Greetings from grey Vieques.  Skies are still cloudy but the seas are dying down.  At last.  Everything is fine and really could have been a lot worse.  The salt spray caused the worst damage.  Lots of trees will be bare soon.  The Flamboyans in particular took it hard. 

Updates really quick (power could go back out)

1. Cell phones are hit and miss.  Hopefully they will solve this soon.
2. Some areas are without water or with low pressure. In Esperanza we have water.
3. Power is back on!
4. La Nasa lost its back porch and all of the palm trees. (more later)
5. The 50 ft. yacht is still on the beach in Esperanza Bay.  SeaTow is doing their best. (This is the entertainment here! And of course more later.)
6. A couple of trees down.
7. Rain was heavy but not bad.  We did not loose another bridge.
8. Coon’s is open.  As of 3:00 nothing was open on the Malecon.
9. Rumor has it we will have a gasoline delivery today.  They are going to send over a ferry.
10. No curfews.

 

More later….

K

The waves are huge (I can only think what is going on the Northside).  I spent part of the afternoon roaming around and taking photos.  Then the waves started in Esperanza Bay.  Currently it is blowing and squalling.  We are watching the corner of the roof at Blue Carib roll up under the force of the wind.  We are hoping it will hang on.  All the tents across the street that still had tarps are gone.  Geigels tent is in the power lines.  The Bili sign blew over but we were there to save it.  (Thanks everybody! Note: Eva it is currently resting on the East side of your building, everything is ok).

So, it is impressive.  Waves, wind, salt spray.  Always respect mother nature.  The side porch upstairs is so green it looks like I planted turf.  Thankfully it is only Quenepo leaves and my quenepas. 

On one other note… a wayward boat pulled into Esperanza Bay about 2.5 hours ago.  He battled his way behind the cayo.  Then he came back through the narrow opening between the “islands” on the east side.  After he tried to dock at the big pier he headed back out to sea.  Then he turned back to the Bay.  We all watched the crew try to anchor on each approach.  Finally Hector (remember our hero from two years ago?) headed out.  Chris and Buddy joined him.  They sent a local gent out to provide directions  to one of our safe bays.  Unfortunate it was to no avail.  They are currently beached on the sand.   

So the wind blows, the waves are cresting, the salt is spraying and the rain pours.  We are all safe and thankful for our piece of paradise.

K

PS-  If the power holds out I will post again.

 

 

 

The power is back on!  Yipeee!  Hopefully it will stay that way. 

So the update...  A nice rain shower just rolled through and the winds are up and down.  The current in the bay (Meaning the one here in Esperanza) is flowing from West to East.  Little whitecaps are forming every now and then.  And for the first time ever there is not a boat to be seen.  Not one!  It is much quieter here than on the Northside. 

I had to run to the store for Maple Syrup and corn chips (you know, hurricane staples).  Green Store, Mambos and the Morales in town are all open and using their generators.   Took a trip to all three to find the maple syrup.  It is always fun to shop in the dark with my cell phone to light up the products.  Thankfully I used the cell phone or we would have sour cream and onion chips to go with our guacamole. 

While I was over on Northside I drove down to the ferry dock to take a peek.  Large waves are pounding the coast.  The water is a terrible, ugly brown green.  The taste of salt permeates the air.  Two boats are still moored near the ferry dock.  One fishing boat and one sailboat.  They are bobbing like corkscrews.  I think I only saw one line on the fishing boat.  I really hope that I just couldn’t see the other lines!  With the intense waves it will only be a matter of time before that line breaks.

So the worst is yet to come.  Glad we are safe and everything is safely tucked away.  Pancakes are on their way and we are icing down the cold beverages for this evening.  I’ll keep you posted if we keep power.  Thanks again Mom for sending in my morning update.

K

 

Currently we have torrential rain falling.  I can barely see the Cayo.

The power is back on!  Yipeee!  Hopefully it will stay that way. 

So the update...  A nice rain shower just rolled through and the winds are up and down.  The current in the bay (Meaning the one here in Esperanza) is flowing from West to East.  Little whitecaps are forming every now and then.  And for the first time ever there is not a boat to be seen.  Not one!  It is much quieter here than on the Northside. 

I had to run to the store for Maple Syrup and corn chips (you know, hurricane staples).  Green Store, Mambos and the Morales in town are all open and using their generators.   Took a trip to all three to find the maple syrup.  It is always fun to shop in the dark with my cell phone to light up the products.  Thankfully I used the cell phone or we would have sour cream and onion chips to go with our guacamole. 

While I was over on Northside I drove down to the ferry dock to take a peek.  Large waves are pounding the coast.  The water is a terrible, ugly brown green.  The taste of salt permeates the air.  Two boats are still moored near the ferry dock.  One fishing boat and one sailboat.  They are bobbing like corkscrews.  I think I only saw one line on the fishing boat.  I really hope that I just couldn’t see the other lines!  With the intense waves it will only be a matter of time before that line breaks.

