Everyday Is Amazing

I swear, each and every day, it's a new surprise. If it isn't the weather, it's some new plant or something that Carlos has brought with him and casually told us that he's planted it somewhere, either in the raised garden, or in the patio garden, or somewhere.

It's always something. Case in point. This morning, Carlos came up to the front porch where Dianna and I were talking, and he shows us this huge, beautiful bouquet. Something he'd whipped together from a coconut frond 'husk'. I just Googled 'What is it called that attaches a palm frond to the trunk?' The answer is it's called the 'leaf sheath.' And, now we all know. Anyway, he'd whipped this together from a palm leaf sheath, and several other flowers and leaves, all from plants around our yard.

As you can see below, he took some of the palm leaves and them to fasten the bouquets to the palapa posts. Pretty nice, if I do say so.

Carlos' Newest Floral Creations

Here's a bit closer view of each of the bouquets. These make just a spectacular display. Sometimes, you're just not all that aware of just how gorgeous many of these plants are.

Close-Up of One Of the Bouquets

And, here's the other one. They really look vibrant and full of color. It takes someone like Carlos putting them together to really pop us upside the head and to pay attention to some of the amazing color and varieties of what's growing in our yard.

Here's the Other One

The other thing he's done a couple of now, is a tabletop flower arrangement. This one he did with some flowers that were left over from the bouquets. It looks nice from a distance, just sitting on the table.

Table Arrangement

But close-up, it's as spectacular as either of the bouquets. Such a variety of shapes and colors. I'm still amazed that this is all stuff from our yard.

Close-Up of Centerpiece

I need to break out my big camera and take some serious shots at some of what's right under our noses. But, knowing me, I probably won't. I'll get sidetracked doing some repair or other... or working on the blog.

Some Of Our Garden

The other day,, actually, the day before Christmas, I went around and shot several photos of flowers in our yard. I had been waiting for inspiration to hit to come up with an idea for a Christmas card. Finally, I thought of using our pink Poinsettias somehow.

So, I shot the pink Poinsettia tree below for starters, then decided to take a closer shot of one of the nicer pink bits.

Pink Poinsettia Tree

 Which is what you see below. Then I got the idea of trying to remove the background from the flower. I wasn't sure at all how that would go, especially since I hadn't used Photoshop to any great extent before.

The One I Picked

I got lucky with Photoshop and even managed to add in a radial gray tone behind it which really seemed to class it up some.

After PhotoShoping

 As a final touch, I added in the lettering on a curve. I almost always have problems doing this. This time, however, it turned out fine. And there we had a Christmas card.

Finally, Our Christmas Card

Here's the shots of several of the flowers from our yard. We have a pink poinsettia tree (about eight feet tall), and then, right next to it is a red poinsettia tree, about the same height.

The Red Poinsettia Tree

We have several hibiscus bushes all around the yard, which produce myriad flowers, all gorgeous.

Hibiscus Flower

More Hibiscus Flowers

 We've got Bougainvillaea all along the fence line. Bougainvillaea also feature long, stiff, and very sharp spikes, which make them idea as a perimeter planting. Sort of a grown-in security plant, and flowering as a bonus.

Some Other Bougainvillaea Flowers

 We've got some species of vinca (thanks Emily).

White Vinca

Purple Vinca

Purple Vinca With Raindrops

 And more Hibiscus.

Nice White Hibiscus

Yet More White Hibiscus

And some yellow ones, that Dianna thinks may be hibiscus, but she wasn't sure. I have no idea. I just like 'em. Gunnar commented and corrected us. It's an Allamanda.

Allamanda or Yellow Bell (Thanks to Gunnar)

And several bushes of Firecrackers. BTW, doves love to roost and nest under them. Why they like to be so near the ground is beyond me. They're not the brightest birds in the area.

Red Firecrackers Look Like Ladyfingers

 And we have some mystery flowers that kind of look like miniature hydrangeas. Gunnar says they're a Penta.

Penta (Also thanks to Gunnar)

 And lastly, some beautiful red celosia (thanks again, Emily) flowers. We're not sure what their actual name is either.

Celosia or Cockscomb (thanks Gunnar)

Closeup Celosia

There's more here, but that's all I shot this time. I'll take some others later on and share those with you as well.

Now, Where Was I?

I know it's been a while since I updated the blog. I have good excuses for it. Wanna hear 'em?

My dog ate my homework...
I was in the hospital...
Aliens landed and I was...

Oh, you want the real excuse - er, reason? Ok, um would you believe Google thought I was spam and every time I tried to log in, it prevented me from accessing the blog?

Well, that's the truth - at least for a couple of days. That was frustrating. I tried everything Google suggested I do to get their servers to let me back in. "Nope. You're spam and we're not gonna let you in."

What about the other week and a half, you ask? "Alright, alright. I can't stand the pressure! I admit it. I was weak. I was lazy."

The one sure-fire excuse that didn't occur to me till just now was that I had writer's block. "Yeah, that's it. Writer's block. That's what it was."

So. Even though I was slovenly and lazy and apparently all spammy, there was stuff going on at the homestead. You wouldn't recognize the place. The concrete fence is simply looking marvelous! Cody has been working hard to prime it and then add a nice light terracotta finish coat that really brings the fence to life.

Here's the Entry Area. Looking Sharp!

This bit is heading from the street back towards the septic drain-field wall. You can see the primer coat and where Cody has applied the finish coat of Terracotta. It's all latex-based exterior paint that seems (so far) to be holding up well. Time will tell of course.

Painting Advances Down the Wall

Now, Cody has a bit of extra work. He'll have to move the temporary steps to finish priming and painting the wall.

