This 'n That

So, I know it's been a while since I made a posting. Here's some stuff to let you know what we've been up to.

For starters, Dianna and I paid a visit to Kim Longsworth's cabinet shop again. This time to order a medicine cabinet and mirror and a 2-door cabinet to go behind the toilet in the bathroom. I'm not sure of the time-line for those two pieces, but I'm guessing around the order of a couple of weeks. Kim is pretty fast.

When I went back to make the down payment for the cabinets, I took the opportunity to snap a shot of the wood tub, now finished. It is gorgeous. It truly is a work of art.

Kim's Wood Claw-foot Tub

As I understand it, the woman who asked Kim to make it, has reneged on the deal. So, anyone interested, it might be worth your while to talk to Kim about it. It definitely would make a statement in someone's mansion!

Not only does Kim do cabinets, but he has a whole showroom of wood products. He also does custom stuff (the tub, above, for example). Well worth the effort to stop and see his shop and showroom.

Some of the Other Things In Kim's Showroom

Lately, there has been more activity on our bulkhead alongside the canal. John's guys have returned and after a couple of days digging out behind the bulkhead where marl was still sloughing off into the canal - replacing that with a load of rock, then filling above the waterline with marl, as it should have been done in the first place, they've begun setting forms in anticipation of casting the concrete cap for the bulkhead.

Forms for Topping the Bulkhead

The picture above shows how they first started to set the forms. I didn't like that, as it would have left a gap under the cap (once the lumber was removed after casting). Now, they've gone straight up from the bulkhead then it will go out a few inches, allowing poured concrete to fully mesh with the bulkhead itself. A much better arrangement. I'll include a few more shots as work progresses. I think I see light at the end of the construction tunnel. Yea!!!

A sure sign, even though we still have hot temperatures and hight humidity, that things are beginning to cool down, is that Dianna has resumed gardening. Here's a shot of her working with Cindy in the front yard.

Cindy and Dianna Gardening

We've actually had a couple of nights where we slid under a sheet somewhere during the night. Gots to be cool to do that.

Our pool is still reaching 94° (f) during the day. I always get a chuckle because now is the time of year for all the Internet pool supply places to send out emails announcing end of season sales and info on closing your pool for winter, etc. In a couple of months, all we'll have to do is put a cover on it at night to keep the heat in the pool. It's year-round, baby!

Over the past couple weeks or so, crews have been clearing property next to us, I'm sure getting ready to sell it. The past few days, a grader has been over there smoothing out the land, and gathering the remaining wood stumps into piles to complete burning the debris. He was just about done this last Thursday, when he discovered one of the surprising features of land over a limestone base. Oops. Stuck but good. I'm guessing this Monday, they'll have someone tugging or pushing it out of the hole.

Victim of a Cave-in

It's not like they left it for no good reason for so many days. We have had a national holiday in between. Friday was a holiday to celebrate the Battle of St. George's Caye. This is considered now by scholars to mark the start of thoughts of Belizean independence. September 10, 1798, when Baymen fought the last of series of battles against Spain, who was trying to take Belize to add to their Mexican conquest.

There were a series of events around the waterfront in Corozal to celebrate, most involved music and some even included fireworks. A nice weekend.

And finally, yesterday while walking the dogs, I ran across Mayo Perez, one of the guys who built our guesthouse, getting ready to head out for a day of fishing with his two sons.

Mayo and One of His Sons Ready to Fish

In the photo above, his second son is just out of view to the right, holding the boat's painter. Looks like fun!