So the worst is yet to come.  Glad we are safe and everything is safely tucked away.  Pancakes are on their way and we are icing down the cold beverages for this evening.  I’ll keep you posted if we keep power.  Thanks again Mom for sending in my morning update.

K

 

Currently we have torrential rain falling.  I can barely see the Cayo.

It seemed like another Sunday on the Malecon.  Exceptions to this were the sounds of hammers this morning and the lack of organ music form La Nasa.  We cleaned and secured the restaurant with help of our employee angels.  I am so thankful for them.  All of the plants are stored safely away and only a few, easy, little odds and ends are left for tomorrow.   Everyone here thinks that all will be well and I have to agree.  It will be windy and we will receive lots of rain.  Rumor has it no ferry tomorrow and of course we have no gasoline.  Even after all of the preparations and hard work we did manage a little party.  Just a celebration to thank everyone for a great year.

More tomorrow.  I am exhausted and off to bed. 

K

Good Hot, Sunny, Morning to everyone,

I woke to the sound of boat trailers on the street.  That is a sign.  All of the fishermen are starting to pull/ move their boats.  We should have an empty bay by the end of the day.  I stopped across the street and the trailers are lined up waiting to use the ramp.

So what does that mean?  We are currently under a hurricane watch.  Earl has become a hurricane as forecasted.  According to the NHC:

.SITUATION OVERVIEW...

NEW FORMED HURRICANE STORM EARL CONTINUES TO TRACK RAPIDLY

WESTWARD. BASED ON THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK...THERE IS A

SIGNIFICANT POSSIBILITY FOR TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS AND

POSSIBLE HURRICANE CONDITIONS ACROSS THE U.S. VIRGIN

ISLANDS...VIEQUES AND CULEBRA...AND PORTIONS OF MAINLAND PUERTO

RICO BEGINNING MONDAY MORNING. AS A RESULT...A TROPICAL STORM

WARNING MAY BECOME NECESSARY LATER TODAY.

ALTHOUGH THE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MAKE A GRADUAL TURN

TO THE WEST NORTHWEST LATER TODAY OR MONDAY...ANY DELAY IN THIS

EXPECTED TURN WILL SIGNIFICANTLY ALTER LOCAL IMPACTS. AT THIS

TIME...HEAVY RAINS AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED AS THE

FORERUNNER BANDS APPROACH THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS MONDAY

MORNING...CONTINUING ACROSS PUERTO RICO THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.

RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO THIS DEVELOPING

WEATHER SITUATION TODAY AS MORE UPDATES ARE LIKELY.

El Quenepo will be closed tonight.  We are going to batten down and prepare for the worst but hope for the best.  I always believe to be prepared.  We apologize to anyone who was coming in for one last dinner. 

Keep watching Earl.  He is an unpredictable fellow.  More later…

 

K

It is hot, sunny, still.  And it is oh so blue, blue skies and blue, clear water.  All is very still.  No wind to speak of.  The Saturday party is starting on the Malecon.  La Nasa is playing tunes and the kids are swimming near the pier.  I just strolled across the street to check the boats and everybody is still there.  Nueva Esperanza, NanSea, Allianza among others.  So that means that the fishermen are waiting this one out for the moment.  I like that!

Looks like some rain and a little wind form Earl. NHC is giving us less than a 25% chance of tropical storm force winds. I am not writing him off until he turns.  Last night was a surprise when the NHC moved the center of circulation south from 16.1 to 15.8.  So he may still surprise us further.  Keep Posted!  The closest point of approach is 164.9 miles from the center of Vieques (think Monte Carmelo) to the center of Earl.  It was nice to see that he will be a Cat. 2 instead of a Cat. 3 as he goes north.  So now we wait for the turn that everyone is assuring us will happen.  Turn, turn north and go to sea. 

As for our future Fiona…  This is a truly wait and see.  I’ll keep reading the blog from Dr. Master’s for updates.  Looks like that would be a Wednesday-Thursday event.  It all depends on speed.

On a fun note I drove down to the old bunkers on Tuesday behind Club Tumby.  I decided to take a peek at the Ceiba trees that were planted several years ago.  We used to drive by and count the “Baby Ceiba” trees.  My sister and I loved the game.  Anyway they are not “babies” anymore.  They are strong healthy trees.  One even had the beginnings of buttressing.  It is fabulous to watch our thorny little friends grow up.  Take a drive but be aware the roads are not maintained and the vegetation is quickly overtaking the road.  Also the road dead ends due to an uprooted tree.  Make sure your reverse driving skills are in shape.  It is difficult to avoid the mesquite in reverse.

Updates to follow soon.  Only 2 night left for the season at El Quenepo. 

K 

Looks like Earl just shifted a bit south and west in the forecast track.  Not what we want to see.  One of local fishermen (and a good friend) told us to keep an eye on this one.  It will keep my attention.

It is raining lightly.  Perfect I just divided the corkscrew gingers and the extra water will help.

Off to work….

