Mangos

It's mango season.  We don't have a bumper crop as in years gone by but still enough that we can't eat them all.  We give bags full to our friends, our garbage pick up guys, our pool man, our neighbors and pretty much anyone that will take them.

 

It's the time of year that we usually fight the parrots for fruit off the tree. We have tried many things to scare the parrots away...without much success. This year we have a new hazing tool.  We got water guns. But this year, we have had very few parrot sightings.  It's like having a fly swatter in your hand...you never see the flies. The water guns have been a fun toy even though we don't use them on the parrots.

The golden mangos on our tree are smaller than the mangos in the store. We harvest about two dozen a day.  Harvest means we pick them off the ground when they fall off the tree. What does everyone do with their mangos: mango sorbet,  pureed and frozen for sauces and drinks, smoothies, breakfast fruit with yogurt, mango chutney, mango daiquiris. The locals pick them right of the tree and eat them skin and all just like an apple.

 

Water guns for the win.

Scooter Practice

We are going to travel to Lipari, part of the Aeolian Islands, off the coast of Sicily this fall. We are planning to use less rental cars and more trains, buses and boats to travel around the Mediterranean.  In keeping with this plan, Rick had a brilliant idea to rent scooters on Lipari. Since we have never ridden a scooter, we thought it would be a good idea to get some practice before we leave for our travels.

Enter "Little John", a scooter rental company on Bonaire.  They deliver a scooter and pick it up for only $25 a day! They gave us a quick, (less than 5 minutes) tutorial on the scooter and told us it was like riding a bike.

We decided to practice in the neighborhood before we tackled the main roads with traffic.  Rick is the braver one, so he took the first ride. he learned to negotiate turns which are not as easy as it looks.  He traveled to the paved roads, practice on a small roundabout, negotiated the potholes and  speed bumps (yes we have speed bumps called "dremples") and drove 40km/h on the straight aways.  

He got back to the house and tried to dismount. I heard him say "could I get a little help". I walked out to see him laying on the ground with his leg under the scooter. I didn't get a picture because I was concerned that he was hurt.  I picked up the scooter and  he got upright with no damaged parts. Thank goodness.

I was next.  Since I have short legs, Rick had to hold the scooter while I mounted. I started it, revved it a few times and took off.  I never got over 25km/h.  I was a grandma riding a scooter and I looked the part. I discovered that right hand turns are easier than left hand turns and traffic scares the shit out of me.   I tootled around the block a few times and decided that my first practice session went well.

I have a whole new appreciation for scooter riders on the island.  They used to be just an annoyance on the roads because they go slow and are difficult to pass in a car. Now I know that they are scared to death that a passing car will blow them off the road.

 

Sunset Moonrise

Each month, we and several other expats gather on the beach for sunset and moonrise.  It's the time that the sunsets within 10 minutes or so of the moon rising.  We gather at a narrow, flat part of the island so that we can see both from one location.

We do a potluck that began as just appetizers and has grown to be a full meal buffet.  Everyone brings a special delight from their kitchen and we all enjoy the company with drinks and a show from mother nature.

July's event was spectacular.

The Sahara dust has been very present on the island for weeks.  The dust blocks the sun and the moon from showing but does give us spectacular colors at sunset.  July's sunset was clear of dust and clouds.  The moonrise almost looked like daylight even though it was around 7:10 pm.

Our friends in Saudi Arabia (who used to live on Bonaire) provide us photos of their moon rise a day before we get ours.  It a way to share a special event even though we are thousands of miles away from each other and in different time zones.

We had a special treat this month with a swim by of dolphins.  They were following a bait ball and slapped the water with their tails to get the ball back together for capture. Several leaped out of the water showing us their full bodies.  We saw mommas with babies, hunters and we think there were about 15 or 20 in this pod. 

Although there is a pod that seems to live around Bonaire, it is a rare sighting to see so many so close and so active. Truly a wonderful and spectacular sight.

Thank you to B. Shelton for taking this photo and capturing such a magnificent creature..
 

Planting Palms

The big palm trees that caused us such aggravation are now gone.  This left a huge blank space in our landscaping. We went tree shopping to fill in the area.  Our criteria was: palms that don't need trimming.  We also had several small palm bushes in pots that needed to go in the ground so we used some of them as well. 

Our friendly and expensive nursery, Green Label, delivered our new palm tree.  This palm drops leaves all on its own without having to trim it or climb a ladder. All we have to do is pick up the palm fronds and put them in the trash. 

Our landscaper dug holes down to the coral bedrock which is not very deep. Apparently, large trees can grow and thrive in shallow soil.  The landscaper hacked off about two inches of roots, put the tree in the ground and called it good.  Rick ran a drip system to each plant.

Now we have plants surrounding the cabana that will grow to about 8-10 feet and create a tropical  feel for us on this desert island. It another project in the books to create a low maintenance garden.




 

Orchids

The palm trees are gone. I needed to find a new home for the orchids that hung on their trunks.  I saved them all before the trees went down. They were suffering from the heat, lack of water ( due to low water pressure), and neglect. Their pots were stuffed with dead roots, a few frogs had taken up residence in the pots that were full of dirt  (something  that orchids don't like -  dirt not frogs), and they hadn't been trimmed or fertilized for a long time. Yes, I know I am retired and should have the time to dote on these plants but I am lazy and let them go to hell.  So now I am doing penance. 

