One hundred bottles of... Oh, wait a minute.
It's not bottles of beer on the wall. It's one hundred days in office for Barack Obama. Wow! That anniversary seems to have come really soon. Has it really been 100 days?
I remember when I first heard the name Barack Obama way before the campaign for the presidency - probably when Mr. Obama was running for election to the US Senate in Illinois. I thought at that time that that was a really strange name and that he probably wouldn't go far in politics with a name like that.
Now that he's been our President for 100 days, it seems like the most natural thing in the world to say "President Barack Obama". And, that he's black. What a non-issue that is. I mean, it's cool that he's black and has a non-traditional name, and that he's our President. This alone makes it seem like we as Americans are once again part of the family of man, part of the world community and taking a proactive and forward-looking role in that community.
I like the feeling of unity, of togetherness that I get when reading about what Mr. Obama's administration is doing. There seems to be so many good things happening.
It wasn't unusual with the last administration to read some headline and think - What has America come to? This isn't or shouldn't be us. It always felt like the train was in danger of falling off the tracks, and in many cases had, in fact, fallen off the tracks and was trying to go in reverse.
With Mr. Obama's administration thus far, I feel that not only is the train on the tracks, but there's a momentum building for more and better accomplishments that will continue to make us all proud, once again, to call ourselves Americans.
Congratulations on your first 100 days, Mr. President, and, thank you.
Now, with that, I do happen to have some cold Belikin in the fridge. If you do make it down here to visit Belize and Prime Minister Barrow, and if you happen to make it up to Corozal, feel free to stop in. It'd be my privilege to shake your hand and to share a Belikin with you.
So, how's that for tying in the hundred bottles of beer thing?
29 April, 2009
27 April, 2009
They Don't Miss A Lick
Just this afternoon I got the following email:
At least they're getting off the old broken record of promising to make Mr. Johnson as big and hard as a tree stump.
It's interesting, in a forensic sort of way, that the email address came from the UK and the URL is from our good friends at the PRC - that's the People's Republic of China, for those who are acronymically challenged.
Gosh, I wonder what will come to my inbox next?
Subject: First US swine flu victims!Now I'm sure we'll be inundated with spam promising to cure swine flu, or prevent it, or...
From: Latricia Appell (email address from the UK, of all places)
Time: 13:28
To: Me at my email address (and fifty bazillion other folks, no doubt)
Got question about our goods? 24-7 our specialists are online to help you http://at a bullshit Chinese URL.
At least they're getting off the old broken record of promising to make Mr. Johnson as big and hard as a tree stump.
It's interesting, in a forensic sort of way, that the email address came from the UK and the URL is from our good friends at the PRC - that's the People's Republic of China, for those who are acronymically challenged.
Gosh, I wonder what will come to my inbox next?
Oiling the Deck and Frogs in the Gutter
Ok, I think it's "grab-bag" time again. I seem to have a collection of unrelated things to shovel out onto the ether.
First up, it's been a while now since we had our deck installed. The recommendation locally was to use "burnt" oil. That is, used motor oil. That didn't sound too good to me, what with knowing there's a strong liklihood of contamination of the oil with heavy metals and other chemical changes in the oil from the engine processes over time. So, I opted for new 30wt Texaco.
Cody got started, luckily on a day where we had no rain and made great progress. Actually, he got better than half done yesterday, finishing it this morning. It took almost a whole case of oil.
First up, it's been a while now since we had our deck installed. The recommendation locally was to use "burnt" oil. That is, used motor oil. That didn't sound too good to me, what with knowing there's a strong liklihood of contamination of the oil with heavy metals and other chemical changes in the oil from the engine processes over time. So, I opted for new 30wt Texaco.
Cody got started, luckily on a day where we had no rain and made great progress. Actually, he got better than half done yesterday, finishing it this morning. It took almost a whole case of oil.
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| Cody Finishing the Deck |
Now, I know you're probably saying in your mind, something about the runoff, pollution, etc. I thought that too. That is, until I saw how speedily the wood absorbed the oil. You could watch it soaking in. And we only put on a single light coat. I don't think there will be much chance of runoff with it being absorbed into the deck the way it has. Besides that, down here, the major concern is bugs. Bugs eating your wood, even preserved wood will eventually fall prey to the little buggers. The popular wisdom is to use oil to prevent them from attacking. It also really brought the wood to life. The grain of the wood just leaps out at you.
I did take a check on the canal this morning after a light shower. There wasn't even a sheen, so I'm confident there is no runoff.
Sometime yesterday morning, while I was taking a shower, Dianna was being courted by a rather large frog, who had climbed up the down spout for the gutter. In this picture, he's about two feet from the very top, and in fact, later moved up and into the gutter itself. After that, we sort of lost track of him.
I did take a check on the canal this morning after a light shower. There wasn't even a sheen, so I'm confident there is no runoff.
Sometime yesterday morning, while I was taking a shower, Dianna was being courted by a rather large frog, who had climbed up the down spout for the gutter. In this picture, he's about two feet from the very top, and in fact, later moved up and into the gutter itself. After that, we sort of lost track of him.
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| Mr. Frog Visiting |
And showing that we're moving little steps at a time, getting closer to installing the mosaic, here's Cody (he's a busy man) painting some blue trim on the pump house. He'll next finish with the terracotta color on the walls. I've had him leave the face bare, as that's where I'm going to stick the mosaic. Any painting needed after it's installed will be handled at that time. I just don't want anything to interfere with the adhesion of the mosaic to the concrete.
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| Blue Trim Going Up |
Bypassing Your Local Monopoly
Say you live in some smallish, country, oh say, in Central America (just for grins), and you have to rely on the local landline telecommunications provider.
Let's say you want to use Skype (http://www.skype.com) or some other software that may or may not prevent some monopoly or other from sucking more of your hard-earned cash than you want to give them.
And, again, just for grins, let's say that this monopoly (or near monopoly) happens to routinely block whatever software you would like to use.
What can you do? That is, what can you do without really going out of your way financially to bypass their controls? Hmmm. That's a problem, isn't it? Or, is it?
You just might want to try something like Hotspot Shield (http://hotspotshield.com/). A free program from AnchorFree (http://www.anchorfree.com/), it protects your entire surfing session, ensuring an anonymous and censor-free Internet experience. That is, until the monopoly figures out how to block Hotspot Shield.