K

We currently have a bit of drizzle falling.  Excellent news but radar shows it won’t last long.  We could use a nice soaking to fill up the rain barrels and water the garden.  It is really looking good out there.  Lots of flowers and hummingbirds.  Of course my garden arch enemy the iguana is still there as well.  My relocation plan is slowly succeeding but some of these guys pull “the eat and run”.  They eat the parcha and run into the trees.  I can never get close enough to catch them.

Still keeping an eye to the east.  Danielle and Earl.  We could see Fiona soon.  The water is so warm,

The mosquito situation of getting out of hand.  They are little blood sucking vampires that never leave me alone.  I had an email discussion yesterday that the females with the stripes are the ones that carry dengue.  Now I have to ask…  Have you ever taken the time to inspect a mosquito before you swat?  I for one have not.  My goal is to kill the offending vampire.  Smack and dead!

Off to the books and the garden….

K 

Greetings from Breezy Vieques!

It is so nice to have the breeze today.  Sunny skies prevail and the water is blue and calm.  Looks like Danielle is heading to sea.  Good girl.  She has a nice form on the satellite.  And we will see Earl later today?  Looks like the train that all of the forecasters have spoken of is in process. Please go North and miss everyone.  I am headed to NC in a week and a half and wouldn’t it be my luck to head to the States just to run into a hurricane.  I surely hope not!

We participated in the Taste of the Islands benefit for Reach for Success.  It was a tremendous success!  Beautiful, fun, elegant, and spectacular!  W was a fabulous host.  The “Style” department really made the site beautiful.  We enjoyed a great evening under the stars sipping wine, champagne and cold beer.  Chefs from Vieques and Main Island cooked up two courses each so everyone left with a full tummy.  It was a wonderful, sold out crowd of 300 familiar faces from Vieques and old friends from main island.  I am serious when I say that this is a must attend event.  Come back to Vieques during the summer.  Make sure to bring that party dress and high heels.  This was a dressed to the nines crowd.   Again, it was fabulous.   

Off to the garden.  Only five nights left for El Quenepo this season.  Our last night is this Sunday.  Don’t worry, of course we will be back in November.  Watch out for the train and keep an eye on the East.

K   

It is hot and sunny again today.  I was enjoying my coffee and a couple of pages in my new book when a welcome little breeze came through.  It felt wonderful!  We haven’t had any rain over the past couple of days.  The rain barrels are getting low.  I need a refill.

Our Isla Nena is surprisingly full of visitors this weekend.  Many folks are here from the Southeast.  They all say the same thing.  It is cooler here than at home.  Imagine that in the summer you can cool off in the Caribbean and in the winter warm up here.  Reports from NC say the heat indexes are really high. 

Thursday night after celebrating Matt (one of our servers) birthday I came upstairs to check email.  My “meteor reminder” popped up. So I grabbed a big glass of ice water and headed to the beach.  It is dark out there and the show was spectacular.  I watch quick, little streaks blip against the sky and longer streaks that I could watch for a second.  It was worth staying up entirely too late for a work night.  I only headed in at 3:15 when some pesky clouds floated in to stop the show.   Another great production sponsored by Mother Nature.  Many thanks to her!

No storms at present but they say it is brooding and brewing out there.  Please let them all head north! 

Only 2 weeks and El Quenepo will be closed for our well deserved summer break.  Last night is August 29^th.

K

As we approach a potential problem with 91L, I would like to update those in Vieques concerning our weather station. This can be found at www.playacofi/com/weather

 

The National Hurricane Service out of Miami appears to be ready to identify our station as accurate for recording data from the island.

 

So hopefully there will be no more reporters in San Juan looking at color maps to determine if we got 8+” in July or the accurate 14.73”.

 

K

 

 

It is beautiful.  Blue skies, lots of sun and a little breeze.  Paradise.  La Nasa is playing all of our favorite songs in the background as the kids are jumping off the pier.  Their laughter and screams adding to the festive Sunday atmosphere.  I noticed yesterday that the Frappe stand is open amidst lots of other food vendors.  The stands are strung out along the sea across the street.  We have lots of visitors from main island.  They are great fun and travel with the extended family.  There are lots of sleepy children in the dining room.  After eating their dinner their eyes seem to glaze over and droop.  We time it so just as they start to fall asleep on the table we make little beds for them.  It is so sweet to see them sleep through the noise of a busy restaurant.  After dinner their parents scoop them up in their arms and head to the door thanking us in whispers as they take the kids home to a real bed.     

On a brief drive across the island yesterday I noticed that the “cross island expressway” is pock marked with pot holes.  One was so deep I thought that I was going to China.  It is a game of swerve and miss the holes out there.  Although some folks seem to swerve for no apparent reason at all.  That adds to the already interesting game of driving defensively, watching for horses and keeping an eye out for cats and dogs.  It looks like at one point they had the orange barrels up to caution drivers.  But the barrels didn’t last long.  They are smashed and laying on the side of the road.  Perhaps someone swerved when they should have stayed straight.   The island green, lush and spectacular.  All of the rain has really made it beautiful.

