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.