We got a trellis and I spent two days painting it.  I cleaned up all the orchids, cut them down and repotted them into bark which is their preferred growing material. That took me days, again because I am lazy. I finally got them hung.  Rick ran a drip system to each pot and now they have a nice sort-of-shady spot to grow. I have a few more to rescue off the mango tree and from a planter.  These orchids I inherited when we bought the house.  So I feel responsible to grow and love them.

 

One of my favorites is already blooming. It's a sign that I am doing the right thing.  I love it when my orchids bloom.  It's like magic because they grow from absolutely nothing just a small root base and leaves.  The flowers are so spectacular and very special to me.  I have five different varieties.  I am looking forward to when they all bloom because then I know they are happy campers. 

The Great Tree Removal

The last two palm trees that kept Rick on a ladder are finally gone.  The trees were getting two tall to trim for Rick and our landscaper.  We really didn't want to hire a man-bucket every time we needed a trim.  These trees sprouted multiple spikes with blooms every week.  This is not usually a problem except the wind blew all the blossoms into the pool on a regular basis.  Okay, I know this is a first world problem but Rick being safe and sane is important to me.  Keeping him off a 20 foot ladder trimming a 30 foot tree is worth everything.
 

The process is really very interesting and heart stopping.  Two cords are tied around the tree.  One cord is tied to a lift truck arm and the second cord is hand held...scarry as hell. A chain saw is used to cut around the bottom of the tree.

The tree breaks at the base. Ground men hold the tree so that it doesn't hit anything.  This is the moment that makes you heart beat fast. For a moment the tree is free to fall, swirl around or tip uncontrolled in the wind. This is a big tree that weights a lot.

All of a sudden, the lift truck takes over and lifts the entire tree over the wall and onto the haul truck.  It took them less that 45 minutes to take two trees down. It was so awesome to see this process. Not their first rodeo.

We also had a tree in  our back garden taken down as it was not doing well and had outgrown the area.  This one, they just chopped into pieces and took it away.

We made a trip to the garden store to pick out trees and bushes to fill the areas.  We want some greenery there, just not greenery that we have to trim. We continue to move toward low maintenance.

All the orchids had to come down as they were hanging on the palm tree trunks.  Since they were overgrown, I started separating and repotting them.  Stay tuned for a new orchid station which is under construction.

Colorado Trip

We journeyed back to Colorado to visit family and friends, celebrate birthdays and tackle the clean-out of the last storage unit. 

The mountains are always a pleasure to see in Colorado.  Pikes Peak overlooks my childhood home so it was a nostalgic trip to Colorado Springs.  We arranged a tour of the Air Force Academy for my grandson who is  researching colleges with one of my high school friends that graduated from there over 50 years ago. 

Back in Arvada we celebrated birthdays for the youngest grandson, youngest daughter and our sister-in-law. Bowling was a big hit for the grandson who turned 8. After two hours of bowling, Rick and I were wiped out. 

The altitude and cold also affected us. It was a typical Spring in the Rockies.  It would be rainy and cold and 40 degrees and the next day it would be 80 and sunny. We wore a lot of sweatshirts and sweaters. We are not cold weather people anymore.

We were able to cut the size of our storage unit from a 5x10 to a 5x5. It was not without anxiety and much crying. We just wanted the things we loved to go to someone who would appreciate them as we had. I sold a silverware set that belonged to my mother to a nice lady who was collecting the "First Love" pattern to use for her large family.  I told her I just wanted her to appreciate the set that my mother had collected by saving cereal box tops.  She asked my mothers name and I told her it was "Ann".  She said she would remember Ann every time they used the silverware. As I stood in the parking lot of our storage unit selling keepsakes out of the back of our rental car like a drug dealer, I cried. 

Rick inherited an old Edison phonograph with 100 cylinders that played music by winding it up.  His grandfather collected these and was world known for his collection.  We found a buyer that had remembered his mother playing a phonograph just like the one Rick had kept safe for years. This made us feel a little better and we shed less tears as this item was taken away.

I had been crying over the very mention of my mother's china for months leading up to our trip back Colorado. The next generation is not into china and have no use for nostalgic things. Selling china is really not possible. I couldn't bare to give it away.   So the China and mocha set sit in storage until next time.

Coming home to Bonaire is always exciting for us.  We have lived here for 4+ years.  It is our home. 

Painting

All the outdoor decorative furniture at the house is distressed wood.  The grey washed out wood makes for a very calm palet around the house . However, The outdoor conditions make paint peel, wood warp and allow bugs to wreak havoc. Slowly, we have been reclaiming these pieces. One of the large shelving units was our most recent rejuvenation. 

Rick spent a week replacing wood pieces and rebuilding the base. Water damage had almost claimed this piece but we were determined to save it. 

I power washed it and sanded it down.  I decided that it need some wood filler in spots and I used a whole can of that to fill all the holes.  Another sanding and it was ready for paint.
 

