Belize Journal, July 11, 2017

Rainy Season

Rainy Season started on time June 1. It rained every day until the weather worked itself up to a spectacular three-hour thunderstorm on June 24 that dropped over 12 inches and knocked out the electricity. It drizzled on a couple of afternoons after that. Then we returned to warm, sunny days for awhile before the thunder storms started again. So far, the temperatures have been a bit cool.

All the rain caused the grass to grow at a tremendous rate, and my yardman decided he didn’t want to work anymore. I was able to cut a few places with my grass shears (wish I could find electric ones here). I tried chopping with a machete—I even got my machete sharpened. The guys at Juan Chuc’s hardware/grocery store get a kick out of me. Machetes work great with banana trees and bushes, but just bounce off the grass. I bought a sickle that would cut the grass, but it was going to take forever for me to cut my yard that runs for 1/3 of a block.

Finally, a charming young man, Samuel, came to my rescue. He and his father were working across the street, and he thought they would have time to also do my yard. He gave me his price, and passed on the instructions to his father in Spanish. They finished just as the sun was going down. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but at least it was cut and without too much damage to my little trees. I have ordered one of the manual lawn mowers, which I hope will be my final solution. I know how to push one of those things around.

I am putting in two more garden areas. To do that, I have to dig out the Bermuda like grass. It takes me a while to do that because I am only good for about an hour—the rows are 10 ft long. Usually, at the end of the hour my clothing is completely soaked in sweat. The sun gets pretty intense as the day goes on, and one of those experiences a day is about all I can take. Consequently, I am putting the garden in one row at a time. I have tomatoes against where the fence will be and onions and green beans planted.  I have three circles for the cucumbers. In the meantime, I have stuck extra tomato plants wherever I can find space. I don’t have to hurry because I am coming back to the States in September, and I won’t be able to enjoy the vegies anyway.

I brought desert seeds with me to try during the hot, dry season. The tepary beans did well, and I have harvested them and replanted. Neither the eggplants nor the zucchini have produced much, but that’s partly because those lazy bees won’t fly down to that end of the yard. The tomatoes (the seeds are from Baja California) sprang up and have needed very little tending, but they haven’t really produced any fruit—just a few blossoms. My poblamo pepper plants are still producing, and I did get a few cucumbers. I have some kale and Chinese greens going under the mango tree, which is dropping ripe fruit in abundance, which is both a blessing and a curse. Most of them go to my landlady, and I do give some away.

My rabbit injured one of his front legs. I thought it might be a hairline fracture. My online research indicated that rabbits have fragile bones and broken bones are common. Of course, the rabbit didn’t want me to touch the leg. I was able to determine that his paw wasn’t injured and the pain was at the elbow joint—he leaped into the air and ran and hid when I touched that joint. He was outside. It was raining hard, so I took a big towel and went out to scoop him up. He spent a week indoors recuperating. Once he started putting his full weight on that leg, I let him outdoors again, where he grazes most of the day. Actually, what I discovered is that he doesn’t like to come in at night if the cats won’t.  If they are going to stay out, so is he.

The rainy season has brought a few different animals—more lizards, frogs, and birds. On one of my walks that took me closer to the river, I was blessed with an encounter with an iguana couple and a pair of beautiful parrots. One day, I found a fairly good-sized lizard lounging on a large okra pod. There are signs that there might be a coatimundi in the neighborhood.

I had a nice visit with my friend Nadja who lives in Arenal, a village that straddles the border between Belize and Guatemala. She, her father, her daughter, and I walked through the village to the Guatemala side, crossed the swaying bridge, and took a “taxi” (actually a pick up truck) to the village of Melchor, Guatemala. I found ray o vac batteries (not available in Belize) and 2 Mayan blanket/spreads for $9.50 US each. The produce also looked much fresher than what is available in our market here. Arenal is not an official border crossing, so I was able to bring all my purchases home without impunity and avoided paying the exiting fee (tourists pay a fee when they leave Belize).

My article on “language is a place” is stymied while I wait—2 months—for a book from New Zealand. I have emailed the publisher, requesting some data, but have not received a reply for 2 days now. What century are we in? However, I do seem to get letters regularly albeit a month late. I am still working on completing the documentation for my application for residency.  I have had all my lab work done—no TB, HIV, or STDs, and I got my letter from the Taxation Department stating that I have not paid any income tax in Belize. I still need to get a physical, my police report, and a letter from Belize Social Security.

And you may now call me Professor Gregory. I have been promoted to full professor at the University of Maryland University College.

I may get to see some of you folks in September or October if you live in Albuquerque.