tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3009700246504751292024-03-13T09:26:43.417-07:00Our Little Slice of Paradise in BelizeThe experience of building and living in Belize.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-71733023555427703302014-07-23T22:23:00.000-07:002014-08-27T13:58:25.289-07:00A Much Needed Trip HomeAfter what was to be a short 2-3 week trip back to the States last November, we were finally able to go back home...nine months later. Mischelle had just finished having an MRI done and we wouldn't get the results back for at least ten days, due to the fourth of July weekend, and wouldn't get an appointment with the doctors for a week after that. So we asked the doctors if Mischelle could get away for a short mental vacation. The time seemed right and she really needed the break from the cancer routine.<br />
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We booked a flight for June 29th, on American Airlines, and for only the second time in our lives, we flew first class. It allowed us early boarding, much better seating for Mischelle (it wasn't too bad for me, either) and of course, all the perks of going first class. I had planned on shipping several items down to Belize, using our usual shipping company, but flying first class allowed us 6 bags free, between the both of us. All the stuff I had planned to ship, I could take with us. The only problem is now Mischelle wants to fly first class every time we go. Like I didn't see that coming. It really is a great experience. Just wish we could afford it every time (or at least every other time).<br />
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After a pleasant, uneventful flight through Dallas/ Fort Worth, we arrived in Belize around 2:30pm, but more importantly, before the other arriving flights. Being in first class, we were the first to disembark. Our bags and boxes were the first items unloaded from the plane. Immigration was a breeze. Now it was time to pay the piper for all the goods we were bringing with us. The dreaded Customs officer. I had everything labeled with descriptions and receipts, so I had a good idea of what it might cost, but you never know until you're there. A couple of fans, 250 ft of 10/3 electrical wire, GFI plugs, plumbing supplies, etc.. All stuff I needed for projects at home. The total bill...$325.00Bz, or about $170 US. A lot cheaper than shipping it down.<br />
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We arrived home about an hour before sunset. Home Sweet Home. Throw the bags in the bedroom, grab a cold beer and enjoy the sunset over the bay. Oh, is it good to be home.<br />
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While it was a mental vacation for Mischelle, it was a working vacation for me. Hurricane season was upon us and I needed to do some work around the house before any major storms came along. The upper patio that was built during our last visit, needed to be plastered and the electrical and lights all had to be hooked up.<br />
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It is a big change for the lower patio, but it now allows us to start planning for our upstairs patio.<br />
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A trench had to be dug, from the front of the house to the pool room, so we could replace the undersized wiring that my contractor had installed to run the pool motor.<br />
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And with all the corrosion that happens when you live this close to the ocean,, maintenance is always required. The breaker box and all the breakers were corroded beyond possible reuse, so all of that needed to be replaced. I'm sure the pool timer will be the next thing to go.<br />
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We had other problems with plumbing that also need to be taken care of while we were here. Another contractor screw up that needed fixing. First, it was the problem with a plumbing joint not being glued. Usually not too bad if you are in a American style home. Find it and fix it. But with the house made from cinder block, getting to plumbing issues is a completely different story.<br />
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We could never figure out why the shower floor was always wet. The water pump would kick on at 2 or 3 in the morning, when nobody was up. It was the little things that made us think there was a leak. Finally it was traced to the unglued joint in the master bathroom shower. When a quarter inch hole was bored into the block on the outside of the shower, the wall "peed" for an hour. The block wall was completely filled with water.<br />
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After that problem was fixed and patched, it was on to fix the shower drain and a drain vent that was not working properly. It's always something, but at least my list is getting shorter.<br />
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Another must do project on this trip was to screen in the front porch.<br />
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Bats were getting into the garage using the porch for an entrance. I thought that the bats in the area lived on either fruit or mosquitoes, but it turns out they love butterflies...all types. I found large piles of bat guano and all types of butterfly wings, all over the garage. One even set up shop, right under the spare tire of the Nissan. Thanks to my good neighbor Tom, for coming over and washing and then putting a tarp over the Nissan, to keep the bat guano off the paint job. That would have ruined the paint job, for sure.<br />
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This is how the bats were entering, through the unenclosed front porch. Lots of perching spots for them to hang out. Plus, it was dark during the day time and no other real predators to worry about. Sorry, but I'm about to serve an eviction notice.<br />
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I had asked around about getting good screen doors made for the front porch and the two bedroom doors. I was surprised by the answer. Creative Tile, right in Corozal. They came out, measured the openings and had our screen doors ready to be installed in four days. The doors are solid, look good and the installation went extremely well and every door fit just as it should, with only minor adjustments.<br />
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Now with front screen door in, it was up to me to finish screening in the rest of the front porch. Finally, no bats are going to get in the garage, or so I hope.<br />
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But it wasn't all just work. We did enjoy a few nights at the local restaurant/bar with all of our friends. Even though the snowbirds were gone, there is still quite a few full timers that keep the place busy.<br />
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It was sure good to be home...even if it was only for a short while. Now it's time to head back to the States, find out the results of Mischelle's MRI and to figure out where we go from here.<br />
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<br />Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-37629385201127121222014-04-28T15:23:00.000-07:002014-04-28T15:23:03.805-07:00The Boys of SummerBaseball season is here, so it was time for us to go see a ball game. Our friend Jordan had purchased 12 tickets to the LA Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies game on Sunday, April 27th.<br />
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It was a perfect day for baseball with clear skies and the temperature in the upper 70's. We found a parking spot right away, only a short distance from our entrance gate.<br />
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Soon after we arrived, we stood in a line, that we thought was taking us to our seats. Little did we know that we were in the line to parade around the baseball field. It was Little League day at Dodger Stadium and they were giving away Hanley Ramirez jerseys to all the kids in attendance and allowing them to get on the field, prior to the game. I had never been on the field at Dodger Stadium, so this was a great opportunity to enjoy the baseball stadium from a different point of view.<br />
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While on the field, I had to reenact a "catch at the wall" pose. Only wish I had a ball in the glove. Or maybe, the ball just went over the wall and I couldn't jump high enough to get it. Yah, that's it.<br />
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Maybe there were just too many people in the way.<br />
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It was a fun experience and I'm glad we ended up in the wrong line. For all I know, we could have been in the hot dog or beer line, and that would have been fine with me.<br />
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I was going to buy a Dodgers hat, but they were $36, and that's way too much for a baseball cap. Angels cap? Maybe. Besides, it would cut into my beer money ($13.75 per beer). I had only brought $50 because our seats were in the right field pavilion, in the all-you-can-eat section. Yep. All the Dodger Dogs your stomach could handle. Same with the nachos, peanuts and popcorn. And the Dodgers newest rookie phenom, Puig, was there in front of us, in right field.<br />
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The Dodgers were playing for there 10,000th win in the organizations history, so there was a lot of excitement in the air. But alas, the Dodgers didn't give us much to cheer about, as they ended up losing to the Rockies, 6-1.<br />
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It was a great day to watch a baseball game, now it was time to head home and watch the Clippers, Ducks and Kings all try to advance in the playoffs. I was able to see a Clippers game last month at the Staple's Center. I turned down Laker tickets. Just couldn't watch the meltdown. I think everyone has turned down the Laker tickets. April is a good month if you're a sports fan. Baseball, soccer, basketball, hockey and golf. An Angel game is next on my agenda. Maybe then I'll save my beer money and buy that hat.<br />
<br />Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-42939812146087887582014-03-26T17:31:00.000-07:002014-03-26T17:31:03.598-07:00A Return to My BlogWell, it's been over 2 1/2 years since my last post, and so much has happened since then. I still see traffic visiting my blog and people still contact me with questions, so I thought it might be a good time to get back into writing, even though I'm not currently in Belize. I have a lot to catch up on, so I thought I would spread it out over a few days of writing.
In late September 2012, my wife Mischelle, was diagnosed with cancer. In October, we went back to the US to get Mischelle the radiation and chemo treatments she needed. In February 2103 she had to have additional treatments and underwent Brachytherapy to kill the remaining cancer cells. After returning to Belize for a few months, we came back to UCLA for a follow up on her progress. The cancer symptoms seemed to be returning, but all of her biopsies and PET CT's have come back negative, which is good, but Mischelle's overall health has declined and the doctors are not sure what to do next. More chemo and radiation are out for now. The surgery that she would have to have, to remove the cancerous area, is a life altering surgery and would require more than ten hours under the knife and a 6 months to a year recovery. Right now, it's not a great option. We hope to learn more in the next week or two. We are lucky to have 4 of the best doctors at UCLA working on her case. I have nothing but praise for the doctors, RN's and staff at UCLA Ronald Reagan. Mischelle is just a tough case.
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Our neighbors in Consejo, all came out to wish Mischelle good luck with her treatments. We are lucky to live in such a wonderful community.
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Our three dogs, Coral, Timber and Jesse have all passed on. Coral in Oct. 2010, Timber in June of 2012 and finally Jesse in Oct. 2013. They were able to enjoy their golden years, retired with us, in Belize. They brought so much joy to our life, it's hard not having them around. We thought about getting other dogs, but for now, I'm glad we didn't. We had hoped to travel for a couple of years, and that was one of the reasons for not getting other dogs. So for now, it's just Mischelle and I, waiting to go back home and get on with our lives.
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The house is still a work in progress, but in 2012 we added a 2 car garage and man cave on the street side of the house. It solved a lot of our storage issues and provided a place for my workshop plus provided shelter for our cars from the relentless sun, rain and humidity. I can not tell you how much I missed having a garage and a place to work on all of my projects.
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Last year we added on to our patio, but we have not had a chance to finish it yet. At least all the bones of it are done.I would like to extend a cover over the pool, so the water doesn't get so warm in the summer, but that will be a project for when I get home.
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My work as training officer for the Corozal Bay Sailing Club (www.corozalbaysailingclub.com) has also come to a halt. At least we had others that were able to fill the void and keep the youth sailing program on track. Our most recent class had several top 10 finishes and one of our prospects, Christopher Campos finished third in the Belize Nationals. Our club has hosted 3 national regattas in Corozal, bringing back the art of sailing to our beautiful bay.
