Animals and books

It has been a busy few weeks and I am pleased to say that my brain is slowly beginning to work a little better. I forget fewer words and have had no more coffee maker disasters.

There is a man who lives in Mao who breeds Great Danes and he wanted to bring a female Dane here who was on heat, to live with Goofy for a while. I said no, Danilo said yes, the dog arrived. She had only just started her heat as he wanted them to fall in love pre-bonking. Goofy predictably fell in love with her - her name was Matari - Lobo was not allowed to be with his best mate Goofy and fancied Matari as well so they had to be kept apart.

Grumpy was upset her boyfriend Goofy was with another woman so it was a stressful time for all of the dogs and me! No idea if Goofy did the deed, but Matari left after two weeks, leaving Goofy howling at the gate for a few days. Dogs are now back to normal - thank goodness.

Sticking with the animal theme. as you know we no longer have water delivered from the local water company into our cistern. So we buy it every couple of weeks from Water Man. You call him up, he goes to the river, sucks the water into his truck, comes to us and pumps it into our cistern. Trouble is, the river has more than just water in it, so this time, he deposited a frog into the cistern along with the water. I only realised when I saw the lid of the cistern propped open with a wooden ladder which Danilo had put in there for the frog to climb out.

Please note, the metal box in front of the WATER CISTERN is the box for the main electrics for the house. Please also note the prevalence of taypee sticking all of the wires together.

I thought this was daft until I Googled and found out that all over the place ladders are put in drains for frogs to climb out and what is more, frogs and ladders are used to forecast the weather as they only climb out of water and up ladders if it will be fine, and if it is going to rain they stay in the water! No idea if our frog climbed out, but the lid is back on.

Remember I said the todys were back - the gorgeous tiny green and red birds. Well they disappeared after a day and Danilo discovered they had unwelcome squatters in their little hole in the base of the tree - a family of tarantulas - mum, dad and lots of babies. He disposed of the squatters and the other day the todys returned! I just hope they stay this time. The female is higher up the twig as she has a little bit of black on her green wings.

Oh and even more news, I am a grandmother again! Ana and Alberto (stepson number 2) welcomed Adriana to the world a month early. Though a little small, 6.5 pounds, she is lovely and Danilo and I went to see her in Ana's mum's house, where Ana is staying for the 40 days she is "at risk". Not sure what she is at risk of, but most all women here have to be with their mothers for the 40 day period with a whole list of things they cannot do - like go outside, look at the moon, and they have to have cotton wool in their ears so the cold air doesn't get to their brains.

Proud grandpa Danilo

Ana, Adibel and new baby Adriana

Alberto with his new daughter

Mother's day is very important in the DR, but this year I had no visits from the kids as Ana and Alberto stayed with the baby and was Adibel's, number one granddaughter,  fifth birthday. Danilo was on a course in the capital and returned in the afternoon, cooking me a massive sancocho for my Mother's Day celebration. We ate sancocho for a week.

Finally, as you know I love reading memoirs and this last month I have read two fabulous books, both brilliant and both different.

The first was by Beth Haslam and is called Fat Dogs and French Estates part 1.

This was my review on Amazon.

"I was attracted to this book as the title mentioned the words Dogs and French – and I love dogs and love France. I was certainly not disappointed. The book describes the author and her husband travelling throughout France house hunting, well, estate hunting, to find their perfect home. They took their fat dogs with them.
The characterization of Beth’s husband, Jack, the dogs, and all of the French people and estate agents they meet along the way is superb. There are fabulous descriptions of the estates and the countryside and you really feel you are sitting in the back of the car along with the dogs. In addition, there are unexpected history lessons about different parts of France as well as interesting information about many of the towns and villages.
That in itself would be sufficient to make a good memoir, but what moves this book from good to great, and even fabulous, is the humour throughout. I started off smiling sometimes, then giggling occasionally and eventually was collapsed with laughter, even snorting at stages. It is so very funny I have not laughed so much in months.
I highly recommend this book, and I know I now have no choice but to read the rest of the series. I must admit I was concerned that they might not live up to my now high expectations, but having checked the reviews on Amazon – they are all five stars as well. Thank goodness! I can’t wait."

