Being November with the cooler weather just ahead, it is time to start thinking about some warm soups. Well that really doesn’t apply here… I just wanted some chowder. I have been making clam chowder for a long time now and if I have to say it’s pretty good. So for the last few months we have been looking for and asking everyone where we might find some clams, all with no luck. Then I got to thinking, we’ve got a bunch of lobsters in the freezer, what if we just substitute the lobster for the clams and make this a lobster chowder.

Now you have to remember that this has to be cooked outside on one induction burner and all with only one pot. So every time the bacon has to be cooked or the onions sauteed or the stock has to be made from the lobster shells the one pot has to be cleaned out. It took awhile and about six beers, but in the end it was great! Also there is a small French bakery here that makes a pretty good sourdough bread. Lobster chowder, sourdough bread and some cold beers, what more could you ask for. Once we are in the new house with a real kitchen this will be a lot easier to make. So if you are down here visiting and you mention how good some lobster chowder would be, chances are we might make some.

Final stages of construction

The house is still really moving along. All the drywall is up and wow those ceilings look tall. The electrical is all roughed in as well as all the plumbing. Everything is getting a good sanding again and the railings are being made. Next week the shower is getting tiled and the drywall will be done. He is now thinking maybe two more weeks till his part is done, but that does’t count for the cabinets and another week for the granite. I’m still thinking mid December before we are all moved in, but who knows.

The cabinets are coming along nicely. He has got one of the lowers stained so we could see the color before he did the rest. The drawers and the doors are now being made along with all the uppers.  One of the owners of a resort in the area saw them and commented on how he loves the wood and the color and wouldn’t mind that in his resort.

All the mahogany has been bought and is ready to be made into our front entry door. We gave him a design of what we wanted and after the door is made he will start on the carving, it should be spectacular.

This week we also had them make a couple pillars at the entrance to the property so we could eventually install a gate. We spent a sweaty Saturday building a small fence on each side of the pillars. In the next week or so we will be building the gates that will go across them. Each gate will be 10’ allowing for a 20’ opening into the driveway. That should big enough to bring in big trucks if needed. I was hoping to get a picture of the fence all painted but it started raining today. So since it is a Sunday we will have to go to Remo’s and watch a little football and maybe have a couple beers till the rain stops.

Christmas is right around the corner and I’m sure the stores are filled with the beautiful red poinsettias. After the holidays I’m sure almost everyone just throws them away, well not down here. Our neighbor down the way has one that is huge in their front yard. I didn’t even know it was a poinsettia until it started to turn red. Now is this the biggest poinsettia you’ve ever seen?

Weezz get’n modernized now. Took down the old clothes line and temporarily hooked up the clothes dryer in the garage. We have not had warm really dry cloths since we’ve been here, and they are so nice! We have a garage full of appliances and stuff just ready to be installed so we figured why not start using some. Next thing you know Kelley will be baking cookies in the garage on her new stove.

Funny little rule and regulation. In Belize they have check points along the highway mostly to check to see if you have current registration and insurance. And so we were on one of our many runs to the hardware store and there was a police check point. We have been through many of these with no problem, but this time he didn’t just wave me through. He asked me if I had a permit for the LED light bar on top of my truck. Then he wanted to know why I needed such a big light bar. I explained to him that we live way out in the bush and it is very dark and I don’t want to hit any animals. I assume he must not have spent too much time out in the bush at night and seen how dark it can really get plus not knowing when an animal might run in front of you. Anyway he told me I had to go to the Department of Transportation and get a permit for my light or I had to remove it from the truck. Who would have thought you needed a permit to put a light on your truck. Then again we had to get a permit for a cell phone booster. It’s always interesting to find out what rules and regulations they have in other countries.

Sorry there is no creature feature this week as we have been too busy with finishing up the house. Also the last time I checked the cameras there was really nothing on them, but once all the noise and construction stops I’m sure all the animals will be back.