And the chances are good that those Chiquita or Dole's in the fruit bowl began here.
The phrase Banana Republic...before people used it as a slur...actually originated in this place.
Plantations everywhere!
A Day on The Plantation
https://youtu.be/PIyAfxAUUvE
And something we can try!
Growing A Banana Plant
https://youtu.be/nTBgzBz4vVo
A beautiful and peaceful way to start the day.
And they are eating good in the neighborhood...as 747 (Colbert a.k.a. Bear Force One) can attest.
He may actually win Fat Bear again this year.
We had a small kerfuffle with 480 (Otis) and 151 (Walker), yesterday, when Walker tried to displace him from his usual fishing spot in The Office.
"Get Off My Lawn"
This is aggressive as I have ever seen Otis...and Walker left with a look on his face like
"What the HELL just happened.
And the old man followed it up with
"And STAY Off!!!"
Beautiful day outside and no rain...Finnegan and I are going to weed/tidy the borders!
Spent a couple of hours dead-heading and planting marigolds and such for Fall...the dwarf sunflowers are up several inches!!!
Today's light rain and tomorrow's sunshine should settle the seeds in well.
The Morning Glories have climbed one side of the wooden arbor and are reaching to start across the top...cannot wait to see them flower (blue) by Fall.
Oh...and Finnegan has decided that my porch (and yard) is definitely his territory now...and by extension...me, too.
My sister, Tina, lost a recently rescued kitten...Little Bit...who had been kicked hard or tossed from a moving car...multiple injuries including a broken hip.
So Grandma and Grandpa made a trip to the local no-kill shelter...looking for a kitten.
Sunny
Bruce Wayne...a.k.a Batman....a.k.a. Bat Cat.
They loved them both...so they compromised...and now have two kittens.
I LOVE Bat Cat who not only has the cowl...but also the bat signal under his nose.
...look closely...
Anyway, the garden is spent...it has been a beautiful Summer...and you can feel the Fall temperatures creeping in at night. It was 64 last night and sooooo nice.
The bears are starting to get huge...and we discovered a new one (#27) to our delight, the other night...
A sub-adult who is now known by his flying leap fishing approach as
Scuba Steve
...it is not very effective and it pisses off 907 (Scanner) in the J to no end...but he seems to have a lot of fun at it...
John now feeling much better, thankfully, and back to almost normal...rode 23 miles on his bike this weekend!!!
Helping Jan (a friend of our's) pick out and install a new TV antenna before his work-out.
Has a luncheon tomorrow and Euchre on Saturday.
...coincidentally the first pre-season Colts Game against Buffalo is also on Saturday at 1 PM...
Not sure if Richardson will be their starter or not.
I'm definitely ready for Football to begin!
Amber is coming on Wednesday to scrub the carpet for the season...and Diane and Vee (our new friend) and I are having a brunch on Thursday!
Just puttering around here, today, and dodging raindrops.
Have a lovely week.
Love,
Carla and Finnegan
Over 99 to choose from...some are heavily habitated, touristy and developed...like Roatan...others are tiny...some uninhabited except for wildlife...a few are for sale..like the one below.
All are beautiful and surrounded by the turquoise blue sea.
Let's explore!
Cayos Cochinos
...which translates to Hog Islands...
The islands themselves and the surrounding coral reefs are a Marine Protected Area and offer some of the best diving around. They are pristine and off limits to commercial divers. National Geographic once exclaimed that "...these waters are home to creatures we have never seen/named yet!"
Locals call this paradiso (paradise).
No roads, cars or bikes...only a series of hiking trail connecting everything...and a lighthouse.
They can only be reached by boat and there are only nine homes on the Grande island.
Hiking Hog Island
https://youtu.be/ikG0vet5OqQ
10 Minute Tour
https://youtu.be/k00CmPvrsQY
Next up: Swan Islands
The islands are uninhabited except for a naval garrison at one end.
Sadly, I could find no video of the islands or even a photo of the garrison...moving on...
Isla El Tigre
There is only one town on the entire tiny island...still it is a tourist destination with wooden homes and climb-the-volcano tourism.
The entire island is compromised of one church...one town and one lighthouse.
That's it.
Go-Pro Tour
https://youtu.be/Jv9VIX80-h4
There are so many many more...most are Nature and Marine Preserves and basically undeveloped.
Sunset over Roatan Island
Until next time...
