No Snow Here

Our days are spent getting out of bed anywhere from 5am-6:30am, doing a few stretches and then off for a walk. they now have an 'ocean walk' that runs all along the windy side of the island. Very nice for walking.Once back we sit on our stoop and have coffee and breakfast then off to the beach. Around 4pm the popcorn man comes calling. Hey Jess, he has a new bike this year. He doesn't use it on the beach but I'm sure it is much better than carrying that basket of stuff from bar to bar after beach time. He also has a new pair of white tennis shoes!
David tried out a possible new hobby. While sitting on our stoop we meet lots of folks. One couple was from Wisconsin and they happened to have a metal detector that they let David try for a day. He was excited about it and was sure that he would have one in his possession soon. So much for that. We didn't find a damned thing (thank goodness) so there will be no metal detector in our future! The things are not cheap!We eat supper in our apartment every other night or we go out to a local establishment. Our Isla friends Dick and Jean took us to a Cuban restaurant. It was a walk of maybe one mile down the island, back in the local area by a lagoon. A great place with good food.

On our way back we stopped to see what the locals were doing. They had a pile of fish fillets on the ground full of salt. They were processing them with salt and they happened to be shark.
Here the fillets are full of salt and lots of flies...yuck! Apparently they get sold to the main land.
And one of the shark mouths.
And a pit stop for a refreshment. apparently this rooster was hungry as Jean had him jumping for a piece of bread!

And later in the evening there we are again on our stoop chatting with the locals and tourists alike. David feeds the pigeons and I talk to the Mexican Gatos (sp?)
The Mexican flower...or our Habiscus
And...hey wait what is this doing here. My good friend Mary and Yoni making sure that we know what we are missing in Minnesota!

Carnival 2009

5 days prior to the beginning of Lent the Mexicans have one big celebration. There is dancing in the streets, good food and lots of beer. This year Isla added something special for the kids. They actually had rides. Of course I myself would not go on any of these rides....am sure that they are not inspected by anyone...however the folks here sure did not hesitate to ride.

Basketball throw

Performing in the streets

Food the wonderful home made food.

At this stand they made the shells by pressing them with a home made presser deal.

Snowcones

Yummy quesadellas, sopas, tacos.....

Some Changes Some Of The Same

We are here on our little island. It always amazes us how things change from year to year.

For those that have been here in the last couple of years you remember that the beach has been eroding and not coming back like usual. Well this year the beach is very nice and perhaps larger than I have seen it in a long long time. This is due to sand being pumped in from the ocean, which I have not yet got a picture of as they were not pumping yesterday when I had my camera...pic to come. It is quite the process and the kids love it.

They are trying to keep the sand on the beach with huge rubber 'socks' that are filled with sand to keep them in place and they then make a retaining type wall. The socks are, in this picture, in the water and running up the beach covered with sand. The green hose that you see is what they use to pump sand up from the ocean.And the kids playing on one of the many socks that are scattered along the beach.The beach in front of Cabanas Maria Del Mar where we most always sit. Big huh? Apparently the socks do work.So...Maria del Mar is the place that makes you pay for beach chairs and umbrellas. They must have gotten tired of many of us bringing our own chairs to the beach because they have now roped off a section of beach in front of their hotel. Of course it is the section that has all of the shade on the beach so.....here is the sign that 'warns' us all.HOWEVER the beach is a public place and they cannot keep people off of any particular area and many of us are under the shade in the afternoon anyway. So far we have not been told to leave.

There are now two new condos side by side. It seems that when they fill their swimming pools we get no water until the pools are filled. The islanders say that the 'privileged' get taken care of first.
Bugs, I don't know when you were last down here but the swing bar has not changed...here it is.

And Wes, this one is for you. David sitting in front of our Isla home with a cup of coffeeAnother thing that has changed...or maybe not...is that the Internet connection to my laptop is damned slow. I am not able to load pictures to the blog from my room or using the Internet cafe closest to our little apartment. SO we have to go to a coffee shop that has free Internet and drink their yucky, Loi would like it, coffee (you need to tell her that Kelly W!) SO since we don't like the coffee here updates may be a few days apart.

