All hail Oregonians! Here’s all the news that fit to print from the Southern Caribbean!!
Bats! We set up the camera on a tripod and Berit snapped about a gazillion pictures of bats coming to the Chibi Chibi sugar bowls. You really can’t see them clearly on the wing but in the photos they’re pretty awesome looking.
We have also encouraged our new population of young Iguanas by planting the Flame Tree last month and have been diligently trying (broomstick swinging wildly) to keep them away from the tasty little budding leaves and flowers they love to eat. Aaarrrgg! We’ve put a funnel barricade around the trunk to keep them from climbing up but they somehow get into the treetop anyway!?
It was nice of Mare to post the Pement Kids Hiking photos from 1986 on Facebook. I have fond memories of those days of camping together and especially the Lost Lake Camping Trip and hike up to the old Forest Service Fire Lookout Tower on Mount Hood! That was the trip we canoed around the Lake and caught so many salamanders.
You’ll be pleased to know we finally took delivery of Berit’s new bike!! It only took a full year to receive it from The Netherlands!! But it’s pretty cool and much easier to ride than her old clunky city bike. We made it a full kilometer up the kilometer and a half long Karpata Hill (stopping twice to rest before turning back) and know that one day we’ll succeed in getting all the way up without stopping. After six flat tires from the thorns, we’ve had Kevlar liners installed and are all set to give Richard Sichel a run for his money. We did our longest ride yet when we entered the thirty seven kilometer fundraiser ride for the local “Boys and Girls Club” Jong Bonaire. We made it to the finish and boy were our butts hurting at the end of the ride!!
I managed to back into another truck while we were picking up scuba tanks at Yellow Submarine Dive Shop a couple of weeks ago and so we’ve had an education in what happens in order to make an insurance claim here; lots and lots of hoops to jump through. We also took the opportunity to try and get the spare tire free. It had become rusted in place under the truck. Good thing we never had a flat out in the mundi; even the latches on the tailgate are covered in rust. But all will be in order when we return in August; the truck will be repaired while we’re home for the summer.
We’re still in negotiations to buy the house next door, but still no news of a breakthrough. Our neighbor has agreed to sell on a five year contract but wants us to buy his truck too and roll it into the deal, but it’s not something we want. If we end up with it we’ll just have to sell it; we certainly don’t need the headache of a second truck on the island; just the headache of a second house.
Our friends Doug and Dianne just left after a month of diving and enjoying the island. And Bobby was supposed to be here the last couple of weeks but got bent diving in the Caymans, so cancelled his trip in order to recover properly. Our friends Bob and Noelle will be here tomorrow to stay with us for the next two weeks and we’re looking forward to their visit very much. Bob and I volunteer together (along with Bobby) at The Oregon Coast Aquarium and have become good friends.
The end of March will bring Berit’s Birthday and then we’ll be home by the first of April. We’ve been here seven months (with a Christmas break) and it still doesn’t seem like too much of a visit. I think we’re becoming Bonairians for real.
We had a bit of a scare with Rexx. He wasn’t eating and became very ill. On Tuesday, the Vet diagnosed him with congestive heart failure and his lungs had so much fluid present he was breathing in a very shallow and labored way. The vet gave him an injection and put him on meds and for a couple of days we were thinking he might not make it. But by Thursday he was looking a bit better and after his visit to Dr Jan today it looks like he’s on the mend. He’s eating and while he’s still stumbling around kind of drunkishly he seems much improved. We have high hopes that he’ll be well enough to travel in three weeks when we return.
We hope you’re all surviving the winter snow and ice and staying warm and are all in good health. It will be nice to see you all again. We’ll plan a family dinner soon.
Love, Dad
