Island Christmas

Hello Family and Friends,

Did everyone have a fabulous Christmas?  How much weight did you gain?  OK. OK.  I won't go there.  As a friend of mine, Robert once explained to me, "Phat" is a good thing".  Hummm.

Bob & I had a wonderful Christmas here on the island.  We were recruited to help decorate our favorite watering hole, Manati's.  We had no idea what we were in for but we had a blast.   This was a two day event.  1st day was hanging ornaments, garland, lights and tassels.  The second day was all about hanging balloons.  Geri is very well organized.  She had recruited plenty of help and everything went very smoothly.  Not to mention, she and her husband Al fed us well for lunch.




Cathy & Geri

 We were to report to Manati's by 10:00 in the morning.  I made a gallon of Bloody Mary's.  I had to make sure we had plenty of vitamins and veggies before we got to work.  Sure enough 1 gallon wasn't nearly enough.  The 2nd day, I brought 2 gallons of Bloody Mary's.  Cathy wanted to make sure we had enough and ended up bringing more.  We were not short of supply this day.  



Bob had a lot of jobs.  He hung garland, bar tended
but his most important job was DJ.
Without music, I'm useless.


Among those helping; were a couple from Houston.  They were sailing south, caught wind about Guanaja and decided to stop for a few days to check it out.  Well, those couple of days has now turned into a month.  We're glad they are still with us celebrating the Holidays.  We'll be bringing in the New Year with them.

Carl & Iris Meredith
Sailors from Houston TX

My Argentinian friend, Mercedes & Jim

Al was in charge of blowing up the balloons.
Don't feel sorry for him.  He brought his air compressor with him.

Mercedes & Iris hard at work.

What a Motley Crew.
(Me, Geri, Iris, Cathy and Mercedes)

Did you notice all our elf hats?  Geri's sister made those for us and had them shipped down.  Thank you, Gwen. 

Now for Christmas day.  I volunteered to cook up a turkey for our potluck at Manati's.  I didn't cook one for Thanksgiving and I felt I missed out.  So, Bob put in an order for a turkey at one of the stores in town.   We went to pick up the turkey a few days before Christmas and I thought Bob was going to shit in his pants.  The lady behind the counter retrieves this big Butterball turkey and said, "That will be 900 lempiras".  My friends, 900 lempiras is $50!  Bob mumbled all day long.  I had warned him it was going to be expensive.

Well, there were 3 other folks bringing turkeys.  So, I wanted mine to be different.  I decided to make a "Texican Turkey".  I soaked my turkey in jalapeno/garlic brine for 15 hours.  After the soak, I stuffed the bird w/seasoned jalapenos and grilled it.  That's right, "grill".  Had I ever done this before?  No.  I went online and did my research & it seemed easy.  Just a little higher maintenance but no worries.  Bob & I got up early to prep the grill and to make sure the bird had plenty of time to cook.  According to all my research it should take 3-4 hours for the 17.5 lb turkey.  (Lunch was being served at noon) 

After soaking in a brine; no need season with additional salt.
I did add a little cayenne to the skin.
Jalapenos are stuffed in the cavity and its stuffed in the
meat (breast and thighs)
We did put foil around the wings and tips of the drumsticks
to keep from burning.

The bird was on for about an hour and everything looked good.  I had left for a few minutes to feed the dogs and when I came back...FIRE!  Oh My God!  I'm not talking a little fire.  I'm talking flames were coming out from all areas of the BBQ Pit.   After all my screaming for water, we got the fire under control and the bird was charred.  I was sick.  We paid how much for this bird only to burn it.   We took it off the pit and assessed the damage.  OK. 



Char means flavor, right?
It doesn't look too bad!

 I over reacted.  It wasn't that bad.  We made more adjustments to the grill and got the bird back on.  After 2.5 hours I decided to check the temp with a thermometer.  I was shocked.  The turkey was done.  How can that be?  I must have Flashed Cooked it by charring it.  I check the breast and the thighs several times and sure enough it was done.   We pulled it off the grill, let the turkey rest for 15 mins and then sliced into it.  WOW!  That was a delicious, juicy and a flavorful turkey. 

As I was carving the turkey, I heard this thump and thump.  I turned around; it was our dog, Hero.  We normally call Hero to this window if we have any bacon or left over meat to give him.  But this time he wasn't waiting for the invite.

Hero... "come on I'm ready to place my order".
"I know you have extra for me".
"Come on, please!"

How can I tell him No.  He's so dang cute.

Well, 2011 is knocking on our door.  We wish you and your family a healthy and prosperous year.  We'll see you guys soon.