Download it from CNET at (http://download.cnet.com/Hotspot-Shield/3000-2092_4-10594721.html?tag=mncol)
The connection itself is somewhat strange to deal with if you've never used a Virtual Private Network (VPN) before. Some reviewers haven't given Hotspot Shield a high rating because of this. It is ad supported, so you'll probably have to live with some sort of banner ads each time. But, if you have no other options, as a last resort, it might be worth trying.
If you use Skype, a recommendation is to shut it down after each use. My friend, who installed Skype and Hotspot Shield, was able to use both with no issues. He reported that he didn't get a huge banner ad and attributed it to his using an ad blocker. Additionally, he said that Pandora radio (See the righthand column), which he had problems with before, worked fine through Hotspot Shield. You Tube (http://www.youtube.com)also improved, he said.
Power to the little guy!
Let's say you want to use Skype (http://www.skype.com) or some other software that may or may not prevent some monopoly or other from sucking more of your hard-earned cash than you want to give them.
And, again, just for grins, let's say that this monopoly (or near monopoly) happens to routinely block whatever software you would like to use.
What can you do? That is, what can you do without really going out of your way financially to bypass their controls? Hmmm. That's a problem, isn't it? Or, is it?
You just might want to try something like Hotspot Shield (http://hotspotshield.com/). A free program from AnchorFree (http://www.anchorfree.com/), it protects your entire surfing session, ensuring an anonymous and censor-free Internet experience. That is, until the monopoly figures out how to block Hotspot Shield.
Download it from CNET at (http://download.cnet.com/Hotspot-Shield/3000-2092_4-10594721.html?tag=mncol)
The connection itself is somewhat strange to deal with if you've never used a Virtual Private Network (VPN) before. Some reviewers haven't given Hotspot Shield a high rating because of this. It is ad supported, so you'll probably have to live with some sort of banner ads each time. But, if you have no other options, as a last resort, it might be worth trying.
If you use Skype, a recommendation is to shut it down after each use. My friend, who installed Skype and Hotspot Shield, was able to use both with no issues. He reported that he didn't get a huge banner ad and attributed it to his using an ad blocker. Additionally, he said that Pandora radio (See the righthand column), which he had problems with before, worked fine through Hotspot Shield. You Tube (http://www.youtube.com)also improved, he said.
Power to the little guy!
Wash Yer Hands... A Lot!
If you pay attention to anything, that's probably the best advice and the easiest thing to do during this outbreak of swine/bird/human/other stuff flu. Not to minimize it, but from what I've been reading, the authorities still are not entirely sure what flavor of flu they're dealing with.
Maybe some other things to do, such as, avoiding being within three feet of anyone coughing, not riding in an airplane, not handling things others may have touched - hence the hand washing.
It's mostly common-sense stuff like not putting stock in the rumor-mongers who are preaching anything from that "the end of the world is nigh," "it's a commie plot to take over the free world," "its bio-terrorism/warfare/experimentation/revenge/etc.," and any thing else that seems at first blush to be a little out of kilter. Like a deal that's too good to be true - it probably is. So, if it seems when you read it/hear about it, if it's a little off... it probably is.
This is the sort of thing that it's really good to think things through and approach it with a reasonable and calm approach. Read as much about it as you can from the authorities. Regardless of what you may have read on Joe Crackpot's website (I forget his URL), he probably isn't the world's best authority on the causes and spreading of any particular disease.
Try some of these folks for the real hot skinny:
Maybe some other things to do, such as, avoiding being within three feet of anyone coughing, not riding in an airplane, not handling things others may have touched - hence the hand washing.
It's mostly common-sense stuff like not putting stock in the rumor-mongers who are preaching anything from that "the end of the world is nigh," "it's a commie plot to take over the free world," "its bio-terrorism/warfare/experimentation/revenge/etc.," and any thing else that seems at first blush to be a little out of kilter. Like a deal that's too good to be true - it probably is. So, if it seems when you read it/hear about it, if it's a little off... it probably is.
This is the sort of thing that it's really good to think things through and approach it with a reasonable and calm approach. Read as much about it as you can from the authorities. Regardless of what you may have read on Joe Crackpot's website (I forget his URL), he probably isn't the world's best authority on the causes and spreading of any particular disease.
Try some of these folks for the real hot skinny:
Probably the first place I'd check out any rumor (many times, even if it seems to be nothing but the truth) is Snopes.com (http://www.snopes.com/). Then for continuing information of a medical situation, these folks are the places to start:
Ok. Now, if you're done washing your hands, we can relax. Which is what Dianna and I did for, oh, about six hours yesterday. It's hard work, but somebody's got to do it. I'm sure glad we volunteered for this.
- Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) (http://www.baha.bz/) Unfortunately, I didn't see anything in their headlines regarding this outbreak.
- Belize Health Department (http://www.health.gov.bz/moh/) I didn't see anything in their headlines regarding this outbreak either.
- Pan American Health Organization, Belize Office (http://new.paho.org/blz/) Ditto on no info.
- Pan American Health Organization (http://new.paho.org/hq/)
- US Centers for Disease Control (http://www.cdc.gov/)
- US Health and Human Services (http://www.hhs.gov/)
- World Health Organization (http://www.who.int/en/)
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| Dave Enjoying a Sip |
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| Dianna Enjoying Our New Waterfall |
The next phase of this is to finish painting the pool pump house (where the waterfall lives). After that, we'll install the mosaic. Then that whole thing should be done. Whew!
So, if it's a combination of swine and bird flu, does this mean that pigs really can fly?
So, if it's a combination of swine and bird flu, does this mean that pigs really can fly?
24 April, 2009
The Water is Falling, The Water is Falling...
I just love it when a project comes together. This one came together almost flawlessly.
In the previous posting (http://winjama.blogspot.com/), you could see the notch Cody and I were cutting into the pool-side wall of the pump house. This was to house the new waterfall unit I had ordered from the States.
The unit itself was two-feet across, with a six-inch lip and a three-inch plenum box, both running across the whole width. the six-inch lip is where the water comes out as a nice sheet, making a really cool waterfall.
In the previous posting (http://winjama.blogspot.com/), you could see the notch Cody and I were cutting into the pool-side wall of the pump house. This was to house the new waterfall unit I had ordered from the States.
