Lesser Antillean Tanager

The cherry tree today was host to one of my all time favourite birds.
This little beauty is only found here in Grenada. and in
St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
You can find out more here

Frog

Found frog again
today.

She was lying
on top of the
newly cleared
ground where
we used to have
a little house once
upon a time.


I don't think
she is an
ancient
artefact,
possibly

she was bought
from Michael
who carves
stone items
locally
but I really
can't
remember
when or
where I got
her from.

She had
survived a
cutlass blow
or two...
but it was good
to hold her again.

In Kalinago
cosmology
'Frogwoman'
is associated
with the rainy
season so I am
hoping that our
reunion is a
good omen
and a sign
of water
to come.

#naphopomo Day 28 Breadnut

#naphopomo Day 11 the Raincoat

Rain is coming and T has left his raincoat on the hook

#naphopomo Day 7th Trying a Thing

With #naphopomo being all about photography month, I thought 

I would 'try a thing' and experiment a little, while T transferred 

some basil in the beds above the river.

Ever since Dad gave me a Brownie 127 when I was about 5, 

I have always enjoyed taking photographs but I am not a 

photographer. I like to play with composition, record people, 

places and things that interest me and on occasion manage to 

capture a special moment in time. With almost everyone having

a camera phone nowadays, it is even more fascinating to 

observe what professional photographers achieve through their 

lens. The magic worked in a dark room beneath a red light, the 

alchemy between eye, camera, creativity and knowledge is 

nowhere better seen than in the work of Lee Miller and then, 

the contemporary work and delightful voice of Joann Verburg 

cannot fail to inspire.

Last but not least and from the heart, thank you Chookooloonks .
I am truly enjoying this voyage of discovery which I would not
have embarked upon were it not for you.

Mid Morning Break

At 10.15 a.m. the hand bell, from the school across the river, rings for morning break. I move from the beds to the shade of the shed, drink iced water, sit down on the roots of the old golden apple tree and watch the view. Dry season, it is hot. The water in the ravine trickles below Job's Tears to the river below. There is a digger working in the village of Vendome and the horns of the large trucks announce their descent of the winding mountain road. Lesser Antillean bullfinch, bananaquit and butterflies pass by with the cooling breeze that rustles the royal palms.

The crock of gold

Once upon a time, a long time ago, or it could have been the day
before yesterday, a woman looked out from her front step and
wondered,"Shall I dig for it now?" She checked with the moon
and watched the weather and decided it was time.

The flowers
were almost
done and the
leaves had
turned yellow
and wilted

and with the
turn of the
fork, which
was easier
said than done,
the buried
treasure was
revealed.

She carefully teased the soil from the roots and left them in the
sun to cure. The next day she sat by the pipe in the yard with a
scrubbing brush and a bucket of water and washed and scrubbed
and washed and scrubbed and washed and scrubbed some more.

By lunchtime all her golden nuggets were clean and shining.

With an aching back and a painful posterior, ('is how you sit on
the bucket' her lovely husband told her later) she settled
down on the floor upstairs in the little house, with a sharp knife and
a silver bowl, and began to chip, (just like Miss UG had taught her)

and chip and chip and chip and chip and chip and chip and chip.

Finally, her work
was done. She
put everything to
dry in the sun
next to the
cocoa beans
on the
veranda.












Naturally, despite scrubbing and soaping

she was left with the Midas touch and went to bed to dream of
Rumpelstiltskin.
To be continued...................

Shadow the 'overfamiliar'

The talk will spread,
 "...I tellin' you! dat cat deh 'pon she back when she weedin'!"
and I can't deny it.

If you would like to see more of what happens here in the garden
(without having to peep from behind a fig tree,) you are most
welcome to click here.

Happy Monday

We started the day in Corn Buck. It has been a long time since we went up together with lunch and a purpose. The weather was kind, no rain, and a cloud filtered sun . T had begun work up there already and invited me to join him 'just to see'.

