Ho Hum to the Humdrum

            I didn’t blog last week; I know.  It’s not like I didn’t consider it.  I looked at my blog and said to myself, “But all I have to report is the same old thing.”  And it’s true.  I’ve been busy doing the same things I did the week before and the week before.

            I went on a hash.  Are you surprised?  Of course not; I’ve been writing about hashing every week.  This one was pretty short.  Half of the run was through a creek and how I managed not to slip on the rocks, I’ll never know.  When we emerged from the water, we found ourselves in a pasture, having to bounce back and forth across the path, dodging cow pies, while their producers watched bemusedly.

            The hash path was shockingly distinct.  We were following a worn trail or, at times, an actual road!  How unheard of!  The luxury of semi-even footing meant I could take in the surrounding beauty without stopping my pace.  That ability led me to the discovery of a compromised goat.  The poor thing was tied with a ratty length of rope (as is usual here) to a sapling.  The rope was wound several times around a fallen branch, rendering the goat helplessly bound within a few inches from the ground, its legs buckled beneath it.  I, naturally, put on the brakes and called out to my hash buddies for a hand.  Sarah grabbed the goat’s horns while I snapped away the problematic branch; then Ivan stepped in and removed the rest of the debris that was in the area.  I’m pretty sure we scared the goat half to death, but we still collected a few karma points.

Hairy oil down

             The post-hash cuisine was the usual: oil down (Grenada’s national dish) and BBQ chicken.  Ivan and I shared a plate of oil down, doing our best to peel strips of pork from the vertebrae and pushing aside great gelatinous chunks of hairy fat.  We had opted for the regular oil down, instead of the decaf (i.e. with meat instead of vegetarian).  After we’d finished what we considered the edible portion, though, and found half of our meal to have consisted of fat, bone and gristle, I was sort of wishing we’d gotten the decaf.  Then Momma Dog showed up.  (Cue Grenada’s typical starving pothound entrance.)  My hash buddies and I spent the rest of our time cramming her full of pork fat, BBQ chicken and anything else she would accept.

            What else did I do that’s no big surprise?  I went to our favorite fruit stand.  This time, though I took pictures!  Unfortunately, there haven’t been many mangoes lately, so I’ve been settling for extra bananas, rock figs and watermelon.

Great selection and great prices!

The stand is at the same corner as this Bel Air sign, on Maurice Bishop Hwy

This is a stop for the SGU Frequente/Point Saline bus

             I painted more these past couple weeks.  I find so much joy and relaxation in drawing and painting; I just wish I’d brought more watercolors and watercolor paper with me.  That is something that’s going on the shopping list for items to bring next term.

The many colors of Beasley

Although painting old-style maps is fun, it's also very precise work. That rose compass is hard to make!

Vintage Grenada

            Our mail has been surprisingly full and exciting recently!  First, we got a care package from Ivan’s mom with all sorts of food and snacks: all-natural peanut butter, mixed nuts, salmon, capers, and more.  Then, finally, our absentee ballots arrived and Ivan and I were able to submit our votes for the presidential election!  Next, another care package arrived.  This one was from my mom and included a smorgasbord of goodies: candy, instant apple cider and Starbucks coffee, candles, decorations, and more!  

Cross that off the to-do list

I've been spoiled!

  Despite knowing better, I am terrified (more often than I’d like to admit) that when Ivan and I are away from our friends and family back home, we may fall victims to the aphoristic expression, Out of sight, out of mind.  Being separated can do nasty things to your psyche sometimes.  And small gestures, like a care package or even a brief message online, tend to have the opposite effect, luring out happy thoughts, like brilliant blossoms bursting forth.  Thanks, guys.  You know who you are and now I hope you know how much your actions and words resonate with us.