Home at last!

We've been home for a few days now, and I decided I had better get my last official blog entry posted. Our last week was bittersweet -- we had come to know and love so many people on the base that it was tough to say farewell. Even though I was chomping at the bit to get home.


Mr. Jackson is from Jamaica and he has been working on the base for 17 years. He has at least two jobs (which is common for the foreign nationals) -- maintaining one of the gyms, and stocking shelves at the commissary. I met Mr. Jackson last March when I started going to the gym. In addition to being a devout Christian, he is man with a good work ethic and positive attitude. He is only able to go home to visit his wife and children twice a year, and he lives for those times. I will miss him greatly.


This was our view on the ferry as we were leaving the windward side of the base to get to the airport on our day of departure. It was a gorgeous sunrise.



Our travel home took two days -- mostly because we didn't want any issues with the heat and being denied travel for Fergus. Our first flight was on the small commuter plane going to Ft. Lauderdale, and after the pilot met Fergus, he allowed him to sit in the cabin with us. Fergus loved looking out the window!

But, eventually he became bored and took a nap.

We had some wonderful views of the Caribbean -- I only wished I knew what I was seeing.

It's difficult to summarize our experiences over the past twelve months -- these two words come to mind, though: amazing and frustrating. The beauty of the Caribbean is breathtaking, and I came to love the ocean and its contents. We met so many wonderful people, starting with my beloved Filipinos and friendly Jamaicans, going on to the scores of civilians and military folks that we befriended. Those were the high points.

It was frustrating to live on a small piece of real estate with so many conflicting rules, poor communication of anything of importance, slow internet and ever-present police. But, we got through it, hopefully becoming better for it. And now that we're back in the States, my first thoughts were-- I have WAY too much stuff, and gee, this traffic is scary at 40 mph.

It will take a while to transition but I hope I don't lose the important things that I learned -- that your belongings don't define you, and that relationships are more important than anything else.

Last week at GTMO

Recently we attended a demo at the galley (newly named the "Iggy Cafe") where a chef from Florida made seviche and sushi using locally-caught fish -- it was fun to watch, and the food samples were delicious. Gave us some good ideas to try later!

American flag on a hilltop with the full moon

Thanks to my brother, Craig, I had over 1,000 cryptograms to solve over the past months -- I have probably done about 700 of them. In a place where entertainment is limited and internet service is spotty, these brain-teasers were a lifesaver for me!

I mailed shampoo and conditioner ahead of my arrival last October 1 -- so this bottle was waiting for me. I know it may be hard to believe (please don't think I am bragging about this), but I am STILL using shampoo from this bottle. It's like the widow of Zarephath and the oil jug that didn't run dry! Normally, I would have about three different containers of shampoo at any one time, but here there aren't too many choices. So, it was relatively easy to just stick with this container -- I hope I can maintain this shampoo sensibility at home.

In addition to my other pursuits here, I started making these paperweights. Using chunks of coral as the base, I would glue on sand, and then later tiny little shells and sea glass. Once dry, they are covered with a shiny, water base sealer.

And saving the best for last, here is Vince just arriving home after his very LAST work shift here, which happened to be a mid shift (going to work at 10 p.m. and getting back home around 8:30 a.m. the next day). He was tired, but happy to be done with this assignment. Our last few days here will be spent packing up items to mail home, along with a myriad of other moving chores.

September already!

Wow -- I can't believe it's September. We have just a little over two weeks left here, and we are trying to pack in everything we can. On Monday, Hope and I went to the $6 million sports complex to walk the new track that circles the football field. MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation department) really tries to provide nice facilities and entertainment for the troops and civilians here. And this sports complex was a huge investment -- I really haven't seen it being used much, but maybe this fall there will be more activity. (You can see the four wind turbines on the hill above the field which provide somewhere between 10-12% of the energy used on the base.)