There are three more books in the same series so my next task is to get those. Really worth it, pure escapism, some learning more about France, and just pure fun.

The second was by Gina DePaulo and is called Unopened Doors.

My review says: 

"In brief, the author describes how she was victim of a mugging which caused a Traumatic Brain Injury and that in turn led to flashbacks of her childhood and a rape and near-death strangulation when she was 19. She then decides to revisit her attack of some 40 years ago and with the help of a Cold Case investigator she slowly unearths the past.

The book is beautifully written and it goes backwards and forwards between the present and the past in a seamless manner. It is more than simply a memoir; however, it is a detective novel, it portrays life in the USA in the 1960s, and you really do find yourself transported back in time. In addition, DePaulo adds in stories of other victims of violence, rape and murder during the same time period in the same area.

More than a memoir, more than a detective story, overall a truly excellent read. I defy anyone not to enjoy this book, which I was unable to put down as it draws you in from the very first page. In fact, this was the best book I have read in years."

This book really resonated with me, having had a couple of near death experiences and now suffering from brain injury. But even if you have been lucky enough not to have those, I promise you will really enjoy this book.

And for those of you who enjoy reading and enjoy reading memoirs, I really do recommend you join the We Love Memoirs Facebook Group. Why? Because the members are writers of memoirs and lovers of memoirs. There are lots of free memoirs to be won, chats with authors, competitions where you can read memoirs and, the best thing, all of the members are lovely people!

Fish, cow, hummingbird and snail

Fishman is back. I told you that didn't I? We can never tell when he will turn up but it is always a Wednesday or a Thursday but it could be once a week, once a fortnight or once a month. Last week he appeared at the gate

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He has his cooler on the back, full of fish, so I called Danilo outside to decide what we would buy. We decided on Chinese Carp - I would have loved the giant prawns but at US$20 a pack we decided against them. Fishman pulls his scale out of his fetching special scale handbag and he weighs them.

I went inside to put the fish in the freezer and upload the photos and as I was uploading them, Danilo called me from the back garden to go there with my camera. As a dutiful wife I obliged. I asked him what I was supposed to be taking a picture of and he said there was a cow in the garden. He wanted a picture for evidence of escaping cows again. I could see no cow, but I set off along the track with the soon to be goat enclosure on the right and the proper garden on the left. No cow.

I continued past a mother hen and her chicks - all of the hens have chicks at the moment, so we are surrounded by them - until the odd passing hawk swoops down and takes one away. But still no cow.

As I continued down the track I looked to my left into the overgrown yuca and sweet potato garden, and there it was. The cow - or bull I later discovered.

I walked closer to try and get a photograph, and he walked towards me.

And then he gave me an evil look out of the side of his eye. That is a seriously evil look.

And then he started chasing me. I was screaming (as you do when being chased by a bull), Danilo was doubled over with laughter, the dogs were barking their head off, from a safe position in the house, and the bull galloped after me all through the garden, trampling over plants and scattering squawking chickens everywhere, which stopped Danilo from laughing. I made it safely into the house, while Danilo was chasing the bull. Unfortunately due to all of the new projects, gates, goat fences, walls, the bull could not get out and ran past the window chased by Danilo (in blue), while the dogs enjoyed the show.

As Danilo chased the cow, I sat down once again to upload the photos. We have a hummingbird who always comes to visit and I can never get a picture of him or her, as he is too fast and by the time I have turned the camera on it is too late. I get pictures of the flowers he has been on

which are right next to where I sit, slaving away at my computer, where the balcony used to be.

But this time, as the camera was on, I got him!

Not brilliant but I am getting there.

Now returning to my garden. I noticed there were two lovely red tomatoes so I went out to pick them, with great excitement. Tomato sandwich for tea.

Or not. A sneaky snail had eaten them all.

So time to break out the egg shells which FB friends tell me will keep the snails away, and prop the tomatoes up on sticks.

