Dragon Fly

Swarms of dragon flies frequently appear... not bothering anything. Then there are the Monarch butterflies that I have to get shots of.

Belize Light Show

These three images were taken over the space of no more than 5 minutes...

Hidden Treasures

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Originally uploaded by traversbelize

I was at a friend's house and looking at the "ordinary" stuff that get's collected over the years of living in Belize... check out what's inside.

Quash (Coatamundi)

There are a surprising number of these interesting creatures on the Peninsula. One of our neighbors treats this one as a semi-pet, so it hangs around a lot and loves to patrol the fence around our house. Of course, this drives our dogs absolutely nuts. Read about these critters highlighted at the Belize Zoo here.

Contrasts...

Every once in a while, a moment comes along that makes a great photograph. Early one morning, at the end of the Placencia Airstrip, one of those moments presented itself...

Osprey...

Our immediate neighbor on the beach, John Ford, took this incredible photo of an Osprey perched in the whispering pine tree in their beach yard. I hope this is indicative of us beginning to see more of these magnificent creatures around the area.

photo by John Ford

cartoon

Traveler Palm

I hadn't really done any research on the so-called Traveler Palm plant. It's actually a member of Bird of Paradise family and the leaves look like a banana plant. We have more than a dozen of these very large growing specimens and have learned to propagate them by carefully digging up the "babies" that sprout at the base of the plant and sticking them right back in the sand with some good soil amendment. More information here.

Airline Travel

Seth Godin writes a marketing blog that is very popular. He takes on the airline/airport/government mess today with some thoughts that will have you shaking your head with agreement.

Belize Heaven

Well, let's see what everyone thinks of my first video.
Music by Taliesin Orchestra... "Caribbean Blue."

How long do you suppose the guy with the big nose has been waiting for someone to come by and notice him?


And then there's the toothy grin just waiting for the right camera angle...

Placencia, Belize Beach Happiness!

After running and playing on the beach, the kids shared some treats that Dad just "happened" to find! From the looks on their faces... all is well.

Mom and Dad and Zack head back to Maine tomorrow. It's hard to believe that two weeks have flown by so quickly.

Their will be lots more pictures of the other adventures...

Do It Again, Dad!

We have been having some hot days, so lunch and a swim at the pool at Bella Maya was an easy choice for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Kevin will get some pictures posted of his great day out fishing with John Ford. Check those and others here and here.

Laughingbird Caye

When you can go to a great place like Laughingbird Caye and swim with Mommy and Grammy... it's a good day!

Zack is here... and all fired up!

One of the first things that is necessary after you arrive in Belize, is making sure that the equipment is running properly and that the sand can be moved around to make the infrastructure work properly. Do you suppose Albert may be getting some competition?




If the boss is taking a morning snack break, it's important to make sure any crumbs that are left over get cleaned up immediately by the hired help.




Then, after lunch, it's very important to rejuvenate from the heat and make sure you are ready to carry on for the rest of the day...



So that the afternoon siesta is comfortable...

Zack Is Coming!

Our 4 year old grandson (and his mom and dad) arrive today. His dad, Kevin, is a graphic designer and artist at Bowdoin College in Maine... so naturally enough Zack will have his own digital journal to record his Belize Adventures. The cover design is a gem. This should be a great visit. Marcia (Zack's mom) and Karen will have their hands full with all the paparazzi around!

Belize Chocolate!!

For quite a while now, I have been planning to write a piece on my addiction to chocolate and my difficulty in finding sources of the "really good stuff" in Belize. It was meant to be witty, humorous and filled with irony and sarcasm... since one of the best sources of great chocolate is now just a few steps down the road from us! Well, much to my delight (and chagrin) someone beat me to it. Check out this wonderful blog entry about Goss Organic Chocolate.

Class Act: BELIZE

Sometimes, as I stumble around looking at various news stories, blog entries and pictures about various trips, tours, and other less easily classified adventures in Belize... I find something that strikes a note of heightened credibility. An article in today's New Orleans Times-Picayune, written by a group of journalism students, captures more of the real flavor of Belize than most.

Mom's Lap is Too Small...

It has become a part of the morning routine for Little Bit to jump on Karen's lap during our coffee time. It's important to have a place to rest your chin!

Bandolero-Tequila Agave... Yes, it's what they make tequila from!

For a long time we have been using what we call "Bandolero" plants in our landscaping. These are a succulent that comes from the Agave family and there are several types. The most common in Belize and the rest of Central America is the Tequila Agave. This is the first one we have seen shooting up a blossom spike and we are suitably impressed with the size of both the plant and the spike (about 20 feet). Unfortunately, after it truly blossoms, it will die.