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I am so looking forward to getting back in the program. In my time back in the States, I was able to pick up and ship back to Belize, several Laser sailboats so that our junior and senior sailors can continue to enhance their skills. Just more reasons to return home. Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-1083003857333628932011-09-13T12:50:00.000-07:002011-10-04T20:14:07.071-07:00The Battle of St. Georges Caye Sailing RegattaA few months ago, a fellow CYC (Consejo Yacht Club) member had invited me to crew on his Hobie Getaway in the Battle of St. Georges Caye Sailing Regatta, September 11,2011, representing our club in it's second race of the year. I was more than happy to join him and thought we would make a good team. The other Hobie Getaway, that Bud and Anne had just received 5 days earlier, was also going to represent the club, but we still needed to assemble the boat and get its crew ready for the race. So the club now had two entries in the regatta, which was now, just a few days away. We had to put together Bud's new Hobie, then head out to our bay to get some much needed practice.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AtjGMG_ieNI/Tm-3moqiemI/AAAAAAAAB7U/09FFTUhhLSk/s1600/IMG_0048%255B1%255D.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AtjGMG_ieNI/Tm-3moqiemI/AAAAAAAAB7U/09FFTUhhLSk/s400/IMG_0048%255B1%255D.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651937931752012386" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4VkteoH-VCk/Top6eJFkyfI/AAAAAAAAB7c/Ca9ibfc3O3A/s1600/DSC05531.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4VkteoH-VCk/Top6eJFkyfI/AAAAAAAAB7c/Ca9ibfc3O3A/s400/DSC05531.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659470539998415346" /></a><br /><br /><br />Unfortunately, the winds gods did not want to cooperate and we slogged through 5-8 mph winds for days. And, we still needed time to get the trailers ready to handle the Hobie Cats for the trip to Belize City. Bud was getting his trailer delivered with the boat, or so he thought. When the boat arrived, only part of the trailer was in the container. Apparently, the trailer was too long and they had just shipped the racks that hold the Hobie Cat to the trailer. The actual trailer would not arrive for a few more weeks. That would not help us, as the race was only days away. So in true Belizean fashion, we took another trailer and modified it to handle his Hobie. First problem solved. The second trailer, that would carry our entry in the race, had its own set of problems. It had sat for years, unused, and the leaf spring attachments had rusted to the point that even a minor bump, they would break. So, off to the welding shop we went, to get everything welded up so we wouldn't have any problems out on the road. I hadn't bothered to look at the tires, until then, but they were as bad as I have ever seen a set of tires. Cracked and rotted, we had no time to replace them. No tire store had them in stock and it would take weeks for them to arrive. And our spare tire was just as bad. But we decided we were still on track to go to Belize City, where we were going to launch the boats, we would just have to be extra careful during the drive.<br /><br />With the boats loaded up on their trailers, we headed off to Belize City, early Saturday morning. It was a nice, uneventful trip and we arrived around 1PM at our final destination. We unloaded the boats, then went off to get some lunch before our sail to St. George's Caye. By the time we had finished lunch and got back to the boats, it was now getting close to 3PM. We still had a several hour sail over to the island, but the winds were up, so we thought we could make good time.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cyiGJAF9nXc/Top7icoepfI/AAAAAAAAB7k/pW7vfIgaHVc/s1600/GOPR0115.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cyiGJAF9nXc/Top7icoepfI/AAAAAAAAB7k/pW7vfIgaHVc/s400/GOPR0115.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659471713476191730" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zW8kO6bZVP0/Top8GUHxArI/AAAAAAAAB7s/U60U5dXwEt8/s1600/GOPR0119.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zW8kO6bZVP0/Top8GUHxArI/AAAAAAAAB7s/U60U5dXwEt8/s400/GOPR0119.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659472329666790066" /></a><br /><br />We followed the boats that had started out for the Caye a few hours earlier, but were much slower than us, so we figured we would catch them in a hour or so. An hour and a half later, our tacks had taken quite a bit north of our destination and we still could not see St. George's Caye and had only made up half the ground on the other boats. It was now approaching 4:30 and sunset was just a little before 6PM and total darkness by 6:30. We were not equipt to sail in the dark and with all the small islands in front of us, we needed to locate St.George's Caye and get there as quick as we could. This was open ocean and there was no Coast Guard around to help us if something were to happen.<br /><br />We could see the other boats approaching an island off in the distance, so we followed their lead and sailed towards that same island. Bud and Jim were on the other Hobie Cat, two or three miles behind us, and sunset was fast approaching. We arrived at the St. George's Caye harbor just after sunset but the other Hobie was now disappearing into the night. Now we had to hope that they saw where we had gone and were able to keep a true course to get there. And, of course around sunset, the winds begin to die down.<br /><br />A half an hour later we saw a flashlight off in the distance. They had made it to the harbor. We had waited for them at the mouth of the harbor, so we could both sail in to the harbor together. It was now around 7:30 PM, and the journey had taken us over 4 1/2 hours. It was time to check into the hotel then head to the bar for some ice cold Belikins. It had been a very long day.<br /><br />The next morning we were able to see the suroundings and our hotel cabanas. St. George's Caye is a small island about 10 miles out from Belize City. Beautiful clear waters surround the island and the races were going to be held just about in front of our hotel.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AvHTRnnn3hI/Top9leo9gCI/AAAAAAAAB70/rYUnoGE_wVY/s1600/GOPR0148.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AvHTRnnn3hI/Top9leo9gCI/AAAAAAAAB70/rYUnoGE_wVY/s400/GOPR0148.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659473964577947682" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-acLQpcm1Crg/Top-I288IuI/AAAAAAAAB78/d5-mTSoOlH8/s1600/GOPR0140.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-acLQpcm1Crg/Top-I288IuI/AAAAAAAAB78/d5-mTSoOlH8/s400/GOPR0140.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659474572399616738" /></a><br /><br />As we watched the other races begin, we studied the winds and talked strategy on how we wanted to race when it was our turn. We were scheduled to start at 11AM, so around 10:30 we readied the boats for the race. We watched for our flag, that would indicate that it was our turn to sail. Around 11, the flag went up, which meant we had 5 minutes to start time. As we waited for the second flag to go up, indicating three minutes to race time, the multi-hull race flag came down. Our race had been postponed until 12:30. No problem. We tied up the Hobies' and watched the other races, just waiting for our turn.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MPqUlQ28yLc/ToqD6F4d-4I/AAAAAAAAB8E/DYSNfVzj6ak/s1600/GOPR0139.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MPqUlQ28yLc/ToqD6F4d-4I/AAAAAAAAB8E/DYSNfVzj6ak/s400/GOPR0139.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659480915779124098" /></a><br /><br />The once beautiful sunny sky was now beginning to fill with dark clouds. As our start time drew closer, so did the menacing dark clouds. The multi-hull class flag went up, signaling that the start of the race was now 5 minutes away. The winds had now picked up to 10-15 mph, which is ideal for sailing a Hobie, but the menacing clouds were now even darker and much closer. We saw the multi-hull class flag drop, indicating that the race had begun. We were first across the start/finish line, headed to the first marker, with the other boats close behind. As we cleared the second and third markers, heading back to the start/finish line, of this two lap race, the wind had really picked up and we were now heading into a rather large squall. One of the other Hobie Cats, from San Pedro, had pulled a couple of boat lengths ahead of us at the start/finish line of the first lap. The wind was now in the 25-30+ mph range and we were being pelted with rain. As the Hobie from San Pedro cleared the first marker bouy, we watched as it was toppled over by the wind. We rounded the first marker, flying as fast as I have ever been in a Hobie Cat, we passed the overturned San Pedro Hobie, heading for the second mark. The other Hobie from our club, had seen what had happened to the San Pedro Hobie, evaulated the weather conditions and headed for the safety of land. We were attempting to clear the second marker, when all of a sudden, both hulls dug into the water and we were catapulted forward into the ocean. Pelting rain and blistering winds were hindering our attempts to right the boat. We were able to get the Hobie righted, only to have it blow over again. Twenty five minutes in the water and we finally had to get help from the race committee boats. Our race was now over, but as we found out, everybody had been eliminated from the finish of the race. We had come in second place, due to the fact we were in second place after the first lap. But, we'll take it. It was an exciting race, even though we didn't get to finish.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gq-l3NBygkA/ToqQDeAEYWI/AAAAAAAAB8c/cbzPHumJUo4/s1600/GOPR0146.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gq-l3NBygkA/ToqQDeAEYWI/AAAAAAAAB8c/cbzPHumJUo4/s400/GOPR0146.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659494271011807586" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bY7Mnek1HMA/ToqPSvfnVVI/AAAAAAAAB8U/3pydNxgkP4g/s1600/DSC05580.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bY7Mnek1HMA/ToqPSvfnVVI/AAAAAAAAB8U/3pydNxgkP4g/s400/DSC05580.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659493433893934418" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Ep6tQLQ4Rc/ToqN57uU-7I/AAAAAAAAB8M/i5iNwh2-pzk/s1600/DSC05577.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Ep6tQLQ4Rc/ToqN57uU-7I/AAAAAAAAB8M/i5iNwh2-pzk/s400/DSC05577.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659491908168514482" /></a><br /><br />The next morning was the trip home. The day started out with dark clouds on the horizon, all around the island. The wind was from the north, so that would help us getting back to Belize City, but we were still looking at a 3-4 hour sail. As we started off, it looked as though we might make good time, but that only lasted for an hour or so. Soon the rain began, and the winds began to shift around. No where to hide, so we slogged on. Soon, the rain really began to fall, but we could see Belize City in off in the distance. By the time we made it back to the launch ramp, it was raining cats and dogs...and we still needed to load up the boats.<br /><br />After breaking down the boats and loading them on their trailers, it was finally time to head home. After a couple of stops for munchies, we were on our way. By the time we got home, it had been a long 10 hour day. I was going to sleep well tonight.<br /><br />The races were lots of fun and I look forward to doing more racing in the future. This is my second race, and both times I have been on the 2nd place boat. Next year, I plan to win!Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-36908675667021541602011-08-21T12:38:00.000-07:002011-08-30T18:13:57.885-07:00We Dodged Our First Tropical StormI spent the better part of my birthday, getting ready for tropical storm Harvey, that ended up hitting the southern part of Belize. All we got was a little rain, but surprisingly, no wind. But it was a good dry run for when the first tropical storm or hurricane, does come.
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<br />We were trying to decide on the type of hurricane shutters we wanted to protect the doors and windows, and we wanted to make the decision before hurricane season started on the first of June. Well that didn't work out and it was nearly the end of June before we actually made our decision on which way to go.
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<br />Our first thought was plywood. It was not overly expensive, easy to cut and I could get it right away. But the drawbacks were storage (we don't have a garage yet), treating it for bugs and rot, the large panels were heavy and it would make the house seem like a cave, which means lots of candles or a generator going full time. If we went with plywood, our cost, including installation, would be around $1500US.
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<br />The second option we looked at were aluminum panels that attach to a permanent railing system. The panels are light weight, strong and easy to store, with minimal maintenance. They can be installed in a fairly short time and even quicker if there are two people. The down side is, the feeling of being in a cave, the rather high cost of the panels and the time it takes for the company to cut it to size and installation. If we went with aluminum panels, we were looking at around $7000 - $8000US, including installation and three weeks before they would be ready.
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<br />Our other option was semi-clear polyurethane panels. Florida rated, they could be bought from Home Depot or Lowe's, online. A permanent attachment system would hold the panels to the window and door frames, so installation of the panels before a storm would be quick and easy. A full 4X8 sheet of polyurethane panel weighs less than 20 lbs. They are thin and easy to store. No worries about bugs or rot. They're simi-clear, which allows light in during the day. The only down sides were the cost, about $3000US (including shipping, duties, taxes and installation), it being twice the cost of plywood but less than half of the cost of aluminum panels, and the shipping time. From the order date to delivery in Corozal would be about 5 to 6 weeks.
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<br />After careful consideration we decided to go with the semi-clear polyurethane panels, from Home Depot. They came in a contractor pack of 5 - 4X8 sheets for about $715, before taxes, and we decided to buy 3 packs. Home Depot delivers free on orders over $250, so we had them ship it to Marage Shipping, in LA for no charge. From there, Marage would ship it to Belize in a container, that would take about 3 weeks, then they would unpack the container in Corozal and then call us to pick up the panels a day or two after that. It wasn't the quickest way to get ready for hurricane season, but if we could dodge any hurricanes until August, we might be OK.
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<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rBxWZ5nCQWU/Tlq6gUU5ETI/AAAAAAAAB7E/gAlivE5SOfQ/s1600/DSC05514.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rBxWZ5nCQWU/Tlq6gUU5ETI/AAAAAAAAB7E/gAlivE5SOfQ/s400/DSC05514.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646030147237253426" /></a>
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<br />So that leads us to now. The hurricane panels arrived in early August and we had no threatening tropical storms or hurricanes up until then. If it would just hold off until I could get them installed. I needed a permanent attachment system first and I have to work with what they have here in Belize. I went to our local window manufacturer to look at aluminum rails then to all the hardware stores in town to find stainless steel nuts and bolts (we don't want them rusting in a few years). After looking at a number of options, we decided on the rails we wanted but ended up having to order the stainless steel nuts and bolts. More waiting time. No hurricanes in sight, but now we were starting to press our luck. Sure enough, as soon as the bolts arrived, we get notice of a new tropical depression forming off the leeward islands, and it was headed our way, over warmer waters. Was this going to be the first hurricane of the season? Was it going to hit Belize? Was I going to be ready?
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<br />As luck would have it, the answer to all three of those questions was "no". The storm did hit southern Belize, but only as a tropical storm. And a good thing, as we were not ready for it. I had just started cutting the panels to size, but had not even began to install the attachments.