Wednesday Vince went fishing with neighbor Bob, and this time he did catch a snook. (please overlook the lovely background in this photo!). While they have a funny name, snook are absolutely excellent to eat -- a little reminiscent of halibut, to my way of thinking.


While Vince was fishing, Hope and I took a water taxi, courtesy of Captain Henry, to the other side of the bay to Hicacal Beach. For some reason I don't understand, the shells there are completely different from the ones that can be found on this side of the bay. So, it's great to have an opportunity to get over there and explore. There is one big (or rather, bug) problem -- the area is well-known for its voracious mosquitoes and no-see-ums. And, of course, I had been bragging just a few days earlier about how I have completely avoided getting bit these last eleven months.

I had my comeuppance at Hicacal -- apparently I didn't spray the repellent very well, for when we got back, my legs were literally covered with bites. After I reached 50, I stopped counting. And, like the true geek that I am in recording things, I took a photo of my leg covered with bites, but reason prevailed and I am not posting it. You'll just have to believe me.


Friday we went snorkeling at Phillips Dive Park and tried to take all the photos on our disposable underwater camera. The water felt warm and silky -- we saw jellyfish, gorgeous parrotfish, and beautiful sea fans waving gently among the coral beds.



I have to admit that I am a little apprehensive when I snorkel -- whenever I hear that someone has spotted a barracuda, I like to go the other way. Everyone keeps saying that barracuda steer clear of humans, but I just don't like the thought of those teeth. Still, it's been an amazing opportunity to view all of this gorgeous underwater life.

Snapshots of the week

A crowded day at Windmill Beach

We are winding down our time here -- will be back in Lincoln on September 23. So, for the next few weeks, I'll be concentrating on the details with moving. But, I will continue to post some photos and notes from activities here.


Yesterday we rented a pontoon boat and had a wonderful time with our friends, Mike and Hope, out on the bay. Where else can you rent a boat (plus fuel) for 6 hours for $78? Friday was also a scheduled power outage for our neighborhood -- no electricity all day long, so it was good to be elsewhere.



We first went to a sheltered area and snorkeled -- because of the tides, the water was too cloudy to see much, but Vince did dive down the 15 or so feet to collect four sand dollars.

Cave close to one of our fishing spots

Later, we spent quite a bit of time casting our lines with no luck -- like Vince says, that is why it's called fishing, not catching. We were really lucky to have several sea turtle sightings -- you learn to look for the brownish spots floating on top of the water, and then a head will poke up, grab some air, and head back under. It all happens quickly and with digital cameras, it's tough to grab your camera and get it turned on in time for a shot. I'm just thankful whenever I can spot a sea turtle.


Earlier in the week, Hope and I did a little beach combing. At the top of the stairs leading to a beach, we saw this "little" friend. Guess he was pulling sentry duty. The password was "shoo."


Also noted this week were some jet engine remains by the recycling bin at one of the beaches. I wouldn't have known what this mess of metal was, but Vince recognized it as a compressor from a jet engine. I guess someone must have pulled it out of the water? Hope this wasn't an unhappy ending for someone.

Not far from our neighborhood is a large area that used to be the home to numerous family dwellings, but they were all razed nearly ten years ago. All that remains are the steps leading to empty lots. Rumors are floating around that this neighborhood may now be rebuilt.

Update from Hurricane Alley

The height of hurricane season falls in August and September. Via satellite imagery, Vince has been watching these amazing storms starting inland in Africa and building up momentum as they cross the Atlantic. Right now, we are feel the residual effects of tropical depression Ana -- mostly wind, dark clouds, and some light rain at the moment.


The iguanas are never bothered by the weather -- they always have some safe place in which to tuck away. As you can see, Stubby lost part of his tail somehow.



Yes, rotisserie chicken is now here. The grand opening was last week, and I never thought I would see a line of people waiting to pick up a cooked chicken (or, uncooked, for that matter.) The Jamaican employees at the Nex are struggling with placing the roasted birds in those crazy plastic containers -- I think that was the main reason there were people waiting. The containers are then wrapped with about 20 feet of plastic wrap. When I bought one a couple of days ago (I wasn't going to wait for one!), I also noticed that the chicken was upside down -- I guess they haven't figured out which part of the chicken gets presented.