We are keeping an eye to the South.  Now we get to wait and wait some more as our latest invest decides what it can and will do.  Remember your pet food in the hurricane plan.

Off to do the books.

K

It really is too hot and sunny today.  Another afternoon on the sofa in front of the fan while I recover from surgery last week.  But at least I am recovering.  It is frustrating to see all of the leaves down in the garden and know I can’t rake them… yet.  Soon enough.

It is the end of July and that brings…  Weddings and Quenepas!  Congratulations to all of the brides and grooms.  In particular we send our warmest wishes for years of happiness to Neil and Aimee.  Their wedding party delighted the island with their ability to settle in and enjoy Vieques.  And they are the best natured guests to have visited our little island in a long time.  We are truly sorry to see them head home but at least we know that they will have many anniversaries in which to return. 

The Quenepas are falling like mad.  Time to send me your favorite Quenepa idea.  We have tried Martinis, sauce for a duck dish, just eating them and of course making Bili.  If you have any clever ideas send them in.  They are just staring to turn to sweet and sour. 

It looks like we will have to keep an eye to the east.  I really hope that this thing stays away.  I still can’t lift my plants and that was the deal with my husband.  If I was going to make the upstairs porch a jungle I have to secure all the plants and pots in case of a hurricane.  So I am huffing and puffing trying to create my own personal wind shear.

Have a great day!

K

Mu husband and I traveled to Main Island on Monday to celebrate our 9^th wedding anniversary.  We had planned a trip hiking in the rain forest but changed our minds on Saturday when we saw the forecast.  We headed to Old San Juan instead.  Good call.  It rained; it poured and poured and poured!  It seemed to have no end.  Things were quiet from Vieques so we thought all was well at home.  At 5:00 we go the call that the power was out and had been out since noon.  Thankfully Bill, our bartender and friend, was house sitting.  We talked to him and called Joey to turn on the generator to the restaurant.  Of course right after they get everything going the power came back on.  Thankfully as a restaurant full of food needs electricity.  Then the rains started again. Huge thunder and lightening.  It sound like no one slept on Monday night.   It looks like a flood went through the front hall.  The carpets are drying in the sun.  I already have mold on the kitchen table!  Everything is wet, wet, wet.  And the restaurant downstairs is wet, wet, and wet.  So needless to say after a fabulous anniversary celebration we are closed tonight to clean up the mess! Not too much damage to the garden but it looks like there was a river flowing through it at one point.  And the mangrove behind the restaurant is full!

 

On the drive from the airport we saw the river flowing.  Yes, I said river here in Vieques!  All the creeks are full and it is humid!  Soaking, wet humid.  Off to clean up this mess and we will see our guests tomorrow!

 

K      

Good morning everyone,

 

Vieques got hit really bad yesterday morning. It started at about 12:20 am and the heavy rain did not stop until about 5 am and we have light rain after that most of the day. We have had major flooding and also have many trees down. Not from the wind but the saturated ground.

 

All phones are out as well as DSL. I just now finally got a connection with my Sprint air card which I have for emergencies such as this. Businesses are not running as normal since they cannot take credit cards.

 

Before our weather station stopped transmitting at about 6 am yesterday we had received 5.80" of rain. Monday we received 2.30”.  We think it stopped transmitting due to the fact it is wireless and relies on its own solar power and we have not seen sun here since thursday or friday (too early to remember). It is a Weatherhawk system and when it comes back online you can see it at www.playacofi.com/weather

 

 

That's all for now, I will update the next time I get a connection.

 

K

So I disappeared and now posting twice in one day.  The wind is up and all of us here on the Esperanza bay keep looking up at the dark grey skies.  The bay is choppy, due to the winds,  but that doesn’t stop a good game of dominos under a tent across the street.  Satellite and radar shows more rain to come.  Randy saw one boat pulled from the bay.  Doubt it was due to weather but it does make one think.  We’ll keep watching.

 

Off to work…

K

I know, I know.  I disappeared.   Things have been really busy around here.  So we will start with the weather update first.  Right now it is cool and very windy. At night we aren’t even sleeping with the fans on and the coverlet is still on the bed.  It is a little strange for this time of year.  The wind has been our friend since Tuesday.  Big gusts that topple plants blow down leaves/branches and cause a general mess.  The good news is it keeps raining.  So instead of watering the plants I sweep the porch and rake the backyard.  It is a daily event.  Looks like this weather will last through Wednesday.  Thanks to Isabel of St. Croix I know what we will receive right after she posts.  The winds are blowing from her direction.

 

A queen bee and all of her workers moved into our casita.  The walls were humming with the sound.  What do you do when the honey bees move in?  Go to La Nasa and find Nelson.  He came over yesterday to assess the situation.  This morning he extracted the Queen and she is currently ruling from her honeycomb in a five gallon bucket.  The rest of the population is swarming the bucket and building the comb there.  Unfortunately the honeycomb was only filled with eggs.  No honey.  I was so excited at the prospect of fresh honey.  But it was a no go.  My English muffin will have to make due with Mango marmalade.  Nelson will come back later and take the queen away to a new home.

