The Garden

We have decided to start a vegetable garden - this idea grew from a simple statement made by one of our neighbors in Tradewinds.  Dion asked if anyone had any fresh Basil (all the fresh basil we knew of  belonged to neighbors on second floors -he noted it is hard to go and "borrow" some Basil on the second floor)  - he continued on to state we need a community garden.  I immediately agreed and well the idea has grown from there with great support and assistance from Hans and Kathryn.  We found a little protected corner close to our home and the work began.

this is one side of our corner garden with the beautiful tomato plants that Kathryn's friend Janet brought over from her place

we had to make do and create some tomato cages out of old broom and mop handles - but it works and the tomatos are very happy - notice the basil plant in the middle?

our first task was finding rocks around the property to line the garden with - you will see later in another post how our friend John took it a step further and made us a beautiful rock wall.  although the garden is small for now it will be a good start as we gather seeds and experiment with what will grow well here on the island.  the concern is not freezing the plants but overheating them.

the tomatos are ripening very quickly

on the other side of the path we have a banana tree

we check the bananas regularly to see how they are coming along

i also took some time to take pics of the beautiful flowers in Hans and Kathryn's garden

the flowers had a drop of water from a recent watering

we have also been closely watching this bird of paradise bloom - it only happens once every 2 years

another favorite

delicate

we are surrounded by beautiful gardens in our community Tradewinds and excited for our vegetable garden to grow.  it is a small and slow start but will grow over time.  we have some seeds we are going to start in some small pots and we will go from there.  Mike just completed his final exams of semester 2 - this means we will be on break until the begining of May.  We are very excited for the arrival of Grammy and Boompa (Mikes parents) on Thursay.  They will be here for a week and we are looking forward to showing them around the island.  Michael we are very proud of you and all your hard work.  You are getting there - before you know it we will be headed to England.  We love you and congrats.

Nursery (not the baby kind)

Last week we headed to Le Galion with our friend Nicole who is leaving the island to go back to Colorado.  She will be studying for the Step Exam and starting clinicals.  We are excited to meet up with her when we are back there a year from now.  Anyway, she wanted to surf with us before she left.  Well - mother nature had another plan - Frank called us when we were almost there to say the winds were to high.  So we took the chance to visit a nursery that we pass by every time we go surfing.  We are planning a garden and have been meaning to stop in and see what plants they sell and gather any helpful gardening tips for here on the island.   It was a lovely nursery that had 2 parrots and a wonderful owner who was happy to share any info he had for growing plants and vegetables on the island.

these two parrots were really cute together

Dillon walking down the jungle like rows of plants

one of the many beautiful flowers

this is the Rasta Man plant (not the official name - just the one we gave it) - can't you see it?

behind ro you cam see the wooden bridge and the green arch.  it was a fun little place and i am sure we will be back and hopefully we will remember the name and the names of some plants (and get the names of the 2 parrots)

Bolivia

In August on his break between semesters Mike will be traveling to Bolivia to volunteer with a group called Curamericas Global.  Karla and I have been working hard to raise money to help with the cost of the trip (her husband Steve who is in Mikes class is going as well).  During block exams and finals we have been selling rice bowls (Lime chicken, black beans and rice) to the students on campus - they hardly have time to eat so it is perfect for them.   Please take a look at the blog Steve has created - we are trying to spread the word about the trip (where they are going and what they will be doing) and give the opportunity to folks who would like to donate any funds.       auc-lmsa.blogspot.com

Thank you for your interest

Boys on a Beach

 a few weeks ago - when Dillon and I were out on the waves at Plum Bay, our friend Karla was on the beach with the rest of the boys.  Her three boys Elijah, Ethan and Erik and also Ronan who decided to stay and play.  I must say when we show up somewhere with our 5 boys it is hard to go unnoticed (another sidenote - their ages are 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10).Karla took some great photos of the boys in action and when I returned I got some of the cuties and their mom.  Enjoy

the crew decided it would be really fun to fill their shirts with sand

it was great - we told the boys they had wonderful love handles

the surf was big but we were extra careful and the boys had so much fun

the air was filled with the sounds of the boys shreaks and giggles

the waves were perfect for playing in

Ronan loved crashing into them

Elijah loved being out in the water

the current was strong enough that day it would carry you away if you did not pay attention - we noticed when a group at the beach went swimming they were busy chatting and they drifted down the coast - it was funny to watch (it was easy enought to make it back once you noticed).  dill and ro took turns bringing Elijah back whenever he drifted to far

after catching some waves earlier dillon decided to give filling his shirt a try to

so cute

love this little face

we were so happy to share Plum Bay with our friends, just like our 5th semester friends Anushka and Ezra shared it with us (sadly we are saying goodbye to them as they head back to the states to start clinicals, but we are greatful for the time we were able to spend together and the memories we created) that is one of the great things on the island - we are always sharing our favorite places with others.  thank you Karla and boys for a fun day and taking photos - we look forward to more good times.

Just a Glimpse

For many it is hard to comprehend what it is actually like to be in Medical School - the amount of material presented each day, the amount of time spent studying and the constant fight to get enough sleep ( the mental argument of I have so much to study but I am sooooo tired).  So I took a photo of Mikes white board that he uses for studying at home.  This might give you just a little glimpse of what his world is like.

and no I do not even try to comprehend what he is studying.  this is why our little bits of family time are so valuable and important.  his brain needs a break and the boys need some daddy time.  plum bay is a perfect place for some down time - even if it is just a few hours.

Ronan ready for the beach - you can tell the temps have been rising - the funky hairstyles start coming out

we are bound to have some fun at the beach with all these toys

silly boys

even though there were no real waves the boys paddled out and Dill was able to catch one random one - always good practice and exercise

Ronan had a great time playing king of the castle (board) with dad - I dont think I have ever laughed so hard - Ro could literally run back and forth on the board while dad tried to get on.

this is not a very clear picture but it gives you a little idea of the shenanigans going on out in the water

it appears that Ro won - this is where he is the happiest -on or in the water

my big boy

a rare moment of peace

Ro spent some time creating a sculpture with all the treasures he could find on the beach

his beautiful final piece of work - perfect just like our time together with dad.  Mike is back to studying like crazy for his upcoming blocks and finals -(you will do great and we are proud of you) then it is time for a break with his mom and dad on the island.  we cannot wait