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<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D3stYfLoMZk/Tlq7U6MY3oI/AAAAAAAAB7M/6M6EyN58WVw/s1600/DSC05515.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D3stYfLoMZk/Tlq7U6MY3oI/AAAAAAAAB7M/6M6EyN58WVw/s400/DSC05515.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646031050755333762" /></a>
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<br />So that is where I am today, rushing (in Belize time) to get the panels cut and installed. I have installed almost all the panels for main windows and tomorrow I will start on the small windows and doors. I hope to have this all wrapped up in two or three days. At least no tropical storms or hurricanes are headed our way.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-53216980804055589772011-07-31T17:45:00.000-07:002011-08-02T09:15:33.545-07:00I'm A Star (or at least my 15 seconds of fame)The most recent Belize Tourism Board (BTB) video has just been released, highlighting all the positives in each of the six districts throughout Belize, and the first episode is on the Corozal area. The host, Emaun, toured our area and selected my neighbor, Jason Pierce, to take her out sailing on the Corozal Bay. Jason asked for my help with this video project, so he could explain the highlights of sailing, while I steered the boat. Here is a link to the first episode and my claim to fame.<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnsqGPYsWEI<br /><br />It was a fun day and I was glad to promote the best of the Corozal Area. The bay is a under utilized area where sailing, windsurfing and kite boarding could be a well known draw to the area.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-37351008478237308912011-07-04T16:51:00.000-07:002011-07-31T17:45:39.870-07:00Fish Fry At The Casablanca HotelOur local hotel, the Casablanca, was hosting a Fish Fry, with our local fishermen supplying the fish and different preparation techniques by the local fisherman's wives. The hotel invited the Consejo Yacht Club to participate and host a booth along with other local vendors selling their goods and food. The yacht club gladly accepted and in accordance with the goals of the club, offered to take local kids and their parents, out sailing on a couple of Hobie Cats that the members of the yacht club had purchased for their own use, free of charge.<br /><br />The goal of the yacht club is to provide sailing experience to the new generation of children, that has been part of their heritage, but is quickly being lost. In the Corozal and Consejo area, fishing and sailing have been a big part of the livelyhood and trade for the whole northern Belize and southern Mexico. The club has also joined the newly formed Belize Sailing Association and has qualified to help Belize start a sailing program with the end result being an official entrant in the Olympics, sometime in the near future. The Belize Sailing Association and the Consejo Yacht Club are currently in discussions to purchase boats for training to achieve the needed experience to compete at such a high level.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eatmmiWtMnY/TjXvatBU0EI/AAAAAAAAB6U/vf9rPU_uhTA/s1600/DSC05454.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eatmmiWtMnY/TjXvatBU0EI/AAAAAAAAB6U/vf9rPU_uhTA/s400/DSC05454.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635673750764834882" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i1cuiy4iS70/TjXwXy2G0DI/AAAAAAAAB6c/cAfbSPShsh4/s1600/DSC05458.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i1cuiy4iS70/TjXwXy2G0DI/AAAAAAAAB6c/cAfbSPShsh4/s400/DSC05458.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635674800300412978" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dCDj6NVvxH8/TjXxFzziQWI/AAAAAAAAB6k/h9C0LrZJuTE/s1600/DSC05460.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dCDj6NVvxH8/TjXxFzziQWI/AAAAAAAAB6k/h9C0LrZJuTE/s400/DSC05460.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635675590832046434" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K75bgs-iFcw/TjXyfDlyPRI/AAAAAAAAB6s/P8NFSnBjG_k/s1600/DSC05462.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K75bgs-iFcw/TjXyfDlyPRI/AAAAAAAAB6s/P8NFSnBjG_k/s400/DSC05462.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635677124077698322" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hBZtVAcHT40/TjX0j7VVh5I/AAAAAAAAB60/xIZcnNWmpC8/s1600/DSC05449.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hBZtVAcHT40/TjX0j7VVh5I/AAAAAAAAB60/xIZcnNWmpC8/s400/DSC05449.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635679406783825810" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v4QcBgLI-qc/TjX1PK9VWiI/AAAAAAAAB68/r-GmN439RYY/s1600/DSC05447.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v4QcBgLI-qc/TjX1PK9VWiI/AAAAAAAAB68/r-GmN439RYY/s400/DSC05447.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635680149712493090" /></a><br /><br />The sailing experience for the kids (and the adults) was overwhelming, with 53 adults and children taking part in the sailing event. For many, it was the first time being on a sailboat. Almost all came back with a grin from ear to ear, and not one of them got seasick, even though it was a rough day, with rain and thunderstorms all around. But all the bad weather seemed to miss us and the event went off without a hitch. I hope it will turn into a yearly event, as everyone seemed to have a good time.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-18281388915440856732011-06-27T15:39:00.000-07:002011-07-31T16:50:10.480-07:00Our First Tropical WaveMischelle and I have now been here in Belize, just short of of nine months, full time. For the most part, the weather has been just what we expected, comfortable during the winter/spring months and hot and humid during the summer and hurricane season. But this will be our first hurricane season, full time. We've been through hurricanes in Cabo, but we could leave after it was over, and our hotel facilities could get us through all but the worse storm. Here, we are on our own. But that statement is not really true. I feel our neighbors are here to help in any distubance, and would go beyond what is need to make sure you're secure. It's just the things that are beyond the normal circumstances. It's a slippery, mushy seven mile drive to town after a good rain. The road has been flooded so that only 4 wheel drive vehicals could make it through to town. There is no immediate help so you better do the best you can to be safe.<br /><br />We got a small taste of that when a tropical wave came through. Some high winds in the 50 mph range and heavy bouts of rain at times, but overall, not too bad. But it gave us food for thought about how we are going to protect ourselfs.<br /><br />Our usually calm beach area was totally underwater. There were times you could barely see we even had a seawall.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GoLrgOD_vr4/TjXfm2052TI/AAAAAAAAB58/ecnGxYM2b3I/s1600/DSC05107.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GoLrgOD_vr4/TjXfm2052TI/AAAAAAAAB58/ecnGxYM2b3I/s400/DSC05107.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635656367369476402" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Im_0Cd5SMdw/TjXmHoaWiYI/AAAAAAAAB6E/1bM7iryCnWY/s1600/DSC05438.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Im_0Cd5SMdw/TjXmHoaWiYI/AAAAAAAAB6E/1bM7iryCnWY/s400/DSC05438.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635663527505463682" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ccXUQYb26k/TjXoYQuozzI/AAAAAAAAB6M/52FjzsDW9nM/s1600/DSC05442.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ccXUQYb26k/TjXoYQuozzI/AAAAAAAAB6M/52FjzsDW9nM/s400/DSC05442.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635666012229127986" /></a><br /><br />Now we need just need to get our hurricane shutters we ordered from Home Depot delivered before the first hurricane hits us. And we also need to find space for all the outdoor furniture we have. I guess in the worse case scenerio, we could put all that furniture in the guest room. I shudder to think of all the geckos, spiders and other bugs that have made their home in the nooks and cranies of our outdoor furniture. Next on the build list...a storage shed.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-47625241900468901722011-06-15T13:30:00.000-07:002011-07-31T15:38:56.072-07:00Visiting The Local SitesWe had our friend Bruce, visit us from the States, and he wanted to see what Belize had to offer. So we started off in San Pedro for some diving and a little partying. It was just after Easter and the tourist season had come to a screeching halt. The place was empty, and I mean empty. Nobody on the beach, nobody in the restaurants, nobody at the bars, but that also meant there was nobody at the dive sites. We had some great dives with loggerhead turtles, nurse sharks, eagle rays, and the list goes on. Definitely a good time to go if you want pristine diving and only a few people. Not a good time if you want to party.<br /><br />Then it was on to the Mayan ruins at Lamanai. A fun two hour boat ride up the New River that is part Disneyland Jungle Cruise and part Florida air boat ride.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dZmVjwn28JM/TjW_eJV3CGI/AAAAAAAAB3c/7sEUV826YQA/s1600/DSC05296.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dZmVjwn28JM/TjW_eJV3CGI/AAAAAAAAB3c/7sEUV826YQA/s400/DSC05296.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635621033348630626" /></a><br /><br /><br />We had to stop along the way to see the monkeys, feed them a couple of apple bananas, then move on to Lamanai. Beautiful birds and lush fauna lined the shores of the river, and the viewing opportunities made the trip to Lamanai seem short.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K8FWbRCKHlw/TjXAbB1t-DI/AAAAAAAAB3k/WV8TWXOFioo/s1600/DSC05290.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K8FWbRCKHlw/TjXAbB1t-DI/AAAAAAAAB3k/WV8TWXOFioo/s400/DSC05290.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635622079306790962" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9gBjy769XLI/TjXB4Y3CA5I/AAAAAAAAB3s/UtxWGRte-Ls/s1600/DSC05285.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9gBjy769XLI/TjXB4Y3CA5I/AAAAAAAAB3s/UtxWGRte-Ls/s400/DSC05285.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635623683214148498" /></a><br /><br />After we arrived at Lamanai, we sat down and had a lunch provided for us by the tour company, then it was off on a short walk to the ruins. Our tour guide had studied the Lamanai ruins for over 20 years, so he knew a lot of the history, not only of Lamanai, but of the neighboring ruins and their part in the overall development of the area.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zkX6VPYyHF4/TjXHV5fml6I/AAAAAAAAB4U/zqN9yrsSbL8/s1600/DSC05347.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zkX6VPYyHF4/TjXHV5fml6I/AAAAAAAAB4U/zqN9yrsSbL8/s400/DSC05347.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635629687748597666" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s9WAHbiU9Z0/TjXC_Tn3BXI/AAAAAAAAB30/GrMoEgbkPBM/s1600/DSC05302.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s9WAHbiU9Z0/TjXC_Tn3BXI/AAAAAAAAB30/GrMoEgbkPBM/s400/DSC05302.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635624901579048306" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lV9RfKZ1OjI/TjXFfhuG17I/AAAAAAAAB38/kKPYfRkbQn0/s1600/DSC05305.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lV9RfKZ1OjI/TjXFfhuG17I/AAAAAAAAB38/kKPYfRkbQn0/s400/DSC05305.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635627654142416818" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tk-VmKbFEIE/TjXGDx-0ZAI/AAAAAAAAB4E/YxDGcIKChy0/s1600/DSC05317.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tk-VmKbFEIE/TjXGDx-0ZAI/AAAAAAAAB4E/YxDGcIKChy0/s400/DSC05317.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635628276982768642" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gucjALdsUKc/TjXGqScyY0I/AAAAAAAAB4M/r7T-yrfAdDs/s1600/DSC05323.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gucjALdsUKc/TjXGqScyY0I/AAAAAAAAB4M/r7T-yrfAdDs/s400/DSC05323.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635628938533430082" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JZk40yOBlTA/TjXILVH0whI/AAAAAAAAB4c/H8IvOVx_cyA/s1600/DSC05324.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JZk40yOBlTA/TjXILVH0whI/AAAAAAAAB4c/H8IvOVx_cyA/s400/DSC05324.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635630605698122258" /></a><br /><br />The ruins are in fairly good condition and you can still get close to and climb to the top of some of the taller ruins, unlike some of the ruins in Mexico. It is deceptive how steep the stairs are that going to the top. It can be a little bit unnerving to some people, but they do provide a rope to hold on to on your accent and decent.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YwrbzbRcbPU/TjXJU0I7pVI/AAAAAAAAB4k/hQAs9S1q_14/s1600/DSC05327.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YwrbzbRcbPU/TjXJU0I7pVI/AAAAAAAAB4k/hQAs9S1q_14/s400/DSC05327.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635631868154717522" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oRtWck--QjA/TjXKbDV886I/AAAAAAAAB4s/ktoYpLaoakI/s1600/DSC05335.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oRtWck--QjA/TjXKbDV886I/AAAAAAAAB4s/ktoYpLaoakI/s400/DSC05335.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635633074826703778" /></a><br /><br />But the view from the top is amazing, allowing you to see for miles in any direction.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-plC7Hd_cw9Y/TjXLSvLyDpI/AAAAAAAAB40/3PvFV28v89w/s1600/DSC05332.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-plC7Hd_cw9Y/TjXLSvLyDpI/AAAAAAAAB40/3PvFV28v89w/s400/DSC05332.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635634031488011922" /></a><br /><br />Mischelle climbed to the top of one of the ruins, and her thighs burned for days. It's not the usual step pattern, so muscles get used that don't normally get used.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LQiAuYSnt3A/TjXL92RCaSI/AAAAAAAAB48/XrTyI8pP8rY/s1600/DSC05336.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LQiAuYSnt3A/TjXL92RCaSI/AAAAAAAAB48/XrTyI8pP8rY/s400/DSC05336.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635634772123478306" /></a><br /><br />She's smiling now, but that won't be the case tomorrow!<br /><br />After a long, but enjoyable day, it was time to take the boat ride back to Orange Walk and head home from there, or at least to the bar near home.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-akSobKFzfOY/TjXNELwzoDI/AAAAAAAAB5E/xpVs_qGkG6Y/s1600/DSC05349.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-akSobKFzfOY/TjXNELwzoDI/AAAAAAAAB5E/xpVs_qGkG6Y/s400/DSC05349.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635635980484714546" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ozCPjnQUKt0/TjXPO0jvbqI/AAAAAAAAB5M/T1ocHNC1tFo/s1600/DSC05355.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ozCPjnQUKt0/TjXPO0jvbqI/AAAAAAAAB5M/T1ocHNC1tFo/s400/DSC05355.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635638362257714850" /></a><br /><br /><br />The next day, Bruce wanted to explore the Free Zone and the local casinos. Not much in the Free Zone to do but shop for "knock offs" of just about anything in clothing, shoes or handbags. Not a place to take the wife or girlfriend, if you plan on doing anything else that day. But then again, she could say that about me and going to the casinos. But at least the drinks in the casinos are free....well sort of, if you're lucky.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JmqDXlGJj3Y/TjXQ9MazwzI/AAAAAAAAB5U/yqbwcBXl_1s/s1600/DSC05361.