Moonracerfarm Belize: This and that and more pictures

The tool shed before the new roof

The tool shed with a new roof

We found out today that the mail system works, although not the way we expected. We have a general delivery address in San Antonio, and we figured it was our responsibility to check with the post master once in a while to see if we’ve received any mail. We don’t have to do that; Selwyn showed up for work this morning with some mail – only a Belize cell phone bill, but it was a good test of the system. Selwyn said that as he walked by the post office on the way out of town, the post master came out, asked him if he was on his way to work, and asked if Selwyn could deliver our mail. Selwyn could and did, although even he was surprised that the post master knew who we were and knew that Selwyn ways working here.

Speaking of work, we’re trying to figure out how to explain to the neighborhood kids that even though we’re at home, we’re working. They’re off school for Easter break for the next two weeks, and we’ve apparently become entertainment for them. For us, since at the moment all the money is going out of our bank account rather than in, it’s easy to get up every morning and be motivated to work on the property so we can get the inn up and running as soon as possible and start making some money. However, as far as the neighbors can see, we’re just hanging out on our land, working on the house because it’s fun, and if the kids come over to play, aren’t they doing us a favor and providing a diversion in our boring day? For them, work is something that the dads get up and go out to do every day, and they prove they were at work because they come home with more money at the end of the week. We’re not going anywhere and nobody’s paying us, so what we’re doing can’t be considered work. We understand that it’s a tough concept. Even as adults living the situation, Tom and I recognize that he has an easier time than I do working for himself, working on a long term project, and staying focused. So, if I have trouble with the “it’s a work day even though I’m not going to a job” concept how can we expect the neighborhood kids to understand? I guess we could yell at them, tell them we’re busy, and to just go home, but we really like the kids – and their parents – so we don’t want to do anything that could be interpreted as mean or impatient. So, we’re trying to explain nicely, and when they come over we just continue to do whatever we’re doing, but we’re also going to have to factor in a little bit of a delay in our schedule for necessary social time.

Tom met his work goals yesterday, despite visits from the kids. The tool shed now has a roof, and both bathroom additions in the first cabin have floors. Tuesday’s goal is to get the doors in the frames and ready to be hung, and then to cut the door holes in the side of the cabin out to the additions. I managed to chop all the way around the fence line for the second pasture, and started on the chicken coop. Once I get the brush cut away from in and around the coop, the guys next door offered to come over and rebuild the thatch roof that used to be on the coop. When that’s done, we’ll get some hens and start having our own eggs.

I haven’t been writing about the weather because it’s been so nice I haven’t wanted to rub in the fact that we’re here in the glorious sunshine while most of our friends and family are in the cool, damp, and grey north. But, lots of people have asked, so I’ll tell you. The weather is beautiful. Almost every day is brilliantly sunny, low humidity, nice breeze, and about 85. Every once in a while we have a grey and drizzly morning, and that’s nice too. Everything is a little greener after a little bit of rain, and the rain holds down the dust in the road. We’re coming into the hot dry season, when we’ll really wish for rain, but right now we’re just enjoying the sunshine and the pleasant temperatures.

Besides requests for info on the weather, we’ve also had requests for more pictures in the blog. I’ll try to get more pictures, but I’m not making any promises because that will require actually taking the pictures, and having the blog site work well enough that the pictures will upload, which doesn’t always happen. But I’ll try.

Esmerelda has a friend now. He’s Selwyn’s old horse, Burrito. He’s a 12 year old mountain pony that Selwyn keeps around for his kids, and right now he’s hanging around to keep Esmerelda company. I’m going to go look at the other horse on Tuesday or Wednesday, so then there may be three horses in the pasture.