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.

Birthday Cheer and Butterfly Snowstorm

Vince sipping his birthday Mojito

Sunscreen and a hat is essential

We celebrated Vince's birthday this week -- he had to work a double shift on the actual day, but it ended up working to his advantage. He now has TWO days off in a row, which hasn't happened in months. Having a beach picnic is always a great way to have a party, so we loaded up some food and beverages and rode on the ferry across the bay to our favorite Chapman Beach. Vince grilled some turkey burgers which we enjoyed with our Mojitos. And, as usual, the beach was deserted.


And regarding butterflies....actually, we learned the little creatures are moths, but I prefer to call them butterflies. A couple of weeks ago we started noticing massive swarms of white winged insects. It is hard to describe the effect -- you see them everywhere you go -- and it is challenging to get them on film. But, with the breeze blowing, and if you squint real hard, you can pretend it looks like snow. My little camera doesn't produce great video -- but you can get the general idea. After doing a little research, I think we are seeing Great Southern White moths. (The video is taken behind our villa in a parking area.)

Ship sightings

I didn't even attempt to take any photos of our Fourth of July firework celebration here -- but it was definitely one of the best ones I've seen in years. Vince had to work that evening, so he grabbed one of our walkie talkies as he left for his shift. Then, about 9:00 p.m. when the firework show started, I took Fergus and stood in our front yard, with the other walkie talkie in hand. When the colors started to light up over the bay, Vince called out to me over the airwaves, "Ooooooh.....Over." And, then I would return with "Aaaaaaaaaaah......Over." It was fun for a few minutes, anyway, and we were amazed that the walkie talkies would work that well -- he was in the tower, over three miles away by air, and I was at the northern end of the bay.

Speaking of the bay, when you live on a body of water that is a major supply station in the Caribbean, you are bound to see some interesting vessels.

Crane or Cargo Ship -- these ships are named after state mottos, and wouldn't you know, this one is the "Cornhusker State."

A heavy lift ship, 873 feet long, the "Cape May" was designed and built by a steamship company, and later sold to the Navy. You can see an LCU boat (landing craft utility) in front and to the left of the Cape May.

Helicopter carrier

The ferry boat is on the left -- these are used to transport people and vehicles across the bay and is about 150 to 200 feet long. To the right is a missile frigate.

USNS Robert E. Peary -- dry cargo/ammunition ship -- is 689 feet long.

GTMO Snapshots

A couple of weeks ago we had the opportunity to take the annual "Cuzco Wells" tour. The Marines give a guided tour of an area called Cuzco Beach which normally has no-entry status. In 1898 a battle took place at this site between the Spanish forces and a battalion of Marines. We climbed a hill to view one of the lookout areas and tried to imagine what it must have been like over 111 years ago on that spot.


I've been perusing Cuban and Jamaican cookbooks from the library in an effort to try some local delicacies. I made a couple of Cuban dishes this week using chicken (were okay, but not great), and then we thought we'd try our hand at some Jamaican specialities. Ginger beer is popular, according to the cookbook, and looked easy to make, just requiring ginger, water, sugar, lime, and some yeast. So after Vince whipped up a batch, we let it ferment for a day, and then tried some over ice. It was amazingly good!


Our other Jamaican treat was more funny than tasty -- a recipe for a cookie called "Jackass Corn" just sounded intriguing. Again, just a few ingredients - coconut, flour, sugar, water, baking soda, and nutmeg. It's supposedly called "jackass corn" because the noise made while chewing the cookie sounds like a jackass! I couldn't resist, so I made a batch of the homely things. While the cookies aren't all that wonderful, the odd thing is that they do taste like they are made with corn. Maybe the name is applied because that is how you feel after you've taken the time to make them.


Fergus loves the frisbee! Vince will take him either to the dog park, or an open field, and give Fergus some great exercise early in the morning before it gets too hot. We've had to be cautious -- if Fergus gets overheated, which can easily happen with the temperature and humidity, he begins to "wobble" while he walks which we have learned is not a good sign. So, Vince tries to end each session after only about 10 minutes.