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JmqDXlGJj3Y/TjXQ9MazwzI/AAAAAAAAB5U/yqbwcBXl_1s/s400/DSC05361.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635640258448311090" /></a><br /><br />On Bruce's last day, his flight didn't leave until late afternoon, so we thought it would be a good time to visit the Belize Zoo. It has a very good reputation, especially for being such a small facility. But don't let it fool you on the size. They do a great job on displaying the animals and you really have a chance to get up close and personal. Just don't get too close, as the signs say. Fingers can come up missing if put in the fence at the wrong time.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BESxYgHlK18/TjXTHZvIJdI/AAAAAAAAB5c/1ymBlPRVx6g/s1600/DSC05363.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BESxYgHlK18/TjXTHZvIJdI/AAAAAAAAB5c/1ymBlPRVx6g/s400/DSC05363.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635642632845141458" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-69_P2UpWSv8/TjXTzPnVSOI/AAAAAAAAB5k/RgJ-NimWAHY/s1600/DSC05378.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-69_P2UpWSv8/TjXTzPnVSOI/AAAAAAAAB5k/RgJ-NimWAHY/s400/DSC05378.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635643386042337506" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_-hakhJ_ZMQ/TjXVJclPcSI/AAAAAAAAB5s/PMOFWPTBGTI/s1600/DSC05379.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_-hakhJ_ZMQ/TjXVJclPcSI/AAAAAAAAB5s/PMOFWPTBGTI/s400/DSC05379.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635644866991976738" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4umWecAOB8/TjXVwmBccqI/AAAAAAAAB50/ofUWRX_EaWk/s1600/DSC05385.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4umWecAOB8/TjXVwmBccqI/AAAAAAAAB50/ofUWRX_EaWk/s400/DSC05385.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635645539541086882" /></a><br /><br /><br />The zoo does a great job educating the people about the inter-relationship between the different animals, and how as caretakers of the country, they need to preserve the forest and not exploit the resources that are natural to the country.<br /><br />The zoo was great experience that I would recommend to anyone that visits Belize. But it was time for Bruce to end his vacation and head back home to LA. I'm sure glad I'm no longer in that boat. Back to work on Monday and months before your next vacation. In Belize, I'm on permanent vacation.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-65161669470958996772011-06-09T18:25:00.000-07:002011-06-11T09:49:39.645-07:00At It Once AgainAfter a few months of no posts to the blog, I am hoping to begin again, with at least a few posts a month. Even comments from Julian couldn't get me back to posting on my blog. I spoke to a few others that also blog and it's not unusual to get blog burn-out or a sort of writers block. But what ever it was, I hope to get back into some kind of routine. There is so much here to blog about, I just need to do it. So here we go. I'll include things from the last couple of months, just to get started again.<br /><br />Mischelle's mother, Fay, stayed with us until early April. She was here for 4 months, and I'm sure she'll be back soon, probably after the hurricane season. But for now it will finally give us a chance to get settled into routine around the house. We still have a lot to unpack.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pMW4vzuOhM4/TfN5LZHvZXI/AAAAAAAAB1s/U53Ot9kQ888/s1600/DSC05220.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pMW4vzuOhM4/TfN5LZHvZXI/AAAAAAAAB1s/U53Ot9kQ888/s400/DSC05220.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616966396890015090" /></a><br /><br />We went to Sarteneja for their Easter Day Boat Races. Our friends, Tom and Terri joined us for the drive. Unlike last year, we decided to drive there rather than take the boat. The road out there was recently graded, so the drive shouldn't be too bad. What could take the most time was waiting to cross the river on the ferry. It only holds four or five cars at a time, so if there was a line, we could be there for a while. But as it was, there were only a few cars ahead of us, so we made it on the second ferry across.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IHNGxSu-Ouc/TfOMrFyL3GI/AAAAAAAAB10/VMok1WZS8Js/s1600/DSC05247.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IHNGxSu-Ouc/TfOMrFyL3GI/AAAAAAAAB10/VMok1WZS8Js/s400/DSC05247.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616987832176073826" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iqKKBCGTnE8/TfONqQxqPcI/AAAAAAAAB18/zkbDuvI9gXg/s1600/DSC05252.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iqKKBCGTnE8/TfONqQxqPcI/AAAAAAAAB18/zkbDuvI9gXg/s400/DSC05252.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616988917458419138" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cu235GoB8GE/TfOPM56n3LI/AAAAAAAAB2E/tLY9kLsv_ww/s1600/DSC05255.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cu235GoB8GE/TfOPM56n3LI/AAAAAAAAB2E/tLY9kLsv_ww/s400/DSC05255.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616990612129045682" /></a><br /><br />We arrived in Sarteneja, after driving for about an hour and a half, and found that the boat from Consejo, with our other friends and neighbors, had also just arrived. The Consejo Yacht Club had entered the Maranatha in one of the races, so there was a large group yacht club members there to support them.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ak1YxUFQlNs/TfOWKX-Aa7I/AAAAAAAAB2U/qfdL6KDrR9U/s1600/DSC05256.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ak1YxUFQlNs/TfOWKX-Aa7I/AAAAAAAAB2U/qfdL6KDrR9U/s400/DSC05256.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616998265238088626" /></a><br /><br />Unfortunately, the event wasn't as well organized as last year, and there several mix ups involving the boat and the captain. Also, the Maranatha was way out of her class, due to the fact that the other boats had brought larger sails and extra rigging, just for racing. So, it turns out that we all just watched from the sidelines this year.<br /><br />There were not as many booths selling merchandise and food. There was no information board showing when the races began or what classes of boat were racing. It was a two day event, this year, instead of just one, so some of the bands had played the day/night before. It just seemed to be a much quieter affair this year. But we still managed to have a good time, drink a few beers and chow down some food. <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xnVHtCIO98U/TfOXFspkJEI/AAAAAAAAB2c/wxaLwujTmpo/s1600/DSC05257.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xnVHtCIO98U/TfOXFspkJEI/AAAAAAAAB2c/wxaLwujTmpo/s400/DSC05257.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616999284401775682" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ev4WgJKAzOU/TfOXkc-KthI/AAAAAAAAB2k/iwk8TG07kAc/s1600/DSC05261.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ev4WgJKAzOU/TfOXkc-KthI/AAAAAAAAB2k/iwk8TG07kAc/s400/DSC05261.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616999812769166866" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lv0t-YB7pzs/TfOYX4-BESI/AAAAAAAAB2s/vhAX6pxr5qA/s1600/DSC05263.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lv0t-YB7pzs/TfOYX4-BESI/AAAAAAAAB2s/vhAX6pxr5qA/s400/DSC05263.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617000696458055970" /></a><br /><br />After a few hours of walking around the town, we decided to head back to Consejo and finish our Easter celebration there. I was a little disappointed in the races this year, but we will go again next year, and hopefully it will be better.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-16064419463146112462011-02-28T08:47:00.000-08:002011-03-01T12:01:04.470-08:00Things Are Moving AlongI can't believe it's already been a month since my last post. We've got a few more things going on around the house. We are getting quotes for the fence work we need to do and we are starting the landscaping of our front yard. They have begun to bring in marl to raise the level of the lot by about 6 to 8 inches. There are several areas in the front of the lot where the water pools because the crown on the side of the road is higher than that of the lot.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GQrSpdqc6AE/TW0G3g_kgMI/AAAAAAAABzE/C2Aud_ODaEI/s1600/DSC05118.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GQrSpdqc6AE/TW0G3g_kgMI/AAAAAAAABzE/C2Aud_ODaEI/s320/DSC05118.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579123064201052354" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Agva3kNB7M/TWaOjoR2UrI/AAAAAAAABy0/pRmINMVgV7E/s1600/DSC05129.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Agva3kNB7M/TWaOjoR2UrI/AAAAAAAABy0/pRmINMVgV7E/s320/DSC05129.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577301931303785138" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WhAKjTjAQx4/TWaQdnke7MI/AAAAAAAABy8/Jwkerq1blkA/s1600/DSC05142.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WhAKjTjAQx4/TWaQdnke7MI/AAAAAAAABy8/Jwkerq1blkA/s320/DSC05142.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577304027057548482" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--OTHDKazD2E/TW0RWhSZcrI/AAAAAAAABzU/3qOV5pTXc7A/s1600/DSC05180.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--OTHDKazD2E/TW0RWhSZcrI/AAAAAAAABzU/3qOV5pTXc7A/s400/DSC05180.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579134591972242098" /></a><br /><br />They are going to start with four loads of marl for the driveway and the carport pad. After that, they will bring in the top soil for all the landscaping and then crushed rock to finish the driveway. This will probably be an ongoing project for the next several months.<br /><br />I finished my pet project down at the seawall, that included adding a handrail, umbrella stand, and a nautical flag pole. I do seem to get things done, it's just done at a Belizean speed. All and all, I think it adds a nice touch to, what was otherwise, just a plain seawall.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qhTOXBnhqfQ/TW0QC4g1alI/AAAAAAAABzM/IyRomx_HUJk/s1600/DSC05182.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qhTOXBnhqfQ/TW0QC4g1alI/AAAAAAAABzM/IyRomx_HUJk/s400/DSC05182.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579133155097799250" /></a><br /><br />We recently attended our local art fair called Art in the Park. It was a very enjoyable evening that started with pizza and beer at one of our favorite drinking establishments, Jam Rock.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IKfTcnXghsI/TW0hZpWylzI/AAAAAAAABzc/LX1u9KPBUOY/s1600/DSC05120.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IKfTcnXghsI/TW0hZpWylzI/AAAAAAAABzc/LX1u9KPBUOY/s400/DSC05120.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579152237863802674" /></a><br /><br />After finishing off a pizza and a couple of beers, it was time to head over to the park. It was a lively gathering, with lots of families attending. There were some beautiful wood carvings, jewelry and paintings throughout the park and of course, food vendors. I was beginning to wish I hadn't eaten before we came.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9B0n6zb7K6E/TW0l1cB7maI/AAAAAAAABzs/V3LP4wyEZRo/s1600/DSC05122.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9B0n6zb7K6E/TW0l1cB7maI/AAAAAAAABzs/V3LP4wyEZRo/s400/DSC05122.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579157113369500066" /></a><br /><br />We met many of our neighbors from Consejo and lots of our friends from town. We came across Dave and Diana, who write the Winjama blog, also there for the food and fun.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QWc3KmbrGUg/TW0j8vTGscI/AAAAAAAABzk/wc1uWeeON5w/s1600/DSC05123.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QWc3KmbrGUg/TW0j8vTGscI/AAAAAAAABzk/wc1uWeeON5w/s400/DSC05123.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579155039777632706" /></a><br /><br />We picked up some meatpies and stuffed jalapenjo peppers, which were absolutely delicious, to take home for later. We toured all the art stands and found a very unusual mahogany bowl that we ended up buying for $50 BZ. There was some very good deals there on local artwork. It's a well attended monthly event.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ynq2GZOvIuw/TW0uYMoDkOI/AAAAAAAABz0/i20g7tRGFSg/s1600/DSC05124.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ynq2GZOvIuw/TW0uYMoDkOI/AAAAAAAABz0/i20g7tRGFSg/s400/DSC05124.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579166506622882018" /></a><br /><br />And this past weekend, I helped our neighbor, Jason, who was hosting a video shoot for the Belize Tourism Board(BTB). They were videotaping a young lady, Iman, in various places throughout Belize, that would showcase things to see or do in that particular area. For the Corozal district, they had contacted Jason about sailing on his Hobie Cat out in the bay. He wanted another crew member to help out, so he contacted me. It was a great morning for sailing, with about a 12 mph wind and small chop on the ocean. We went out for a couple of tacks and let Iman steer the boat for a while. She was really having a good time. The cameraman said he got some great shots of us out sailing. So who knows, I may be in the next Belize tourism video.<br /><br />On Sunday, we sailed Jason's boat down to town, where they were hosting the first annual Corozal Waterside Festival and Expo. It's an idea that originated from members of our Consejo Yacht Club(CYC), and we were originally going to host the event as the Corozal Sailing Regatta. But the logistics of planning and hosting an event like that was just too daunting for such a new and small yacht club. So, we conacted other groups about helping us, and the Belize Sailing Association (who knew Belize had a sailing association?) stepped in and ran with the idea. They were well connected to the right people, so that most of the things the yacht club would have needed to provide, if we had hosted the event, were provided for FREE. That included port-a-potty's, park space rental, booth spaces, etc. They got the Belize bank to donate the prize money and others to pay for the transportation of the Sea Scouts and 10 of their boats, to Corozal, so they could race.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GsuuD-ByOHM/TW0_8n6N3TI/AAAAAAAABz8/Ps50KiIM8Lk/s1600/DSC05154.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GsuuD-ByOHM/TW0_8n6N3TI/AAAAAAAABz8/Ps50KiIM8Lk/s400/DSC05154.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579185824119774514" /></a><br /><br />We sailed Jason's Hobie from Consejo and Gerard had sailed his in from just outside of town, so we were able to race in the multi-hull catagory. <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7VzpF-stT-o/TW1BBIvc7aI/AAAAAAAAB0E/OmxpHJKhKCI/s1600/DSC05151.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7VzpF-stT-o/TW1BBIvc7aI/AAAAAAAAB0E/OmxpHJKhKCI/s400/DSC05151.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579187001164098978" /></a><br /><br />The Belize Sailing Association came in, set up the course, explained the rules and provided the officials. There were 12 boats total, with three different classes.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IbdAP4_7X7o/TW1B9rdWCqI/AAAAAAAAB0M/w3gbh3-d2j0/s1600/DSC05149.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IbdAP4_7X7o/TW1B9rdWCqI/AAAAAAAAB0M/w3gbh3-d2j0/s400/DSC05149.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579188041275542178" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RusFMBrnw9c/TW1EwIUg_zI/AAAAAAAAB0U/hBwfIvxPh-U/s1600/DSC05152.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RusFMBrnw9c/TW1EwIUg_zI/AAAAAAAAB0U/hBwfIvxPh-U/s400/DSC05152.