 

The ferry situation continues to be a mess.  Angie, she works with us, went over on Wednesday to pick up her daughter and family.  The scene was chaos.  People were clamoring for tickets to Vieques and Culebra.  They aren’t selling advance tickets for the Vieques ferry.  But then they don’t seem to selling tickets at all.  After a brief confrontation Angie pulled out her trump card, a Vieques driver’s license.  As a resident of Vieques she gets priority.  She finally got her family onto the small ferry Atlantis.  She said it was nightmare ride over.  People were sick and it was really crowded.  So lesson here is do not depend on the ferry for transportation.  It is not dependable at this point.  If you are coming to visit fly.  That said with all this wind who knows what the planes are doing.  But do not let that discourage you from coming.  Our island is spectacular with blooms and greenery.  It is lush!

 

Right now it is Patronales.  It seems the whole island is in a state of happy tipsiness or deep hangover.  All reports are of a very happy, fun, albeit wet time in the plaza.  We were headed over last night and then the rains came again.  We decided to stay at home with a bottle of wine.  We will try again tonight. 

 

Last, but not least, there was a wicked storm last Tuesday AM.  The winds blew and the Quenepo tree in front of the restaurant face planted on the upstairs deck.  It was blowing flat on the deck.  Plants flew.  Orchids ended up in the street.  And the conch telegraph reported a large waterspout in Sun Bay. 

 

So with all of that exciting news I will sign off.  Keep an eye on Africa.  What is that coming into the sea? 

 

Off to drink the last bit of coffee.

K   

Here is a picture of the waterfall here on Vieques.  It was a great walk and a beautiful day.

 

It is sunny here today.  We had a little shower last night.  Hope all is well with those in Alex’s path. It will be interesting to see where it finally ends up.

 

Off to clean the yard as usual.  Leaves, leaves everywhere. 

 

K

Oh yes!  The sun is shining.  It is warm, humid and oh, so fabulous!  Sun, sun, sun!!!!!  Jake our oldest Labrador is soaking up the rays and the little Labrador is going to get a walk on the beach!  Yipppeee!  Sun! 

 

Off to enjoy the golden rays!

 

K

Day 9 of cloudy skies.  I think I saw the sun for two seconds through the rain that was falling this morning.  We are all amazed at the lack of our beautiful golden glow.  Our visitors must think we are crazy when we talk about sunny, blue skies.  For some they didn’t see the sun for their entire vacation.  I was really impressed by the folks that found the bright side to the situation and kept busy.  They went snorkeling, hiking, swimming, kayaking and visited the bio-bay.  Of course during the heavy downpours they played cards and read books.  That is the spirit!

 

We celebrated Noche de San Juan.  It was a blast!  We closed up shop 30 minutes early and headed over to Esperanza beach.  The crowds were smaller this year. This was no doubt due to the squalls that came through and dropped 1-5/8” of rain until 11:30PM.  But those that were there had fun!  The kids were all lined up on the pier and the adults took our time walking backwards into the water.  The countdown came in Spanish and then at midnight we all dunked ourselves backwards three times!  Laughter and smiles ensued.  We tried to stay in the water but it was cold so we all ran up to the beach and passed the towels around to warm up. I guess SST’s don’t count when your swimming at night after too many days of clouds.  I love this holiday.  I did have to wonder as I sipped my champagne (compliments of Miguel and Eva) do I need to dunk again?  Does champagne count as one of the sins I just washed away?  If it is I guess there is always next year.

 

Off to the books and wedding.  I have small shrubs of weeds that need to be pulled.  Wish me luck, I might be carried away by the squadrons of mozzies that own the backyard right now.

 

K

My, oh my...  It has been 7 days since we had a full day of sun.  Lost track after 8.5” how much rain we have had since it started.  It is still raining and still gray.  The blob that is supposed to be below DR is smaller than the blob below PR.  Who would have guessed? 

Talked to the Bio Bay boys next door.  They are laughing.  So much rain, too much rain.  And tonight is Noche de San Juan!  La Nasa is playing music to celebrate and we just finished mopping the inside of the restaurant from the last squall.  A terrible contrast of life I know.  Good news is Coukie and Angie are setting up for the beach party.  At midnight we all get to jump in backwards three times!  No rain will stop us.  This is our fifth Noche de San Juan.  Scott and I first celebrated this holiday in Isla Verde five years ago.  We will never forgo this special night.  Will post on the festivities tomorrow.  At this point we will try to stay dry only to get wet at midnight.

Have a good one,

K

Well it is currently raining.  So far just about an inch.  Not bad.  The wind was really ripping last night from 1:00AM until after I fell asleep.  Of course the leaves are a mess and I cleaned those up this morning.  Radar shows lots of blobs everywhere.  So the rain will continue.  I just hope that it dries out for Adam’s going away beach party on Monday.  Although I don’t think a little rain will stop that crew from having a good time.

