Cuties

How cute are these?  $15 bucks at Target........run, don't walk :)

  and yes, that is a teensy, tiny tan line left on my foot!

Later,
Janet

It's a Jungle Out There :)

In Roatan, that is.  In Roatan we booked a private tour with a driver.  Sounds pretty darn posh, non? Well for $40. pp you can have a driver for the day take you anywhere you choose, wait for you while you swim, eat etc. We had a great driver who made sure we saw most of the island and took us to the Botanical Garden, the Monkey Farm and a pretty seaside place for a really reasonable lunch of local snapper.  It is HOT in the jungle, even in February and muggy?  Oh yeah!  Of course I chose the Botanical Garden because of Bob's love of photos of flowers.  It never occurred to me that in the jungle the botanical  garden would be, well...in the jungle.  Not many flowers as the sunlight doesn't really penetrate the canopy of trees and vines...I had my eye out for Tarzan...that many vines.  So here are some of the Roatan pics including me with Cappuchin monkey and a parrot.  Please note that I really need some new sunglasses that are big enough to cover part of my moon face :)

Look carefully...see the tiny lizard

Bob's favorite photo subject...a hibscus

 

We said Bob liked to take pictures of lighthouses...this , however is a restaurant made to look "like a lighthouse.  Beautiful view from the highest point of the island.

 

 

Fruit Loops, anyone?

 

 

I took this one while eating!

Next time you see House Hunters International visiting Roatan  think of me, OK?

Costa Maya

Sorry to leave you hanging...I haven't quite got the mojo to do a real post.  Here are some of the photos from Costa Maya.  We took a tour to the Chaccoben Mayan Ruins about an hour ( on a slow road) from Costa Maya.  Costa Maya is one of those places that didn't even have electricity until 9 years ago when a cruise port was carved out of the land.  There is a faux village type shopping area and not much else.  We had a wonderful guide on the bus who explained a lot about the Mayans and the Mayan lands;  she really made the trip go by in a flash.  Very poor countryside, but the ruins, which were uncovered in the mid to late 90s were fascinating.

See the black "spots" inside the hollow tree trunk?  Tarantulas...eek!

                                       The "faux" village beach area

 

Local cemetery

                                                    The lunar temple

                                                         The solar temple

 A teensy tiny orchid.  Apparently orchid flowering season had finished.

Did I mention it is hot in the jungle?   But, no whining since it was snowing back home!!

Next up...Roatan and Janet with Cappuchin monkey??

Janet

Sunshine

So gather round and listen to the story.  We booked our Caribbean Cruise ( Costa Maya, Roatan and Cozumel) aboard the NCL Mega ship Epic over a year ago.  The excuse was that it was to celebrate my 60th Birthday and also our 20th Anniversary (which isn't until September).  We have never had a winter vacation and we thought it was about time to try one ;)

In November I decided that since the cruise left from Miami on Saturday we should plan to leave here a couple of days early and enjoy Florida for 2 days. Just in case of weather, you know. And since we were going to spend 2 days we should leave on a 6:40 flight so that we would actually have 2 days to enjoy. Most of you know I have never been to Florida and have avoided it like the plague due to some silly story I read in the 4th grade.  So, since we were flying into Fort Lauderdale I found a cute little Inn in Hollywood Beach right on the beach for Thursday and Friday.


We haven't had a bad winter here in years. Enter the big, bad winter of 2011.  First there was the Christmas weekend blizzard followed closely by mega snow (and sometimes ice) storms twice a week.  I am not much of a worrier, but the closer the trip got the closer I followed the weather.  Sure enough a storm was predicted from Tuesday (2/1) AM to last thru the wee hours of the 3rd.  The day we were to leave, one of the days that was supposed to be expendable.  I was no longer viewing those two days as mere cyphers filling a void, but as valid vacation in the sun days.   Southwest offered a one time chance to rebook due to so much storminess.  I hemmed, I hawed, I chewed my nails and finally I took the plunge and rebooked for Friday AM, early...very early.  I figured it was better to be on a confirmed flight than on standby from a canceled flight.

The storm ended early...how very nervy....late Wednesday afternoon.  I vowed I would not check the Southwest website on Thursday AM, after all all the planes must be "sleeping" somewhere where the weather had not been crazy. Certainly none would be hanging around in Providence.  Guess what?  My original flight left right on time Thursday morning while I slept ;(.

Everything was packed and ready Thursday night with just a list of those last minute items...toothbrushes, hairbrush, curling iron, makeup...you know that stuff, right.  Alarm clock set for 4:00, right Bob?  We went to bed, I woke up at 2:37 and tossed for a while.  I heard the clock downstairs strike 2:45 and then 3:00.  Then nothing.  Perhaps I had dozed off??  I looked at the clock...WTH it was 5:10.  We were out of the house in 12 minutes...no shower, no makeup and NO COFFEE.  We got to the airport with 26 minutes til flight time and then there was a very long check in line.  Then they told us our luggage probably wouldn't make it on our flight ( if we made it on our flight).  I mumbled something about a Nudist Cruise.  But, we made it and our luggage made it and the Inn was just a half block from the most glorious beach and broadwalk( as opposed to boardwalk) that I ever could have imagined. And the cruise was glorious and now we are back to filthy, crusty snow and eating inside.  But ahh, it was glorious while it lasted and I can tell you....Florida has not seen the last of me :-)

These are pictures from Florida, minus the muscle cars etc.  I will post pictures from Roatan, Costa Maya and Cozumel when Bob has them processed and available.

Later,
Janet

RECALCULATING.....

Vacation plans ....( said just like the obnoxious woman that lives in the GPS)

ANXIOUS

Never have I packed for a trip so early; I am usually a throw it in a bag at the last minute kind of girl and contrary to the illustration above I travel light. Any of you who know me will attest to the fact that I am not exactly a fashion maven...blame it on being raised in Vermont by very sensible parents ;).

Never have I been so anxious to get out of Dodge in the winter and NEVER have I been so paranoid about the weather interfering with a vacation.

Fingers and toes crossed that this weather pattern changes before the end of next week...that means all of you with digits crossed, OK?

Later,
Janet

Giggling Gals

I'm getting ready for the Giggling Gals to celebrate my birthday tomorrow night.  I made the Beef Bourgignon early and will add the sauteed mushrooms and reheat tomorrow night.  There will crusty garlic bread, roasted veggies and a Toll House Pie a la mode for dessert.  I really wish you could all show up.  I would love to meet all of you and have a good gigglefest ;) Remember that old TV show "This is Your Life" where old grade school teachers and neighbors would appear?  I'm thinking that would be fun.  I would also like a genie to show up and clean my house..as much as I love the cooking, I hate the cleaning!!

Later,

Janet