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579191107039854386" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3hEOR13IWkU/TW1FedRHuvI/AAAAAAAAB0c/oukHK5fH4VM/s1600/DSC05160.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3hEOR13IWkU/TW1FedRHuvI/AAAAAAAAB0c/oukHK5fH4VM/s400/DSC05160.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579191902936742642" /></a><br /><br />There were lots of food vendors selling meat pies, shish kabobs, BBQ chicken, tacos and all kinds of other good things. It makes me hungry just writing about it. There were also several companies showcasing their goods, to see if there is a market for them in the Corozal area. And what would a festival be without a beer tent?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NzjRuUolbDc/TW1HZ7_ROWI/AAAAAAAAB0k/WGBNW-Gdgwo/s1600/DSC05157.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NzjRuUolbDc/TW1HZ7_ROWI/AAAAAAAAB0k/WGBNW-Gdgwo/s400/DSC05157.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579194024307276130" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WKv6Pnv42yU/TW1IL03JrRI/AAAAAAAAB0s/faFuiX_0sZo/s1600/DSC05158.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WKv6Pnv42yU/TW1IL03JrRI/AAAAAAAAB0s/faFuiX_0sZo/s400/DSC05158.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579194881387638034" /></a><br /><br /><br />Finally it was our turn to race. As we waited for the starting horn to go off, we got caught up in "irons", which means we were sitting dead in the water. The air horn sounded and the other Hobie was off and sailing, but we were still caught up in irons. After three or four minutes, we were finally off and sailing, but we were well behind the other boat and had a lot of ground to make up.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m9cnbYOEyzs/TW1KoTrwRLI/AAAAAAAAB00/mCl8bmAWQlo/s1600/DSC05176.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m9cnbYOEyzs/TW1KoTrwRLI/AAAAAAAAB00/mCl8bmAWQlo/s400/DSC05176.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579197569720927410" /></a><br /><br />But, after two laps on the course, we were on their tails and closing fast. We had two more bouys to clear before the race was over, so it was now or never. Unfortunately, we missed our tack and had to regroup to try and tack again. We got close, but we came in second (there were only two boats in this class, so I look at it from the best side).<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TplpJKnCqdI/TW1LZBMdNtI/AAAAAAAAB08/Zo8Dn02d1v0/s1600/DSC05178.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TplpJKnCqdI/TW1LZBMdNtI/AAAAAAAAB08/Zo8Dn02d1v0/s400/DSC05178.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579198406571407058" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OgDL4wza_mw/TW1MhjzKpGI/AAAAAAAAB1E/IopfixVfcvA/s1600/DSC05175.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OgDL4wza_mw/TW1MhjzKpGI/AAAAAAAAB1E/IopfixVfcvA/s400/DSC05175.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579199652811154530" /></a><br /><br />The waterside festival was a smashing success and everybody seemed to have a good time. As the kids played in the water, their parents listening to the band as they ate and drank, other kids participating in art workshops or learning to sail, it was a truly fun day and the weather could not have been better. I'm already looking forward to next year.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-70725395405393319832011-01-24T06:25:00.000-08:002011-01-25T08:23:00.451-08:00It's All A BlurI can't believe that it's already late January. Thanksgiving came and went. So did Christmas and New Years too. My New Year resolution was to get back to writing on our blog. But like so many New Year's resolutions, it has fallen by the wayside. I just can't seem to get behind the computer and write. I guess I could blame it on not having a laptop computer to work on, but I don't really think that's the cause. The new desktop computer works great and our internet speed isn't too bad, so I can't blame it on that. I guess I'm just too busy doing nothing to sit down and write. I don't know where the day goes, but one day quietly slips into another, and then another.<br /><br />We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at our neighbor's home, Ron and Karen, with all the fixin's. Watched a couple of football games, drank a few Belikins and had a good time visiting with all of our friends and neighbors.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT2UcaK4xZI/AAAAAAAABwY/nB4iuvDA6aM/s1600/DSC04883.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT2UcaK4xZI/AAAAAAAABwY/nB4iuvDA6aM/s400/DSC04883.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565767930282034578" /></a><br /><br />Christmas was different this year. A new home, but all the decorations were still packed, so there wasn't our usual festive house. This would also be our first Christmas without Coral. Somehow, it just wasn't the same without her. She loved Christmas and her stocking. She always knew what stocking was hers.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT2X2etf6WI/AAAAAAAABwo/-A3xy-1VEdM/s1600/crystalcovevegasdogs%2B139.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT2X2etf6WI/AAAAAAAABwo/-A3xy-1VEdM/s400/crystalcovevegasdogs%2B139.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565771676712429922" /></a><br /><br />But we did put up lights around the house and decorated our Corona Christmas tree. It's also a change to be in 90 degree weather at Christmas. Next year, I'm looking forward to starting new traditions. Mischelle packed 20 RubberMade totes full of Christmas decorations, so next year, I'm sure I'll be busy putting up decorations after Thanksgiving. <br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT2YwU6bslI/AAAAAAAABww/-JKzzvLoCA4/s1600/DSC05001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT2YwU6bslI/AAAAAAAABww/-JKzzvLoCA4/s400/DSC05001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565772670514737746" /></a><br /><br />Mischelle's mom, Fay, came down to Belize, to celebrate the holidays with us, and she will be staying until April. She has joined us for Christmas almost every year since 2000.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7bBNRjthI/AAAAAAAABxI/JJ1djlJGCU4/s1600/DSC04967.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7bBNRjthI/AAAAAAAABxI/JJ1djlJGCU4/s320/DSC04967.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566127003266168338" /></a><br /><br />We spent New Year's eve at the Casablanca Hotel, dancing the night away. Our Consejo Yacht Club rented the hotel to host our first New Year's Eve party and it was a huge success. Fifty or so people turned out for a beautiful evening on the bay, overlooking Chetumal. We thought that there may be a big fireworks show, over in Chetumal, but it was rather quiet this year. So we made some noise of our own and celebrated the beginning of a new year. <br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT2fNpdIIyI/AAAAAAAABw4/O6EYoTm-N1I/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT2fNpdIIyI/AAAAAAAABw4/O6EYoTm-N1I/s320/004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565779771314938658" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT2fWv4eUnI/AAAAAAAABxA/edTB3poK9BU/s1600/New%2BYear%2B2011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 160px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT2fWv4eUnI/AAAAAAAABxA/edTB3poK9BU/s320/New%2BYear%2B2011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565779927659074162" /></a><br /><br />Our Consejo Yacht Club has acquired and refurbished a small sailing boat that was that was built locally, over 40 years ago, and was recently refurbished by the son of the original builder. She has a beautiful look about her and is very graceful on the water. She looks like a fun day sail and I'm looking forward to sailing her one day.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7fYZIh4rI/AAAAAAAABxQ/O5GUZoPMJM8/s1600/001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7fYZIh4rI/AAAAAAAABxQ/O5GUZoPMJM8/s320/001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566131799633027762" /></a><br /><br />Our neighbors, Pip and Jason, have bought a Hobie Getaway that is the perfect boat for this bay. I hope to order ours in the near future. Another neighbor down the road has also bought a Getaway, and yet another in our development is deciding if they are also going to purchase one. Looks like we're going to have enough of these to start our own class and begin racing.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7if7g1EkI/AAAAAAAABxg/gLpZsIid8xI/s1600/DSC04939.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7if7g1EkI/AAAAAAAABxg/gLpZsIid8xI/s320/DSC04939.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566135227655721538" /></a><br /><br />We went sailing on Jason's boat last week and it was a traffic jam out on the bay. There were three other sailboats and two pangas, all out on the bay at the same time. You can go for weeks without seeing another sailboat, just the sugar barges and a couple of pangas now and then.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7hr6mtgXI/AAAAAAAABxY/UBp2MnETAQQ/s1600/DSC04930.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7hr6mtgXI/AAAAAAAABxY/UBp2MnETAQQ/s320/DSC04930.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566134334058758514" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7jGQqrs7I/AAAAAAAABxo/aA6pXvJlrK0/s1600/DSC04934.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7jGQqrs7I/AAAAAAAABxo/aA6pXvJlrK0/s320/DSC04934.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566135886169224114" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7kU56kzaI/AAAAAAAABxw/d3wmdqxT4WM/s1600/DSC04945.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7kU56kzaI/AAAAAAAABxw/d3wmdqxT4WM/s320/DSC04945.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566137237271530914" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7lAW0CGDI/AAAAAAAABx4/fLCrLyutjSI/s1600/DSC04953.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7lAW0CGDI/AAAAAAAABx4/fLCrLyutjSI/s320/DSC04953.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566137983763093554" /></a><br /><br />I recently started, and have almost completed, screening in our porch. All we need to finish it is some mosquito netting we are ordering from the States. We brought down some sun fabric, so we could make some rolldowns for shade. All in all, I'm quite happy with the way it turned out. Now we just need to see what the hurricane and rainy season will do to my work. <br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7tWX8p3nI/AAAAAAAAByI/iGzeD85ZL9U/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7tWX8p3nI/AAAAAAAAByI/iGzeD85ZL9U/s320/002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566147158117834354" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7v4d_lpEI/AAAAAAAAByQ/dhYMOrm8FJ8/s1600/DSC05064.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7v4d_lpEI/AAAAAAAAByQ/dhYMOrm8FJ8/s320/DSC05064.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566149942879560770" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7wf22ZdpI/AAAAAAAAByY/kUeGkOTVcVs/s1600/DSC05065.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7wf22ZdpI/AAAAAAAAByY/kUeGkOTVcVs/s320/DSC05065.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566150619566798482" /></a><br /><br /><br />It's taken me a little over a week to complete, but a lot of that was waiting for the paint to dry on the framing. So, I spend that time waiting in the pool. I don't want to work too hard.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7nNnMtvhI/AAAAAAAAByA/klJ9D8G_M9M/s1600/DSC04917.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT7nNnMtvhI/AAAAAAAAByA/klJ9D8G_M9M/s320/DSC04917.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566140410523139602" /></a><br /><br />We all seem to be adapting well to life in Belize. Not everything is perfect, but I didn't expect it would be. I do sometimes miss going out for fast food. Not because of the food, but rather the ease it is to get. Here, you plan your meals because fast food is not an option. But, we don't go for want. Lobster is currently in season, and rather cheap. The fish and shrimp are great, also. The only thing they don't seem to have is a good cut of beef. But that's OK, too. I've lost 20 pounds since we've been here and Mischelle is ten pounds below when I married her.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT70qLglAgI/AAAAAAAAByg/-1fcwoemy_c/s1600/DSC04887.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT70qLglAgI/AAAAAAAAByg/-1fcwoemy_c/s320/DSC04887.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566155194957627906" /></a><br /><br /><br />Lots more chicken, fish, vegies and fruits. Just what the doctor ordered. I should probably check my blood pressure too. Maybe I don't need to be on medication anymore.<br /><br />Well, I feel much better now that I have made a post and I promise to keep the blog a little more current. Now, it's off to town for some shopping, then back for the yacht club meeting. It's a tough life...but we're adapting.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT73bq7kfDI/AAAAAAAAByo/ucSPkP5iMbI/s1600/DSC04914.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TT73bq7kfDI/AAAAAAAAByo/ucSPkP5iMbI/s320/DSC04914.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566158244229184562" /></a>Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-65706575430719380072010-10-24T20:52:00.000-07:002010-12-12T19:16:05.292-08:00Our Container ArrivesWe've been here almost two weeks and our container has cleared customs and is ready to be delivered. We just need to get a list of what is in the container, to the BTB and then on to customs, so they can check and see if we're bringing in anything that is not allowed under the QRP. Not a problem, except, we need the official stamp on our QRP paperwork, that then needs to be given to our customs broker. That would mean a trip to Belize City.<br /><br />So off we went to Belize City, to get all of our paperwork for the QRP and the official list of approved contents. But wait. What do you mean it's not all tax and duty free? My power tools, my cement mixer, my tile saw, their all OK? But we get duties and taxes on the toilet paper and paper towels? The sodas and potato chips? Oh, and shipping is included in those calculations? So, that 36 roll package of TP cost me $25 in duties and taxes? Go figure. But the government needs the money, and our total duties and taxes for everything in the container was $600US. We can live with that. They were going to get something, one way or another.<br /><br />The container was scheduled to be delivered on Friday, October 22, but things happen and the delivery date was pushed out a day, until Saturday, October 23. Usually, that would not be a problem, but this time it was. Hurricane Richard was scheduled to hit Belize, sometime on Sunday, and that meant, the container had to be unpacked quickly.<br /><br />Bands of rain were already coming through, when the container arrived. Customs was there and we were ready to start unloading. Except, we couldn't get the container seal off. It was as thick as rebar and twice as strong. Now I had to run around looking for bolt cutters as all the guys are standing around, waiting to unload the container. Finally, we located a bolt cutter, and got down to business. But with the rain, customs wanting to see everything and the driver waiting to take the container back to Belize City, it was going to be a quick unload.<br /><br />We opened the container and the unpacking began...only not in the organized fashion that we had envisioned. Things were flying out of the container so fast, the customs agent couldn't keep up. We had eight guys unloading the container, and what took me two days to load, took two and a half hours to unload. Boxes were everywhere.