My hubby had a great idea last night.  Keep the lovely Zio at the door to hostess and I got to take it easy.  So I emptied all of the water barrels and still made it to work at 7:30.  Not bad.  The garden is really lovely but the big show was when we came upstairs last night.  As it started to drizzle I glanced up to see how my “Lady of the Night” flowers were coming along.  She took my breath away!  Attached are photos.  What a spectacular plant!  In the background of the first one you can see the wet Malecon as everyone departed.  Rain really dampens the outdoor bar crowds.

Also attached is a photo of a new lotus bloom.  I could not resist.  She is opening this morning and so happy in the rain.  Another photo to follow soon.

I noticed we are missing some boats from Esperanza bay.  I guess some of the fishermen are not taking chances.  Currently the bay is flat.  Lake flat.  Let’s hope that it stays that way.

Off to the other side of the island.  One of our guests forgot their umbrella last night and I am the delivery girl.  Goodness knows she will need it today.

Have a good one!

K

I went to town today despite the fact that we only had a quick shower this morning.  I went late and still missed the lines.  Life is good!

 

It was un-naturally cool at both the Morales warehouse and Coon’s bar.  I don’t think that I have ever picked up the beer and liquor and not sweated in both locations.  Everyone was asking “when will it rain?”  I think the answer is now.   As I came over the hill back to Esperanza I had to stop the car.  It was spectacular.  On of those moments when I wish I had a camera with me.  A tall line of giant, white, fluffy clouds was advancing with a dark line along the sea reflecting the storm clouds behind them.  It looked like someone had a ruler and sketched out the storm.  The sun was still shining on me and part of the water adding sparkle to the whole scene.  Very difficult to describe but truly spectacular.  As I type I hear thunder in the distance.  I really hope we get rain.  Anguilla said they didn’t get a drop but Tommiegirl has another story to tell (Check out her posts they are always fabulous.)  Maybe one day I will make it down there for a beverage and a chat with her.

On another note I stopped by El Resulve for my after town treat.  Her pastellios were incredible today.  I mean really yummy!!!!!  If you have never been there you must go.  Her food is fabulous and it always make me appreciate local cuisine.  And the music makes it such a party. 

Well I need to turn off the computer.  Thunder is advancing and that probably means that lightening will follow.  And that really cool breeze that just wrapped around me tells me there is a storm on the way.  As my husband says “Use you Labrador nose!”.  That is the surest way to tell if it is going to rain.  Our “little” Labrador always puts his nose in the air right before a rain storm.

 

Take care,

K

Wow! What a storm we had last night (or early this morning depending how you look at it).  Around 4:00AM I woke to the loudest boom of thunder I think I have ever felt and heard.  It felt like it was trying to split our concrete building in half.  Of course the winds were ripping and that means, Drum roll please, Time to shut the shutters!  That is twice this year I have woken to raindrops on my head.  So with the big wooden shutters closed I turned over to fall back asleep.  No luck.  The lightening crackled and the thunder boomed.  At last I dozed back off just in time to wake up early to work in the garden. 

We spent the whole day in the garden.  As I explained to Pedro as we are planting 30+ plants, this is “una dia fabuloso para plantas”.  We managed to get them all in the ground over the next 5 hours.  It looks “faubuloso” or as Pedro said “ Bien chevere”.  The best part of the project was the overcast skies and little raindrops.  It made digging all of those holes a lot easier.  And surprisingly there were very few mosquitoes.  I can only assume them hiding and planning their next aerial attack.  A thousand thanks to Pedro.  I’m buying you a steak dinner tonight!

So now we will wait for the rain and see how much we get.  Also we will have to see if Mother Nature puts on another show like last night.  That means no lines at the bank and PO tomorrow!  Yippeee!

 

I’ll keep you posted,

K    

Well….  That is an interesting report.  Popped on to Stormcarib just to check the island news and everybody is posting.  I haven’t seen that many posts since the last storm.  So my internal radar went up and I clicked over to Dr. Masters and Crown weather.  I like the rain part of the forecast for our little isla and I like those words wind shear.  That is my new mantra.  “Wind shear, wind shear bring it here!”  Maybe I can put those words to a dance beat!  It is so early in the season and it looks like we will have a lot to watch this year.

 

Charlie, one of many local eccentrics, is out on the beach practicing his Hawaiian shaman skills to drive hurricanes away.  Not sure how it works as he drags palm fronds through the sand in circles.  Then he says a couple of words and repeats this procedure all afternoon.  He chatted with me on my return walk.  He said that he thinks what he is doing will work but at the very least he is rearranging the”forces”.  I don’t know what forces he is talking about and really don’t know if this is for real.  It is interesting to meet another of our island neighbors.    Hope it works for the entire hurricane season.   

 

On that note have a good one…  Esperanza is packed, the beach is full of kids playing in the waves, and the food carts are in full swing.  A typical sunny day in the islands.  I’m off to do the books tapping my feet to the Salsa beat.

