Pictures from our Excellent Adventure!

I thought I'd post some pictures.  If I were really talented with the computer, I either post a whole boat load full on Flicker, or make a slide show to music and post it here.  I'm not that talented!
I'm so struggling with this itsy bitty computer, it's all I can do to get these pics up.   ~Kosti and I did some shopping today, now he has found  new sense of freedom with the sarong he purchased. (Use your imagination, I am not going to spell it out here)!  Just thought I'd share.~   Anyway above is a photo of the old (300 years) Ceiba Tree and a pretty Paso Fino.

The Mangrove trees are simply amazing.  We walked through a Mangrove forest yesterday.  It's really neat to see the roots and how they reach out in all directions.  Then the leaves fall and decay... over the years, new land is formed.

Below is the view of Puerto Rico from Green Beach.  It is just so beautiful here!  

                                                We had a lovely little stroll on Green Beach!

 After Green Beach we did some exploring.  To the left is what is left of a WW2 gun turret.  These things (a variety of such) are all over the place.

We made our way over to the Bunkers.  They would make interesting housing.  Unfortunately they were all locked.  Above is Kosti trying to see what's inside.  (nice butt shot).   It was too dark to see through the little peep hole, so he  held the camera up to it and with flash on, this is what we found! (below)  Nothing exciting, just a lot of lumber.

 Roadside of Beef and her Bull.  They were kind of annoyed with us so we drove on.

Here are our neighborhood pets.  Please disregard the off center watermark.  I don't know what I did wrong, but it just will take too long to reload.  To the left is our cat we like to call ~ Cato~  and below is Sol.  She is such a good puppy.  She was my model today, helping practice getting my lighting right in the camera!

~My view from the Hammock~

Enjoying the sun! 

                                                                Janet & The Boys

Island Time

We’re here.  It didn’t take long for us to settle in.   There is something to be said for the familiar. We  have already acclimated to “Island Time”.  Couldn’t tell you what day it is.  We have no sense of the need to “do something”.  We are just taking the time, moment by moment.


 It’s been 2 years since we’ve been here and we are noticing the creep of progress.  I fear the word has gotten out about our little piece of paradise.   The creep however is just a creep.  Things like the little house on the corner across the street from us, is no longer.  It was demolished at some point and is now being replaced by a Hacienda.,  Hacienda with a BIG H!  The thing is huge.  (pictures will follow soon, maybe tonight).   And Casa Verde, be still my heart has been painted yellow!  Oh no!  It’s also being rebuilt.  An attorney from Hoosick Falls, NY bought both pieces of property.   Glass beach now has three new properties on it.  Who knew there was even enough room to build there, but yes they did.   Beautiful little sea side villas.  They even built one around a Palm Tree.  Now that’s what I dream of!.  A house built around a palm tree.  Did you know I love Palm Trees?  I do!

Yesterday we headed off to the beach for our first snorkeling adventure and guess what, they paved the road to Caracas!  Unbelievable.   When we got there the place was packed!  30 or 40 groups.  Now if you have spent any time listening to my Vieques stories, you know my ability to count diminishes when I’m here.  So in reality, it was probably 10 to 15 groups there.  Either way to big a crowd for me.  So we turned around and headed to a different beach.  Thank goodness the road to La Chiva hasn’t been paved,  the bridge is out and we had  a bit of an adventure to get there.  We got there and it is still as beautiful as ever!  And, no crowd.  So I got to snorkel.  I didn’t see much, but I did see some beautiful fishes.  I do need to remember not to yell “fishies” when I see them, as I do think I probably scared them off.  A little girl who was also out saw a stingray,  I decided not to go looking for him.

Adventure why yes we have had some.  We locked ourselves out of the house one night.  The boys decided to go back to Mar Azul and I waited on the lounge chair in front of Kathi and Gary’s door until the came home.  It was a beautiful night and I probably would have sat  outside for a while anyway.  Yesterday we celebrated Tracy’s 29th Birthday.  Since we changed the dates of our birthdays and since they are our birthdays, we decided we can celebrate any year we want.  I’m celebrating 40 yrs next Tuesday!

We have seen lots of Paso Fino’s.  I think they have multiplied tenfold since we were last here.  I love them.  They are so beautiful and graceful.  Magical!  We’ve also seen  a beautiful roadside cow wandering loose and it’s brama bull!

Tracy and Jay and still sleeping.  The rum punches were especially gooooodddd last night!    Kosti and I are confiscating the credit cards, taking the car and are going shopping!  Toodles!

Oh yeah,  there is a new neighborhood dog, Sol.  She is a beautiful puppy Boxer.  She is very pretty and playful and she owns the neighborhood.  She lets herself into the yard.  Joins us on the deck and if we let her would come spend some time with us in Vivo Grande.  I still miss Sadie!

