Well Tuesday May 4th was one of those “good day/bad day” days. It was a bad day because it was the 1st anniversary of the death of my brother Bill (I miss you Bill!). It was a good day because Tricia passed her board of health review and got her license back. We drove into Dangriga and picked up the inspector so he could do her review. While taking him back to Dangriga I was trying to avoid some rather large rocks in the middle of Hopkins Road (as bad as any of the Mexican roads coming down to Belize) but got too close to the shoulder and hit a rock and blew both tires in the passenger side. The rock I hit tore huge chunks from both sidewalls. In my former stressed life I would have sounded like Darren McGaven in ‘Christmas Story, a long string of #^&*@+% words. But now…crap happens and there’s no use getting all upset about it because it means nothing in the grander scheme of things. Ron thumbed a ride back to Kismet to get his van so we could finish our mission. I had to leave my car parked on the side of because nothing is open after 5pm and it isn’t like you could call AAA for a tow. Thank God I brought 2 unmounted spare tires with me from the states and my spare tire is brand new. I won’t have to buy tires immediately but will have to start looking for replacement 17 inch tires at some point. It did cost me US$7 to have the 2 tires mounted but he had no balancing equipment. I’ll have to take it to a tire store the next time I’m in Dangriga.
So now that tourist season is over Tricia and Kismet is back in business. She actually had 6 couples show up this week and 2 stayed 2 nights and the other 4 stayed just overnight. Hopefully the tourist board will come and take the closed signs down soon and give her back her street signs back so she can hang them around the village.
My new palapa has definitely lowered the inside temperature of my home! Thank God because the outside temp had been breaking 100 degrees lately and the inside is now significantly cooler. With the fans on sleeping is a lot nicer too. Plus the roof shields the sunlight that used to come streaming through my bedroom window very early in the morning. I’ve been sleeping easier and later now, which is nice. Of course that makes me lazier because I do get up later and it’s closer to the temperature that sends me to my chair in the shade on the beach with a cold drink and a book instead of doing some of my chores. But with June and the rainy season almost here I’ll be idle anyway. This will be my 1st experience in Belize during the rainy season. We’ve been here for hurricane season a time or two and sat through, and actually enjoyed, a tropical storm once. Being that we always spent our wedding anniversary holiday in Belize planning to do absolutely nothing the rain made that easier. When the sun is out you almost feel like you should be doing something constructive like sightseeing. Almost is the operative word here. We did do absolutely nothing on our 2 week holiday and came back rested but not ready for the stress of everyday life, and work for me, back in our homes in Orlando and Atlanta. Hopefully this dry rainy season, plus the very hot weather which is warming up the water in the Caribbean isn’t a prelude to a busy hurricane season with category 2 & 3 storms because of all the warm water to feed them. I saw on CNN that the Hurricane Center is predicting 15 storms in the Caribbean and Gulf this season. Hopefully I won’t have to move up into inland Mexico to escape any…
I ran the Inn May 10-12 while Tricia and Ron went to visit her friend Jude for her birthday at her yoga resort up near san Ignacio. She offered to split any money I make but I turned it down. She does my laundry so I figure that’s an even trade. Hey, it’s worth it just to live here! Sadly, no one came until she and Ron got home. Two women, Denise and Claudette, from Houston. They will only be here for 2 nights.
Fishing was great May 6th and 8th. Thursday the 6th I caught a 3 and 4lb red snapper, a 4lb tarpon (the 1st I’ve ever landed), a 3lb snook, and a catfish all in one night. Saturday the 8th I caught a 6lb snook and a catfish. I split the snook with Peter because he gave me 3 nice catfish. I fed Tricia, Ron, and myself 2 nights. Mother’s day dinner I had a catfish fry. Shades of Florida and Georgia dinners past. Other than that fishing has been awful. Plus, the lagoon is almost closed to the sea. It happens this time every year and will be closed up for about 2 months or until there is a strong storm.
As always, stay well, keep happy, and practice peace. I am!!!