We did some beach combing this week and it was just one of those times where not much had rolled up on the sand and rocks. But Vince did spy this cute little fellow -- a hermit crab tucked into his shell, and his colors were so vibrant that we just had to take his photo. It's difficult to tell the scale in this photo, but the shell was about an inch and a half in diameter.

GTMO Chapel

Chapel

Interior of Chapel

Since last November, we've been attending the 1100 (military time!) "Protestant Worship Service" here on the base. Many of the services are held in the main chapel, one right after another, on Sundays. Over a dozen different groups meet to worship, with the list of services ranging under the headings of Protestant, Catholic, Islam, Gospel, and Jewish. Attendance at our service ranges from about 100 to 200 people.

View of the bay from the Chapel

The military chaplains here are great folks and do an outstanding job of working with so many men and women with all kinds of different needs. Not knowing what to expect when we arrived last fall, I was gratified to learn that a women's group (PWOC - Protestant Women of the Chapel) met weekly for Bible study, so I began attending. In addition to being a wonderful source of growth, it's also been a great way to connect with more people. A men's group also meets every week -- unfortunately, it's on a night that Vince would normally be resting prior to going to work for a midnight shift. However, last week he did decide to attend and forego the extra rest.

It's been interesting (and refreshing) to be part of a church group that has so little emphasis on money -- the building, utilities, and salaries are all funded by the military. So, most of the usual financial needs that a church might have are already being met. People are still very generous with their time and financial support -- money is collected in the weekly offering. And, there is a council that meets quarterly to decide where and how to allocate the funds, mostly to small, non-profit organizations back home. Our chaplain has asked Vince and me to be a part of this council, so we'll learn more about it when we meet in a couple of weeks.

My group of kids during a photo op

Last week was Vacation Bible School with the theme being "Crocodile Dock" -- and since I have the time and supposedly the energy, I volunteered to be a crew leader. It was a lot of fun, although I was worn out by the end of the week! We would meet at the chapel at 0830 every day, and each morning was devoted to shepherding the kids (ranging from preschool to age 12) to a variety of stations, such as games, crafts, Bible storytime, etc. About 75 kids participated, with over 40 volunteers, including some young men from a guard unit back in the States who were crew leaders and who were also exhausted by the end of the week.

GTMO's Great Outdoors

While I am busily complaining about the heat, Jamaicans walk around every day of the year, covered from head to toe with heavy clothing. Folks refer to them as "ninjas" -- they are responsible for trimming and cutting grass on the base. We assume that their apparel keeps out dirt and dust.

Have I mentioned recently that it is HOT here? Summer -- along with the hurricane season -- has arrived with a vengeance. Walking Fergus at 7:30 in the morning is a steamy adventure -- no breeze, just humidity and thickness in the air. The poor dog has gained seven pounds in the last few months, mostly because it's just more difficult to exercise him in the heat. Well, I'll stop whining about the weather (for now), and just showcase some photos from our surroundings.

This is Egbert, one of the many cattle egrets that wander around our neighborhood. They love to perch on vehicles, especially on the mirrors.

So many lizards and so little time! I do happen to photograph a lot of reptiles and it's not from any particular love of them -- it's just that they are omnipresent! (I wasn't able to identify this specimen -- it might be a gecko or an anole.)

Great Lizard Cuckoos are common in Cuba, and somewhat rare in other Caribbean islands. They are known for their long tails and red eyes.

We've been calling these cute litle things "blue tails" but I learned it's really a five-lined skink. There is likely a whole litter of them living under our refrigerator on the patio -- you see them scoot quickly under there when Fergus comes outside.

The video above doesn't have much action but it's just rather amusing to see a land crab in the grass play dead while Fergus busily inspects it. You can also see it at right in the photo. Shortly after we took this video of the "inspection," we heard from some friends whose dog did the same thing but got heartily pinched on the nose by the crab! The dog swung his head around to release the crab who then flew several feet in the air before landing on the ground. I just help Fergus keep his distance now.






Northern Mockingbirds are as frequently seen here as robins are back home. They have so many lovely songs! This guy was getting a bath -- Vince was spraying water from the hose up in the tree, and the bird seemed to love it.

And, last but not least, today is my baby girl's 29th birthday -- Happy Birthday, Erin -- wish I could be with you to celebrate!!!