I saw

and set to, freeing stones. There is something delightful about cutting this bush, there are no monetary rewards, no fanfares or applause but once free of vine and vegetation, the stones stand for something that I cannot explain other than to say it matters.

T took the opportunity to wash the dogs' bedding in the river, spreading them out to dry on warm river stones, which have totally different personalities from the ones in the bush.

Once home I did my share and washed the white things, a task
divided into manageable bites by frequent internet visits and refreshments  between rinses, combined with some lively music to maintain the momentum.

The Charcoal Burners

A number of trees in the garden had mealy bug

so R and K came and cut them down
and made a coal pit.
After fencing it in with fig stalks and galvanise

they then lit it, covered it with earth and left
it to smolder for a few days.

They checked it every day to make sure it did not burst
and when deemed ready, they opened it and raked out the coals,
only using a little water and mostly earth to out the fire, in order
that the coals would 'ring' .......

...... the tinkling sound that tells you that the coals are nice and dry and will burn well.
Making coals is really hard work, T and I did it once after Ivan but this time we just supplied the wood and got some free coals and good company in exchange. A bucket of local coals at today's price will cost you $15 E.C.

Seasoning Peppers

Happiness is found
in the soil under fingernails,
red mud on boots
and the warmth of your smile
as you watch peppers spill from my pocket.

Observation

We reach the garden early, in time to sip coffee
and watch the sun appear from behind the mountain.
























Silently, wet and dripping, a heavy dew has settled over night,
and, as the sun's rays spear, a magical thing happens.
























Little spirals of steam dance from the fig leaves
and disappear.

Anansi

Birds in Grenada

Today was
weeding
more tomatoes,
fortunately,
there were
plenty of
diversions.

A new
Antillean
hummingbird
and nest







with
apologies
for the
quality
of the
photographs













but,
just to
give some
idea of
the size,
here is an
old,
abandoned
nest,
next to
a Coco Cola
screw cap.







A party
was held
by the
Smooth
billed
Anis
in the
bamboo












and
a
Grenadian
fly catcher,
on the
bamboo
stick.

Click and
zoom please.

All
corrections
on
i.d.
welcome.

For Chocoholics

There are
still some
cocoa trees
remaining
in Corn Buck,
and despite
years of
neglect
and the
passage of
Ivan,
the remaining
few,
valiantly,
continue
to bear.



The pods
display
beautiful
colours,
from the
deepest mauve,
(not ready yet)
through to the
red
and
orange
and yellow
of maturity.






They have
to be cut
from the tree,
as they do not
fall
by their own
volition.
When they are
cracked open,
with a cutlass,
a sweet, sticky
mass
of creamy beans
is revealed,
which is scooped
out
and left to dry
in the hot sun.


This year,
instead of
taking
the wet beans
to the pool,
we are drying
and, later,
roasting,
them
ourselves.










Hopefully,
this work
in progress
will result
in
our very own
cocoa tea,
or, if I am
really lucky,
chocolate.

Little or Great Blue Heron

Our
time
spent
in
Corn Buck
is
tolerated
by
this
majestic
blue
heron.












He
deigns
to
show
his
appreciation
of
our
efforts
to
till
the
soil











by
gracing
us
with
his
presence,
before
taking
flight
and
voicing
his
territorial
claim.

Kakakakakakakakaka................

The three acres
of family land, known as
Corn Buck,
is where we
are working at the
moment.
These are today's
'before'

and 'after'
photographs.

We are clearing
the land.
We each have a cutlass.
It is hard work.


This was my
'before' area
today.







and 'after'

it is true,

T helped me.



Whilst the work is hard, creating callouses
and muscle,

(we refuse to use Gramoxone, (Paraquat)
as recommended by the ministry of agriculture,)

it is also rewarding and each day presents
new surprises.















































Such as the machine gun call of this
lizard cuckoo,
in the grapefruit tree, alerting me
to observe,
take a five
and delight in our island paradise.