Meanwhile Danilo tells me the green peppers have turned from green to black so they must be rotten. Oh ye of little faith - from green, to black, to RED!!!

I have this vegetable growing down to a tee now. Two snail eaten tomatoes and one perfect red pepper! And the black one will be red by the end of the week and loads of green tomatoes too.

The sad tale of the Maguey

We have had this spiky plant in the garden ever since I have been here. It does nothing, just sits in the grass being very spiky. I assumed it was some sort of aloe vera, but we have those too, and the leaves of those are much thicker, and we use the gunk in the leaves to cure any cuts or burns.

A couple of months ago, Danilo called me outside to show me that the spiky plant now had a shoot, about 6 foot tall and said that there would be flowers on it, which would be yellow.

All seemed most odd to me, so I asked knowledgeable Facebook friends who told me the plant was called an agave or maguey in Dominican Spanish and although it looked like an aloe vera it was a totally different family.

What is really sad is that the plant just sits there being spiky for up to 10 years, then up comes this amazing shoot or stick in the middle of the plant, it flowers and then dies. Luckily the seeds then fall on the ground and baby magueys are born.

Apparently, if the flower stem is cut without allowing it to flower, a sweet liquid called aguamiel ("honey water") gathers in the heart of the plant which can  be fermented to produce a drink called pulque. In Mexico, there is a blue version of the plant called Mezcal which is used to make tequila. In addition, the leaves also have fibres in them, known as pita, which can be used for making rope or matting. In fact the Taino Indians used to use the plant for both purposes.

We didn't cut the stalk or the leaves and I was really excited when the yellow flowers started to arrive and took a photo.

The flowers were lovely and covered the whole stalk.

Danilo told me the show was not over, the flowers would change colour, and then a couple of weeks later, now they are beginning to change colour, starting at the bottom.

And what a colour! The orange colour of the ones at the bottom is glorious, but it is so sad that once they are all orange, the stalk will fall over and the plant will die.

The Fight goes On

Once again I have been waiting to update you until I had definite news, but having had emails from irate and impatient readers who are desperate for news, I apologise but not much has happened on the election front.

Danilo came home, exhausted and depressed but threw himself into a long list of jobs I had for him which I will post about later, including building new hen houses, fixing fences, fixing the leaking roof, mopping Dominican style and a whole range more.

In the meantime the fight goes on and he has been gathering all of the proof of the fraud including witness depositions and video evidence and this has all been submitted to the court asking for a recount of the votes under strict scrutiny. The people of Guayacanes continue to be outraged but he has asked them to stay calm while he tries to resolve everything by legal means. If that does not work I have no idea what will happen next, but in a country which is trying to improve the education of children and teach them right from wrong - not to steal, lie, threaten, bribe, carry out fraud and cheat - one would hope that the government would believe in the same values. Maybe too much to hope.

The hearing should have been Wednesday, then Thursday and now tomorrow - but who knows. As soon as I know anything I will let you know.

Meanwhile he is here most of the time which is nice for me, and to be honest just as well as I got in the shower the other day, and while turning the water on, this is what I saw

The tiles are 8 inches square just to give you an idea. I leapt out of the shower and luckily although Danilo happened to be in Guayacanes at the time, submitting all of the court documents he arrived home as my knight in shining armour  a few hours later and rescued me.

Now if you can't see very well you can see the little darling here on the brush and a million thanks to a very nice lady who sent me a fandabbydozy camera which takes great pics - and will be better when I learn how to use it properly.

Anyway it grabbed onto the broom and he put it outside in the woods. Today it is like four days later and the little sod returned and was waiting for me, swimming in the toilet when I went for a pee.

It was very much alive and swimming away so hopefully Danilo has put it back in the woods again and told it to stay there.

I will try and update in a few days with his building projects as well as the latest on the election front.

Adios Stuffing and Hola Cranberry

It has been another animal dominated couple of weeks while we still wait for the party to decide who the mayoral candidate will be. There are over 1500 pre-candidates awaiting to hear their fates supposedly based on opinion polls although the names of the companies doing the poll are not being released. Will it all be done fairly? Your guess is as good as mine. Today the party election committee is announcing the name of the person who will be the liaison officer for each of the areas where the candidates have to be selected by poll but no date as to when the actual selection will be.