The unit itself was two-feet across, with a six-inch lip and a three-inch plenum box, both running across the whole width. the six-inch lip is where the water comes out as a nice sheet, making a really cool waterfall.
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| Cody, Using the Air Chisel |
We started off making a 1-1/2" by 25" notch at the very top of the wall. We assumed that 4" blocks had been used all around the walls of the pump house. Wrong. On the pool side, 6" blocks were used, but we didn't find that out till we had finished the notch and stuck the waterfall unit in to trial fit it.
There was a short-fall of about two inches. Of course, this meant that we were going to have to cut a larger notch in the back to accommodate the box portion of the waterfall. And was probably a good thing, as that notch, forming a shelf, would help support the waterfall unit itself.
After finishing the notch - front and back, we trial-fit the unit again and got Dianna's concurrence that it was centered and level. I had purchased a small bucket of hydraulic cement (sets in 2-3 minutes and is designed to cure under water. I didn't want to buy a whole back of cement. Most of it would have gone to waste.
As you can see below, we slathered it in the back, as we had done the front of the unit. Neatness didn't really count. With a 2-3 minute set time, your working time is even less - about a minute to a minute and a half at best. We didn't fully encase the backside just in case we ever have to remove the waterfall unit, it will be relatively easy to chip the concrete away, cut a pipe and slide the unit out.
There was a short-fall of about two inches. Of course, this meant that we were going to have to cut a larger notch in the back to accommodate the box portion of the waterfall. And was probably a good thing, as that notch, forming a shelf, would help support the waterfall unit itself.
After finishing the notch - front and back, we trial-fit the unit again and got Dianna's concurrence that it was centered and level. I had purchased a small bucket of hydraulic cement (sets in 2-3 minutes and is designed to cure under water. I didn't want to buy a whole back of cement. Most of it would have gone to waste.
As you can see below, we slathered it in the back, as we had done the front of the unit. Neatness didn't really count. With a 2-3 minute set time, your working time is even less - about a minute to a minute and a half at best. We didn't fully encase the backside just in case we ever have to remove the waterfall unit, it will be relatively easy to chip the concrete away, cut a pipe and slide the unit out.
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| The Waterfall From the Backside |
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| Closeup of The Waterfall |
The hangy-down thingy is a rock and debris trap, so that any incoming crud will get trapped before going into and blocking part of the waterfall outlet. The outlet is extremely critical to obtaining a smooth sheeting waterfall. The slightest piece of material will disrupt the smooth flow and will be immediately noticeable.
As you can see below, it looks pretty cool.
As you can see below, it looks pretty cool.
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| The Waterfall in Action |
Here's a closeup of the waterfall. The only part of the whole thing that remains is an approximately 1/2"x24" reveal. It barely sticks out 1/8" from the wall.
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| Waterfall Closeup |
I was apprehensive when it came time to turn on the pump. I don't think Cody really knew what to expect. It wouldn't be the first project that blew up at the start... Not that I do bad work, it's just that sometimes, sh** happens. Anyway, when the pump was turned on, there was no need to doubt our handy work. It functioned exactly as advertised with nary a leak.
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| Couple of Happy Campers |
Just so you know, I'm not shirking my other duties. On the walk this morning, Cindy carried the mail (one letter) and 4 lbs of bones from the market. Secret also carried 4 lbs of bones and in addition, carried some onions, okra, romaine lettuce, cilantro, and green sweet peppers.
Just in case you were wondering about costs of things, bones for the doggies, knuckle bones chopped into quarters and bagged in four separate bags (so each dog has a load to carry and that their packs are balanced) cost $1.00 BZ per pound, or $8 BZ total. The veggies came to $8.00 BZ total for 2-onions, 2-peppers, 5-okra things, a bunch of cilantro, and a head of romaine lettuce. Secret carried all the veggies.
Along the way back from town, I stopped and shot the Corozal Resort sign again. This time it had landscaping done, making it look quite professional. They're also adding an almost 25' planter box behind the sign.
Just in case you were wondering about costs of things, bones for the doggies, knuckle bones chopped into quarters and bagged in four separate bags (so each dog has a load to carry and that their packs are balanced) cost $1.00 BZ per pound, or $8 BZ total. The veggies came to $8.00 BZ total for 2-onions, 2-peppers, 5-okra things, a bunch of cilantro, and a head of romaine lettuce. Secret carried all the veggies.
Along the way back from town, I stopped and shot the Corozal Resort sign again. This time it had landscaping done, making it look quite professional. They're also adding an almost 25' planter box behind the sign.
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| Corozal Bay Sign Landscaping |
21 April, 2009
Another Project In the Offing
Here we go again. The waterfall project is underway. I've got the outline of the notch to be cut out in the wall drawn and I've drilled a bunch of little holes to help with the process. I'm going over to Jim's after lunch to borrow his angle grinder and compressor. Once I have that, then the notch should be done post-haste (I hope).
The second part of this project will be mounting the mosaic that Gale and Ali did for us. I have hopes that that will go easily as well.
And, I guess the third part of that will be re-mounting the waterfall switch over on the wall of the guest house near the spa. We'll also be adding (later on, of course) another switch (next to the waterfall switch) and a separate pump motor to power the spa outlets. Once we get all that done, the pool and waterfall should be way easier and more convenient to use.
Here's Jim's compressor. His angle grinder used one of those little 4" wheels. Of the four hardware stores I went to in town, exactly none had a concrete cutting wheel. Most of them (well, 3 out of 4 anyway) had concrete grinding wheels but that wouldn't do what I needed to do.
I'm in the zone with the air chisel. It wasn't till after I started using the manual chisels and the sledge, that I realized my arms were giving out (Hmmm, I can still operate a keyboard... what does that tell you?).
It's a good thing Cody took over when he did. My arms feel like cooked spaghetti. Swinging a sledge is hard on an old fart's body - at least his arms. Cody started off with the air chisel right after lunch and made good progress. But, there was quite a bit of concrete from the roof pour that had slipped down in the holes of the blocks and it was quite hard. He ended up using the large 1" chisel and really laying into it with the sledge to break it free. He's about 2/3's done with the hole. Tomorrow morning, he thinks he'll finish it up.