 

K

 

Well good afternoon to all!

 

At last I am off the dollhouse sized computer and have managed to get the other one running.  Now my fingers actually fit on the keyboard!

 

As for the weather…  Hot, dry and dusty.  I noticed today that we seem to have a little Sahara Sand hanging around.  A little red on the map indicates this.  But my eyes tell a different story.  I know that they tell us not to rub our eyes when they itch but that is impossibility.  And then when I do rub it only makes it worse because then they start to burn.  Only a quick splash with cool water seems to help.  My friend with contacts said that it is absolutely terrible on her eyes.  Oh well, I suppose I should be thankful for the dust.  It is one of our “protectors” from hurricanes.  Took a look at the blob down South.  We will see what it can do. But our other protector, wind shear, should take care of it.

 

That said we could use a little rain for the garden.  I watered yesterday, I will water another section today and then my rain barrels are empty.  That means I am asking Mother Nature for a refill.  Not too much, just 1.5” per week spread out over the week.  (I think I am being picky and I realize that she is not a bartender working for tips).  Speaking of tips (not the monetary kind) if you are visiting out little island this time of year we strongly recommend that you decide on your dining location before you go on the bio-bay.  Do not run back to the hotel to shower and change or you will end up missing dinner at most restaurants.  Most of us close by 9:30 this time of year.  I know that is early for the big city folks but when it is quiet we take advantage of the extra sleep.

 

On the garden front everything is starting to really bloom.  It is really exciting to see and my hummingbird friend is dizzy with all of the options.  Even my baby lotuses that I stared from seed are sending out buds.  Pictures will follow when the actual bloom occurs!  We might even crack open a bottle of champagne!  Now if only our Flamboyan would kick in.  The one at the corner of the porch always holds back until every other tree on the street is done.  I guess he wants all of the glory.

 

Attached is a photo of a night blooming cactus.  This gem smells like vanilla and each bloom only lasts for one night.  Dondy, one of the bio-bay tour guides, never forgets to bring me one.  It is now an annual event.  He pulled this one out of the way of a horse path.  The little guy was about to be trampled.

 

And on the iguana front…  We had a problem.  Yes, I said “had”.  The baby iguanas were running all over the place.  We were finding the in the apartment, in the dining room, and curled around the Campari bottle (this guy was not of age!).  Ceiba the “little” Labrador turned the apartment upside down playing with one.  The waitstaff was chasing and catching them everywhere.  Then our casita kitty noticed the fun.  Our little cat is eating 2 or 3 a day.  Scott estimates he has eaten about 20 in the past week.  It only takes that little feline about 5 minutes to eat the whole thing.  We call it iguana sushi for cats.   So, we do not have to call in Dewey to catch and barbecue them. And we are thinking of changing the cats name to Dewey Junior.

 

Off to the books and then some watering.  Have a great one!

 

K

The good news is that the Saharan Dust has moved on and we can now see PR and Culebra. Friday’s weather remains to be seen since I am hearing we could get 2.5” and 40 knot winds. Considering the rainfall in May that is nothing.

 

Most of you know that we now have the “W Hotel”  here. Well, let me tell you a bit about that.

 

Alan Ducaisse is the quote “Chef” although he has not been here yet. He is supposed to arrive Friday and leave Sunday. He personally sent out 500 invitations to the glamorous and wealthy people of the world for this weekend’s event.

 

Closed to the public mind you. Vieques folks need not approach the gates.

 

But….. you guessed it. RVSP’s did not come rushing in so now I hear with all of the international press invited they are asking us “locals” to dress up and get there. Considering the welcome we received when they opened I doubt many will be rushing to attend.

 

Ok. Now for all of you animal and fundraising people in the islands.

 

My husband and I were recently elected to the Board of the Vieques Humane Society. We are not funded in any way other than generous donations.  Normally we do not have a summer fundraiser but I thought we should. This is what I suggested and did.

 

We are having a Tropical Storm/Hurricane pool. It resembles a football pool but the kicker is that we only sell for the number of days in the month. For example we are now sold out for the month of July. On June 30^th we will pull the 31 tickets out of the hat and place those names on a calendar. When the NHC announces its first named storm whoever has that date will win $150 and the balance will go to the shelter strictly for food.

 

We sold out July in 2 days. We will increase the number of pools for August and Sept. due to the interest and have different goals. August may be the 2^nd Cat 1 storm or 1^st Cat 3. If Cat 3 does not happen then we bump it down to last Cat 2 and so forth.

 

At first everyone said it would not work but for all of you in the islands this is a great fundraiser. It is not too late to start making money for your pet peeve.

 

Other than that, life is quiet and good on Vieques.

 

 

 

 

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Good morning everyone.

 

Well it is that time of the year again, the nasty H season. Since May has predominately been a dry month since we have lived here 6+ years of course we decided to embark on about a 2 month construction project here at the house. May definitely was not dry.

 

This morning I decided to go into the tabular history of our personal weather station that can be found online at www.playacofi.com/weather to check out the rain totals for May since we have moved here. This is what I found.