Here is one place we don't frequent but thought I would post a photo -- the furniture store. It's not particularly inviting on the outside, and there really is not much on the inside. But it's the only source for new beds, couches, and dining tables. Since most of our furniture was provided, we have supplemented our needs through garage sales.


There is a large presence of military folks here working for JTF (Joint Task Force), so we see all branches of our armed forces coming together for the detainee mission. The troops live in trailers seen in this photo -- living quarters are small, cramped, and shared with nothing fancy about them. However, it's better than living in a tent.

Glorious GTMO!

We do live in a glorious world -- when you pay attention to your surroundings, even something like a seed can be beautiful. An example is drift seeds, or sea beans, which are shown in the above photo. The two larger specimens are from the species entada and are commonly called "sea hearts" since they can often be found in the shape of a heart. The one on the right has not been polished -- its counterpart on the left has lovingly been hand-sanded by Vince. Many folks make these beautiful beans into pendants, or just pile them in bowls as a decoration.

The smaller sea bean, leaning on its side on the sea heart, is also known as a "hamburger" and I think you can see why! Both hamburgers and sea hearts occasionally wash up on the shore, tangled in wrack (seaweed debris) -- and it is great fun to go beach combing and be lucky enough to find them. There are numerous kinds of sea beans -- most of them originate from trees and vines in the tropics, and get carried by rivers into the ocean, where they can bob around in the water for a long time (up to 35 years as estimated by one specialist).

Tell us how you really feel, Fergus! (click on the photo to enlarge)

Switching subjects, the local Girl Scout troop had a dog wash this past weekend and a friend of mine asked if we would let the girls wash Fergus -- for a donation, of course! Fergus doesn't really like water, unless it's dirty creek water and he's following a pack of other dogs through it. So, we were interested to see how he would react to a bunch of little girls hovering over him. He tolerated the washing with patience.


Ferns love this hot, humid climate -- we purchased one at a garage sale last fall, and it was just about the size of the skimpy plant on the right. Now, it's a gorgeous full fern, and I've been able to dig up some roots for new plants, like the skimpy one. I've not had the same good fortune with ferns in Nebraska, so I had better enjoy these while I can.

And, finally, just a very Happy Birthday to Justin -- I can't believe he is 31!

Last week in July!

Big news from here -- rotisserie chicken will be appearing soon at the deli! Unfortunately, the deli (just a small area of counter space in the meat department) will have to close for a week (at least) to accommodate this change. Still, it is a bright spot in our long, hot summer here. (I know, Wendell -- we've been here too long!!!)


I'm still meeting once a week at the library to join whoever shows up for "Stitch & Chat" -- the last couple of months, it's just been two of us, so last week I was thrilled when two more of my friends were able to attend.

Vince is standing in front of the northeast gate -- the spot where Cubans used to move freely between the base and their homes in nearby villages to come to work.

Vince participated over the weekend in the "You Can't Handle the Fence Line" five mile walk. You could also, bike, run, or drive a jeep (if you had one). I was also slated to go but the day before when I was adding some time to my regular walk for "training purposes," I somehow pulled some muscles in my left leg and for a couple of days I could barely walk. I was disappointed that I couldn't go since the hike followed the north fence line which is an area where we normally can't go. Unfortunately, it's also an area where there are limited photo opportunities so Vince wasn't able to document too much of the walk.


Switching subjects....we've really enjoyed our bird-watching here, especially since our windows have a reflective coating which allows us some close viewing. Here are some white winged doves (didn't Stevie Nicks sing about them?) at our bird feeder. They have a beautiful blue ring around their eyes and are quite the pigs when it comes to the bird feeder. Sometimes we have six of them precariously balanced on it, shoving out the smaller birds.