I'll be heading into Lano's Supply tomorrow to get some PVC pipe and fittings so that we can hook up the waterfall and maybe even test it out, who knows. If things go as expected, we'll be able to do that. I'll return Jim's compressor and tools then too. Would be nice to have a compressor that same size... I'll add it to my Christmas wish list.
Even with Cody whacking away at the hole, Dianna and I took some time to jump into the pool and cool down. We probably should have felt guilty. We did a bit, but I can live with it.
So, if we get the waterfall in and working correctly tomorrow, Friday, I'll work on getting it plastered into place, caulked, etc., and then we'll start on fastening the mosaic.
Gale and Ali stopped by the day before yesterday with the adhesive, white cement and spare marble bits so now we'll be able to get that installed and fixed up. Hopefully, that will go fast as well. Then, the only thing is to have Cody finish painting the pump house, and we'll be draining and scrubbing the pool. Doug and Twyla have already volunteered to help with the scrubbing. (What good friends).What we want to do, is drain, scrub and fill the pool all in the same day, to minimize chances of cracking or it moving up (floating) because of the water table. If we do things right, it shouldn't be much of an issue.
So, there'll be a few more photos as this all progresses. I'll get them posted as soon as possible so you can follow along and see how it develops. Hopefully, no surprises.
Cheers,
Dave
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| Centerline and Notch Drilled |
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| Showing Platform and Where Mosaic Will Go |
Here's Jim's compressor. His angle grinder used one of those little 4" wheels. Of the four hardware stores I went to in town, exactly none had a concrete cutting wheel. Most of them (well, 3 out of 4 anyway) had concrete grinding wheels but that wouldn't do what I needed to do.
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| Jim's Compressor |
What Jim did have that saved the day, was an air chisel. Once I figured out how to keep it from leaking air, it worked slowly, but quite accurately - which was just perfect for today's project. I did have to use a couple of manual chisels and a 2.5 lb. sledge.
Here I am hard at work with the air chisel. Dusty work. I eventually put on a particle mask - for all the good those do with a beard.
Here I am hard at work with the air chisel. Dusty work. I eventually put on a particle mask - for all the good those do with a beard.
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| Concentrating and Chiseling |
And here's the notch on the waterfall face, cut through the front of the wall blocks. Just have to get the concrete from the roof pour out of the way now. That's hard stuff.
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| Outside Notch |
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| Still Concentrating |
Every good project has a good supervisor. Here's Secret on the job, keeping a sharp eye on everything, and making sure that we do a good job.
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| Secret Supervising |
I finally decided to go inside and start tackling the notch from there. Here's the first cut at it. It's about here that I realized my arms had turned to Jello and at this same place, I let Cody take over for me.
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| Inside Notch |
The two pipes you see above, the left is for the waterfall, the right is for the solar heater. After we get the notch cut, I'll remove them. It'll be easier to cut them accurately then.
Here is where Cody took over for me. He's already cut through on the right side, so hopefully, it shouldn't take too long to get done.
Here is where Cody took over for me. He's already cut through on the right side, so hopefully, it shouldn't take too long to get done.
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| Cody Running the Air Chisel |
I'll be heading into Lano's Supply tomorrow to get some PVC pipe and fittings so that we can hook up the waterfall and maybe even test it out, who knows. If things go as expected, we'll be able to do that. I'll return Jim's compressor and tools then too. Would be nice to have a compressor that same size... I'll add it to my Christmas wish list.
Even with Cody whacking away at the hole, Dianna and I took some time to jump into the pool and cool down. We probably should have felt guilty. We did a bit, but I can live with it.
So, if we get the waterfall in and working correctly tomorrow, Friday, I'll work on getting it plastered into place, caulked, etc., and then we'll start on fastening the mosaic.
Gale and Ali stopped by the day before yesterday with the adhesive, white cement and spare marble bits so now we'll be able to get that installed and fixed up. Hopefully, that will go fast as well. Then, the only thing is to have Cody finish painting the pump house, and we'll be draining and scrubbing the pool. Doug and Twyla have already volunteered to help with the scrubbing. (What good friends).What we want to do, is drain, scrub and fill the pool all in the same day, to minimize chances of cracking or it moving up (floating) because of the water table. If we do things right, it shouldn't be much of an issue.
So, there'll be a few more photos as this all progresses. I'll get them posted as soon as possible so you can follow along and see how it develops. Hopefully, no surprises.
Cheers,
Dave
19 April, 2009
Damn Doctor Flies
These little bastards have nailed me four times in the past two days. I have three bites on my left ankle and one on the back of my right hand. My ankle isn't doing too bad, but the right hand has puffed up reminiscent of when we first got here and I had to go to the hospital for the swelling.
What can I say? Slather on some more Preparation H Creme and down a few more Benedril. Oh, and another Belikin.
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Dept. of Entomology and Nematology (http://entnem.ufl.edu/creatures/livestock/yellow_fly.htm) has a nice scholarly article on Doctor Flies, or Yellow Flies (Diachlorus ferrugatus (Fabricius)) as they're known in Florida.
Like mosquitos, the female is the one doing the biting. Although both sexes will feed on nectar, etc., the female needs blood for egg development.
The female doctor fly is one of the most serious flying biting pests, and will attack people "vigorously", as their website says. the bites, often occur stealthily, only becoming painful about when the fly is ready to depart. The bites become somewhat painful, with large and continuously itching perimeters of the swollen bite area. I have noticed the doctor flies here tend to do a "fly-by" first, with sort of a bump against the area they plan to attack, I guess to see if you react. If you don't react, count on becoming a victim.
The doctor fly will attack virtually anytime throughout the day. It becomes very active in late afternoons and on cloudy days and indoors as well. It's quite prevalent near large water (Corozal Bay, in this case). It does tend to stay near forested areas. All exposed areas of the body may be attacked. I've only been attacked on the ankles, toes hands and fingers. Doctor flys will also readily attack cattle as well as dogs and cats.
The peak season for doctor flies is April through June. Around here, they seem to be especially bothersome now.
Mosquito repellent (repellent with DEET is said to be best) is supposed to be effective against doctor flies unless they're really hungry. Ours must be starving because bug juice doesn't seem to matter. Gloves and headnets (like for bees) provide the best protection.