John and I spent yesterday afternoon together...and it was nice. Had Mexican...he brought me Honey Coffee from the State Fair (really really good) and surprised me with one of his Nikon cameras that he no longer uses since getting his mega-Nikon!
...it is amazing...can't wait to capture Fall with this!!!
Spent some garden/patio time together and he helped me hang my new (mellow) wind-chimes....I found them on eBay and they aren't tinkley.
My criteria in wind-chimes.
And annoyed Finnegan.
"Who the hell are you??? And what are you doing in my chair...on my porch???
-Finnegan
After John left, he spent a lot of time just sniffing the patio chair.
"Is he one of us, Mom,?"
Today, the crows have gathered and are caw-cawing their way into Fall...although the geese have yet to arrive. My hummingbirds (...the Dougs...) are working over their feeder furiously...the thousands of cicadas are clamoring in the tree-tops...and Summer is winding down.
Out to dead-head...tidy the borders and weed...plant marigolds...sip sweet tea and finish the Baldacci "Simply Lies...which as been, predictably, good so far.
Had coffee with the bear-folk this morning.
So much changes in less than a week.
Salmon are everywhere now!
And bears who were thin..desperate...and fighting are now fattening up and sometimes sitting glassy eyed in the river with salmon all around them too stuffed to catch or eat another bite.
With all the scraps the gulls, Moms and cubs are eating good, as well.
Grazer actually meeting (or exceeding) 747 for bulk this year...if this keeps up she will win the Fat Bear Contest.
...they have until October...
Time to toss some laundry in, and head out to play in the plants!
Love,
Carla and Finn
And checking in with the bears (and bear-folk) while sipping coffee, this morning.
Gully's response to a sub-adult who snatched his spot on the lip of the falls.
"Hey..you're in my spot!!!"
"Ahhh...that's better."
Seeing a lot of pirating and generally grumbling/bad tempers flaring as the salmon continue to be few...although many of the older bears are better at fishing and getting larger by the day...quite a few of the sub-adults and nursing mothers are thin...you can see ribs...and while the cubs nurse, the sows are eating mouthsful of grass.
Some of the yearlings are becoming quite resourceful.
Sad news, recently, as we watched horrified as another cub (...one of 26's cubs...) was caught up in the swift current of the river. This makes two lost to the river. This one was particularly gruesome as the river washed it against a large boar who killed it instantly on the live cam.
The cub left (...now called Peanut...) looks tiny and a bit lost.
Walker- 151 In a Salmon Coma.
And the comforting sight of 747 (Colbert a.k.a Bear Force One) and his fishing buddy Otis who is in The Office.
And all is right with the world....
Of course, a garden isn't really a garden without a cat.
"Hey, Mom."
-Finnegan
The feral who has stolen my heart and moved in.
He owns me, now.
He has been here for a month..loves head & ear scritches...also cream gravy, steak, chicken, pulled-pork...oh and the green catnip Temptation treats.
He already runs off any cat who dares come near...threw a pouting fit when I had petted Charlie cat (and he smelled him on me) and ran off a rotund (...we're talking basket-ball with legs) sized raccoon. Chased him as hard as the fat little guy could lope all the way to the tree-line then returned to me like
"See Mom...I saved you from a wild animal!"
And returned quite happy with himself.
Enjoyed a mid-week Italian Brunch with my friend Ola and her friend Starr...which was very nice.
And then there was John.
We were both up during the storm at 5 AM, and my guy phoned asking
"Are you up for an adventure????
"Always!!!"
The gist of it being that the little town we like in Illinois has now opened a dispensary...lol.
Seriously.
So, of course...I added
"Well...we will HAVE to get those matching tattoos we are always talking about, too."
So there you have it.
Geriatric pot-tourism and tats.
I feel absolutely rebellious.
(...and no...we won't be bringing anything back across state lines...and I may have to get a lava lamp for the room...)
Eric, Melissa, Heather and The Girls ran around with him at the opening day of the State Fair.
and the rest of the grand's arrived today to enjoy The Children's Museum.
And me...well I'm just hanging out with Finn and relaxing today.
Just started Baldacci's latest book...sipping sweet tea and contemplating a mid-day nap.
You gotta have a plan!
Happy Sunday!
Love,
Carla and Finn
"No big deal...I face off with wild animals all the time, Mom." -Gadget
