My Morning Cup: March 2026

Monday, March 23, 2026

Virtual Jamaica: St. Ann's Parish--Ocho Rio The Blue Hole

But first...coffee and breakfast!

And, on the advice of locals, a quick trip to exchange my USD for JMD.

The exchange rate is currently 150 to 1...so you can see how this significantly expands buying power.

Pocketed this one minted during Bob Marley's life as a souvenir.

Which was fun...in that

"Maybe it was once in his pocket."

kind of way.

Anyway,

Headed out to the rain-forest early...and you could hear the rushing water of the falls even before you arrived.

It was already 80 degrees out and there was a mist in the air and a "green-fertile" smell.

Surprisingly, there was already a crowd at 9 AM.

https://youtu.be/UsVKxrN-GCU?si=vOtXLtUQRGuKz9b_

The Blue Hole is not dissimilar to those in Texas or the cenotes of Mexico...it is the auqifer limestone milky blue...over 28 feet deep...and really cold.

Did I mention take-your-breath away cold?

Many places to swim...or dive...or cannon-ball...or take a rope t-swing over to simply drop in.

For 15 USD you can play here all day!

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Update: John

Playing rock...paper....scissors to see who gets to take care of John this week...

So...yeah...it's kind of like this. You have to laugh, or you'd cry.

John crashed and burned this morning, after a week of not eating enough to keep a sparrow alive.

It has been a rough year. Two surgeries and three hospitalizations and it is only March.

He is exhausted.

We are exhausted.

He has lost 20-some pound that he didn't have to spare.

I have probably gained that much in stress-eating.

I seriously think they released him too quickly after his last surgery.

He never regained his ability to eat...and was having real difficulty taking care of himself at home.

It is frustrating.

We will get through this.

They finally got him a room at 4AM and he is admitted.

A laundry-list of tests this morning...so maybe we will know something by tonight.

Chaos...chaos...chaos...WAR...maybe not war...sure looks like a war...dead Iranians..dead Americans...are you sure this isn't a war...shit blowing up...the Strait of Hormuz closed...our allies sick of being bullied and belittled...you are on your own...inflation up...prices up...gas through the roof...more chaos....EPSTEIN FILES...Bovino gone...Noem gone...Bondi and Patel hanging on by their lying teeth...I'm pretty sure this is a war...no exit strategy...let's embarrass ourselves in from of Japan...2,500...5,000...8,000 sent...Hog's Breath and Trump playing like little boys in a sand-box with REAL GI Joe's...

The most recent affront

A direct screenshot.

The man has no bottom.

Hang in there.

Only 34 more months to go....

Saturday, March 21, 2026

Spring...83 Degrees...Spring Cleaning...First Gardening Day

Excited...the Spring birds are singing in the morning...the trees are budded out...the wrens and robins are busy building nests...and I am planning the Summer Gardens.

Amber and I have already started the cleaning.

The carpets are scrubbed, and we are tossing the clutter.

Soon to tackle the kitchen and refrigerator!

Tomorrow, promises to be 83 degrees and the Tux-cat and I are going to relax with sweet tea and a book.

And maybe clean out the patio pots and replace the soil with fresh-from-my-compost box...it is still way too early to plant, but I am thinking reggae colors and even some sugar-cane to accompany the whole virtual Jamaica vibe.

Still learning...and maybe a little bitching...because Google decided to foist AI on us without consent...and without the ability to opt out...which quite frankly sucks.

But here we are.

(...we're old....we're tired...leave us alone...)

But with time...we will learn.

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Love,

Carla

Friday, March 20, 2026

Virtual Jamaica: St Ann's Parish Ocho Rio-- Dunn's River Falls

After fresh fruit and juice...and of course, more of that delicious Coco Bread...we are off early to climb Dunn's River Falls.

All that is required is a bathing suit...water-shoes...and maybe a beach towel to dry off at the end of the adventure.

Showing up early (before 7AM) is a must unless you are paying 25 USD for a guided tour....or just enjoy a LOT of people.

Today it is already 78 degrees and sunny...making it perfect climbing weather!

What they don't tell you is how COLD this water is...like soooooooooooo cold! https://youtu.be/FRvrvUGjkcI?si=4nDUhgS6ET9HATZF...experiencing technical difficulties...will have to finish this later...sorry...damned AI anyway....so here we go....the trip to the top takes about an hour and a half. The falls empties out on a beautiful beach. https://youtu.be/icDdAdHFf0g?si=SelcL8nWfG2bjYxB The warm surf and the yellow sand beach and a cold drink from one of the nearby stands makes a perfect end to our excursion. https://youtu.be/xiNlCjNPN4w?si=5XErwqhnIlmiZ7hU