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| My Right Hand Puffing Up |
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Dept. of Entomology and Nematology (http://entnem.ufl.edu/creatures/livestock/yellow_fly.htm) has a nice scholarly article on Doctor Flies, or Yellow Flies (Diachlorus ferrugatus (Fabricius)) as they're known in Florida.
Like mosquitos, the female is the one doing the biting. Although both sexes will feed on nectar, etc., the female needs blood for egg development.
The female doctor fly is one of the most serious flying biting pests, and will attack people "vigorously", as their website says. the bites, often occur stealthily, only becoming painful about when the fly is ready to depart. The bites become somewhat painful, with large and continuously itching perimeters of the swollen bite area. I have noticed the doctor flies here tend to do a "fly-by" first, with sort of a bump against the area they plan to attack, I guess to see if you react. If you don't react, count on becoming a victim.
The doctor fly will attack virtually anytime throughout the day. It becomes very active in late afternoons and on cloudy days and indoors as well. It's quite prevalent near large water (Corozal Bay, in this case). It does tend to stay near forested areas. All exposed areas of the body may be attacked. I've only been attacked on the ankles, toes hands and fingers. Doctor flys will also readily attack cattle as well as dogs and cats.
The peak season for doctor flies is April through June. Around here, they seem to be especially bothersome now.
Mosquito repellent (repellent with DEET is said to be best) is supposed to be effective against doctor flies unless they're really hungry. Ours must be starving because bug juice doesn't seem to matter. Gloves and headnets (like for bees) provide the best protection.
18 April, 2009
They Messin' Wi' Me
My last post, this morning, had a nice ending, virtually complaining that the missing link in the road repair process was the roller. And that it wasn't coming, deep tracks would result, spawning a whole bunch of new pot holes, etc., etc.
Well, low and behold, what shows up? The roller. He even had the nerve to wave to me. Doesn't he know he's screwed up a wonderful ending to my post?
I really think the Minister has read my postings and is just messin' wi' me. I can see it now. He's directed the crews to just wait till I post something, then send out the next piece of gear. Dang it. It's a conspiracy, I tell ya.
Man, is it ever heavy too. As it rolls past, the whole place vibrates strongly. Wow. It just doesn't look like it's that heavy.
Actually, I'm pleased as punch that the roller has shown up. Smooth roads beat pot holes and speed bumps every time. They're just not as much fun to write about.
Well, low and behold, what shows up? The roller. He even had the nerve to wave to me. Doesn't he know he's screwed up a wonderful ending to my post?
I really think the Minister has read my postings and is just messin' wi' me. I can see it now. He's directed the crews to just wait till I post something, then send out the next piece of gear. Dang it. It's a conspiracy, I tell ya.
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| The Roller Approaches |
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the Roller At Work
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Another View of the Roller
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Oh No! Our Speed Bumps Are Disappearing
Well, of course the Minister of Works didn't read my blog. If he had, it wouldn't be necessary to write this article on speed bumps (pot holes) again.
In my previous posting (http://winjama.blogspot.com/search/label/Potholes%20and%20Mud), which was titled: Slow Down You Move too Fast, I wrote imploring the Minister to not fix our pot holes (oops, sorry - our speed bumps) as they realy did work fairly well as deterrents for speeding buses, trucks and other vehicles. Of course, the ones that didn't slow down still managed to jar our house several times a day as they careened over the various bumps and holes out front.
On another posting, I mentioned that we could sell our pot holes as speed bumps
(http://winjama.blogspot.com/search/label/potholes), thus taking care of Belize's national debt. We may still be able to do that.
Now that the UDP (United Democratic Party) is the party in power, repairs and maintenance to infrastructure seems to be more or less consistently done, instead of the way of the former power holders, PUP (People's United Party), who seemed to mostly repair and maintain their pocket linings, if you get my drift.
So what happens? Well, the past few mornings, they've had a grader out re-defining the road edges, sort of improving the chances of drainage occurring the way it is supposed to. I had called Craig yesterday that he may want to come out and make sure they didn't grade away his survey stakes for his lots across the road. Mae and Craig asked the grader driver if they were going to pave the road. Apparently, that's not in the cards.
Oh yes, and for the past couple of weeks, heavy dump trucks have been zooming up and down our road, taking loads of marl down by the ferry landing somewhere, to beef up the road in some of its trouble spots.
Anyway, after all that, this morning those same dump trucks started dumping their loads in front of and near by our house.
And before I forget what's really important, Cindy wanted me to remind you to always eat a good breakfast. Here she is, setting a fine example - even while all the dump trucks are going by. Normally, dump trucks set her off like a rocket. She loves to bark at them, unless there's food to be eaten first. I'm not sure where Secret was at this time, so Cindy helped her out by cleaning Secret's bowl for her. They do that for each other now and again.
Then, the grader that has been edging the roadway shows up and proceeds to level the piles of marl. He does a nice job of it too.
Now, if only they would bring the roller out to go over everything and really pack it down. This is an important step, as just driving over marl with rubber tires takes a long time to sufficiently compact it so that when the rains come, it doesn't all turn to muck and mud, thereby making our lives miserable for a couple of weeks. That is, till the marl begins to dry out, leaving tracks where everyone drove through, following the guy in front of them. These tracks level out after some time, but do so in a way that encourages pot holes again, and the cycle continues. I see no sign of a roller.
BTW, we have rain in the forecast for next week. Naturally.
I think I'll go wash the Eye-suzu. That should speed up the process.
In my previous posting (http://winjama.blogspot.com/search/label/Potholes%20and%20Mud), which was titled: Slow Down You Move too Fast, I wrote imploring the Minister to not fix our pot holes (oops, sorry - our speed bumps) as they realy did work fairly well as deterrents for speeding buses, trucks and other vehicles. Of course, the ones that didn't slow down still managed to jar our house several times a day as they careened over the various bumps and holes out front.
On another posting, I mentioned that we could sell our pot holes as speed bumps
(http://winjama.blogspot.com/search/label/potholes), thus taking care of Belize's national debt. We may still be able to do that.
Now that the UDP (United Democratic Party) is the party in power, repairs and maintenance to infrastructure seems to be more or less consistently done, instead of the way of the former power holders, PUP (People's United Party), who seemed to mostly repair and maintain their pocket linings, if you get my drift.