                                                            Hugs and kisses to you all, check back ~  pictures to follow!

                                                                                              Janet & The Boys!

Two automobiles, 2 planes, one bus, one boat and a very steep hill.  We made it home!  Vivo Grande....

We had a surprisingly easy trip here.  Lots of modes of transportation that all went very smoothly.  Jamie met us at the airport (I love having a driver in Puerto Rico!) & and Gary met us at the Ferry (I love having a landlord in Vieques).  We had a great dinner at Mar Azul, met the new owners ~ Dan & Marie ~ (of course).  

A few bushwhackers later and we were off to bed!  What a day...

Well now I have to get used to this ity bitty computer again, and better entries will follow.  We have a busy day today:

              pick up rental car

             grocery shopping

             call DinDin about a snorkeling/fishing trip 

             unpack 

             

We're going to not let the stress of this lengthy "to do list" get to us.  To help me, I have just finished my favorite breakfast drink,  (actually 3) and am ready for the day!!!!!!!

                     I do wish Sadie Girl were here, but she's bonding with Josh, which is good!.  Love to you all!

                                                                                    Janet & The Boys!

My Dilemma for the day.... What to do?

Last year when we were planning our vacation, I searched and searched and searched for the perfect house that we could afford to rent on Culebra.  I thought I was brilliant when I found the place we eventually stayed at.  Although it wasn't my first, or second choice, (those were both rented) it did sound better than the house where 2 walls of the second bedroom were curtains!   I was particularly drawn to the listing as it had a "dipping pool".  Little did I know, and couldn't tell from the pictures that the "dipping pool" was no bigger than the oversize chair my dog is currently snuggling on in my living room. (if you look back to last Feb/March posts you will see a picture)   Additionally the "deeping pool" wasn't heated, it was winter and the water was freezing.  We went in it once, just to say we went in it once!

I digress.  My point being here, that I am not the best at making vacation adventure arrangements.   The boys were very nice about it, even if the house choice wasn't my finest move, to say the least.  ~  Now if you take that house and plop it at Conesus Lake, it would have met all my expectations~ "dipping pool" and all.  

This year we are heading back to Vivo Grande, our tried and true!  Tracy and I both have January birthdays.  We figured, since the birthdays are ours, we can celebrate them whenever we want.  We decided to change our birthdays from January to February this year to celebrate in the sun!   My first dilemma of the year, what do we get Tracy?   #1 He has everything  and   #2 He gives great gifts.  Ah ha!  It hit me, we always talk about finding someone who would take us out on a boat while in Vieques. Someone who would take us places we can't get to by car and nobody goes to.  So I thought if we could hire to do that, it would be a great gift!  I began searching and came up with a few options.  I emailed our friend Gary down there to ask what he thought of the options.  He gave me an altogether different option then the ones I had discovered.....

I  made a call to the people Gary referred me to and initially it sounded great.  Then I got an email and they've made reservations for us on a completely different option, one I had seen but didn't even consider in the first place because it didn't sound like what we want to do.    It sounds very similar to what we did a few years ago ~ and that was a disappointment.

My dilemma is, am I just not good at choosing adventures, would this be good or disappointing?  I believe what I see and think it looks "perfect" only to be let down.  What to do.  I'm worried that if I make these plans, it will be like the house on Culebra,  "Conesus Lake~ish".  (Or maybe more like snorkeling in Lake Ontario? naw can't be like that, right?) Don't get me wrong, I love renting a cottages on Conesus, boating & swimming there.  I would do it all summer if I could.    But I don't want to go to Vieques for that type of experience.  So do I say thank you and go along with the trip, and pray it's a good experience?  Do I cancel it and go with one of my first options that looks more like what we wanted? ( and that might flop as well?)  what to do????

Guess your going to have to check back after February 23rd to find out.   That's the rest of the story....  That's the day we are tentatively scheduled to go out on this snorkeling trip.  Shhhhh, don't tell Tracy, he doesn't know yet.  Although I might tell him so he can make the call!  I'm not good at surprises. 

Well, this dilemma has been weighing so heavy on my brain that I couldn't sleep.    Maybe since it's now 4:45 am ~  I can go back to bed and fall asleep for an hour or so, or maybe not!  We'll see.  what to do what to do?

FYI,  Sadie is snuggled next to me, snoring away .......

                                                                          Janet

Getting Ready!

I know... we go every year.  You would think with 50+ years of life behind me I wouldn't be feeling like a kid anticipating a trip to Disney World.  Can't help it, I feel like a kid anticipating a trip to Disney World and right now counting down the days! 