<br /><br /><br /> <br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TPu1cJjMlFI/AAAAAAAABu0/0CrkdLba9OM/s1600/DSC04841.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TPu1cJjMlFI/AAAAAAAABu0/0CrkdLba9OM/s400/DSC04841.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547226861241406546" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TPu2rRcNyZI/AAAAAAAABu8/z_E3p4xMb7w/s1600/DSC04857.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TPu2rRcNyZI/AAAAAAAABu8/z_E3p4xMb7w/s400/DSC04857.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547228220569274770" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TPu3OZrRZcI/AAAAAAAABvE/YVMlXu2Q-D8/s1600/DSC04858.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TPu3OZrRZcI/AAAAAAAABvE/YVMlXu2Q-D8/s400/DSC04858.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547228824075331010" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWPzkZ_a4I/AAAAAAAABwM/B2BU5F5WnF4/s1600/DSC04859.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWPzkZ_a4I/AAAAAAAABwM/B2BU5F5WnF4/s400/DSC04859.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550000231912795010" /></a><br /><br /><br />After spending all that time labeling boxes so we knew where they go, everything ended up piled in the guest bedroom, stairway, living room and kitchen. It was a mouse maze by the time they got done unloading. But, at least the container had arrived and we now had the essential things we needed...if we could find them.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-42290199455919555132010-10-18T18:21:00.000-07:002010-12-12T19:07:52.777-08:00Work On The House Continues...We've been here just over a week now and we now have running water, showers and toilets. We still have things that need to be fixed, but at least we have some of the basic comforts of a home. They've started cutting and installing the quartz counter tops and what a mess that is. Fine dust everywhere.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWG52xCh7I/AAAAAAAABvM/2XnqdZI2hyc/s1600/DSC04834.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWG52xCh7I/AAAAAAAABvM/2XnqdZI2hyc/s400/DSC04834.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549990444315871154" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWHq1WiZAI/AAAAAAAABvU/kXaqXkchTBM/s1600/DSC04835.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWHq1WiZAI/AAAAAAAABvU/kXaqXkchTBM/s400/DSC04835.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549991285749867522" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWIeFxN72I/AAAAAAAABvc/K7EDTtj3poo/s1600/DSC04833.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWIeFxN72I/AAAAAAAABvc/K7EDTtj3poo/s400/DSC04833.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549992166330068834" /></a><br /><br /><br />But when it is all finished, it will be worth the trouble.<br /><br />And while all the work inside the house has been going on, they have also finished the pool and were in the process of filling it with, what was suppose to be, water from the municipal water supply. Only, the water that came out of the tank looked like river water. And I was paying $300BZ for 3000 gallons of clean water, not this shit.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWJUdcmRCI/AAAAAAAABvk/pS6GLKsFe-Q/s1600/DSC04860.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWJUdcmRCI/AAAAAAAABvk/pS6GLKsFe-Q/s400/DSC04860.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549993100398969890" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWKRlYmNUI/AAAAAAAABvs/tvBxARZEV-4/s1600/DSC04861.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWKRlYmNUI/AAAAAAAABvs/tvBxARZEV-4/s400/DSC04861.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549994150501692738" /></a><br /><br />So, I told them to take it out. I was afraid it was going to stain the pool before the filter could take out all the dirt. Our only option now was to use well water from a local source. Lots of minerals and low pressure were the big drawbacks. I figured it would take over three days to fill the pool. But right now, our options were limited.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWLDG__O6I/AAAAAAAABv0/rpFiGNWgIk0/s1600/DSC04863.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWLDG__O6I/AAAAAAAABv0/rpFiGNWgIk0/s400/DSC04863.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549995001338870690" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWL0mt310I/AAAAAAAABv8/2k7CPpk7Dek/s1600/DSC04864.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWL0mt310I/AAAAAAAABv8/2k7CPpk7Dek/s400/DSC04864.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549995851666413378" /></a><br /><br />But the house is finally coming together and I'm looking forward to beginning the landscaping.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWNls6qwWI/AAAAAAAABwE/7CcApGj-dHA/s1600/DSC04838.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TQWNls6qwWI/AAAAAAAABwE/7CcApGj-dHA/s400/DSC04838.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549997794655912290" /></a>Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-86405676787254384862010-10-10T19:46:00.000-07:002010-11-28T09:13:55.004-08:00Our Coral - Oct.30, '99 -Oct.10,'10Our priority today was to get Coral to the vet. She was very lethargic, and wouldn't eat or drink. She didn't seem to be in any pain or terribly uncomfortable, but you could see it in her beautiful, brown eyes, that something wasn't quite right.<br /><br />We took her to see Dr. Sheila, the local vet, first thing in the morning. She looked her over and gave her an IV to rehydrate her. The seizure had taken its toll on her, but we would have to wait and see, how she responds to treatments. We were given a prescription to have filled at the pharmacy in town, and we were to come back on Monday for a check up. So, we took her back home, and hoped for the best.<br /><br />Only, the home we were returning to, was full of construction workers, scurrying about, trying to get the house in somewhat, working order. They were everywhere, except in the master bathroom. So we put Coral in the bathroom, which was also the coolest place in the house, and shut the doors to keep the noise down. We still had the two other dogs to look after, and this was all new to them. We hadn't yet established a routine, and with all the workers around, we tried to keep them occupied and out of the way.<br /><br />After the all the workers left, the house became ours, once again. Coral was resting comfortably and we had now set up camp in our master bedroom. We inflated the bed, put out the dogs beds, and turned on the light and fan that our new neighbors, Tom and Terri, had lent to us to use. I don't know what we would have done without them. With only the things we brought with us in the truck, we didn't have much. And, with the house not ready, and our container still a week or more from arrival, we had no refrigerator or stove. We were living out of an ice chest (also borrowed from Tom and Terri), and food from our local restaurant. Even the coffee in the morning was provided by Tom and Terri.<br /><br />We moved Coral into the bedroom with us and the other dogs. Timber, occasionally checking on her from time to time. The two of them have been together for over ten years, and have spent more time together, than with Mischelle and I. He could sense something was wrong. She was now breathing harder and her legs had become stiff, but she still seemed to be in no pain. We would wait until morning and see how she was then. There was not much we could do, but make her comfortable.<br /><br />This might be our first night of good rest in more than three days. Coral was asleep next to me, on the floor. Then, around 2AM, Timber came in and got up on the bed. He had not done that in ages. Since we were on an air bed, the movement woke me up. The room was quiet. It was then, I realized that Coral had just passed away. I am heartbroken as I write this. This was our little girl. We had gone through so much, and we were looking forward to spending lots of time together as a family in our new home. Timber must have sensed she had passed and wanted to be close to us. She had passed in a position that made her appear to be very comfortable and one we had seen her in many times over the years.<br /><br />In the morning, we contacted Dr. Sheila to get a death certificate so we could get Coral cremated at the local mortuary. It was tough taking her to the mortuary, knowing that would be the last time we would get to see our little girl. But everyone was so good about it and I felt as though Coral was left in good hands and would be taken care of properly.<br /><br />We didn't know what to expect when we picked Coral's ashes up from the mortuary, but they had done such a nice job and put her ashes in a small, white, wooden box with a small black bow around it. It was beautiful.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TPKGDEDajtI/AAAAAAAABus/3HUreTZKNuY/s1600/DSC04828.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TPKGDEDajtI/AAAAAAAABus/3HUreTZKNuY/s400/DSC04828.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544641478432296658" /></a><br /><br />We will save her ashes and plant a tree in our yard, where we can spread them. Now we need to focus on Timber and Jesse. Both of them are older, with issues of their own. Jesse is 13 and almost blind and Timber's 11 and his arthritis seems to be coming back. As Dr.Sheila said, " it's a bitch getting old". But I'm happy that we will be able to spend more time with them down here and that the quality of life will be more fulfilling.<br /><br />We will always remember you, Coral. You were our first dog and you had the sweetest personality. You will be sorely missed. We love you Coral....just wait for us.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-85125464097982075362010-10-09T18:12:00.000-07:002010-11-27T17:53:18.957-08:00I Can See Belize From HereWe slept in a while at the auto hotel, but we got out of there by 10AM, so we weren't too far off schedule. It was a clear day and the roads were dry. I thought we could probably make Santa Elena before nightfall if we didn't encounter any roadblocks. It's a beautiful drive through the countryside and most of the drive from VillaHermosa to Escarsega is a flat farm and cattle ranches. Not much to see, but a welcome relief from the prior day.<br /><br />Since the new highway has gone in, the drive is a fairly easy one. The only change that I miss was the overhanging canopy of trees that use to envelope the road from Escarsega to Chetumal. Maybe after a few years, the canopy will grow back. Just never to the way it was.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TPGwtfFhjvI/AAAAAAAABuU/Ht5x-f0_5Lo/s1600/DSC04817.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TPGwtfFhjvI/AAAAAAAABuU/Ht5x-f0_5Lo/s400/DSC04817.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544406911755063026" /></a><br /><br /><br />We stopped in Escarsega at a new Burger King for a quick lunch and then to the Pemex station to fill up for the last stretch to Belize. It was getting later in the afternoon and we would probably arrive in Santa Elena after dark. But, at least we would be in Santa Elena.<br /><br />We found a nice hotel, just before town, that was right on the lagoon. Nice place with big rooms for us and the dogs. Just what we needed before our final push into Belize.<br /><br />But the rest we wanted, was not going to be here. Our girl, Coral, started having a Gran Mal seizure, late in the evening, that would last for hours. Here we were in Mexico, late at night, and unable to find a vet that would, maybe, be able to help. And then, how do we get her there. Being unfamiliar with Chetumal, I could have been driving all over town, with Coral in full seizure. We decide to wait the seizure out and give her medicine that our vet had given us before we left. She finally starts to settle down around 2AM, but at this point, she is thoughly exhausted. And, so are we. She had done so well during the whole trip, and even at our last stop, she was out of the truck, investigating everything.<br /><br />Morning finally comes, and I don't think either one of us really got any sleep. Coral was sleeping, but something wasn't really right. It was Friday, and if we didn't cross the border today, we would have to wait until Monday. Do we try and take her to the vet in Chet, or do we try and cross the border with her and risk dealing with BAHA. We decide that we need to cross into Belize, and we need to do it today. So, we wait until 11AM, then head for the border. We need to turn in our visas and get the bond for our truck returned.<br /><br />Mischelle does the foot work and gets everything taken care of in 15 minutes. Gotta be a record. From there we drive over to Belize Customs, to clear our truck and possessions. Coral is holding up well and all the dogs are sleeping in the back of the truck. As luck would have it, we were able to clear Customs in less than an hour (gotta be another record), and when the officers from BAHA came down to inspect the dogs, all of them were sleeping, so we got a quick pass there.<br /><br />We're in Belize, and heading home.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TPG0uHXc-aI/AAAAAAAABuc/WosXgci7hz0/s1600/DSC04818.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TPG0uHXc-aI/AAAAAAAABuc/WosXgci7hz0/s400/DSC04818.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544411320614189474" /></a><br /><br /><br />Unfortunately, not the home we were expecting. The house had one working outlet, no water, and most important....no working toilets. This was camping in a quite expensive tent. But, it is what it is, and we were home. We pulled out the dog beds and pulled out our inflatable bed, and we were going to spend out first night in our new home. After what we had been through the last few days, we were ready to try and get a good night of sleep. Same for the dogs.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TPG1QY0tj3I/AAAAAAAABuk/LpIYq-odkdk/s1600/DSC04820.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TPG1QY0tj3I/AAAAAAAABuk/LpIYq-odkdk/s400/DSC04820.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544411909415866226" /></a><br /><br />Tomorrow is another day and our first priority is to take care of Coral.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-9984759426377109572010-10-07T17:13:00.000-07:002010-11-29T13:31:25.150-08:00Are You Sure This Is The Right Way?We left Aldora early, hoping to get through Tampico before traffic was bad and the policemen were out. I've heard from more than a few people that Tampico was a shake-down town. Speeding tickets, travel documentation is wrong, you name it and it's probably happened. It's just a shake-down. $100 US or 1000$ Pesos. Christmas is coming. And it may not even be the real police. Tourists are easy pickin's and easy to find.<br /><br />We made it to the bridge, just outside of town, with no problems or tickets, when we came across a set of policemen at the end of the bridge. Sure enough, we were flagged to pull over. But as bribes go, this was cheap. 50 pesos or a Coke. We've heard it's a good idea to stock an ice chest with Coke, for cheap bribes or a friendly offering.<br /><br />We were off again, this time our destination was VeraCruz. Looking at the map, I decided we would head down to the coast and what appeared to be a shorter route. Not quite so. We headed down an interstate road that wasn't that bad....to begin with. After a half an hour, the road changed from paved to dirt. OK, no problem, the road has just been washed out in portions. Then the dirt became mud. Then the mud and water. It was time to turn around.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0UHAU67-I/AAAAAAAABs8/2F8hlVXURqg/s1600/DSC04802.