So what happens? Well, the past few mornings, they've had a grader out re-defining the road edges, sort of improving the chances of drainage occurring the way it is supposed to. I had called Craig yesterday that he may want to come out and make sure they didn't grade away his survey stakes for his lots across the road. Mae and Craig asked the grader driver if they were going to pave the road. Apparently, that's not in the cards.
Oh yes, and for the past couple of weeks, heavy dump trucks have been zooming up and down our road, taking loads of marl down by the ferry landing somewhere, to beef up the road in some of its trouble spots.
Anyway, after all that, this morning those same dump trucks started dumping their loads in front of and near by our house.
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| Several Loads of Marl Being Delivered |
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| More Marl Arriving |
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| Cindy Showing Her Good Table Manners |
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| The Grader in Action |
BTW, we have rain in the forecast for next week. Naturally.
I think I'll go wash the Eye-suzu. That should speed up the process.
17 April, 2009
It Must Be the Rally Fries!
Through the miracle of satellite technology, I'm sitting here in our living room (Dianna went to bed) and I'm watching the Seattle Mariners playing the Detroit Tigers at Safeco Field. With Ichiro in right field and Junior (Ken Griffey, Jr.) back with the M's after a long stint in, where was it, Cincinnati or somewhere, everything just seems right with the universe.
The M's just rallied in the 5th inning, down 3-0, to take a 5-3 lead. Woohoo!
Still with the miracle of satellite technology, I'm still sitting here watching the game, but I'm also writing this for the blog. As soon as I hit [Publish Post], zing, away it goes over the ether, to travel around the world to appear on your PC.
With luck, I'll be able to catch a few of the M's games this year. Even with the satellite system and it's menu, it seems I still have a hard time catching their games. Well, that's not entirely true. What is true, sometimes I do find their games, but I have a hard time staying awake long enough to watch them. Like tonight. The only reason I'm up watching this game, is I took a nap this afternoon before we went to Gail and Earl's for a fun party for their daughter and her friend, both visiting from Canada, eh.
I just heard from Perry. He got into town this afternoon (well, Consejo), after a trip through Mexico. H left me a message saying that he was able to pick up some bits for me for the antenna. Hopefully, I'll be able to meet up with him fairly soon.
We're getting near ready to start work on the waterfall for the swimming pool. I lined up an angle-grinder from Jim. It's air-powered, and he as a compressor. So, with a bit of luck, I'll soon have the notch in place for the waterfall. Hooking up the plumbing should go pretty easily. The hard bit will be installing the mosaic under the waterfall.
Oh, my God. The announcer for the game just said the temperature at the ball park had dropped down to 50° (f). I couldn't stand that anymore. The lowest the temp got here this last winter was 58° (f) and we froze!
It is really nice seeing Junior in a Mariner's uniform again, facing the pitcher and locking in with his eyes... and getting a base hit. It was also neat seeing him, late in the game, still able at 39 (I think), to charge around the bases from 1st and score.
Oh, yes. Before I forget, the"rally fries" - seems to be the catch phrase for Mariner's fans this year. Especially since the Safe has such great food. I love that ball park.
The Mariners just won! And the Angels lost tonight too, giving the M's a 3 1/2 game lead. M's are in first place! This could be the year...
It's 10:37 PM... Way past my bedtime, nap or no nap. I'm going to bed.
Cheers,
Dave
The M's just rallied in the 5th inning, down 3-0, to take a 5-3 lead. Woohoo!
Still with the miracle of satellite technology, I'm still sitting here watching the game, but I'm also writing this for the blog. As soon as I hit [Publish Post], zing, away it goes over the ether, to travel around the world to appear on your PC.
With luck, I'll be able to catch a few of the M's games this year. Even with the satellite system and it's menu, it seems I still have a hard time catching their games. Well, that's not entirely true. What is true, sometimes I do find their games, but I have a hard time staying awake long enough to watch them. Like tonight. The only reason I'm up watching this game, is I took a nap this afternoon before we went to Gail and Earl's for a fun party for their daughter and her friend, both visiting from Canada, eh.
I just heard from Perry. He got into town this afternoon (well, Consejo), after a trip through Mexico. H left me a message saying that he was able to pick up some bits for me for the antenna. Hopefully, I'll be able to meet up with him fairly soon.
We're getting near ready to start work on the waterfall for the swimming pool. I lined up an angle-grinder from Jim. It's air-powered, and he as a compressor. So, with a bit of luck, I'll soon have the notch in place for the waterfall. Hooking up the plumbing should go pretty easily. The hard bit will be installing the mosaic under the waterfall.
Oh, my God. The announcer for the game just said the temperature at the ball park had dropped down to 50° (f). I couldn't stand that anymore. The lowest the temp got here this last winter was 58° (f) and we froze!
It is really nice seeing Junior in a Mariner's uniform again, facing the pitcher and locking in with his eyes... and getting a base hit. It was also neat seeing him, late in the game, still able at 39 (I think), to charge around the bases from 1st and score.
Oh, yes. Before I forget, the"rally fries" - seems to be the catch phrase for Mariner's fans this year. Especially since the Safe has such great food. I love that ball park.
The Mariners just won! And the Angels lost tonight too, giving the M's a 3 1/2 game lead. M's are in first place! This could be the year...
It's 10:37 PM... Way past my bedtime, nap or no nap. I'm going to bed.
Cheers,
Dave
15 April, 2009
Nectar of the Gods - Delivered
You know, there are some benefits to living in the third world (heh, heh). This is definitely one of them.
Normally, we don't get three cases at a time delivered, but this is after a long 4-day Easter holiday weekend. We were almost getting down to stems and seeds again, as it were.
I had written previously about the Coca Cola delivery (http://winjama.blogspot.com/search/label/Coke%20Delivery), which also is way cool, but this, delivering the nectar of the gods, far exceeds it. The only thing that would be better is if it was already ice-cold when they brought it in from the truck.
Not only do they deliver the beer, but they put it near the fridge so you don't have to work too hard to enjoy it. Such a deal! Is this great or what?
Wikipedia says that "Belikin is the leading domestically produced beer brand in Belize." That's quite the understatement, since, as far as I'm aware, it's the only beer produced in Belize. Bowen and Bowen, the owners of Belize Brewing Co., have a legal monopoly on the brewing of beer here.
