October 8, 2010

windswept seaweed

i love the rainy season here!

we don't have snow to shovel but the beach does

get awfully messy with seaweed, driftwood, and tons of garbage.

i am trying to recondition carlos because he was told he 

didn't need to clean the beach except when the owners come down

but i say...

yes you DO need to clean the beach

it is part of our property and it needs to be cleaned

so i guess there is some shovelling but at least it isn't cold!

 today is a lovely day for us in the rainy season

ahhh blue sky, mild temperatures, and a vigorous wind blowing

if you look at the photo you will see the waves in the background

usually the sea is very calm but i love the fringe of white caps

that are roaring over the reef these days

so picturesque 

before coming here i was concerned about the rainy season

since i read on the internet that it is from october to february

and i imagined days and days 

and months and months of rain

with dreary grey skies and depressing weather

we do get alot of rain

but often the sky breaks, the sun comes out,

and it is just a beautiful day with wonderful moderate temps

in fact i love the rainy season!!

it is a time for drinking tea,

reading books,

and turning on the oven without turning the house into a sauna.

an adjustment to the rainy season is learning to drive in the pouring rain

many of the taxi drivers don't slow down, and with their balled tires 

they are more accidents due to slippery roads.

driving in the rain is like learning to drive in the snow

you need to slow down and be a bit more cautious

one of the highlights for me 

(other then the cooler temperatures)

is gardening!

everything grows at a phenomenal rate in the rainy season

carlos and i have been planting like crazy.

this is how you do it here:

you take a branch of a plant 

(hibiscus, plumeria, ginger.. whatever!)

you prune it back,

you stick in the ground,

and within a week it starts to sprout!

amazing!

i know alot of people put their tender plants in plastic bags 

and transplant them

but we just put them right in the garden and hope the dog doesn't

run them down.

it is a joyous time for me!!

this weekend is canadian thanksgiving

we are having carlos and his family over for dinner on sunday.

that ought to be interesting since none of his family speaks a lick of english!!

haha..

oh the joys of living cross culturally!  

i am thankful for this wonderful opportunity to blend, and love and learn here 

on this island

the only thing that would make it better:

  YOU!