How is your summer starting off back in Canada? Hotter than here for a couple days I heard and the flooding in Calgary, southern Alberta, and Toronto is just crazy. Temperatures here in Belize are around 31C every day with around 70% + humidity. One always hopes for a good ocean breeze with all fans running. It is the rainy season so lots of downpours and thunderstorms moving through. I have been so busy with my new purchase in Belize, I haven’t gone to the sea for a swim even though it is right down the lane.
I have however, met one of my neighbours, an American couple, who have been here for years. They own a small resort called Millar’s Landing and they have a pool. I got to go for a few dips as my friends Linda and Shelley, from Alberta, stayed there for 13 days; my place was not ready for company. Gary and Annie are real nice people with a wonderful place, and she is an amazing cook!
My house needs a lot of cleaning but I am making progress, slow but sure. The cabanas have been cleaned up considerably since I put down the offer on the place in February. They are actually habitable. Just need a little more cleaning and I need to check if appliances are working, but first I have to feel comfortable in the house. Finally got the hurricane shutters opened on all sides of the house to get air flow and light.
The 80 year old lady that lived here has sooooo much stuff and is stocked up on some stuff for years; makes my life easier. Every time I open a cupboard or cabinet I find lots of treasures. I may be having a garage sale, so come on down!!
I also ended up with 12 chickens after she told me she gave them away. That was a surprise; 5 laying hens, 4 guinea fowl, 2 bantys (hen and rooster), and one silky rooster named "Pom Pom" Here is a facebook post I made a couple of days ago.
Ok.. my silky rooster named Pom Pom has had an attitude with me the past three days. Keeps
cornering me and attacking. Drew blood the second time but yesterday he attacked me on my way out and he got out. I put myself back into the pen to see it he would follow, when suddenly two of my dogs attacked him. It was quite the scene with me screaming at them and trying to get the rooster. I finally got him and put him back in the pen. I am scratched, bruised and sore today from the experience but I saved that chicken's ass. I hope he respects me this morning. LOL
“Pirate (pronounced Per-ot-tee), is the puppy but the biggest of the three.. He was very shy for a couple of days. He wouldn't come near me and would just bark and run away. He is coming around me now after two weeks and allows me to touch him but remains a little nervous . Hewill be a good guard dog for the property cause if someone is at the gate he barks at them and then comes and gets me. Smart guy.
My Nisson Frontier 4-wheel drive diesel truck is great! It has about 43,500 miles on it. It is built on a Central American frame to stand up to the roads here. I also have an electric GEM car that is in the garage being fixed. Apparently it needs a starter and then I will have to get it trailered back to Placencia as you cannot tow it. That will be fun to drive around I think, and much easier to maneuver in the narrow streets of the village. Driving around the Placencia Peninsula on the one narrow, but paved road, js somewhat challenging. One must be on the lookout for walkers, bicycles, vehicles, dogs, children and “speed humps” as they are called here, meant to keep speed down along the peninsula. Maximum speed is 25mph or 40 kmph but people rarely drive that speed as speeding tickets are rare. Drinking and driving is also not enforced so I can have a beer and not worry about a DUI but must be aware of other’s driving and try not to drive at night. Seatbelts are an option but still a good idea.
I am happy to report that Pom Pom is keeping his distance and has not attacked me since the "incident". I am also getting 5 eggs a day and the occasional guinea egg. I am giving eggs away to the neighbours and the guys I have hired to work in the garden to clean it up. I haven't even eaten one yet cause I don't want to cook much here due to the dirty kitchen. The girls and I started from the top down, vacuuming rafters, cleaning fans, and then sorting and cleaning everything off. Got an initial wash done on the floors. Linda helped to sort out some of the keys, of which there are many!!
I am discovering a few issues and upgrades that need to be done. My house is sinking on one side noticeably since I first saw it, so I will have to get it jacked up. I think that is par for the course when you live on sand and the water table is really high...like about a foot below the sand as I discovered from one of the dogs digging a hole. I didn't have hot water so had to get a plumber out and will have to get a bigger pump and pressure tank. She cheaped out with a boat pump cause she was selling.
I also have 3 dogs, and my first priority was to see that they would accept me and feel comfortable. The previous owner took 3 dogs back to the States and left 3 in Belize.
“Pirate (pronounced Per-ot-tee), is the puppy but the biggest of the three.. He was very shy for a couple of days. He wouldn't come near me and would just bark and run away. He is coming around me now after two weeks and allows me to touch him but remains a little nervous . Hewill be a good guard dog for the property cause if someone is at the gate he barks at them and then comes and gets me. Smart guy.
Verye (as in very lucky to be alive), is a black male, rescued from the streets of Belize City. He needs some training but is the nicest, friendliest dog. He eats very fast and then tries to eat the other dogs’ food. We are working on this and on “sit”
I adopted "Princess Sarah", who I met on the sidewalk of Placencia last winter. She was a mother dog with puppies and was not well cared for. The Humane Society volunteers spayed her and had been looking after her till I got here. I picked her up on day two so all the dogs could get used to each other and know that I am the pack leader.. Princess stays with me in the house at night and the two males stay outside. She, however, likes to eat plants and dirt so is being a pain with the potted plants. By coincidence, my realtor here has one of her puppies.
I killed my first scorpion, the first morning here. I was lucky as I pulled a sponge out of the sink and there it was. I nailed it good with insecticide and I look before putting my hand anywhere now. Gotta be mindful. Everyone I talk to has been stung more than once so something to look forward to. The females have the worst stings, and this one was a female.
My place is not for the faint of heart. I have bats in my laundry room, which the owner only told me about the day before closing. She lets them live there. I will have to address the problem soon but bats are so good for eating mosquitos and they are the small nice bats I am told.
I also have a few snakes here, but cleaning the bushes out will really help. They are small boas, but not harmful unless they grow big and eat your small dog or cat. Good for keeping rodent population down. i saw one that had a hold of a large frog, but the frog got away.
I am on a steep learning curve with everything here: the house, the administration of utilities, vehicles, where to buy stuff, who to hire to do what. But, it is exciting with no immediate pressure.
A young man in the village, an electrician, was badly burned in a butane explosion last week. The community banded together and within two days they found him free treatment in the States, and raised over $23,000 US to get him there. He has 2nd and 3rd degree burns on 90% of his body. I was compelled to give a donation to help him and his new wife out.
The two men I have hired to clean the yard are doing a fabulous job. I can now see where the plants enter the ground. You should see the pile of huge leaves and branches they have cut. I have to hire a municipal truck to haul it away at a cost of $200.00 US dollars= $400 Belize dollars. Also bags and bags of small leaves. They have trimmed back everything touching the buildings and I have walkable paths! Once this is done it will be easily maintained but one has to keep up with it and I will need assistance two to six times a month depending on the season. I am on the lookout for a caretaker who would stay in the small cottage and look after things when I am gone.
I am very happy to be here in Belize as each day brings new experiences at a pace that I enjoy. I can’t wait to share it with family and friends. And for those of you who may not make it here, I would like to share it in my blog.
Cheryl
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