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0UHAU67-I/AAAAAAAABs8/2F8hlVXURqg/s400/DSC04802.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543108826942336994" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0UdliP2pI/AAAAAAAABtE/aUGBtgyhJKE/s1600/DSC04803.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0UdliP2pI/AAAAAAAABtE/aUGBtgyhJKE/s400/DSC04803.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543109214887467666" /></a><br /><br />An hour lost going in on that route and 45 minutes coming out. It's now 11:30 and we are still just outside of Tampico. Not where I wanted to be. But, the next 5 hours of the drive was through the mountains, very beautiful and very uneventful. We arrived at the small town of Cardel, just outside of VeraCruz, just before dark and decided to look for a motel/hotel that would take dogs. We had heard that the auto hotels were a good place to stay and that most of them were rented by the hour (no tell motel) and would have a small garage where we could safely put the truck. As luck would have it, we found a nice little place on the edge of town. Big rooms, big bathroom with a nice shower, large enclosed garage and reasonable rates. We had found our home for the night.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0WH373CuI/AAAAAAAABtM/fhKMobDEJ4Y/s1600/DSC04806.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0WH373CuI/AAAAAAAABtM/fhKMobDEJ4Y/s400/DSC04806.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543111040892865250" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0WXuNkEjI/AAAAAAAABtU/7CXP916o-8A/s1600/DSC04804.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0WXuNkEjI/AAAAAAAABtU/7CXP916o-8A/s400/DSC04804.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543111313160671794" /></a><br /><br />And as the evening went on, the place got crowded. Probably twenty rooms and I'm sure they weren't all weary travelers. It cost us 400$ Pesos or about $34 for the night, and was the best place we had stayed at, so far on this trip.<br /><br />The next morning, we were up early, looking forward to getting a good start on the road. Our next objective was to reach VillaHermosa or if we're lucky, Escarcega. As we headed for VeraCruz, I was looking for the road around the center of the city. I didn't find it. Next thing I know, we're in the city, looking for signs to lead us to the auto pista (toll road). As with our experience in Reynosa, there were conflicting signs everywhere. We drove inside of town for the better part of an hour before we finally saw a sign to the auto pista. Only it was going in the opposite direction of where we were headed and we could not find a place to turn around. The idea came to look for cops, then flip a u-turn at the first opportunity. Not the best option, but one that had to happen.<br /><br />We finally find our way to the auto pista, and now we were looking for our connection to the Route 145 toll road that would take us to VillaHermosa. This is where our journey would take a turn for the worse.<br /><br />As we arrived at the Route 145, there was a road closed sign and markers directing us to another road a couple of miles away. When we saw all the cars waiting to turn left at the stop sign, we knew this was going to be trouble. With the main road closed to VillaHermosa, all the car and truck traffic heading south was forced to use a secondary road, Route that would take us through several small towns and pueblos. Each of those towns had a series of speed bumps that the truckers would have to cross, but only after coming to almost a complete stop at each one. So when you have 20 or so trucks in front of you, it can take 45 minutes or more to get through each town. We were passing trucks at every opportunity, but there were always more ahead. Then after a couple of hours of this cat and mouse game, we came to a dead stop in the road. This didn't look good.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0ucDgG-uI/AAAAAAAABtc/qc_luaM6YIs/s1600/DSC04808.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0ucDgG-uI/AAAAAAAABtc/qc_luaM6YIs/s400/DSC04808.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543137775874144994" /></a><br /><br />As I got out of the truck to look ahead, I could see a couple of massive tow trucks working to pull a large truck out of the gully. Work was progressing, but it was a full Corona truck and I wonder how many beer breaks these guys were taking. As we talked with some of the locals, we found out that this road had also been washed out about 15 miles further down the road so it was back to the map to look at our options. It wasn't looking good. We could stay here and wait for the truck to be cleared from the road and take our chances further down the road or we could turn around and look for another route to VillaHermosa. We decided to turn around and take our chances on another road, further west, that would take us almost clear to the Pacific ocean. From there, we would decide if we wanted to continue on to VillaHermosa or detour around to the Pacific side and approach Belize from another direction.<br /><br />We checked the map and looked for a way to get to Route 147 that would hopefully get us around this mess. It was now after 1PM and we were only 50 miles outside of VeraCruz and a long way from VillaHermosa. We got gas at the Pemex station and asked if the road we were going on, would get us to the Route 147. They directed us to a road to going to Playa Vincente, that on the map showed it was a paved road. No problem. We headed down the road with a couple of other trucks following us. At first the road was a nice, paved road that passed by some big ranches. Some eight miles or so down the road that nice paved road gave way to a muddy dirt road. Again no problem. We had 4 wheel drive, so I figured we would be OK and the road wasn't that bad. Well a few more miles down the muddy road, it became down right nasty. The mud was slick as snot. The small streams were everywhere and it had begun to rain. But the other trucks in our little caravan pushed onward, so now, I just followed them. It looked worse before it got better, but soon we came across a small village where we got directions to the highway, just a few miles ahead. What a relief.<br /><br /> <br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO05Uua94JI/AAAAAAAABtk/ySb32iidSCQ/s1600/DSC04810.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO05Uua94JI/AAAAAAAABtk/ySb32iidSCQ/s400/DSC04810.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543149744584253586" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO05c-vgNZI/AAAAAAAABts/kFVYgGZhmrU/s1600/DSC04809.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO05c-vgNZI/AAAAAAAABts/kFVYgGZhmrU/s400/DSC04809.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543149886404310418" /></a><br /><br />When we finally found our way to Route 147, it was now after 2PM. And it was the same story as the other route. Lots of trucks, all backed up at each small town. But we were able to pass the trucks as they slowed down for the speed bumps and we managed to not get pulled over by the local police. We seemed to be making good time and we might make VillaHermosa by dark. But this was not to be. The hurricane season had taken its toll on the state of VeraCruz. Roads were either buried in mudslides or washed out. The large trucks were forced to use these secondary roads that were not made to handle this kind of constant truck traffic. And the truckers were not use to driving these type of roads.<br /><br />Another truck had gone off the road, but this time there were no tow trucks on the scene. It was going to be another long wait.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0-iyaDtjI/AAAAAAAABt0/NIZcLCcNjIE/s1600/DSC04812.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0-iyaDtjI/AAAAAAAABt0/NIZcLCcNjIE/s400/DSC04812.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543155483730490930" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0-wnJIaSI/AAAAAAAABt8/nP83Dqe7ieo/s1600/DSC04813.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0-wnJIaSI/AAAAAAAABt8/nP83Dqe7ieo/s400/DSC04813.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543155721224874274" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0_Bwi0yPI/AAAAAAAABuE/Qbo-5Ic191o/s1600/DSC04814.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0_Bwi0yPI/AAAAAAAABuE/Qbo-5Ic191o/s400/DSC04814.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543156015806335218" /></a><br /><br />But not everybody was bothered by the delays.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0_Zni3u1I/AAAAAAAABuM/l-mM9tGh0qA/s1600/DSC04815.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TO0_Zni3u1I/AAAAAAAABuM/l-mM9tGh0qA/s400/DSC04815.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543156425707469650" /></a><br /><br />Again, after a few hours wait, we were on the road once again. But now it had become slow and go. The roads were now weaving through the mountains and the roads had not gotten any better. And on top of that, it was now starting to get dark. It looked as though we were going to have to travel in the dark. Not much of a choice. Most of the towns had resturaunts, but no motels. As we came out of the canyon and onto a main road, we decided to continue, in the dark. There were no Pemex stations around where we could park and maybe get some sleep. Just a dark road and miles between towns.<br /><br />After a couple of hours on the road, we finally approached the auto pista going to VillaHermosa. We could catch a good road for a while and find an auto hotel at a Pemex station, where we could spend the night. But, it wasn't going to be that easy.<br /><br />On the toll road to VillaHermosa, we came across a large 4x4 piece of lumber, lying in the road. Since it almost spanned the width of the road, we had no choice but to go over it. We figured one of the large trucks had lost it from its load. Almost immediately, the back right tire went flat. So I pulled over and proceeded to get the jack and spare tire out from the truck. As I was changing the tire, suddenly a couple of men came out of the bushes, looking to rob us. It had been a set up and we were the victims. It now fell into place. The 4x4 was not there by accident, but was planted by these robbers to take advantage of the shock of the blow out and the surprise of the ambush. Give us money, they said in broken english. As one of the robbers took a swing at Mischelle, she hit him hard with the police type mag flashlight we were using, when we changing the tire. That sent him back a few feet. That's when I grabbed the flashlight from Mischelle and went after these guys like the gringo from hell. I don't think they were expecting any resistance, as they both ran back into the bush. I went back to the truck and did my best imitation of a NASCAR tire change and we were out of there within 5 minutes. Mischelle all the time, scanning the bushes, fully expecting them to be back. But their element of surprise was gone, we had the dogs and we were gone before they could regroup.<br /><br />You think you are safer on the auto pista, rather than the local road or highways, but unfortunately, things like this are happening all over Mexico. Even the buses from Playa del Carmen to Chetumal are being robbed.<br /><br />We found an auto hotel, at a Pemex station, about 15 miles down the road, where we could stay the night and survey the damage to the truck. We were lucky it was a 4X4 and had a higher clearance. It probably would have flipped a smaller car. Other than the flat tire, the truck was in good shape.<br /><br />I wanted to get to bed, so we could get a good start in the morning. It had been a long day, topped off by a dangerous situation, and we were exhausted. Our goal was to reach Santa Elena, on the Belize/Mexico border, and get a hotel there for the night, so we could cross into Belize in the morning.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-68686687136009873342010-10-04T05:49:00.000-07:002010-11-09T17:13:25.837-08:00An Adventure BeginsWe made it across the border at Los Indios and encountered no real problems. Of course, when we crossed into the Mexican side of the border, we had to push a button for a red light/green light customs check. We got the red light. I had to take down, from the top of the truck, all the luggage I had just secured down at the motel, open them up, let them inspect and then re-secure them all back on top. A half an hour to get through that, then on to immigration, the posting of a bond and insurance for the truck. Another hour and we are finally on the road, hoping to reach Tampico before dark.<br /><br />Shortly after we cross the border, we have a detour. The Route 180 that we usually take is closed, and we are detoured to Reynosa, about 30 miles away. A little out of our way, but we find a road that will get us back to the Route 180, so off we go. Or so we thought. Once we arrived in Reynosa, we found so many conflicting signs directing us to the road out of town, that we were driving in circles for the better part of an hour. Finally, Mischelle sees a small sign with our route number, and we are back on the road again. It's now, almost noon, and we still have a good drive in front of us.<br /><br />Along the way, we pass a caravan of 30+ military vehicles, full of men and equipment. With all that is going on in Mexico, I wonder where they are headed. We manage to make it to Aldama, a small town about 30 miles north of Tampico. It's been a long day, the dogs have been great, and it's time to call it a night. I've stayed here before, and the dogs were welcome, so this was our first stop outside of the US.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-2823910259094869112010-10-02T21:01:00.000-07:002010-10-03T20:24:33.183-07:00A New Day, Same ViewOur second day on the road began with a late start out of the motel. I needed to move items around, inside and outside of the truck, so the dogs could have more room to move about. After that, it was back on the road to our next destination, Fort Stockton, Texas. We were looking at a 8-10 hour drive through the rest of Arizona, all of New Mexico and then into Texas.<br /><br />The dogs have been wonderful during the trip, sleeping most of the time while in the car. We usually average about 3-4 hours on the road before they need a break. Then we take a short pit stop, then back on the road again. Even in the motel, they have been great. No issues at all. It really helps when we don't have to worry about the dogs.<br /><br />We arrived at Fort Stockton around 7PM, which was later than I wanted, but I had forgot about the time changes, which shaved off 2 hours of travel time. Again, we stayed at Motel 6, with no problems, but this time on the ground floor. We got up early, but because of the time changes, it was after 8AM before we left. This time we were looking at a 10 hour drive from Fort Stockton to McAllen, Texas. It was a long drive, but nice and uneventful. We got into McAllen around 6PM and made contact with Rocio transmigrante, only to find out the border crossing we use is closed on Sunday. Great. That meant another day in McAllen, waiting to cross the border. Deja Vu of my last trip. And on top of that, the toll road from VeraCruz to VillaHermosa has been washed out in places and is still being repaired. The only option around it is a road that is in such poor condition, that the average speed is only around 5 mph. So we are spending the night again at the Motel 6 and getting a good nights rest before we start again on our adventure. Rocio is checking on the road conditions for us and hopefully the road will be repaired before we get there, in a couple of days.