Dang Steps In The Way

As I was shooting the progress on the wall, I noticed several of the flowering plants in the garden that were showing off for us. So, I took their pictures too.

Flowers

More Flowers

And More Flowers

This Isn't All Of Them Either!

Then yesterday, as Dianna and I were recuperating on our floaties in the pool (I know, it's a rough life. Someone had to volunteer to do it...), our two dogs, Cindy and Secret, were having a ball wrestling in the sand pile. Here they're resting. If you look close, Secret's mouth and tongue are covered with sand. Patooie! It didn't seem to bother her in the least.

Cindy and Secret After A Good Workout

Moving Right Along

I am going to try to document as well as I can the construction of our parking palapa. It's basically a traditional construction method, using native materials, but in this case, quite well engineered and fastened completely with threaded rod, nuts and washers, and lag screws.

We were extremely fortunate to get the services of Mr. Florencio Rodriguez, arguably the premier builder of palapa structures in this part of Belize, if not the whole country. He built (and repaired after Hurricane Dean) the extremely impressive roof structure of Jim and Melanie's Trinity House on Gringo Lane.

The best comparison is right at their house - Florencio built their palapa roof, which withstood Dean with minimal damage of a few lost pieces of thatch, whereas, the palapa roof of Greg and Connie, right next door, wasn't built by Florencio. It collapsed and after Dean was converted into a burn pile. I guess that about sums up his expertise and provides the best recommendation of his skill and art.

And he really does look at it as art. He tries to do something a little different and unique in each palapa he builds. From the selection of interesting wood shapes and types, to differing geometries of the structure, etc., he tries to create interest in each structure.

This is how palapa's should be built.

It starts off yesterday morning, shortly after 6:00 AM when Florencio and his crew arrive. They get to it right away. We had marked out the location for the columns the previous day, so they were able to start digging right away.

As soon as the holes are dug, "Thunk"! In go the very heavy colums.

Digging the Holes

Preparing for the lift of the Column

This next photo shows the crew hoisting the column to slide it into the hole. It really reminds me of the flag raising on Mount Suribachi, on Iwo Jima during WWII. One of those things you don't notice at the time. It only leaps out at you as you're editing the photos afterwords.

Getting It Up

Of course, after the columns are raised, they tamp in sand to stabilize them. Florencio doesn't like to use concrete to encase the columns, because it doesn't let water run away from the wood. It traps it and only causes the wood to rot. It's such a dense, heavy wood that as long as water can get away through the sand, a column should last 35-40 years. I really don't think I'll care much if it rots out after that time.

Tamping Sand Around the Column

Columns Growing Before Our Eyes

Once the columns are all upright, they're trued up and trimmed to the proper height. Then each is notched to receive the longitudinal beam.

Getting the Columns to 8 Feet High

Florencio Cutting the Beam Notches

If a longitudinal beam isn't long enough (as was the case with one of our two) then Florencio notches the two pieces and they're joined by a series of threaded rods, washers and nuts before they're raised into position.

Notching A Beam For Joining

Raising A Longitudinal Beam

Once the beam is up in position, then it's tied off and drilled so that threaded rod can be fed through it and each column. Then as cross beams are added to the mix, they're trimmed after being bolted into place.

Tying Off Beams For Drilling

Trimming Cross Beams

It's beginning to look like a structure. Cross beams all get placed, then the rafters are placed. These are also bolted - at each apex and to the beams, then they're joined by a ridge pole which is also bolted into place.

Cross Beams Going Up

Roof Taking Shape

Rafters and Ridge Pole in Place - End of Day One

During the day, Florencio, took a couple of hits on his big toe, which he had previously injured. He was in quite a bit of pain. Dianna took over and doctored him with some antibiotic ointment and Ibuprofen. Later, he went to the hospital and got some pills to help with infection and swelling.

Good Job, Dr. Dianna

Just so we keep everything in perspective, some folks just don't get too excited about all the hub-bub going on around them.

Midas Not Overreacting

Blue and Dianna Sharing Nap Time

Even though she likes to supervise everything going on, even Cindy needs some down time. Here she's resting in her favorite perch. The railing was tailor-made to just the right height for her to rest her chin on it and still be able to keep an eye on all that is going on.

Cindy At Her Favorite Spot

Cody, even though he's recovering from a pretty severe cold, managed to put in a heavy day's work as well. he finished up one soak away for the roof gutters to come and started another. He also filled in the trenches for the water/electrical line additions out to the palapa.

Cody Digging to China

Adding a Bit to the Trench to the Palapa

The third project going on at the same time (three-ring circus anyone?) is the finishing of the "basement". Installing the metal studs to separate Dianna's and My workshops, and to provide definition for the store room.

Putting Up the Metal Stud Work

More Metal Studs

During the course of the work, the guys put a skim-coat of mortar on the floor of the store room, just off the utility room. Shortly after that, Cindy trotted right through the middle of it, leaving nice, great big prints right through it. After that, I chained her up outside to prevent a recurrence. Of course, shortly after that, guess who tromped through themselves? I managed to avoid being chained up myself - I'm sure the workers would have like to have chained me up too for that. Mea culpa - I thought it was firmed up enough to tread on safely.

Footprints in the Sand

Sometimes, even the project manager has to get down and get dirty. So I did. Here's a couple of shots Dianna took of me connecting the new water line to the existing water main. That pipe in the air is the drain from the washing machine. Wasn't much other way to do it. It's a minimal traffic area anyway.

Dave Doing Physical Labor

Dave Hooking Up Laundry Room Drain Pipe

Even with all this activity going on, you still have to remember to take time to smell the roses - or whatever is growing nearby. In this case it's a flower in Dianna's garden that decided to bloom a couple of days ago. Right pretty at that.

Nice Yaller Flower