Much love,
Bob & Bonnie

It's Time.

I have written and re-written and re-written this blog in my head and on paper several times.  I think I can now post this what without some animosity.  Nope, "think" is not correct, I know I feel no animosity what-so-ever.  So with that said, here we go.

It's time I tell you that we are leaving the Bay Islands.  I have shed lots of tears over this decision but together Bob & I have decided it's time to move on. I knew before coming here that a trial living period would be required for us before we made any final decisions or commitments. I also knew before coming here that Bob had his doubts regarding building & settling down here.  So the conclusion is that the lifestyle here on this secluded island is too slow & boring for Bob.  He wants more.  He wants to have more choices of things to do and I do understand his feelings & needs.  The seclusion of this undeveloped and unspoiled island is not for everyone.

It's also time I come to terms with the fact that MY dream of owning a beach bar on this great island is not in the cards right now.   I'll admit I was very upset, hurt, disappointed and flat out pissed about this outcome.  Bob & I worked hard to be where we are today. To come so close to making MY dream come true and then to walk away breaks my heart.  I have learned that we can share the same goals, share the same bed, share the same great memories but that doesn't mean we share the same dreams.  Guanaja has and will always hold a special place in my heart.  But what can I say...my heart belongs to Bob.  I want us to live where we can both love the locale, the culture, the people, the weather & have all the opportunities to fully enjoy living our life's together.

So, it's time to embrace the next chapter of our lives.  We've decided to move back to Mazatlan Mexico.  If you guys have been keeping up with our blogs from the past few years; you know Maz is a special place for us.  We have good friends there and Maz has lots more to do such as golfing, shopping, theaters, dinner outings, spas and gambling to name a few of the offerings.  Bob may regret that Maz offers casinos.  ha ha!  Luckily for him, they don't have table games, at least not for now. Things happen for a reason and I'm trying to find all the positives.  We are blessed & have been fortunate to have seen many great things happen in our lives & I'm confident that the future holds even more wonderful opportunities & rewards that will enrich our souls.  I love Mazatlan and I look forward to calling the "Pearl of the Pacific" our home.

We'll hang on to our property here.  We can't predict what the future holds.  It appears that this time in our walk thru life does not include a long stop here in Guanaja.  That time may be later, maybe our golden years would be spent better here than now.  So we may be back here at a later time, you just never know. 

We will be leaving Guanaja on March 1st.  We'll head back to Houston to visit family and friends and we have a trip to Lake Tahoe planned in late March to do some skiing &; gambling.  Once we get things in order we'll be heading down to Mazatlan.  Here's a special thank you to our friends in Mazatlan.  Your enthusiasm in our return means the world to us.  We'll look forward to seeing you guys and to enjoying some sunset cocktails.

We've had a lot of friends express interest in visiting us down here in Guanaja and I'm very sorry that you will not have that opportunity.  Guanaja is beautiful and you would have had a great time.  BUT, now you can visit us in Mazatlan.  Here's another positive...Flying to Mazatlan will be half the cost as it would have been to fly here. 

We want to thank everyone who did visit us this past year.  We enjoyed your company and it was awesome for us to introduce this small island to you.

We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas.  We'll be making the most of our time here till we depart.

Love,
Bonnie & Bob

Funny Story

This is just a funny story I wanted to share with you guys.

One day we were on the Cay.  Remember I told you guys there's a large cay called Bonacca which we just call "The Cay".  This cay is where we do all our shopping, banking, pay bills, etc.  Anyway, I was at the bank while Bob was carting groceries to the boat.

We had parked our boat at the Municipal dock, so as Bob walked down the walkway he heard, "Bob....Bob".  He turned around, looked down the the walkway and saw nobody.  He just shook it off and continued to walk to the boat.  On his way back, he heard it again "Bob...Bob".  He's like what the hell.  He sees no one around, then it hit him.  Someone was calling him from the jail cell.

He's thinking "who the hecks in there that I would know?"  So, he walks to the door and the person behind the door is asking, "Will you please buy me a baleada?  I'm hungry".  The cell is very dark, dreary and you can't see but a few inches thru the bars, so Bob asks who's in there?  He gave his name and sure enough Bob knew him.  The guy would on occasion carry our groceries to our boat.   Bob of course wants to know why this guy is in jail and he told him it was because of a fight.  Bob has his doubts but whatever.    Bob says let me see what I can do.

A baleada is a flour tortilla filled w/refried red beans and cheese.  It's a cheap Honduran snack if eating one.