Anyway, back to the animals. The first is some sad news about Stuffing, or Etuffee as Danilo pronounces it.

Stuffing, the great friend of Monster and husband to Sprout and father of one (other turkey chicks or poults as they are known, died), has gone to turkey heaven. He had been sick for a couple of weeks, not eating so Danilo was force feeding him, but was also depressed. He wouldn't come out of his house so Danilo would take him out and he would go back in at 6 pm on his own as it was getting dark. This particular night it was raining but had stopped and I went to take the dogs out for their nightly pee and poo run. Danilo was at university. Unbeknown to me, Stuffing had not gone to bed and was lurking outside his pen and the dogs went for him. I tried to get them off him, but it was too late and he was dead.

I decided to save the dogs getting into trouble I would put him in his house so that Danilo would just think he had died of his illness, so that is what I did, and then went to bed.

I woke up when Danilo returned and said sad news about Stuffing. He said he knew and he had found the evidence that the dogs had killed him. I said no, I had just spotted him dead in his house and asked what evidence he meant. He wryly said that the fact his head was not attached to his body was a tad of a giveaway. R.I.P Stuffing.

Stuffing has been replaced by a new male whose name is Cranberry. He has only been here a day but seems to be settling in well, and follows Sprout and baby Stuffing around.

He is only about 4 months old so hasn't start puffing up and strutting and gobbling yet but seems like a happy enough chap.

Since Stuffing departed this life, Monster had refused to sleep in the house they shared and has moved in with everyone else into the cellar. I expect it is because he is afraid his head will fall off in the night. The cellar is now getting very crowded at night time as they all jostle for their favourite specs on the stick.

There is now a little more space however as two of the hens, la negra and la india (the black one and the brown one) had been laying eggs in the same plastic container. When they were ready to sit on them it was a tad squashed and when hens sit on their eggs they never leave them.

So Danilo made them a bigger nest and now the lesbianas as they are now known can snuggle up together for the next 21 days until their chicks hatch. That could be interesting as the eggs all have the same father - the one and only rapist. I wonder if they know that or whether it will only become apparent when the chicks are born and they all look alike.

And today, another pair of chickens, with equally inspiring names, la negra 2 and la india 2 who also laid their eggs together and whose father is Monster are now squashed in another plastic container together. Looks like will be busy here in a few weeks time as each pair of hens are sitting on around 15 eggs.

Apart from the feathered animals, we have four puppies left, two of which will be going in a week or so.  They are now 10 weeks old and  are causing total havoc, chewing everything they can and messing up the house. Can you see the state of the floor? That is because they dip their feet in the water bowl, run around in the mud and then run back in the house.

We are thinking of keeping two, this is one called Sweepy (Weespy) who has the most enormous ears which I assume he will grow into one day.

La Isabela

Hooray! Have new camera so normal blog service will be resumed.

Visitors arrived on Sunday. This time it was Tracy, who has been here several times from the USA and she brought my new camera with her. Also Andrea from Canada, who although she is a DR veteran had not been to the Wasp House, and Tracy's Dominican boyfriend, Mario, who I call Sniff as he is allergic to the dogs and sniffs all the time. Danilo calls him his version of Sniff, Eneef.

So Monday morning, bright and early, I rounded everyone up, including Chivirico who was here for the weekend, and off we set for La Isabela. The reason for going there was threefold. Firstly, La Isabela is the place where Christopher Columbus first set foot on the island and as that is such a momentous historical event I really wanted to see it. Secondly, as we did not celebrate Chivirico's 8th birthday at the swimming pool, I wanted to take him to the ocean and eat fish on the beach. And thirdly, I am in the middle of updating the DK Top Ten Guide to the Dominican Republic, so needed information on La Isabela, a place I had not been to.

The plan was to drive directly north to La Isabela, then from there go west to Playa Ensenada for lunch, as  there are tens of little huts right on the beach which cook fabulous fish, then home. As usual, where Dominicans or the Dominican Republic is involved, the best laid plans of mice and men.....