<br /><br />The trip through the US has been pretty uneventful and we hope the trip through Mexico will be just the same. Only 3 or 4 more days to go.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-2739333891901290192010-10-01T19:48:00.000-07:002010-10-02T22:07:13.478-07:00It's All a BlurWe finally closed the deal on our home, Wednesday, five days later than we had originally planned, but it has all worked out in the end. With the container not showing up as scheduled, we lost four days of loading time. So, when we found out closing on the house wouldn't be until at least Tuesday, it gave us more time to load the container. And we needed every minute of it. I had it so well planned. We had, what seemed to be most of the house packed and we still had lots of room in the container. Even enough for a golf cart, or so I thought.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TKgGXKaSR0I/AAAAAAAABsM/zqYclA3EM3s/s1600/DSC04778.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TKgGXKaSR0I/AAAAAAAABsM/zqYclA3EM3s/s400/DSC04778.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523671937971275586" /></a><br /><br /><br />But it was all the last minute items, the odd size pictures and my tools, that was the straw that broke the camels back. The container was stuffed as full as it could be and we finished loading it, just as the truck pulled up to pick up the container. It was scheduled to be there, Wednesday at 12, and there it was, right on schedule. We finished packing it with not a minute to spare. Whatever was in there was going to Belize, what ever wasn't, wasn't. We have to take the dogs to Belize in the truck, so there is no room in there for anything.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TKgHAA0hf2I/AAAAAAAABsU/uUSicqziqdE/s1600/DSC04779.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TKgHAA0hf2I/AAAAAAAABsU/uUSicqziqdE/s400/DSC04779.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523672639771606882" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TKgHWJEtsnI/AAAAAAAABsc/aOazA9dKLRk/s1600/DSC04780.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TKgHWJEtsnI/AAAAAAAABsc/aOazA9dKLRk/s400/DSC04780.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523673019944120946" /></a><br /><br /><br />Now that the container was gone, that part of our adventure was over, but we weren't quite finished. We were so busy trying to load the container, we hadn't got around to finishing the final touch ups on the house or even cleaning it up. So there we were, just an hour after the container left and we had to be out of the house by 7PM. The new owner, Kay, came by to pick up the keys at 4pm, and we were still cleaning the place. Of course, all of our wonderful neighbors came by during the day, to give their best wishes for us, and that took more time. Soon it was six and we had one hour left before we left our beautiful home for the last time. It was just going by so quickly. And we still needed time to get the truck packed and the dogs situated inside.<br /><br />I finally finished loading the XTerra, just before 7PM. The neighbors came by for the final good-byes, we loaded the dogs, and we were off on our new adventure. I didn't even get the chance to go back through the the house with Mischelle, and remember all the good times we had there. It has been a wonderful first house for us and I am proud of all the upgrades and remodeling we did. It looks nothing like the home we moved into, back in '99. But it was all such a blur, that final day. We no longer lived in California, and soon we would no longer live in the United States. What a change in our lives.<br /><br />Our first stop on our trip would be Desert Hot Springs, where Mischelle's mom lives. We would stay there the night, then push on to Benson, Arizona the next morning. When we arrived around 11PM, you could smell the rain in the air. By 2AM, it was pouring rain and looked more like Belize than Palm Springs. The monsoon weather had arrived and it looked as though it would stay around for a few days. But we didn't have a few days. So, the next morning, we pushed on. It turns out to be a good decision, as we had clear weather for the next part of the trip and Desert Hot Springs had heavy rain, at times, for the next couple of days.<br /><br />We got a late start from Mischelle's mom's place and didn't arrive in Benson until around 6PM. We were staying at Motel 6's all along our route in the US, because they allow dogs in the rooms. We had a nice room in Benson, but it was on the second floor and the dogs had never been in an elevator. Coral was a little weary of it, but Timber had no problems at all. Once we got inside the room, Mischelle and the dogs settled in for the night, and our first full day on the road, was over.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TKgIDu2-v_I/AAAAAAAABss/VBckQ15yVCo/s1600/DSC04788.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TKgIDu2-v_I/AAAAAAAABss/VBckQ15yVCo/s400/DSC04788.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523673803181178866" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TKgHtmeIrUI/AAAAAAAABsk/5qcKpRtO804/s1600/DSC04784.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TKgHtmeIrUI/AAAAAAAABsk/5qcKpRtO804/s400/DSC04784.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523673422972366146" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TKgPWHOTwqI/AAAAAAAABs0/ObbrZ4ccjEo/s1600/DSC04783.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TKgPWHOTwqI/AAAAAAAABs0/ObbrZ4ccjEo/s400/DSC04783.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523681815540515490" /></a><br /><br />The journey continues.....Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-8791639111903069222010-09-21T19:19:00.000-07:002010-09-21T22:04:16.970-07:00Two Steps Forward, One Step BackWell, the container finally showed up at 3:45 today. I was lucky to get a time extension on the liftgate truck I rented, but I have to have it back at the rental yard by 7AM, tomorrow. So much for sleeping in after a hard day of moving. But it was a good day. We were able to unload the entire rental truck, get the refrigerator, washer, dryer, mattresses and all of the living room furniture loaded into the container and we still have room. I guess its back to the stores to shop. You can't have any space left in a container when you ship it. It's just not right! Maybe I will get that golf cart after all. Now if I can just get it by Customs as a household item so I don't have to pay taxes and duties on it.<br /><br /><br /><A href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJlyeNWawgI/AAAAAAAABq0/-qmLhDz0_60/s1600/DSC04760.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519568681624584706 border=0 alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJlyeNWawgI/AAAAAAAABq0/-qmLhDz0_60/s400/DSC04760.JPG"></A> Our 6'X 8' Shed, filled to capacity<br /><br /><A href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJlzzzu_ejI/AAAAAAAABq8/1ZbtqvceLDM/s1600/DSC04762.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519570152217082418 border=0 alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJlzzzu_ejI/AAAAAAAABq8/1ZbtqvceLDM/s400/DSC04762.JPG"></A> The 7'X 16' second storage area, filled to capacity<br /><br /><A href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJl0LJzGplI/AAAAAAAABrE/Q_u8F24SzMc/s1600/DSC04765.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519570553276900946 border=0 alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJl0LJzGplI/AAAAAAAABrE/Q_u8F24SzMc/s400/DSC04765.JPG"></A> Our "POD" temporary storage unit, almost filled to capacity<br /><br /><A href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJl0s7VEZAI/AAAAAAAABrM/Bx0qxwbv3sA/s1600/DSC04766.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519571133508379650 border=0 alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJl0s7VEZAI/AAAAAAAABrM/Bx0qxwbv3sA/s400/DSC04766.JPG"></A> The garage storage area, almost filled to capacity<br /><br /><A href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJl1WzOUDPI/AAAAAAAABrU/GRYSVZA-QCU/s1600/DSC04768.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519571852887067890 border=0 alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJl1WzOUDPI/AAAAAAAABrU/GRYSVZA-QCU/s400/DSC04768.JPG"></A> Back of the rental truck, half filled to capacity<br /><br /><A href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJl2jS8teuI/AAAAAAAABrk/dlFpFftXDVs/s1600/DSC04771.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519573167073229538 border=0 alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJl2jS8teuI/AAAAAAAABrk/dlFpFftXDVs/s400/DSC04771.JPG"></A> Our container<br /><br /><A href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJl2JZTKvgI/AAAAAAAABrc/HWyyZ4bHbig/s1600/DSC04769.JPG"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519572722101435906 border=0 alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJl2JZTKvgI/AAAAAAAABrc/HWyyZ4bHbig/s400/DSC04769.JPG"></A> Starting to load the container<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJmN-fbbSUI/AAAAAAAABsE/yfqpV0MmLsI/s1600/DSC04772.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJmN-fbbSUI/AAAAAAAABsE/yfqpV0MmLsI/s400/DSC04772.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519598923047192898" /></a> Moving from the rental truck to the container<br /><br />But as the title suggests, it's not all good. We found out today that escrow will probably not close until next Tuesday, not Friday, as planned. So that means that we will be living in an EMPTY house until then. The container will be packed and on its way to Belize, and we'll be sleeping on an air mattress, with a leak. I had planned to fix it someday, but I guess that day should have been yesterday.<br /><br />But with those extra days, we'll pick up any items we may have forgot and it will give me a chance to do a little bit of flying before we go. Who knows, maybe I'll even get a chance to solo. I can hope. It was something I wanted to do before we left for Belize, so this may be my last chance. I hadn't flown since late July, but I just had to get up one more time, before we left, so I went flying with my friend, Jeff. Thinking this would be my last time, Jeff let me do a little flying myself. It feels so good to get back in the air. I do miss it.<br /><br />And on a sad note, I'd like to remember my friend, Gene. He passed away last week, several weeks after an emergency bypass surgery. He was good friend and pilot at our ultralight airport and he will be sorely missed. He had just bought a new, 2 seater, QuickSilver ultralight, just four days before his emergency surgery. He never even got the chance to fly it. He took me on my first flight to the Santa Paula airport. It's something I'll always remember. So Gene, here's to you, my friend. Fly High!!!<br /><br /><br /><A href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJmHrG64jRI/AAAAAAAABr8/o4lLnK6OK9g/s1600/Gene+001.jpg"><IMG style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 262px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519591992980966674 border=0 alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TJmHrG64jRI/AAAAAAAABr8/o4lLnK6OK9g/s400/Gene+001.jpg"></A><br /><br /><br /><OBJECT id=BLOG_video-71bf2b0e121e5d2e class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="71bf2b0e121e5d2e"></OBJECT>Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-72062731587390409632010-09-21T08:19:00.000-07:002010-09-21T19:19:32.956-07:00Three More DaysTime continues to fly by and we are now down to three days before the closing date on the house. As we scramble to get ready for the move, things don't always go as planned. We had made arrangements for the container to be delivered at 3PM on Friday, had rented a truck with a lift gate and had several friends to help move the heavy furniture. But the best plans have built in leeway, just in case something does go wrong. Well it did. The shipper failed to contact the local cargo company to drop off the container, so here it is, Tuesday morning, and we are still waiting for the container to be delivered. It's cutting it close, but if it shows up as scheduled, by 1PM, we should still have a few days to fill it. But it sure does add some unnecessary stress.<br /><br />On a good note. We were approved for the QRP program as of September 17th. Now we are waiting for the paperwork on our dogs to be approved, and we'll be good to go.<br /><br />But for now, it's back to getting things in the moving van so we can transfer it to the container, whenever that arrives.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-44868427480620296942010-09-07T08:01:00.000-07:002010-09-08T07:33:43.857-07:00Watching the Days Count DownIt's now down to 17 days before the move and we are scrambling to get things done. As we keep checking things off our list, more things seem to creep on to it and it sometimes seems like we're getting nowhere.<br /><br />We finally have the SOLD sign on the house, now that all the contingencies have been signed off.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TIebIrAb1VI/AAAAAAAABqs/biz5ZQcMwe0/s1600/DSC04753.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q8Dk74jVwuA/TIebIrAb1VI/AAAAAAAABqs/biz5ZQcMwe0/s400/DSC04753.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514546842024269138" /></a><br /><br />A garage sale is planned for this Saturday to get rid of all of all the excess stuff we've gathered over the years. We've also been using craigslist to post some things for sale and I've been pleasantly surprised at the volume of calls I received from the ads. A lot more than the ads I had to pay for.<br /><br />And since we're still here, it's time again for the Los Angeles County Fair. Last year I thought would be our last time to visit the fair, but things always seem to take longer than expected, and we're still here. So, on Friday, it's off to the fair we go. Look at all the goods for sale, little betting on the ponies, a couple of beers and a big ol' turkey leg. I love the fair.<br /><br />After that, it's back to the grind stone. September 24th is coming up fast.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-14099171432781192942010-08-27T22:50:00.000-07:002010-08-27T22:59:31.237-07:00Four More DaysThe last of the inspections was this morning. We passed the building inspection with only a few changes and repairs to be made. Some are from the new laws in effect now that were not there when we bought the house. Others are just from wear and tear. The best thing is, there was nothing major that needed to be done. Now we wait until Tuesday, when the contract becomes binding. Then it's time to PARTY!!!! Beware Belize, the Chows are on their way!!!Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300970024650475129.post-22539984136600848612010-08-27T09:01:00.000-07:002010-08-27T09:19:05.496-07:00The Inspections Have Gone Well...So FarIt has been a busy week, getting the house ready for the inspections and the appraisal. I know this will soon be behind us, but it sure is a pain right now. We passed the termite inspection, with only a couple of spot treatments and repairs and the appraisal came in at the price we needed. So two of the three inspections are done, with the building inspection due today at 10AM. This is our last hurdle, then we can really begin to get ready for our move to Belize.<br /><br />We are working with a shipping company to move our household goods to Belize, but as of right now, they will deliver and pickup a container to our house in Camarillo but will only ship it as far as the Belize border. From there we will have to find transportation from the border to Consejo. Not sure if that's the way we want to go. We still have a few more options.Perry and Mischellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671285631822178528noreply@blogger.com2