Anyway, Bob finds me on the cay and tells me what happened.  I asked a friend on the cay if inmates get meals.  She told me absolutely not.  The only way an inmate can get food is by family members or friends that want to take them food.  How about that concept?  Jails here are how it should be back in the US.  Concrete walls, floors, dark and no food, no bed. Gotta love it. 

Bob and I decided to take him a baleada and told him to stay out of trouble.  

We'll be in touch!

Miss you guys. 

We're Famous!

OK...OK.  Maybe saying "We're Famous" is a little exaggerated.  But check this out.
My friend Shari Hernandez gave me the heads up that we (Bob & I) were mentioned in a Travel Magazine. 

December 2010 issue

There we are; in Black & White.  It's not much of an article about "us" but to be mentioned by name is very cool.  

I have no idea what the rest of the article entails; but it looks like it might continue on about Guanaja.  If anyone picks up the magazine; we'll sign it for you.  hahaha!  I'm just joking!  I am proud though.

Big Hugs,
Bonnie & Bob

Holiday Season is Upon Us

Hello Everyone,

We hope all is going well for you and your families.  We're getting lots of inquiries how Holidays are celebrated down here.  Did we have a Thankgiving?  What are our plans for Christmas and New Years?

Well, Bob had asked me back in September if I wanted to get off the island during "rainy" season.  Rainy season kicks off off mid October thru end of January. We had no idea what to expect during "rainy" season but I do know that I love rain & therefore wanted to be here to experience the climate change & to celebrate the Holidays island style.   There's no doubt that we miss our families during this season but we'll stay in touch.

Honduras does not celebrate Halloween or Thanksgiving.  Both are Americano traditions.  I really enjoy Halloween but didn't miss it too much this year especially since there wasn't anything to remind what I was missing.

Now Thanksgiving is celebrated by a few local islanders.  Lots of Islanders have lived in the States at some point in their lives or their family heritage is linked somehow to the States.  So, they have carried the tradition down here.  Turkeys are available at the local grocer but just to be absolutely sure you get one; it's best to order ahead of time.  Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE to participate in.  It's always about family and friends gathering and enjoying a feast of fabulous foods.  With the approval of the Pullums (owners of this wonderful island) we hosted our 1st Island Thanksgiving.   We kept it very simple by making it a Potluck Luncheon.  No, I didn't have the honors of cooking the turkey.  Al & Geri stepped up and insisted they bring the birds, dressing and gravy.   Let me tell ya...It was one of the best turkeys we've had; not to mention the dressing and gravy were over the top.

The party kicked off at 10:30 a.m.  We live on an island where there are no cars.  Everyone travels by boat and most prefer to be home before dark; so most parties start and end early.  The guest list had started out small but ended up with 30 guests.  A few sailboaters had recently set anchor and they too wanted to be part of the celebration.  I can't say no to that.   We had so much food and it was wonderful to taste other's creations.  We have some fabulous cooks on the island.  Being the host & hostess we were; we're very sorry to say we have no pictures to display.   I know Bob & I made our way to the apartment numerous times to retrieve the camera but was always interrupted by something.  Just know we had such a great time.  We made some new friends and wish them safe sailings as they continue traveling south and our cravings for Thanksgiving traditions were met.

We're looking forward to our Christmas celebration.  Each year it is celebrated at Manati's amongst all the expats.  Bob & I have volunteered to help decorate the bar and bring Christmas cheer.  It too will be a potluck. 

New Years Eve & Day will be hosted by George & Ginger who own Clearwater Paradise resort.  Not sure how NYE works since most want to be home by dark but I do know they are opening up rooms at their resort for those wanting to stay to bring in the New Year. I'm assuming the real celebration will be New Year's Day.  We'll see how it goes.  Either way will be a good time.

And as far as "rainy" season... The end of October and the beginning of November we had 3-4 weeks of straight rain.  Fortunately we have lots of movies to watch since the heavy rain effects our satellite system.  The 2nd half of November has been absolutely beautiful.  We'll see what December holds for us.  

So, stay tuned!  I won't forget the camera.
Love to all and we wish everyone a Merry Christmas,
Bonnie & Bob

Hurricane Season in the Tropics

Hello Family and Friends,

Woohoo, Hurricane Season is officially over.  Did you guys realize the season was extended?  It starts June 1st and ends November 30th.  The season use to end October 31st.  This was our 1st season to weather the storms.  We had some nice ones.

I got say this was truly a learning experience for us.  Sure we've been on hurricane alerts while living in Houston and yes, hurricane Ike hit before we left states but let me tell ya living on an island really puts things into prospective.

