Reflecting

 My life has become very narrow.  The days and weeks slip by.  So odd. I am busy enough.  I only leave the house to go to the shops once or twice a week. My few friends drop in, and I putter around in the garden bothering the plants, cleaning up, cooking and painting.  I am content doing little chores,  rearranging things, and answering emails. I exchange pleasantries with the men at the Bar, chat with the shop and market women and talk to the tourists. Local events, dramas, politics and concerns are always foremost. The vagaries of the sea, wind, and rain are in the background

I fume angrily when they turn up the music to ridiculous volumes on the Square or Evangelical preachers go on and on, loudly, for hours. and swarms of motorcycles thunder past on a Friday night. making this old house quake and ancient termites fall from the ceiling. Dominicans are a boisterous people. 

The backyard is now lush with Vervain, Tanya, hot pepper plants and some bush I can't name, but has a reputation of preventing prostrate troubles if you drink a tea made with its leaves.  I have a huge gooseberry tree, a carambola (star fruit), a pomme citier, (golden apple), Sea Grape, tropical almond,  coconut and banana trees and others too unknown to mention   The broken sour sop tree has put forth leafy branches, and the avocado has new growth.  I am amazed.  I thought, for sure, they were dead.  But no, in this hot, wet, sunny climate, plants don't die.

The dogs are fine and enjoying life.  

I am healthy. slower and stiffer, but no serious aches and pains.  I can still ignore most of it.  I have lost my manual grip so I drop everything. 

I am fussing with the question of going up there this spring.  When? If? Maybe May? for 4 weeks. I miss Anthony, Nick, and Samantha. but the thought of travelling, especially in these troubled times, is less than encouraging.

Sunset viewed from our deck

Some recent artwork

Me

McDowill Magloire

Indian River