured.  I think he remembers us as he didn't fly away. 

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

We have been busy here on the island.  Last night we entertained friends and during the day it seems we go non-stop.  This sunshine gives one so much energy.

Today, we went to the north side and snorkeled.  It was one of the best times, ever!  Wow!  What fun!

The barge didn't make it here with our mattress and lamp today.  Tomorrow is the big day instead. 

I ordered a small chest freezer and another air conditioner yesterday.  We have really started to accumulate things here.  The power company will be happy with my purchases. 

Getting in the water.  Notice the white sand and clear water.  What a day!

Richard ready to get in.

A turtle busy eating.

This is a very large lobster.  He doesn't look as large on this photo!

 

Sunday, February 10, 2019

I am like a broken record, always writing what a beautiful day it was on our paradise island.  It is so wonderful to every day wake to sunshine and warm temperatures.  Today I did my workout and a load of laundry and moved furniture back into place.  With the Murphy bed finished, we finally have our house back.  We also put the air conditioner in the window.  When the kids arrive they need air conditioning.  Richard and I like the windows open.  If it gets a little warm, all the better! 

I bought a few items at our tiny grocery store today.  What an adventure that is!  Mostly, I just hung out on our spectacular beach.  What a happy, great day!

Can you find the Murphy bed?

My beautiful kitchen.

Still have the two sofa beds.

Air conditioner is installed.

So sunny outside!

It's a dining room!  

Saturday, February 9, 2019

It has been a very busy last couple of days here in paradise.  I have finished the Murphy bed finally.  We are just waiting for the new mattress to arrive on the barge.  The barge is supposed to sail on Tuesday finally.  We have a new floor lamp also arriving.  How fun! 

I cooked dinner tonight after not cooking for the last two nights.  Friends invited us for dinner so I had a break from kitchen duty.  Tonight we had fresh caught black fin tuna, rice & black beans, lettuce salad with red and green pepper, broccoli, tomatoes and spinach.  I should have taken a photo of my plate.  We always eat very good on this island considering it is so hard to get food.  Of course, we ate on the porch.  We watched the sunset and sat out on the dock and visited with another couple we know.  We have been enjoying the gorgeous stars in the sky with the moon gone.  There are so many and they look like you could just reach up and touch them.  The Milky Way is spectacular here. 

Our property is looking very nice now.  I have been working hard at brush and tree removal and Richard did some serious larger tree removal.  The more we open up, the more there is available to clean out.  I love the before and after! 

Finished painting!

Murphy bed waiting for a mattress.

Catch of the day!

Beautiful sunset!

 

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

It was another beautiful day here in paradise.  I did my workout early and then enjoyed the beach.  Mid morning I worked clearing new growth along the driveway.  All our earlier hard work has paid off.  Now we just have upkeep.  Things are looking good around here. 

I am finished putting the paint primer on the bed.  Tomorrow, I will paint it.  I wonder how many coats it will take.  The type of paint they have available here usually takes several coats. 

My food order finally arrived on the last flight in today.  But only a few items showed up.  In the morning I will call Cargo and find out what happened.  My perishables didn't make it.  I hope they kept them refrigerated. 

It was another beautiful sunset tonight.  Our sky is clear so the stars will be plentiful tonight.  It is an amazing sight to see the starry sky here. 

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Today was another perfect, beautiful day in paradise!  I was busy today just enjoying being here.  A lot of my time was spent lounging on the beach and looking out at the peaceful water.  This afternoon, I started painting the Murphy Bed.  I did all the edging and then realized we have a roller but no paint tray.  So tomorrow I will hopefully find one in our tiny store. 

My food order did not arrive as planned today as one of the island planes broke.  Tomorrow is my day of arrival now. 

Today, Richard put up our Tiki lights on the porch.  We sat out after eating for a long time with them lit.  I just love Tiki lights!

Monday, February 4, 2019

It was another peaceful, calm, sunny, hot day on Little Cayman.  Totally perfect!  This morning, I did my workout.  I have to improvise a lot but I did it.  I do pull ups on a Sea Grape tree branch.  Yes! 

Richard went fishing. I did a load of laundry.  I sat on a beach chair and gazed at the beautiful water.  Egrets and other birds flew past.  Three lovely pelicans caught my eye.  After lunch on the porch, I finally accomplished a food order to be flown in from Grand.  I have been working on this for a week.  Very frustrating!  After contacting several stores on Grand, I finally found a salesman to sell me a floor lamp.  It will arrive on the barge with our new mattress.  No one knows when the barge will sail this week.  May not sail for at least another week!  Such is the life on our tiny island.  Patience is a virtue! 

This afternoon, I spent in the water.  It was so quiet and perfect.  I was so relaxed.  Suddenly, there was a huge explosion!!!  Smoke billowed instantly about 100 ft in the air.  The whole island shook.  I swear the water shook!  It was right across the road and down about 1/4 block from our property!  I got out of the water as fast as I could.  It looked like a nuclear bomb went off!  Richard raced on the scooter to see what happened! 

The quarry set off dynamite to mine limestone.  No warning.  Who knew!  Birds shot out into the sky and flew away to save themselves.  Usually they get rocks from Cayman Brac by boat.  Hopefully, they never do this on our island again.  Richard found rocks on our road from this.  Not a good situation at all.   

Tonight we had fish tacos on the porch and watched a gorgeous sunset,  grateful for the peaceful quiet once again. 

Sunday, February 3, 2019

Today is Super Bowl Sunday!  So far this has been a super bowl of a day on our beautiful, tiny island.  It is another day of no wind.  Everything is so quiet and peaceful.  The water is flat and pretty.  I took my bike on a long, long ride along the ocean and enjoyed scenery that is to die for!  Wow! 

Later in the morning, we went to our sad little grocery store.  I need sour cream so I can fix fish tacos.  They said it has been months since they received any.  Guess I'll have to fly it over from Grand because what's a taco without sour cream! 

After lunch, we took the kayaks out on an expedition.  Without wind, we had to paddle coming and going!  What a riot!  Boy, did I sweat!  When we returned home, I jumped in the water and spent the rest of the afternoon swimming with the fish. 

We are heading to Iggy's for dinner and to watch the big game tonight.

Carolyn paddling her red kayak.

visiting a house

Zoom in to see the egrets fishing along the reef.

Saturday, February 2, 2019

After the most beautiful sunset tonight, I am looking at a red sky that is reflecting onto the water that is flat like a mirror.  The world is turning red! 

It was a busy day.  This morning I rode my bike to help with a big beach clean up project.  We started at 8:00 A.M.  The weather could not have been more perfect.  The ocean washes in plastic that litters our beautiful beaches.  We ask everyone to encourage the banning of single use plastic.  It is ruining our environment. 

I spent time trying to order supplies from Grand Cayman.  We ordered a new mattress for the Murphy bed and now discover we need a floor lamp.  It is like pulling teeth trying to get this accomplished. 

The perfect way to forget your hassles is jump in the water.  I spent the afternoon enjoying the warm, clear relaxing Caribbean waters. 

Yesterday, I went in the water all afternoon too.  Then I laid on my beach chair under my umbrella and read my book.  That is what I dream of doing when I am home in Iowa. 

We went to dinner at SCC last night with friends.  It was so enjoyable to have a relaxing visit.  So the last two days have been pretty decent.  I think I'll stay here and enjoy myself for as long as possible.  Why leave paradise?

Here I am ready to sit down with my book on our beautiful beach.

Richard working on the Murphy bed.  It is now finished and waiting for me to  paint.