Prior to moving here we did some homework on the hurricanes that passed thru the island of Guanaja.  Hurricane Mitch was the most devastating at a Cat 5 for 72 hours on this island back in 1998.  He liked it so much that he wouldn't move.  Well, just like Texas...The history of a major hurricane hitting the islands is once every 25 years.  No problem; we can handle that!  Yeah right!  Never have we paid so much attention to the weather updates as we did during this season.  One late evening we were surprised by a TS Alex that developed 8 miles from here and quickly turned into a hurricane as it passed us.  We were woken with the heavy rain and strong winds that night.   I should say, "I was woken".  Sleeping Beauty Bob heard absolutely nothing.  TS Alex was a wake up call for me.  You have to be prepared for this tropical season especially knowing how quickly a system can develop without much notice.   

I don't know how many of you have looked at map and know exactly where we are.  I've learned my coordinates are 16 latitude and 85 longitude.  (Apparently that's Island Living 101).  Anyway, we're a very small island off the mainland of Honduras.  But not only is Guanaja a small island of 9 miles long and 3 miles wide; we live on a much smaller island called Clark Cay (pronounced Key) which is only a 4 acre private island located on the south side of Guanaja.  Let me tell ya...we feel the winds a lot stronger out here than those on the island of Guanaja and not to mention we are at sea level.   This arrangement has shed a lot of light on owning your own island for me.  I used to think having your own island would be the bomb, I'm sorry to say I've changed my tune.  It's freakin scary out here.  Now some of the other cays around us are a lot more protected with abundance of trees, plants and have higher elevation in the center of their island; they can barely see the ocean from their house but not Clark Cay.  You can see the ocean all around ya.

This is our apartment.  As you can see its elevated and due to
where it sits on the property captures best winds all year around. 
We leave all our doors open and catches all the trade winds thru out the apt.
HOWEVER, with that being said... Not so comfortable in 50+ mph winds.

We have amazing views from our deck.
We can see all the bone and reef fish swimming by in the shallows



This is Clark Ark.  A 40 ft panga that is tied up to the dock out front
As you can see it's totally exposed to the rough seas during a storm.
We have the responsibility of moving the boat out to a protected marina
near by.

A view from the dock out front.  We face the island of Guanaja.
Literally a 5 min boat ride.
This is just a cloudy day with a few rain showers. 
Wish I had pictures of the ocean during a TS.
The waters were extremely rough with lots of large white caps;
which is why you want to move the boat out early.
You don't want to be caught in the waters under these conditions.

Hurricane season isn't bad at all as long as you have a prep sheet ready, monitor the system often, tend to the boats early and clean up lose items.   All the cabanas here on Clark Cay have hurricane shutters and are very easy to close and lock.  We made sure to move all the patio furniture inside and remove possible flying objects.  All you folks who like to find conch shells and cool driftwood to display around the grounds...Thanks!  We have to pick up all that stuff and put in the bodega.  ha-ha-ha.

Now here was the major problem I had during this time...BOB!
Bob thinks I over react to "possible" storms.  Which he is probably correct BUT, living on an island with little time to react isn't a bad thing.  He always "assumes" the storms will stay on path and by-pass us or worse treat them as tropical storms.  He thought I was crazy when I wanted to pack up things such as water, food, flashlights, dogs, etc and be ready to vacate the grounds for safer shelter.   We fought a lot needless to say.  Safety wasn't his priority.  He felt we could do everything at the last minute and be OK.  I don't operate that way.  I would rather be ahead of the game than scramble at the last minute. 

So the storms that were close to home and we monitored along the way was TS Matthew, TS Paula and Hurricane Richard.
TS Matthew went directly between us and the mainland.  We got zero rain but high winds.  The winds actually pushed the reef closer to us.  TS Paula was minimal too but turned into a hurricane shortly after she passed us.  Now Hurricane Richard which I had renamed to "Dick".  He headed directly to Guanaja at a Cat 1.  OK we knew Dick was coming and Bob didn't want to leave Clark Cay.  I did however make him sleep down in one of the other cabanas.  I sure as hell didn't want to be up in our apt with all that wind whipping around.  Like I said, we knew it was already a Cat 1 and could become stronger as it approached.   As the hurricane was approaching us; I was on the Internet "facebook" with all my other island friends.  It was actually fun and comforting.  They had all been thru hurricanes before and told me not to worry.  The island can handle up to Cat 3 without any problems.  Homes are built for this situation and the surge is minimal within the reef.  At 2:00 a.m. all the power went out and lost communications with my friends.  Bob and I got the dogs, went to one of the cabanas and barricaded ourselves in.  My sleeping beauty Bob was out like a light.  As soon as the hurricane was upon us.  I was up.  The windows were rattling and I kept shining the flashlight in Bob's eyes to wake him up.  I told him maybe it was best to move into the bathroom.  He wasn't too happy with me and told me to go back to sleep.  How in the hell am I suppose to sleep?  This is my 1st hurricane.