All went well till we had driven through the town of La Isabela. According to the map we had to turn right to reach the National Park on the coast, where the ruins of Columbus' settlement were. Only there was no right turn. So back to the normal Dominican way of asking. Not once, nor twice, but every other Dominican in sight. And as usual they tell you where to go, even if they have no idea, and every one gives you different directions. Eneef and Danilo did the asking, but almost immediately forgot the directions they were given, hence there was lots of turning round and asking someone else.

The road changed from a tarmac road to a dirt track. I pointed out that this could not be the road as coach tours went to the National Park. I was ignored. We then had to drive through a stream, carefully avoiding the cows drinking and women washing clothes, and then back onto the dirt track. Then we reached a river. Not a stream but something akin to the River Thames in London. A real, fast flowing, deep, proper river.

"No way," I said, and Tracy and Andrea agreed with me. Danilo and Eneef tried to persuade us it wasn't that deep and the vertical dirt track on the other side of the river would be easy to drive up even though we had no four wheel drive. They even got a man to wade out into the river so we could see it wasn't that deep, but as the water reached his waist, that was enough for me. We turned round and went to Playa Ensenada for an early lunch.

Playa Ensenada is a mile or so before Punta Rucia. A lovely beach with loads of little huts lining it, each one selling fresh fish and lobster.

You choose which hut you fancy, and then sit down at the tables which belong to your particular hut, lined up along the beach.

Then they bring the fish out on a tray and you pick out which one you want.

The fish is then cooked it over an open fire, the fogon and served with fried plantain chips, tostones, and fried sweet potato, batata.

It was delicious and afterwards we just sat chilling for a while looking at the view while Chivirico romped in the ocean.

So, I asked Tracy and Andrea what they wanted to do next, and they said they wanted to find La Isabela but that this time we would do it the British/Canadian/American way and not let the Dominican contingent ask every other person and lead us to an uncrossable river. So, map in hand, off we set.

We tried a variety of different routes and didn't seem to be making progress, so stopped to ask a Dominican. He said to go straight down this road, we would reach a baseball field, turn right there and we would come to a river. El Castillo, the place where the ruins are, was just the other side of the river. I asked him what the road was like and he said it was fine. I wasn't falling for that one, so asked if it was stone or tarmac.He said it was stone, but fine. I then asked if there was a bridge over the river and he assured me there was. All bases were covered.

Andrea, Tracy and I smirked at each other. We would show these Dominicans how to navigate and get proper directions. We drove down the dirt road - for a very long way, and at last reached the baseball field. Mutual congratulations all round. We turned right, and as we bumped along the road, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. This was the same bloody road that we had taken to the river before. The men started howling with laughter. We reached the same river and I looked to my left. There was a bridge.

It just didn't have a bit in the middle! Note to self. Next time ask if the bridge goes all the way across the river.

However, it looked as if the river was a lot lower than earlier so Danilo decided to have a go driving across.

It worked, so we all climbed aboard and off we went. The dirt track on the other side of the river soon turned into a proper road which said it was heading for Luperon and Puerto Plata - further west on the north coast and the National Park was just off that road.

The National Park is well organised and there is plenty to see including the ruins of Columbus' house and the rest of the houses for the 1,500 men he brought with him.

There is a tree there which is home to owls - the first time I have actually seen them in the wild.

The guide was excellent and full of information. The part the Dominicans enjoyed the best was the cemetery where 49 people were buried, both Spaniards and Taino Indians.

And what is more, there is a real, dead skeleton of a 37 year old Spaniard who died of malaria. Apparently they can tell he was a Spaniard as opposed to an Indian as his hands are crossed across his chest.

We went to the well laid out museum, grabbed some freshly squeezed orange juice, then it was time to head for home. I asked the best way back and unfortunately the good road only went to Luperon, which was totally the wrong direction for us, so there was nothing for it but to go through the river again. Luckily, although it was higher, we still crossed it with no problem.

All in all a great day trip, well worth it, with lots of laughs along the way.