We love this place. After our walk each morning we grab the chairs and a cup of coffee and sit on the stoop talking to whoever will talk to us. Of course we can't understand much of what is said to us except 'Hola" and Buenos Dias". Here is the sun coming up on our street looking towards the windy side of the island.

More to come.

Happy Birthday

Lenny. We are so proud of you, you are a wonderful dad, a great husband, a cherished son and most of all an adult that you can be proud of. We love you.

You and your Grandma...get a load of that bouffant.Remember that plant that looked like a tree Len? That Granny had a green thumb.

You and your darling daughterWell this one isn't you and Julia but I love it anyway so here it is. Julia just started eating cereal and she loves it. Mom can't get it in fast enough!

Have a wonderful day Len

A Second Little Valentine's Day Wish

From our little Abigail. I just can't help it...have to share pictures of these grandbabies! Ry and Jen...she needs to be on a bear skin rug for this picture...cute!

By the way I am finally packed and ready to go.

My First Etsy Sale

I made my first sale just now. It was a special order for a bag and here it is....

Julia is helping me say Happy Valentine's Day to you all

Two Days And Counting

And I am still not packed nor do I have the house cleaned and ready for our dog/house sitter!

Mary...Grampa Otts and Joe Pye Weed feed the deer during the winter too! We saw this gal one early morning this week. It was still dark out which is why the picture is not real clear.

As The Sun Rises On Another Day

I am not yet packed for our trip! We leave for the cities this Sunday and fly out a week from today.

My type A personality has been lost and I have become a master procrastinator. It makes me just a little anxious to 'not be packed' yet and I am still in the process of sewing the multiple pair of shorts that I am taking along....however I am sure that it will all come together in the end.

So off of the computer and back on the sewing machine. Soon to come will be pictures of warm sunshine and blue water!

Aaahhh Winter

Since the snowmobile trail runs right past our house we get to see the trail groomer frequently.

Quite a contraption. The guys had to stop and wave as I took their picture.

Snow sculptures in a local town celebrating some cold day or another

We had no idea what this one was
A coffee cup in front of a local restaurant
A snowmobile in front of another
And our favorite...a VW bug in the grocery store parking lot. The theme seemed to be peace and love...and flowers in the daisy holder of the bug.

In fact when we first drove through town I thought it was an actual car that had been left in the snow.

We have a family of four deer living in our woods. They stay right on the edge of the tree line but I was able to get this shot.

Yes We Did

And a very proud time it was. I really had not given a whole lot of thought to the historical event that yesterday's inauguration was until I witnessed it on TV. President (oh how good that sounds!) Obama in my opinion was the person that gave us hope, the person for the job. Of course I know that he is black but I just didn't really think in those terms until I watched what it meant to other black folks and it hit me like a ton of bricks! Absolutely incredible all the way around! My friend Mary and I watched the inauguration together and both of us shed a tear here and there.

Watching history unfoldThey are a great pair. She will certainly be a strong and level headed first lady.These were the best words ever....President Barack Obama
Our new leaders
And the old boarding their helicopterBoth Mary and I did a heartfelt goodbye wave as they flew away...the sighs of relief were certainly audible!
I am not sure how I caught this but it is pretty cool don't ya think Mary?I think I snapped the two pictures one right after the other and one transposed itself on the other making a nice snapshot of the new watching the old fly away!!!!

While in the StP area I had my quarterly oncology appointment. All of my blood work was good, had a nice chat with the doc and on my way I went...see you again in four months!

And there was time spent with Julia and her dad. Kel was in Orlando for work so it was the three of us. Julia has changed a ton in just a few weeks. She is babbling and laughing almost constantly. She makes the strangest noise deep in her throat...I swear she will be talking in no time flat!


She now enjoys being on her feet although she needs help and this is one of her favorite places to be
Julia and Daddy having fun