Well, Dick was renamed once again to Lil' Richard.  He actually  was a small Cat 1 with 60-65 mph winds by the time he hit.  The property sustained minimal damage.  We had some large trees uprooted and tons of debris on the beach.  Took us a full week to get the beach cleaned up.  We're very thankful that all the storms that came our directions and didn't amount to anything but that just gives Bob ammunition that I over react.  So, do we balance each other out?  I would say we stress each other out.  ha-ha-ha!  More importantly...He's alive to tell his side of the story.

Well, we are into Rainy season now.  Our friends at Half Moon Cay informed us the best time to trim all the plants is October 16.  That's when we'll start seeing some rain.  Well, I'll be damn!  Oct 14th the rain started.  It rained every day for 4 weeks solid.  After that we would have some nice heavy rain around 2:00 a.m. till 6:oo a.m. and then the sun would come out during the day.  Loved it.  November is just about over and the weather has been fantastic.  Cooler temps high 70's,  lots of sunshine and rain in the evenings or early morning hours. 

Well that's my tale of the hurricane season.  Hope you enjoyed.
As always wishing you and your family true blessings,
Bonnie

1st Honduran Surgery

Hey!  How is everyone doing?  It's been a long time.  Bob & I have been doing very well.  We got thru our 1st hurricane season and that's worth a post on its own.  (stay tuned)

Some of you may know that I've been dealing with bone spurs for at least 2+ years now.   It has been a painful experience but decided surgery wasn't an option due to what I've heard of the procedure, not to mention the recovery time. 

Well, my friend Sharon talked me into seeing her doctor on the mainland (San Pedro Sula).  I agreed but was looking more forward to shopping after the doctor visit.  I had no idea I would be engaging in this type of surgery especially so fast.

The doc said the spurs were pretty big in both feet but the one on my right; x-rays indicated that the bone spur had broken and the fragments were embedding on my tendon which was causing pain.  He was adamant that surgery was the only option if I wanted relief.  GEEZ, not what I wanted to hear but OK. 

Now, I've had a lot of surgeries in my short life but I gotta say this is the 1st where the doc doesn't accept credit cards.  Cash Only.  Apparently the system is for me to pay him upfront and he then pays the hospital, assistant, anesthetic and whatever else is needed.  Humm!  OK.  No problem I have the money in the bank.  I'll make a trip around the corner and get the cash.  Nothing is that simple.  Bob & I have a Honduran savings account.  Even though I had ID; I wasn't able to withdraw the money needed.  Apparently I must present my banking card in order to withdraw cash.  They can't just look up my account and take the money out.  Nope, doesn't work that way.  Bob managed to go online and figured out how to transfer money from our account to the docs account.  No big deal, right?  Wrong!  That was a huge task for Bob to do on his own.  Online banking is in Spanish folks but he got it done.  Way to go Bob! 

Now that the doc is paid; the procedure was scheduled.  Technology has come a long way even in a "3rd World" country.  The incision would only require 2 stitches and only a week of crutches.  The thing that concerned me the most and made me actually have nightmares was the injection to my spinal cord.  Why in the world would you need to numb from my waist down?  But, guess it's a common thing.  Fortunately, my friend Sharon had the same procedure.  She told me not to freak out when I wake and I can't move my legs.   What?  Are you kidding me?   She wasn't.  That is a horrible feeling.  Even though I knew what to expect; when I came to, near the end of the surgery and couldn't move...panic started to set it.  It's a horrible feeling when you try to will your toes to wiggle or try to bend your leg and not be able to do it.  But the anesthetic wore off after several hours.  I truly did have nightmares.  I woke up in a sweat w/the idea of spinal injection going wrong and being paralyzed from it.   Crazy, huh?  I must get that from my Dad.  He's the worst at assuming things to go bad.  Thanks Dad.  I appreciate that gene you passed on to me. 

The doc ruined it for Sharon.  She thought she was going to have the hotel room to herself for a night.  I was suppose to stay one night in the hospital but the doc said I was doing really well and could go back to the hotel.  Poor Sharon.  Nurse duty immediately and no disco dancing for her.   She was fantastic.  She made sure my foot was elevated, made sure my ice pack was full and if I needed anything she was there. 

