Sunday, 19 May 2019: Brussels

We bought new plants at Lindlsey's -- our favorite greenhouse in Green Bay and we got most of our planters and pots planted and most of the outside toys out (swings, tetherball, chairs, wind chimes, etc).  I bought birdseed and we will have feeders up and running shortly.   I made the simple syrup for the hummingbird feeders and got three going.  (We have five going in Mexico and I hope Abraham is keeping them filled.)  I still haven’t found the solar lights so I'll keep looking.  Justin has been moving the line of border hostas on a couple of the flower beds.  (We just read that hostas first came from Japan!  I think these plants aren't too popular in Texas so I never knew about them but Justin sure does.) 

 It will be fun to watch these plants mature throughout the season.  I hope I remember to take pictures in September and compare.

 Jonas and Caleb has concerts at school this week so we got to go!  Yes, I signed in at the front office like a well-trained school visitor.  We all went to Smart Cow after for frozen yogurt for a treat.

Dave, from Waterfront Solutions, came out to look at our shoreline. It is so depressing!  We learned that to have rip-rap stones placed to prevent further erosion, the cost is about $250/ft for three feet high and $450/ft for three feet high.  We have about 280 feet of shoreline!  YIKES!

Fortunately we were able to harvest a bit of

  asparagus from our garden before it falls into the bay!

Today was the season kick off at Windjammers Sailing Club.  I went to help Terry.  She is the Bar Czar but she swears she is not the Social Director -- right...

Justin wore a Hawaiian shirt in hopes that the weather will eventually get warm and it matched nicely with Terry's Hawaiian beverage container… or maybe that is for smoking something???

Perhaps the highlight of the day was for me was that after the Sailing Club we met AnneMarie at Chaudoir’s Dock for drinks.  It was the first time we'd seen her this season.  I've missed her!

Monday, 13 May 2019: Green Bay

The neighborhood where our house is on Hartung called a civic meeting in response to the March flooding.  This was the first time I’d been to any civic type meeting -- the mayor, councilmen, fire dept, police, etc were there to explain what they had done and to listen to constituents concerns.  We were lucky because we were not flooded and when we looked at the map of the flood line, I knew just how lucky we were.  

The meeting was held in the local elementary school -- funny how they all smell the same.  When I went into the restroom I was at first surprised to see supplies of toilet paper and paper towels. I am always surprised to see this in elementary schools -- middle and high schools would never be able offer students such easy access to these flammable items!  Yes, this is the voice of experience!

My next moment of "oh, yes, I remember this" was when the Fire Marsha started his presentation -- nothing's changed on this front -- "death by powerpoint" is alive and well.

We went to El Sarape for dinner; this is Justin's favorite Mexican food restaurant in Green Bay.  It was the first time we’ve had Mexican food since we’ve been home. I still haven’t bought avocados however --  they are as hard as baseballs and I almost faint from the sticker shock!

Sunday, 12 May 2019: Brussels

Today was Mother’s Day.  Kris and her family were kind enough to honor me with a beautiful hanging basket.  It is now proudly hung on our patio where I can see it often.

Justin power washing Merlin early in the week

Boats in was yesterday.  Justin helped but not as much as usual since his back is still giving him grief.  Chris is buying Emerald and will work on both boats as part of the payment.  Emerald will stay on the hard this summer; Merlin was launched.  With a bit of luck we will be able to go out on her soon.  

The harbor early in the week

Noon on Saturday -- almost all boats in -- no catastrophe; all is good.

Frosty Tip opened last week!  They are open only seasonally from May through mid-September   I celebrated with a chocolate shake while Justin had a Chocolate Banana Walnut Wonder. 

I am noticing more signs of spring on my walks.  Now more and more daffodils are greeting me each day.  I also see fewer mailboxes taped up.  I still think it is strange that they can so blatantly advertise that folks are out of town, that houses are empty and it is all ok.  The post office puts bright green neon tape on your mailbox when you are gone.  It makes me think I really do live on a different planet.  A few days ago I found a carpet on Facebook's Marketplace (actually Kris found it for me.)  Justin stayed in the car while I went up to look at it and decide.  I called him from the elevator to tell him I was going into unit 301.  If they'd wanted to harvest my kidneys, I would have wanted him to know where I was last seen.  As it turned out, the lady was closing down her parents home; they are moving into assisted living.  She was from Wisconsin but now lived in Dallas.  I told her I'd never have gone into a house alone in Houston and she said she wouldn't do that in Dallas either.  Yes … different planet -- thankfully!

Last winter in Celestun my "jigsaw puzzle" was to match all the keys to their locks and doors.  Justin built a Martin house this week -- this was his jogsaw puzzle.  We are probably too late the Martins for this year but we will be ready next year.  They say one Martin will eat over 400 mosquitoes each day.  We have plenty to go around.  

Yesterday I pumped my own gas for first time in over six months.  We don't have the EOS up and running yet this season and I'd needed to borrow Kris's car for the afternoon.  I knew I couldn't return the vehicle without filling it up first so I pulled into the station and wait... oh... I need to do this.  In Mexico all gas is full service and so far this year Justin and I have been together and he's done it.  Yes, it was like riding a bicycle -- I didn't forget.  

I stopped by Tony and Mo's to get eggs.  I am quite happy to pay $2.50 a dozen for his farm eggs rather than about a dollar a dozen at the grocery store.  He's been out lately when I stopped by so I called to order.  When I asked him if he thought he'd have extra tomorrow he said "it depends on how hard the girls work tonight."  Seems his demand is higher right now so maybe I'll just place a standing order.