You can legally buy some other beers, Heineken probably being the main one. Of course, you can usually find a way to get Sol or Modelo, or some other Mexican beer without paying duty (commonly known as smuggling), but it's not recommended. Besides, Belikin is nice enough tasting that few folks who live here will actually go to the trouble to smuggle beer in. Other things maybe, but generally not beer.
Well, we've got to go see Tony and Nelly. We're buying an on-demand water heater they have that didn't work out for them, along with a few pounds of bratwurst, made by Tony in his meat shop, before they close up and head back to Belgium for the summer.
When we get back, it might just be time for a Belikin, then pool time!
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| Messengers of the Gods |
I had written previously about the Coca Cola delivery (http://winjama.blogspot.com/search/label/Coke%20Delivery), which also is way cool, but this, delivering the nectar of the gods, far exceeds it. The only thing that would be better is if it was already ice-cold when they brought it in from the truck.
Not only do they deliver the beer, but they put it near the fridge so you don't have to work too hard to enjoy it. Such a deal! Is this great or what?
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| Delivering the Message |
You can legally buy some other beers, Heineken probably being the main one. Of course, you can usually find a way to get Sol or Modelo, or some other Mexican beer without paying duty (commonly known as smuggling), but it's not recommended. Besides, Belikin is nice enough tasting that few folks who live here will actually go to the trouble to smuggle beer in. Other things maybe, but generally not beer.
Well, we've got to go see Tony and Nelly. We're buying an on-demand water heater they have that didn't work out for them, along with a few pounds of bratwurst, made by Tony in his meat shop, before they close up and head back to Belgium for the summer.
When we get back, it might just be time for a Belikin, then pool time!
Ah, Springtime
It's that time of year again for the mosquito control folks to do their
thing. About time too. The little buggers have been out in force. Which
is strange since it's been like three weeks or more since we've had any
rain at all. Maybe we're getting heavy dew just before sunrise or
something. Anyway, whatever it is is bringing out the "mozzies", as the
Brits like to call them.
(Deep breath in...) ... Ahhhhh, Springtime, and it smells like. . . uh. . . Malathion???
Y'know, after safeguarding the "King's English" for centuries, it seems like the Brits are hell-bent to defeat the English language by abbreviating everything they can think of. Maybe it's a result of all those letters after their last names for years and years (KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, etc.).
That was just an aside. The initials are real, however. They belong to Lord Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, who was assassinated at his home in Ireland by the IRA.
So, now back on track. We can probably expect to see trucks like that above cruising through town from now on and for most of the rainy season. It really is a big help to controlling the little pests.
I've started "greasing up" each time I go out to walk the girls. Now. You really only have to do it around a half hour before and after sunrise or sunset. The rest of the time is relatively bug free, unless you actually went into the deep bush for some reason.
Pardon me. I've got to go scratch an itch or two...
(Deep breath in...) ... Ahhhhh, Springtime, and it smells like. . . uh. . . Malathion???
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| Mosquito Control |
That was just an aside. The initials are real, however. They belong to Lord Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, who was assassinated at his home in Ireland by the IRA.
So, now back on track. We can probably expect to see trucks like that above cruising through town from now on and for most of the rainy season. It really is a big help to controlling the little pests.
I've started "greasing up" each time I go out to walk the girls. Now. You really only have to do it around a half hour before and after sunrise or sunset. The rest of the time is relatively bug free, unless you actually went into the deep bush for some reason.
Pardon me. I've got to go scratch an itch or two...
13 April, 2009
A Day At the Races
Here we are, almost ready to go to the horse races, and all I thought we needed was a cooler of ice and couple bottles of water and maybe a sandwich or two - just in case they weren't selling Belikin and rice and beans.
What do we bring? A blanket to sit on, two pair of binoculars, napkins, potato chips, six tunafish sandwiches, bug juice, along with the cooler and the water. Apparently, we're still betting they'll be selling beer at least.
Ok, I'll admit it. It is much easier and more comfortable to be prepared for contingencies. Except that now we're hauling along at least one more tote than we would have with my preparation scheme - which was to essentially do nothing - as men will tend to do.
So, promptly at 10:30 AM, Doug and Twyla pulled up to our gate. We loaded our stuff in with theirs (they brought as much stuff as we did), and away we went.
The race was to be held down at Burrell Boom Village, just off the Belize bypass. None of us had any idea of what to expect. In fact, I envisioned an open field, kind of like the horse races you might see in some cowboy movie - maybe a couple of stakes with flags or something.
After making a couple of wrong turns on the bypass (following other cars) and after asking for directions (see, we can do it) we found the place.
Wow! It's an actual horse track with an admission booth ($5.00 BZ per person and $2.00 BZ per car). Parking seemed to be adequate, so we parked. There was even a complimentary race day 20-page program to give you some information on the horses, owners, jockeys, etc.
Of course, there were some things that had to be taken care of first after we parked...
Some more of the horses, waiting for the racing to get underway.
What do we bring? A blanket to sit on, two pair of binoculars, napkins, potato chips, six tunafish sandwiches, bug juice, along with the cooler and the water. Apparently, we're still betting they'll be selling beer at least.
Ok, I'll admit it. It is much easier and more comfortable to be prepared for contingencies. Except that now we're hauling along at least one more tote than we would have with my preparation scheme - which was to essentially do nothing - as men will tend to do.
So, promptly at 10:30 AM, Doug and Twyla pulled up to our gate. We loaded our stuff in with theirs (they brought as much stuff as we did), and away we went.
The race was to be held down at Burrell Boom Village, just off the Belize bypass. None of us had any idea of what to expect. In fact, I envisioned an open field, kind of like the horse races you might see in some cowboy movie - maybe a couple of stakes with flags or something.
After making a couple of wrong turns on the bypass (following other cars) and after asking for directions (see, we can do it) we found the place.
Wow! It's an actual horse track with an admission booth ($5.00 BZ per person and $2.00 BZ per car). Parking seemed to be adequate, so we parked. There was even a complimentary race day 20-page program to give you some information on the horses, owners, jockeys, etc.
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| Castleton Race Track Program |
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| Dianna Digging For Her Smokes |
As we started heading in to the main area we could see several food and beverage vendors buildings and tents. There was even a grandstand.