I was feeling really good that evening.  We ordered pizza and played cards.  Sharon didn't have much sympathy for me and took great pleasure in beating me at Rummy 500.  My story is and I'm sticking to it... "I was under the influence". 

The doc paid me a visit at my hotel room the day after surgery.  He gave me the green light to travel back to the island.  Sharon went out immediately to purchased our airlines tickets and hook us up with a taxi.  What I had failed to mention till now is that Sharon & I did some serious grocery shopping before I was laid up.  We both had full coolers and extra bags to tote w/us.  Thank God for hotel concierge and airport helpers.  I was absolutely no help.  I remained confined to the wheelchair.  To tell you how much we had; we had to pay $200 extra to cover the extra luggage weight we checked.

We finally made it back to the island of Guanaja but damn; for such a short flight we transferred planes 3 times.   My foot was throbbing something bad by the time we got to Guanaja.

I'm proud to say I managed to get in and out of the boat successfully and without injury.  It wasn't lady like but I managed.

I have to give HUGE kudos to my wonderful husband, Bob.   He has been fantastic.  He has cooked me some fabulous meals (he Hates to cook) and has made sure I have absolutely everything I need.  He's been awesome.   He's going to hate that I'm writing this, but I have to...Do you know he followed a recipe and made me some of the best homemade biscuits I've ever had.  Delicious.  I'm thinking he needs to cook for me on a more frequent basis.  Can you hear him now?  Not going to happen.  Bob, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  You are the BEST.

Well, in a few days my stitches will be taken out by Mike Jones.  (Sharon's husband)  I saw him this afternoon and appears he's taking great pleasure in this task.  Should I be worried that he wants to bring his garden tools to pull out the stitches?  ha ha.  I'm sure he'll do a great job. 

I'd say this surgery has gone very nicely and I'm feeling better each day.  I haven't had any pain and by this coming week I'll be crutch free and wearing my own shoes.  I won't be dancing but that too will come in time.

Take care my friends and hope that all is going well for you.  Big hugs - Bonnie

Guanaja's International Fishing

Hello out there!

How is everyone doing?  Bob & I are doing fabulous.  We haven't done too much since we haven't had guests in a while.  (yes, I'm whining!)  ha ha.

I just wanted to help get the word out that Guanaja is hosting it's first IGFA Offshore Fishing Tournament.  This is huge for this little island.  Hopefully this event will drum up some tourism for our sleepy little island.  The tourney will be the weekend of October 21st - 24th; for any of you who may be interested.  

I wish I had the equipment and fishing boat to enter.  They actually have a bracket for women.  I think I'll have to check it out this year and maybe get my stuff together and fish next year.  Any of my girlfriends want to join me?   I'll need a team of 4 girls and a captain.  Of course, I'll work on getting a captain.

Anyway, I'm proud of the "locals" around here that are spear heading this event.  They seem to be pumped, putting in a lot of hours and doing a good job organizing it.  They do have a website if anyone has questions.  www.guanajafishing.com

I'll have to find out how Bob & I can get involved.  Maybe volunteer at a booth or something.  I'm pretty excited about this as you can tell.

While we're on the subject of fishing.  My "island" husband picked up a new hobby.  Unfortunately the island is being hit hard with Lionfish.  Not a good thing.  While this fish is pretty they are also pretty deadly to the reef system.  They are very territorial and aggressive & have no natural predators.  The Lionfish is not native to the Caribbean or other warmer coral regions of the Atlantic, yet they have started to flourish.  Most reports show that the aquarium trade is to blame for releasing this species into the wild.  Way to go people.  If you buy them for your salt water hobby...keep them or eat them.

We had one lingering around our boat dock and Bob decided he's getting him a Lionfish.  Bob had bought a spear gun and thought it was time to figure it out.

He's on a mission, folks!
And yes, this is his 1st time using a spear gun. 
Should I be worried?

Hero, Our dog is observing from the dock.

Guess what, folks?  He got it!
He actually speared the fish!
I'll be damned.

That my friends, is what a speared Lionfish looks like.
Had I known he is actually good eatin;
He would have been an appetizer that night.
Bob, go get us another one.

The dorsal and side fins of this fish are venomous.  But once you cut those off with scissors, scrape of the scales and remove the guts... it's time to season, flour and fry.  We need to get the local folks around here to realize that this fish is delicious so they too can get out there and fish them.  We need to remove as many of these creatures as possible to preserve the reef. 

Really don't have too much more to say.  But we hope everyone is doing well.  If you can swing it; come see us. 

