We were just up in the states this past March to see about getting my cataract fixed and get a lipoma about 3″ long removed from my neck. After a lot of Dr. visits and testing they said it couldn’t be done that trip. So we scheduled some surgery appointments for June. I went in on a Wednesday for the neck surgery and then Thursday morning for the cataract fix. Everything went very smoothly and I can now see like I haven’t seen in years, plus I don’t have a big lump in my neck anymore.

Of course while in the States we got to spend a lot of time with the grandkids since they were on summer break. There were games of poker, Yahtzee, and a bunch of Lego time with the grandkids. For the most part though, they just played together and entertained each other. They have a lot of electric cars and bikes to ride around the yard, so they were constantly on the go. On the weekends with the temps hovering around 100º there was also some good refreshing pool time.

The last time we were in the States I helped my son get his ’62 convertible Nova running. This trip it was time to get the ’65 Lincoln fired up. He had dropped a built Ford 460 SVO motor in it a while back that he pulled out of a truck he had. The motor hadn’t been fired up in a long time, but after tinkering with it for a day, that big block roared to life. I think he now has a major motivation to get that Hot Rod Lincoln back on the road, and I can’t wait to go for a ride with him.

While we were up in the States one of our favorite stand-up comedians (Brad Williams) was doing a few shows at a local comedy club. If you are not familiar with him, you need to check him out, he’s hysterical. Brad Williams is a little on the shorter side, so he talks about and makes fun of things that have happened to him in his daily life. He has a couple specials out on DVD, Netflix, or whatever, called “Fun Size” and “Daddy Issues”. I guarantee you will not stop laughing.

A few days after we got back home the rains started, which meant it was time for the annual invasion of the flood flies. Flood flies are termites that leave the nest looking for a new place to set up shop.

When the first rains come after the dry season we will see a few of them flying around in the evening. Once we get a good rain is when they come out thick. I mean shut the doors, close the windows, and turn out the lights. It’s usually only for one night and only lasts for a few hours, but they shed their wings and leave a mess for weeks to come. Luckily everything we have built has been with hardwood and the termites seem to leave us alone.

A few years ago we bought some coffee plants to see how they would grow in the shade. Well, when they bloomed it turned out that they were not coffee, but Jasmine. They are still nice green plants with white flowers and sometimes a great scent. All these tropical plants were new to us when we moved here, so we just had to trust the guy at the nursery and sometimes he got them wrong.

A while back I ordered up a bunch of Hatch Chili seeds from New Mexico. Ruben got some planted down on our other lot and they did quite well. They didn’t get as big as I was hoping, but there were a lot of them and the flavor was there. The picture below is just the first picking, we still had a couple more to go.

We have been roasting the chilis to freeze and Kelley has been canning some in jars, plus we are also dehydrating the smaller ones to make a green chili salt mixture.

A lot of the chilis were starting to turn red, so we separated them and let them continue to ripen. Once ripened we dried them and now Kelley can rehydrate them to use in chili, enchilada sauce, pozole, birria, and a bunch of other delicious dishes. The reason they were all picked at once was that the plants were starting to die out. Plus Ruben was ready to get another crop in, but come this fall he will replant the chilis again.

There are a lot of wild orchids around here, and when we find one we usually try to relocate it closer to the house. Recently there was a wild one growing on a tree just off the back patio. There was nothing special about it, just two small leaves about 4″ long. It finally got a small shoot and produced two flowers. The flowers were only about a 1/2″ in height, but they were amazing. If you look closely you can see all kinds of images. I see a fairy with a yellow face, two big eyes, nose, mouth, and a purple hairdo. I also see a black cat with eyes and two paws just under the purple. Kelley says she sees a devil and an Oriental person. Can you see any of these, or let us know what you can see?

Since I’m talking about plants, the electric fence seems to be working well. We haven’t had any critters eating the pineapples in a few weeks now and we are actually starting to harvest some. In case you were wondering which one of us would be zapped by the fence first, it was Kelley. She was straddling the wire picking a pineapple and the machete in her other hand touched the wire.

There has been a Jaguar spotted in the hood about a half mile from us. It’s believed that it took one of the neighbor’s small sheep. The authorities have set up cameras to try and get some pictures, and if that pans out then they will try to trap it for relocation. There have also been vampire bats around seen biting the neighbor’s chickens. Just some of the excitement of living in the jungle.

In reality, the chance of us seeing a jaguar in the wild is slim to none. Although that would be a bucket list item if we ever got to see one. And as for the vampire bats, they usually only land on animals, unless you choose to lay on the ground and play dead. If for some reason I start drinking Bloody Mary’s, sleeping all day, and only active at night, I’m sure Kelley will let you know.

Hope to see you soon.