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| Passing by Food Booths |
Here's where we had come to. Castleton Race Track. A regular horse racing track, complete with stables, paddock, exercise yard, the race track, grandstand, restrooms ($1.00 BZ per), etc.
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| Castleton Race Track |
Looking up and down the track just as we're approaching the main area. White marl track bed, with grass on the outside.
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| Last Turn on the Left |
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| Grandstand on the Right |
One of the rather unique features here is the booze vendors, selling rum, wine and other spirits. Beer could only be purchased by the glass at the Belikin beer tent. If you weren't getting there fast enough, you could by a bottle of rum and speed up the process. I'm sure by the end of the last race, there were some who had a full head of steam. I'm glad we left early.
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| Rum and Wine Vendors Aplenty |
We found the Belikin tent and cooled down with some ice-cold Belikins. No draft. It was all bottled beer served in plastic cups. At least you got a full bottles-worth in each cup.
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| Outside the Belikin Tent |
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| Inside the Belikin Tent |
From the beer tent, you can see the stables where all the horses were resting, anticipating the coming races. It was probably a good thing too that there were plenty of police in evidence, patrolling the whole place.
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| Police on Patrol |
The main reason we came to the races, was to see a horse named General run. General is owned by Glenford, who had done some of the construction work for Doug and Twyla.
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| General - Ready to Go |
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| Glenford In the Tee Shirt At Right |
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| Waiting in the Stables |
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| Some Have Their Own Areas |
This horse was quite impatient, pawing at the ground, obviously ready to go.
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| Ready to Race |
After touring the horses, we stopped again at the beer tent... as you do. Then we headed back to Doug and Twyla's Isuzu for our lunch.
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| We're Having Our Own Tailgate Party |
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| Dianna in the Shade |
After lunch, with the first race scheduled to start at 12:45 PM, we watched the horses being walked in the exercise area just across from the beer tent.
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| Warming Up |
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| More Warming Up |
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| Getting In the Groove |
We walked around a bit and found the starting gate. First time any of us had been up close to one of these. Quite the contraption.
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| The Starting Gate |
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| The Starting Gate Being Examined by Twyla and Dianna |
We walked over to the grand stand, where the track announcers were getting ready for the festivities, and looked over the grandstand. Seating in the stands cost $2.00 BZ per person - and you had to provide your own chairs!
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| Race Announcers |
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| Grandstand Seating |
Love FM/TV was on hand with a couple of camera crews to capture the race excitement.
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| Love FM/TV - KREM |
It wouldn't be a horse race without a wager, now would it? Well, we never did find the official betting booths or whatever they're called for the races but, we did find several other games of chance underway, with substantial amounts of money involved too.
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| Betting Other Than On Horses |
Finally, it's paddock time. Here's General, getting his turn to show off prior to the race. Good looking horse. Glenford went with a slightly heavier jockey today because of his experience. He had a specific track he wanted the jockey to take General in for a better chance at a win.
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| General In the Paddock |
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| Another of General In the Paddock |
After the show in the paddock, the horses headed out onto the track to prance around and get warmed up.
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| Warming Up |
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| On the Track |
The starting gate had been moved over to the far side of the track for this first race, as it was 3 furlongs (a furlong being equal to 1/8th of a mile).
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| Towing the Starting Gate |
And, they're off! A quick race and General won handily. Here he is crossing the line in good fashion.
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| The Winnah! |
Second and third places came in close together. I was lucky enough to get shots of each as they passed by.
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| First Race Place |
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| First Race Show |
Particulars for this first race are as follows:
Here's a wide view of just a part of the crowd. I'm guessing, but I'd say there was a crowd ranging from 750 to 1,000 people at the race. Quite a crowd.
G Class; 3 Furlongs; Entry Fee: $30.00 BZ; Value of Race: $300.00; Value to Winner: $150.00 ; Second Place: $90.00; and Third Place: $60.00. And it was a "Catch Weight" race - meaning that there was no penalty for a heavier/lighter jockey.Each race entry fee and purse went up. So, for the last race (there were nine races today), the entry fee was $200.00 BZ, with a purse for the winner of $1,000.00 BZ. Not a sport for those with a penurious outlook.
Here's a wide view of just a part of the crowd. I'm guessing, but I'd say there was a crowd ranging from 750 to 1,000 people at the race. Quite a crowd.
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| Just Part of the Crowd |
Sometime after the second race, we managed to run into Glenford and his son. After introductions, there was, of course, chatting about General, the track, and future races - of which, there's quite a few.
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| Glenford's Son Enjoying a Hotdog |
The 2009 Racing Calendar (from the program) is quite extensive:
May 1 - Castleton Racetrack, Burrell Boom VillageBefore the third race, it was getting time for us to seek shade for a bit. Here's Twyla and Dianna enjoying using a blanket to rest and refresh.
May 24 - Peoples Stadium, Orange Walk Town
June 21 - Peoples Stadium
July 19 - Castleton Racetrack
August 16 - Peoples Stadium
September 13 - Castleton Racetrack
October 11 - Peoples Stadium
November 22 - Castleton Racetrack
December 26 - Castleton Racetrack
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| Sitting Down on the Job |
Then we watched the third race. They ran so fast, all I got was a cloud of dust as the winner went by.
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| The Winner! |
By then, we were pooped out and it was time to go home. Luckily, as we reached Doug's Isuzu, a guy was just rooting around in the trunk of his car and was kind enough to move for us to get out. Otherwise, I'm sure we would have been stuck till well after the ninth race. And with all those bottles of rum, and Belikins being consumed, not a good place to be anywhere near at all.
Doug and Twyla dropped us off at our place and we pretty well collapsed for the evening. What a great day.
This was only our second horse race ever, the first being at Portland Meadows in Portland, Oregon. Which was boring, boring, boring - not at all like you find in the movies. I'll take horseracing in Belize any day of the week.
Now that we know more or less what to expect, I hope we go again. Not to every race, but it would be great to make it to two or three a year.
Doug and Twyla dropped us off at our place and we pretty well collapsed for the evening. What a great day.
This was only our second horse race ever, the first being at Portland Meadows in Portland, Oregon. Which was boring, boring, boring - not at all like you find in the movies. I'll take horseracing in Belize any day of the week.
Now that we know more or less what to expect, I hope we go again. Not to every race, but it would be great to make it to two or three a year.
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