Much love,
Bonnie & Bob

Family visitors with a Special Treat

Hello!  Well they say 3rd time is a charm...well I'm hoping 4th will do it for me.  I have no idea if Blogger made some changes that gave me a hard time posting this blog or if all my napping has made me goofy.

We had an absolute blast with my family that was just here.  My Mom, Sandy (my step dad), Aunt Luz and my cousin, Gloria.   They spent 9 days with us which wasn't enough time.  

Everyone thinks we'll be happy when they leave but that is the furthest from the truth.  We love hosting and entertaining our family and friends.  We miss everyone dearly and when you come down; it means the world to us and we're very sad to see you go.

This visit from my family was a true blessing.  My Aunt is actually my Great Aunt Luz of 82 yrs.   Do you know how excited I was to hear she was coming down?  I had only prayed that we would have a place built so she could see and enjoy the lifestyle we've chosen.  No, we don't have our own place but we do have a very special home that we are able to share.  Anyway, one of my dreams was for my Aunt to make it down here.  She's always been a big supporter of us and so proud that we're achieving our dreams.  To share this with her was a True Blessing.

Let me introduce you to my Great Aunt Luz.

Bob & my Great Aunt Luz

Of all the guests we've had visit; my Mom and posse had the worst time getting here.

So cool to watch a storm approaching.
OK maybe not from the bird's eye view

Unfortunately, we had thunderstorms all day.  We could see the plane in a distance but then all of sudden the weather turned wicked and the pilot made the decision to pull up and head back to Roatan where they came from.  Awe man!  We kept asking the airlines rep will they make another attempt.  We could see the clouds make a break.  Sure enough as soon as the gang approached the Roatan landing strip; the pilot gave the passengers a thumbs up and announced that he's trying again for Guanaja.  Thank God Guanaja is only 15 mins away; I'm sure the passengers are wondering about gas consumption along with the weather.  But ended very well.  I only wish I had camera on hand when everyone got off the plane.   I would have captured some great photos of the family with bulging eyes, white knuckles and a huge relief of being on the ground. 
I'm so mean!   I can be since they arrived safely.

Fortunately, the rain held off for us on the 30 min boat ride to our cay.  They were pretty stressed out and figured they would be...I was prepared.  I had ice cold libations on the boat for them.  Even my Mom who is not a beer drinker downed hers.  I think she was the 1st on to finish.  hehehe!   By the time we got to the cay; all was really good.  I even think they may have put that flight experience way back in their minds.   We got them all settled in their cabanas and had a nice dinner.

As we do with all our guests; we took them to Manati's for our Saturday ritual.  I was so excited to introduce them to our friends. 

Mom, Sandy and me

My Mom...isn't she pretty!

Now we were a little concerned for my aunt being a 82 yrs and getting around.  For obvious reasons her main concern was falling.   When we left Manati's...I insisted on helping her down the stairs.  She held on to the rail with her left hand while I had her by the arm on her right.

Manati's entrance

Well guess what folks.  I let her stubble over the very last step.  UGH!  How could I have allowed that?  I can't say this enough...my Aunt is one tough cookie and likes to drink.  She busted out laughing, dusted off her knees and was back up on her feet. 
Wha-la...she's OK.  Thank God.  

Bob & Sandy coached her thru the process
of where to step

Getting in and out of the boat can be tricky especially since our bigger boat is out of service.  The smaller boat is a little more unstable but with the help of everyone we made sure my Aunt didn't have another accident. 

She did fabulous!
I'm so proud of her.

What can I say?  I'm married to a pretty cool guy.  He definitely went all out while the family was here.  He was a great host and most of all made sure we had everything we needed.

Early one morning he had the beach area ready for us to enjoy our day.

He had the umbrella and beach chairs up and ready

My aunt & I hung out on the beach near the cooler.

She's drinking her Rusty Water.
At 1st she was saying our pipes were really
rusty only to find out that's Crown & Water.
Nice one, Tia!

My cousin and Mom ventured out in the ocean on their kayaks.  I was so impressed with my Mom. She loved being in the kayak.  She went out several times on her own.

Gloria getting the feel for it.  She
was a little worried that she wouldn't
be able to paddle back to shore.
She did great once she got the hang of it

A picture is worth a thousand words.  If I hadn't seen this with my own eyes...I would have said this picture was photo enhanced.  My Mom helping a dog?!  Now this is one area where my mom and I are so different.  I'm a huge animal lover and my Mom...hell no.  She doesn't like animals much and would never want to be around one.   But looky here.  This was very impressive.  Hero is our island dog.  He has to be in the water when we are kayaking.  He has a mind of his own and won't listen.  Well the current was pretty tough this day and our kayak route was a little further out from the island than Hero was used to.  He needed a little help.  There goes my Mom to the rescue.  With the help of her & Sandy, Hero is now on Mom's kayak and on their way to safety. 

