Solar Part 1

We have been talking about installing solar power on the house for long time.  The other night the power went off and we used a battery operated fan in the bedroom to keep cool.  It was this moment that we decided unequivocally to get solar installed.

The island has had difficulty keeping up with power demands.  They have not embraced solar as an energy source. They keeping talking about it, studying it and trying to get the Netherlands to pay for it.

We have studied the solar idea ourselves. We talked to others who have installed it, got bids from solar companies, and calculated our savings on utility costs when solar is working.  Our biggest issue was where to put the equipment...which incudes two large batteries that need a maximum temperature of less than 90 degrees.  We considered several locations on the property.  We settled on building an equipment building next to our main electrical panel under the famous mango tree.

"In for a penny in for a pound"  

We decided to go all in with batteries so we could essentially be off grid. This week demolition and construction started for the equipment building.  This building will be 5 feet square, have a full size door and a tiny air conditioner to keep the tiny equipment building cool. This tiny building will house the two super heavy batteries and the inverter. Building this tiny building will be 1/5th of the total cost of the project. 

The order for solar panels and the equipment has been made.  It will take two to three months to get everything to the island.  China is the originating manufacturer and shipper.

Once activated, all of our electrical needs will be covered.  When we need additional power we will draw on the island power grid, but it won't be set up to put excess power back into the power grid.  The utility company only pays a minimal amount for power into the grid, and their other requirements just didn't make it a sensible option.  

The concrete top (roof) and all the walls are up.  Next week it will be plastered and the door will be installed. Rick and I will seal and paint the tiny equipment building. Then we are all set for equipment. 

Stay tuned for reports on our progress.

Squeaky Wheel

Once again it was time to get a new International Drivers License for our Europe trip this fall.  We went to the drivers license office, gave them all our documentation (passport photo, Bonaire license, and passports) and ask for a new license.  They instructed us to go to the OLB government office to pay for the item and then return with the receipt. 

We went to the OLB payment center and stood in line with 30 other Bonaire residents waiting for an opening.  The door on the OLB payment office has no outdoor handle.  A guard is stationed inside and only allows people in that are on his appointment list.  There is no way to get into the office without an appointment.  We left, discouraged but determined to get this task done in less than 3 months. We only needed 5 minutes to pay the cashier $16.75 each for our licenses.

We returned home to schedule an appointment online.  The first appointment available was July 4th, three months away....plus the American Independence Day and we usually party that day with the expats. I deemed this unacceptable. I sent an email off to the OLM Information center:

"It is ridiculous that I couldn't get an appointment to pay for and International Drivers license until July.  Today is March 3.  All I need is to give money to the cashier.  This should take 5 minutes.  I have to wait three months to pay $16.75.

You should be ashamed of your customer service and inability to provide good services to the residents of Bonaire. Please improve!  I would like an appointment in April."   

Six days later (Easter holiday was occuring during the six days) I received an email:

"Dear Sally,

We have scheduled an appointment for you on April 8 at 8:20 am.

Klant Contact Centrum "

We are now the proud owners of International Drivers Licenses. It took two weeks and a complaint email to the OLB to get action. My squeaky wheel skills are still intact.

 

Easter

Easter weekend on Bonaire.  Two cruise ships (one left before I got a photo). The locals camp on the beaches for the long weekend.  There are tents, canopies, pallet huts, music, lights and crowds. It's an old tradition. They get permits and have to have everything cleared by the end of Easter Monday (the holiday following Easter Sunday). 

Bonaire is predominately Catholic. This is Holy Week. Everything is closed on Good Friday except a few restaurants. The Grocery stores are closed on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and maybe Easter Monday.  Which means that we had to stock up for a five day period. The grocery store parking lot was so full on Thursday that you could not find a spot. The government is closed, service providers are closed, even my cleaning crew changed a regularly scheduled date because of the holiday. 

We are staying home and enjoying our Easter in our own "boutique hotel".  Our fridge is stocked, we have wine, beer and rum, and a pool with no one in it but us. The breeze has picked up and we have no obligations until Sunday Brunch at the beach with friends. 

Ahhh, paradise has not been lost.  We found it in our own back yard.

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Painting Chairs

I bought these chairs made from pallet wood. Many locals make furniture from used wood.  It's a cheap way to build furniture.  Since plastic, metal, fabric, and untreated wood disintegrates in the weather on Bonaire, I thought I would  paint these chairs and they would be a good addition to our apartment patio area. It seemed like a simple project to replace wicker furniture that was falling apart.

Paint supplies are different in Bonaire and Europe.  First of all, the rollers are smaller. I purchased an American roller handle and was unable to find rollers that fit. So I purchased a European style with small rollers.

Paint is different.  Sizes are in liters.  So 2.5 liters is sort-of a gallon (not!) and 1 liter is sort-of a quart. That's my way to understand the sizes of paint cans since I still don't understand the metric system nor the conversion process.

Our friendly paint store is actually a small storefront by some friends' house.  They carry all the things needed for the paint job and also provide advice on how to do it. No water base for me because that paint can't hold up.  It's outside enamel which is a painful clean up.

The paint store recommended sanding the chairs before painting but I opted for the rustic look.  No filling holes, no sanding, just slap the paint on it.

First coat was a white base coat.  I wanted to do the distressed look but my paint guru said that would expose the wood to the weather and negate my plan to coat the wood to make it impervious to moisture. Oh well.

I am the sloppiest painter EVER.  Paint was everywhere on me, on the tarp, in my hair, on my face, splattered everywhere.  I managed to get some paint on the chairs.  Here are the chairs that took three months to paint, multiple trips to the paint store and hours of cleaning up with mineral spirits.

