Thursday, January 26, 2023

Time flies when you are having fun!  It is Thursday already. I'm sitting here typing this in airconditioned comfort.  Yesterday, I gave in and turned on the air!  Usually we don't turn it on until sometime in March but I guess its Global Warming making me too warm this year.  Our weather is so perfect but somehow it's hot in the house!  

I went grocery shopping to our tiny store today.  They had eggs and bananas so it was a big deal! I placed an order by email to a store on Grand last Saturday and still haven't heard a word.  Seems everything has changed since the pandemic happened.  One has to really slow down and not expect things to happen while here.  Richard ordered lumber from Grand. It was supposed to arrive on yesterdays barge. We got the bill by email from the barge (90.00CI). But no lumber.  Turns out the shipping company didn't want to put just one flat of lumber on.  It was the only lumber that week.  So they just let it sit!  Richard was anxious to work!  We are replacing all the decking around our house.  It is not a small amount of lumber! The shipper said not to pay the bill until it arrives. Well yes!!

Last Sunday my molar broke off while eating.  Monday was a holiday here, so on Tuesday I flew to Brac to see a dentist.  He put a temporary filling and said to eat only a soft diet until I get home the end of April. I need a crown. Turns out the dentist is coming here tomorrow (Friday).  I could have seen him here and saved a lot of money!  What a riot! 

Richard and I are still running around in dirty clothes!  The next barge arriving will bring my machine and the lumber.  It'll be like Christmas! 

Saturday, January 21, 2023

 The weather continues to be perfect here in paradise.  Back home it is cold and snowy so am I in the right place at the right time!!

I've been very busy getting back in the "swing of things" here.  Our store is empty so I placed an order to Brac and it finally arrived.  I forgot a lot of things though. I guess I panic ordered!!!  So I placed a big order to a place on Grand tonight.  It is kind of scary not having a grocery store on island.  What is going on?  

Today, I started my first load of laundry.  Richard had a ton of things already.  My washer broke down.  I luckily went back there for something else and discovered water flooding everywhere.  What a disaster.  It is not the hoses but somehow the actual machine.  I ordered a new stackable from Grand.  It will be here in 2 weeks if the barge makes it.  Guess I will wash clothes in the bathtub???  Fun! Just another adventure while living on a tiny island in the Caribbean.

Richard took the boat out this morning and came back with tuna!  We had tuna for supper tonight and it was so yummy!  This is living! 

Thursday, January 19, 2023

We have finally arrived back on island!  Seems like we have been gone forever and yet as if we never left.  The weather is so perfect, it is indescribable.  How I've missed this beautiful sunshine and the gorgeous waters.  It is so quiet here, one cannot help but relax. 

This was the first time our trip was postponed.  Richard went on his proverbial ski trip as usual and came home with Covid!  We were super careful not to spread it but somehow I managed to catch it too.  We finally arrived on Grand Tuesday the 17th.  Spent that night at the Holiday Inn.  It was lovely!  After getting up at 3:30 in the am we were ready to relax. We ate dinner at the Wharf Restaurant and boy was it yummy.  Watched the sunset into the Caribbean as we ate. It is our tradition to eat at the Wharf whenever we are on Grand Cayman.  We both slept great but had to rise again at 4:00 in the morning to get a 7:00 flight to Little Cayman.  I took a photo of the sunrise on our flight over!  Our luggage all arrived too.  Once we loaded up the truck we headed to Seahorse Boutique/Coffee Shop for a yummy breakfast.  

We arrived at our house and everything looked great.  It is good to be home! 

April 16, 2022 Saturday

 I haven't posted for a long time.  I'll have to think back to update things.  Emily and Sheldon both arrived and we had a wonderful week together.  Very hard to say goodbye.  They did a lot of diving and hung out at the pool and just enjoyed the island.  They seemed pretty happy and were sad to leave. 

The other day, when I returned from my morning walk, I was down on our beach.  I looked in front of me at the water and there about 2 feet from the edge was a hammerhead shark!!  He was probably 5 feet long or a little more.  First I thought it was a nurse shark but there was no denying it was a hammerhead!  When Richard got back later, he said other people on the island have reported seeing them too.  I guess they come in to have their young. Glad I wasn't in the water then!  

Richard has been catching tons of fish.  He is happy!  The day before yesterday, he caught a record size Tuna!  Very exciting!!  We donated it to CCMI.  Central Caribbean Marine Institute.  They are having a fish fry.  