There are so many things I love about this trip! I love everything, except leaving Sadie and the travel home.  Even though we go to the same place, (we did wander off course last year and had an excellant adventure) with the same people and do many of the same things, each year there is some little twist we don't anticipate, or plan.  So much fun and making so many memories.  I know when we get to Vivo Grande it feels like our second home.  It has all the amenities of home, it is very familiar, there are great views and we love our landlords!   How funny, we ~ okay I ~  call the people who own Vivo Grande our "landlords",  helps with the illusion if even for a brief time, that it's our lifestyle!   Not to mention at some point in the trip we go spend time with Jay's parents.  Who I love and who love me back as their daughter!   How crazy great is that!  I have Parents I can actually visit!!!!!!!!  Crazy I know, but it's the little things... I love love love spending time with them.

I am not a fan of snow and winter.  I love the anticipation of summer.  I LOVE summer and everything associated with it.   I love Winter in Puerto Rico, particularly when you're on your way to the beach and the locals tell you you're crazy.... it's winter you know!   I know I love winter in Puerto Rico!   I love coming home in March with the Rochester winter winding down.

It feels like this trip is my summer vacation and going back to work after the trip is my September.  I measure my life by what has happened since the last trip and wonder wow, what does the year ahead hold in store for us.  This past year was a very good year.  Jay and I were talking about it last week.    It was a good year, not because anything "big" happened, but because nothing "big" happened.  In recent years big has been major illness for family and friends or major loss.   2011 brought us Max Koppers!  and he is a wonderful addition to the family!  We also had many laughs, Tiki Bar parties, and important reconnection's with friends.   Jay gave me my new camera, which I love, Kristen is full guns ahead into Photography ~ a partner in crime ~  love it!,  Jay and I had a surprising quick trip to Buenos Aires ~ a beautiful city! I got a Kindle Fire ~ which means I don't have to carry or mail books and magazines on the trip, I started swimming regularly ~  I LOVE swimming ~ Love it!  Tracy gave me snorkeling gear for Christmas ~ love him and the gear! and tons of other fun fun fun stuff ~  and mainly everyone plus 1 (baby Max) is still with us this year and we are all happy and healthy, even Sadie Girl!!!  It has been a very good year.  I think 2012 is going to be a great year as well.

So,  to get off on a better foot than last year (although it made for a great story) I have started to pack, and am trying to get everything ready I want to take....

    I'm ready....  Check back soon as we are less that a week and a half away from My

    Excellent Adventure with Jay & The Boys 2012!

    Sadie Girl will be in good hands... although she saw the suite cases come out, she   

    knows what's coming and she's pouting already...  The only downside of the trip,

    leaving Sadie home.

                                                                                              Janet

2011 Weddings

2011 was a great year for weddings!   I really got to spend some time with some beautiful, fun, loving amazing couples. And the weddings, boy were they Hot!  Really I mean they were hot hot hot!  Seriously like 90 degrees + in the sun hot!!!  I sweat thinking Kelly and Justin, Jamie and Eric and Desa Rae and Joe's weddings, oh my goodness we were all hot hot hot!  A beautiful Wedding Season! 

Here are a few of my favorites from the 2011.  To top the year off, I had the pleasure of capturing Shawna and Nick's New Years Eve Ceremony!   While it wasn't sweating hot outside, Shawna and Nick were sizzling hot! 

Here's hoping for a hot, and fabulous 2012 Wedding season!

I am looking forward to this wedding season! 

 

                                           Janet

February is Here!

For the longest time I never really liked February.... Then we started to go south for a few weeks and now I can not tell you how much I love this month!!!

The count down to our excellent adventures begins... in two weeks from today we will be at Vivo Grande.  Last year we experimented and went to Culebra.  That was nice, but Vieques feels like our second home.  Not to mention I so love traveling with my husband and the "boys" ~aka Tracy and Kosti~.  I love love love it!!!

This year I am doing something different, I'm going to try to not over pack.  We'll see.  I was going to send stuff down early, but didn't get to it, so now we have to carry everything we bring.  In the past I sent my books (Jay didn't like carrying them all). I usually go through 8-10 a trip.  Thanks to Chris, I am a Kindle convert.  I love my Kindle Fire and it's all fired up (chuckle) with tons of reading material.

In addition to my Kindle, I want to bring my camera (case I get work, wishful thinking... a girl can dream),  my laptop so I can develop the pics while there and blog, and.... Tracy gave me snorkeling equipment for Christmas, so that 's gotta be packed too....  Oh I am in trouble.....

Well,   the only thing that causes me anxiety about this trip each year is leaving the Sadie Girl....   Josh is staying with her this year.  I know she'll be in good hands.  I still worry though.

Well,  I'm back in the blog mode.....   our trip antics always are entertaining, I'm sure this year will be a stellar year for adventures.... Check back in 2 weeks!

It's Sadie snuggle time for a bit.   


                                                                                Janet