So what were the guys up to?  Bob & Sandy played bocce ball every evening and Sandy would come in beat up.  He sliced his head on a tree and cut his foot on something.  He always blamed Bob for the accidents saying, "Bob became violent when he lost."  Always something with those two.  Apparently, Sandy was pretty good at this beach bocce game.

Mom & Sandy were so looking forward to coming to the island to chill.  Apparently the past few work weeks were very stressful before leaving.  You want to chill?  This is the place

Sandy had no problem relaxing!

Mom's hangout was the hammock at the boathouse.
Where there is always a breeze!

Their last night with us we went to Graham's Resort for drinks and dinner.  

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful evening.
The sunset was beautiful.  The clouds and sky color were spectacular.

Gloria's sunset glamour pic

Fortunately the weather was very nice when they took off back to Roatan and then on home.

Aerial photo of the island as they left us

We enjoyed a fabulous time and really miss having them here.  We hope they return very soon.

We hope all is going well for you.  Bob & I are truly enjoying life. 

Love,
B & B

It's been so quiet!

Hello out there!

 

How has everyone been?   We've been chillin and still taking it all in.  We've been without guests now for 3 weeks. The last two guests were my cousin, Kris and her husband Greg.  

Kris celebrated her 40th birthday while here & they both toasted their recent marriage several times during their stay.  It was a party and a continuous party at that.   We sent them out with our fishing buddy Hansito and they had a great day as they brought in the heaviest load & most variety so far out of the 3 trips that we have booked with him.   Kris caught a 3-4 ft Lemon Shark, Greg caught a 45 lb Wahoo, and they both caught several Barracudas, Blackfin Tuna and Bonita's.  Most people have said that Bonita is not very good to eat and when we tried it after the first trip, we fully understood their stand & agreed 100%.   They're basically only good for cut bait.  Everything else was a great catch.   Yes, even the Barracuda.  This is one of our favorite fish to eat on the island.   Don't shake your head till you try it.  It's a clean white fish.   When eating Barracuda; you must first throw out the head in the sand or dirt.  You ask why?  Well at least I would hope u would.  This fish sometimes carry a toxic posion.  But hey, several other tropical reef fish carry this toxin like snapper, amberjack, grouper.  & I bet some of u have eated these fish w/o giving it a second thought.  The locals here and in other countries have told about "head trick".  If the ants eat it; then the fish is OK to eat.  If the ants stay away; throw the Barracuda away.  It's poisonous.  Seriously!!!  Well at least it has worked for us, so far.  Want to more about this posion, than google Ciguatera.

Greg enjoyed fishing every evening at sunset from a
corner of the island.

and every evening he reeled in something.
If you look closely...this Barracuda has war wounds (belly towards the tail).
As Greg reeled it in, there was another Cuda attacking this one.

Kris and I are very close and have always competed in sporting events.  We both can be competitive but she definitely still excels where I've seemed to have fallen off quite a bit.  Well maybe more than a bit, cause I basically suck now.  I have no idea whats happened to me.  I used to excel in sports; now...don't pick me for your team.   Every afternoon, we got our cocktails, put our game faces on and had a Bocce Ball tourney right before sunset.   I'm not sure I won a game the whole week they were here.   Kris, Greg and Bob were intense and there was lots of trash talking.  

Intense game.

But more importantly
Everyone has drinks in hand.

I sure miss them being here.  I had a small boating accident where my arm got jammed up between the boat and the dock.  Pretty much had only limited use of my right arm.  Thank God I'm left handed.  But even at that; I had no idea how much I actually used my right arm.  Anyway,  Kris was a huge help for me in the kitchen and she was basically my right hand.  Thank you, Kris  You're the best!

Everyone thinks we'll be glad when they leave but I have to say that's quite the opposite.   We love having visitors.   We enjoy a special place here and love being able to share it.  No one has been disappointed yet.  

They looked pretty relaxed to me.

My Mom, Sandy (step-dad), my Great Aunt Luz and cousin Gloria will be our next group to arrive.  They'll be taking off from Houston tomorrow a.m.  Can't wait till there get here.

Well hope all is going well for you and your family.

We miss you and hope you'll be down to visit us soon too.

Big hugs,

Bonnie and Bob