We are flying home on Tuesday.  Monday we have an appointment to get Covid tested.  One still has to test negative to get into the USA.  The weather here has been spectacular!  We have been snorkeling tons of times.  Our reefs here are in perfect condition.  The water is smooth, warm, and lovely.  I've seen every fish imaginable and turtles and sharks and on and on!  So fun!.  

Our truck did arrive.  I was surprised how nice it is.  We never saw it before purchasing it, so I was relieved.  The air conditioner works which is great since it has been very hot here.  I've started getting some things ready for our return home.  Today I cleaned ceiling fans and of course, did laundry.  We went to the Little Cayman Trust House Easter Auction this afternoon and evening.  They have a live and silent auction.  Richard made off with a really special bottle of rum.  A private stock bottle! 

April 19 is fast approaching.  We will get home about midnight!  It's a long day of airport world.  

March 28, 2022 Monday

 We are enjoying another beautiful day here in paradise. Little Cayman, that is!  Life is busy here.  Today while eating our lunch on the porch, Lionel the huge iguana, lumbered up the steps to join us.  He just sat with us and walked around a little and mosied away. What a riot!  There must have been about 25 birds came in to the bird bath while we sat there.  It is just an old tiny frying pan I set out for them. They seem to love it.  I love how the birds settle right next to us and bathe.  We continue to be entertained by the variety of wildlife here on the island.  It is so different than in Iowa.  

Saturday, we were at the Hungry Iguana for a BBQ and live music.  We sat near the waters edge and the view is gorgeous.  What a fun evening.  Another thing we can't do in Iowa.  The music was provided by a guy singing to recorded songs. He was super talented.  It was very popular songs and from a wide variety of eras.  Somehow he tried to sound like Sinatra singing New York, N Y. and a popular Elvis song and CCR and all my favs.  Everything had the Caribbean beat to it though.  It was fabulous! But, the guy is the meter reader here on the island! What a riot!  He sang for two hours straight with no breaks.  

Our new truck should finally arrive this week.  We haven't seen it yet so it'll be a surprise.  Hopefully, it's not in bad shape.  I wonder if the air conditioner works?

Emily is coming for a visit and we are thrilled.  She will arrive on the 7th. of April.  Some serious diving will commence during her stay.  Poor Sheldon isn't coming.  He has a work trip and Emily didn't want to stay home alone. 

Things are still very quiet here on the island.  It is lovely, but very different.  Our tiny grocery store finally got some supplies in a few days ago.  What a relief!  For two weeks there were not even any potatoes.  Richard has been catching many fish so we are happy about that.  The waters are calm, clear and lovely.  Snorkeling is a dream! Our reefs are in beautiful condition.  

March 18, 2022 Friday

 I'm still here in paradise! The weather here this year has been really great.  Pretty much hot and sunny every day with a nice breeze.  If I sit in the shade with a breeze it is absolutely ideal.  I am sure living the good life! 

Today, we bought a new used truck.  It is on Grand yet.  Our current truck has seen its better days.  This environment is hard on things.  Someone is buying it though, so that is good.  The poor thing won't go to the junk yard.  

We had a great snorkel again today.  We saw a very large beautiful angel fish, a nurse shark, a huge school of blue tang, and numerous others!  On the way in I spotted a flounder laying on the bottom just a few feet from shore.  He was almost invisible!  All you could see was his eye moving.  What fun!!  How lucky am I to be able to snorkel whenever I want!! That's why they call it paradise!  

Tonight we are watching ISU play in the NCAA tournament.  We had an early supper of tuna so we don't miss a basket! 

   

March 10,2022 Thursday

I'm still here in paradise!  This poor blog has not been tended to lately.  I've been busy having fun and enjoying being here.  Our weather has been pretty much perfect everyday!  

We have plenty of fish to eat as the fishing has been great and the boat is in good repair.  We snorkeled in a new spot yesterday and got lucky to see a "slipper lobster".  It is also called a "spanish lobster".  It looked totally prehistoric!  Walking along the bottom, totally ignoring us gawking at it!  Six legs!  We also saw lobster the size of humans!  I've never seen them so big! Lots of them!!  

People have started arriving to stay at the little resorts here.  They are no longer empty.  It is not up to normal yet but this is so encouraging.  Thank goodness!  

Tomorrow we will hit the water again.  We are so lucky to be here.