Bee Sting

I was minding my own business while lounging in the pool when a Honey Bee stung me for no apparent reason.  I immediately brushed the bee off and removed the stinger that was sticking straight out of my arm.  Wow, it hurt.

Bonaire typically doesn't have anything in the bug category (other than mosquitos) that bite and cause pain and irritation.  We spray bug spray on ourselves daily to keep the mosquitos away and that usually takes care of things. 

The Bee sting just won't go away. It itches, has a hard bump the size of a silver dollar and is red and painful.  I tried Benadryl after a Google search for treatment. Then I tried multiple Baking Soda paste treatments. I even pulled out heavy duty anti-itch cream. A friend gave me "after-bug-bite" liquid and that didn't seem to calm it down one bit.

It's been 4 days since the attack.  I still have a 3 inch diameter, angry red spot on my arm that won't go away. Maybe I am old and it takes longer to heal? Maybe this was one super-African-killer-Bee? Maybe I am infected with alien venom?  I will let you know if I turn into a superhero-monster-killer-bug.

Back Home

We missed Bonaire while we were in the States.  It was nice to get home.  We have a beautifully decorated home in Bonaire, with decorations that came with the house.  Over the past three years we have tried to incorporate our stuff and style so that we feel more at home. It's an ongoing process to have things that are our choice in the house. Nevertheless, we love our house in Bonaire.

The Sahara Dust welcomed us home with a layer of dust everywhere including the pool.  It's a fact of life in Bonaire this time of year. I promised myself that I would not complain about the conditions on the island because it is still paradise for us...dust and all.

I am now a wildlife photographer (ha).  I was floating in the pool and was harassed by a dragonfly that wanted to land on me.  I shooed him away many times and then decided to embrace the moment.  So here is my attempt at capturing the dragon fly resting on my toe.

Bonaire has the best sunsets. The Sahara Dust and clouds seem to make each sunset more spectacular. It's good to be home!

 

Kansas City

Rick and I traveled to Kansas City to visit his brother who is going through chemo treatments. A trip that found us in the middle of winter on the American Plains to bring moral support and positivity to the patient and his wife. Two of our kids also made the journey a week prior to our trip. It became a family affair. We named our efforts to encourage toughness and resolve as: "Go Team Luce".

 

I had promised myself I would never see a snowflake again or shovel snow. But there we were in a snow storm with temperatures in the low 30's. Rick and I had packed every warm sweater, sweatshirt, long pants and socks that we owned.  We don't have winter coats so we wore fleeces and rain coats. Believe me it was not enough to keep us warm.

One day we discovered palm trees in Kansas City. Okay, they were metal but palm trees nonetheless.  It reminded us of home even though we were wearing everything we brought to stay warm (not wearing flip-flops) and standing in the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant.  

The locks on the grocery carts that require a quarter to unlock the chain holding them together was a familiar sight as we have the same system on Bonaire.  We shopped in a Walgreens that shocked us. The shelves were empty and disheveled. An armed guard stood at the main entrance.  Some items were locked behind wire mesh.  The store manager told us that rampant shop lifiting was real.  He said, " The stuff you see on the news is happening here everyday",  They could not keep the shelves stocked or orderly.  We have never seen a store in such bad shape.

We had an opportunity to get some Cruzan rum which we haven't had since we were on St Croix.  It's a rich spiced dark rum distilled on St. Croix but not exported to Bonaire.  It did a fine job of warming us in the evenings from the Kansas City cold.

The Superbowl was held while were were in Kansas City.  The whole town was going wild after the win and then went quiet after the shooting.  We saw and felt the highest high and the lowest low. 

The hospital had a huge balloon display and so we had to take a selfie to commemorate our Kansas City visit. 

Bocce

One of our friends set up a Bocce league at a local snack bar out in the kunuku. We joined up and played our first games.  It's a great Sunday afternoon pastime.  We used to play Bocce at our  water ski lake in Colorado. Now we have an actual playing course instead of playing on the beach.

Happy's is a snacky which a hut out in the wilds of Bonaire.  Every Sunday they reserve a table and at Bocce course for us.  We play for free but buy loads of beer and food.

 

It's quite competitive and we have a referee with tape measure that settles all disputes about who got what points. I would like to say its a friendly game but we do have some keen competitors and there is a lot of trash talking going on throughout the match.

We all have a lot of fun just being together ....drinking beer lightens our mood.

Carpal Tunnel

I had carpal tunnel surgery on my wrist/hand to alleviate the numbness I have had for the past 5 years. They took my clothes, left me with my panties, gave me a paper dress and drugs.  It was a simple 15 minute surgery that took 4 hours from the time I got drugged to the time I came to from the anesthesia .  A pain block was administered which kept my hand numb for about 12 hours.

My right hand was wrapped and put into a sling. My fingers looked like sausages especially with the bright pink anti-bacteria wash they put on my hand and arm. My hand remained pink for a week because it doesn't wash off until you pour alcohol on the wound.  Left me with 6 stiches which makes me look like I slit my own wrist. It will be two weeks before the stiches come out.

Two days after the surgery, the surgeon took off the bandage and put on a sticky pad. He gave me instructions to change the pad every two days, use alcohol and don't get the wound wet.  

I am now using my worthless left hand.  It does not know how to brush my teeth, pick up or hold anything. I don't know why they gave me a left hand because it can do nothing.  Rick has had to pick up the slack because my two hands are not helpful. 

As a side note, we had an island wide blackout for a full day and into the night.  Rick and I were well prepared with our rechargeable lights, a head light, wine and dip-it artisan bread. You just have to embrace island life no matter what it throws at you.

A Year of Selfies

Happy New Year from Bonaire