 

This is the historical rain from 2005 till now for the month of May.

2005          9.44”

2006          2.95”

2007          2.28”

2008          1.46”

2009           2.16”

2010          7.91”

Weather.com says our average rainfall for May is 7.19”.

According to the NWS the rain here should start to dry up later this evening and stay dry the rest of the week. I will keep my fingers crossed on that forecast though.

Everyone have a great day.

 

 

Well the rain continues…  And my fumbling on this tiny keyboard.  Sorry for the missent message before it is nearly impossible to work on this dollhouse sized computer.

 

So we are over 3.5” on my rain gauge.  The plants are delighted, the horses watered and our visitors are, well, a little frustrated.  This too shall pass but I think it is going to wash out our holiday weekend.  But for those of you that are visiting there are still activities.  As a matter of fact I saw 6 very brave, wet, guests ride by on Elizabeth’s horse tour yesterday morning.  Soaked to the bone they were still smiling as they trotted up the street.  That is making the best of the situation.  So go for a driving tour.  Grab a book and head to the cabanas on Red and Blue beach.  Watch the storms roll in.  They are really mesmerizing as the sea and sky change colors.  Or do what a lot of the locals do… have a rum punch at one of the bars on the Malecon and watch from that perspective.

 

A crazy driver decided to hit a power pole night before last.  It defies logic that on the only straight road we have here in Vieques he went off the road and took out the pole as well as power to Esperanza.  Rumor has it he fled the scene.  As of yesterday afternoon his SUV was still in the pole.  Thankfully we were just finishing up in the restaurant when we went to a brown out.   That means we had to turn the breaker off to the building so all of the equipment doesn’t get fried.  It also meant a night without fans.  It was hot and the mozzies were out of control.  Thankfully they fixed the situation at by 9:00 AM so all was good.

 

The baby iguanas are hatching everywhere. These little emerald green guys are really cute but a true nuisance when they get big.  Our casita cat has tried to take on some of the bigger ones to no avail.  But we do have an ace in the hole.  Dewey Webber has been hunting these creatures and cooking them up for dinner.  I have not tried one of his dishes yet but really can’t wait to get these guys out of the backyard.  They are destructive and dirty.  Not to mention they are not native.  I do have to say that we will not feature iguana on the menu.  No chance, no way!

 

Have a good one…  I’m off to do the books.

 

K

 

  

Well we have rain and lots of it.  So far 3.5” on my rain

Greetings to all from our sunny little Isla,

 

It is another beautiful day.  Despite forecasts for a 100% chance of rain yesterday we only received one shower around 4:30.  It was a really quick downpour with the sun shining in the background.  Just enough to fill the rain barrels but not enough to soak the garden.  I was so disappointed as I had planned a day inside and wanted to make biscuits.  I have a real craving for those Southern delicacies.  I want melt in your mouth, yummy, golden brown biscuits with butter and mango jam (That is my way of making biscuits island style!).  But instead I made a fresh, local fruit smoothie and prepared for our special guests that were joining us for dinner in the restaurant.

 

After work we were settling in with a glass of wine when a commotion broke out on the Malecon.  We leaned over the side porch railing to watch the crowd as they circled around a very inebriated man with a horse.  Right then I was distracted by a Flamboyan branch as it trembled.  Odd… there isn’t a breeze.  Then I felt the railing and the porch tremble.  I turned to my husband while looking at the trembling wine in my glass and said “Do I really feel that?”  He didn’t notice it as he focused on the larger crowd gathering on the Malecon.  Finally the crowd dispersed, we finished our wine and headed to bed not thinking about the trembling.  This morning I saw on the internet that we had an earthquake.  Guess I shouldn’t dismiss those funny little feelings that something is happening.

 

Off to water the garden with my fresh water.  Hopefully my hummingbird friend will swoop by for a visit.

 

Have a good one,

K     

Hello to all,

 

Sorry for the disappearing act.   Life seems to get away sometimes and then my computer crashed.  7 years is a long life for anything electronic and four of those years were in the carribean.  Salt. Dust sand, etc.  do not bode well for electronics.  So at last I am back and connected.

Vieques is dry.  Really dry.  Every morning I look up and it seems that the Northside is getting another shower while we sit in Esperanza waiting for a little rain.  Chances look good for the next couple of days. Let’s just hope that it arrives.  But this morning I have to water all the plants on the porch.

Yesterday we headed to the Playa Escondito for the day.  Big black clouds loomed in front of us as we drove up the hill to Blue Beach.  Suddenly I saw a waterspout drop down out of the sky.  Another little one formed beside it.  We had just a couple of seconds to watch before the tail of the storm slipped back into the clouds.  By the time we parked at the beach and let the little Labrador run the sun was shining and it was another glorious day.  BLT’s and grilled chicken with a couple of cold beverages to wash it down.

Off to work and I am looking forward to reading Dr. Master’s latest blog from his Hurricane conference.

K