Winter on Roatan

Some gorgeous sunsets as the weather changes with increased rain, more swells, and actual waves on the outer reef. Winter on the island.....an all pictures post! 

Oh yes and a kitty, we named Chiste (joke in Spanish), after she showed up on our doorstep just days after we were wishing we had a cat! 

 Be careful what you wish for, right? 

On a friend's boat.....

Taken on my walk from speech therapy along the beach yesterday....

 
 


later at the dock.....

 see the moon?

Marino and friends last week on the water taxi to West Bay

The Rainy Season

How to read outside in the rain

It is hard to capture just how hard it can rain here!

The rainy season has arrived! A month late and not in full swing, but still it is here and it is lovely. It typically rains all night and then two to three times a day with sunshine in between. It has cooled off to the high 70's at night which means we need a blanket! The wind, weather, and water currents have changed direction and now come from the west and not the east. Unfortunately this has brought an abundance of plastic trash to our beaches and ocean. It is not only unslightly but is dangerous for the sea life. The jellyfish are gone however since the water is slightly cooler.

Frogs and tadpoles are in puddles and their croaking can be unbelievably loud at times. Mosquitos are also breeding and should be expected to arrive en masse about the time my mom and aunt arrive for American Thanksgiving! Dengue fever is on the rise and various cold and flu bugs are going around. I have had an usual number of client cancellations in the last couple of weeks. Herons and egrets are now commonly found at the water's edge and hunting for fish. There are many more birds in general along the shore and they can often be spotted with a recently caught fish.

The ocean, which had been silent for the first four months, can now be heard from our house as waves crash onto the outer barrier reef.  The water is more churned up than usual and the last dive we did had very poor visibility. We still snorkel whenever we can and last weekend Lucia joined us for a swim to the "underwater museum" which is an attraction which has been set up with "artifacts" that have been placed in a sandy area a swim from our dock. She rode a rubber boat home, but it was so awesome she swam out there by herself! Marino continues to swim to the reef with us. Just the other night, he and I swam to the inner reef right before and during sunset with our friend Rawane. It will be one of those times I always remember. The light was gorgeous, the ocean active, and the water felt divine. We spotted a green sea turtle, 2 lobsters, a school of blue tangs, and much more.

This is the first season we have had since arriving in Roatan and the change is welcome. An umbrella and ziplock bags are always in my backpack now as the rain can start suddenly and be a ferocious downpour in moments! I love the sound of the rain as I fall asleep every might and the feel of a light  blanket on me. It feels cozy in our wooden house.

Green Iguana Mural Project

Dan-Last week my 7/8th grade class (total of 6 students) put together a mural for a competition held by a conservation group to bring awareness about saving Green Iguanas. The Green Iguanas are almost extinct on the island because of being killed to eat and loosing their habitat.

In three crazy days the students came up with an idea, gathered materials, then painted, glued, and taped a mural together. I do not feel that I am much of a visual artist so this was way out of my comfort zone. There was as much pushing and pulling to get this done as there was to do any other type of school work, which was challenging for me because I thought there would have been more enthusiasm over "being out of the classroom". In the end the kids took a lot of pride over there work and out of 5 schools that entered we took 2nd place! Very exciting for the students, myself, and the school. The 2nd place prize was 3,000 limperes, about $150. Below is a note that I sent to the parents to describe the project and a short exert from what the kids wrote about the project.

The 7/8th grade class has been furiously busy making a beautiful mural for the Conservacion de la Iguana Verde project, which is sponsored by the Bay Island Conservation Association. This is a competition that many schools around the island are participating in. There is a L5,000 first place price!

We can save the Iguanas by leaving them alone! Let them live free in the wild so they can re-produce more Iguanas. Iguanas are a vital part of our Island’s fragile Ecosystem. They eat fruits such as bananas and plants like trumpet leaves and Hibiscus. They help spread the seeds for many native plants.

Talk to your friends about not eating Iguanas and explain why they are important to the Island. Help save the fragile environment of our Island. Pick-up trash, recycle and re-use materials like plastic bags and bottles. Report to the BICA if you see someone killing or trying to catch Iguanas.

Our mural is made out of all recycled materials. We used every part of plastic water bottles to show that are many ways to re-use materials. Plastic bottles litter the beaches and forest of our Island and contribute to taking away the environment of the Iguanas.