I spent three weeks painting.  A primer and a top coat and then decorative painting. It was a long, long process. It's done now, thank goodness! 

Here's the finished project.

Replacements

The house is a constant repair and update project.  Most building materials do not last in this weather. The salt air and soil, water, wind and heat make everything deteriorate.  We did some updates to the house to repair and replace wood items.

Our contractor replaced a wood ramp into the front door with a nice concrete ramp.  Wheelchairs (ha ha) and wheelbarrows can now enter easily.  Plus its easier to walk into the compound not slipping on wet wood.

Our front patio was edged with wood planks.  They were severely weathered and starting to pull away from the concrete.  We had them removed and replaced with tile that looks like wood.

The back garden was covered with wood decking and a wood walkway. It was so old and rotten that I had to paint a white line on boards that should be avoided.  Once again, we used wood-looking tile on the walkway and left the wood decking which is still in decent shape.

One thing leads to another when you are doing renovation and repairs. Our tile guy replaced some tiles in our second bathroom.  He found water damage had loosened the tiles.  We told him to put the tiles back on and we would do a bathroom renovation at another time.  Geesh!

 

Shipping Furniture

Two years ago we turned our small third bedroom into a media room.  We took out the twin bed and sold it to some nice island girls. We purchased a love seat recliner from a local "Best Buy" kind of store.  The recliner was a floor model and we thought it would be fine but it didn't last long.  

Our hunt for the replacement furniture was done on line.  We located a model that we really liked but we didn't know if it was comfortable.  Keep in mind, that Rick is very tall and I am very short.  Buying furniture that fits both of us is hard. 

We enlisted the help of our son and daughter- in-law in the States because they have similar body types to ours and there was a store in their town that carried the furniture we wanted.  They tried out the recliners in the store and said that they were comfortable for both of them.  Now we were ready to order and ship.

We ordered the furniture from a store in Miami.  They delivered the couch to AMCAR (also in Miami) which is a shipping company that specializes in shipments from the US to the Dutch Caribbean. AMCAR ships by cargo boat to Racargo which is a receiving company on Bonaire. Once it goes through customs, Racargo delivers it to us.

The recliners came in one big box but it had to be assembled.  Rick, the engineer, read the instructions which were in English.  It's rare for us to see instruction in English. The items we purchase on Bonaire have instructions in Spanish, Dutch, German, Japanese and sometimes English.

Rick has seen several videos on repairing furniture as he had hoped he could replace the previous recliners. He had a good idea of what it took for assembly.

It took two of us to hold the pieces and affix screws. Rick was able to figure out the electrical.  We traded up and got electric motors that operate the chairs, Now we have to purchase a transformer so the Bonaire electric currents don't blow up the motors in the chairs.

We were very proud of ourselves for ordering furniture from the States and getting it shipped here in three weeks. We were also pleased that we could move furniture, assemble furniture, and clean the room in one day.

This is a well deserved rest in our new recliners.

Dushi Balls

Bocce league has started again. This is our group that plays every Sunday at the local Bocce lanes.  We only play each other because the Dutch play a similar game called  "jeu de Boules" and won't play with us.  The Dutch are very serious ball players and they don't appreciate our trash talking, drinking, or loud cheering. They also play with heavy silver balls and have different rules that we have yet to understand.  So we play teams of three or two depending on how many people show up.

We used to play at a bar outside of town however, they catered to the Dutch teams and had tournaments which kicked us off the lanes for a month.  Our illustrious team founder and manager located new playing lanes. 

 

We have to maintain our Bocce lanes. This includes leveling, cutting weeds, and pulling weeds.  The local recreation center has maintained the parking lot area and provided benches and some shade.  Their efforts have been minimal.  Ours, on the other hand, have been frequent and effective.  We now have  playable lanes and they are reserved just for the Dushi Balls.

Our team name Dushi Balls is made from a Papiamentu word "Dushi" meaning "sweetheart", "babe" or even "sexy. It can be used for both men and women and is a term of endearment. It can also be used in describing food as "tasty".  

You have to be willing to make your own good times. Two of our team mates made score keepers from wood food boxes and cloths pins.  So creative and very useful.  Our manager designed our logo, shipped in our balls from the States as well as our t-shirts. We all pitch in to maintain the lanes. We also bring adult beverages and snacks just like the moms do for youth team... minus the alcohol.

4 Years on Bonaire

This was my first post on Bonaire Bobs blog:

So Bonaire Bobs blog documents our story.  We (my husband Rick and myself) wanted to share our adventure in selecting an island, moving, settling in and living as ex-pats. So this is our story...

We celebrated 4 years on Bonaire February 14, 2025. This was the post of us opening the door to our new home:

Our front door. I am not going to lie, it was a real HGTV moment.  The minute we walked in we couldn't believe our dream came true.  I cried and Rick gave me a hug and kiss and we were finally at home on the island.

We love island life and our home in Bonaire.  It's the most spontaneous thing we have ever done and we have not regretted it for a minute.

Our friends visiting this week took this photo of Rick and I at the beach.  Here's to another 10 years of island living.