On the road again……and I’ll be writing about all the things swirling around in my small brain. I know I should be doing this at night….when the thoughts are free and the past is present, but I’ve been on the road and away from a ‘writing machine’…..sure do miss those typewriters….I could really go fast on those babies, and the keys of the Selectric, were just in the right spot. Oh Well…
Been visiting wonderful friends, wonderful family, wonderful old towns that are well known in my heart. Have welcomed back memories of our family home, the high school I graduated from 50 years ago this year…..and wonderful country auctions,full of lifetimes treasures, awaiting new homes..
The corn is truly ‘higher than an elephant’s eye’ but the yards are crisp from lack of rain. Hostas outline beautiful neighborhood homes and the Dairy Queen is packed kids. Little League is in full swing, and the lights glow until at least 10 each evening.
The swimming pool is busy and the park is full of picnics and teens ‘polishing their cars’ under the shade of the oak, maple, and walnut.
Golfers tee off early….really really early……cause 9 holes before they get to work is just a wonderful way to start the day.
Joggers are jogging…..walkers are walking, and gentle hands covered with garden gloves tend the faded blooms of roses and petunias.
Vacation Bible School is commencing…..swimming lessons are in full swing….tennis, and basketball courts are full of one or ten.
Yes, I’m ‘on the road again’ and it is a refreshing journey to the present and of the past.
It was a nice cruise…..especially since we were leaving 2 days after the accident off the coast of Italy. Sure got us thinking about how to exit, in case of emergency. Always look around, planes and ships….serious business
But this is not about that…you know. This is about what it says in the ads and what life is really like, on some of our stopovers. We enjoy the opportunity to meet people, and enjoy new places. We are very lucky to have seen a lot of the United States and know, without a doubt, it is the best place ever.
Having said that….our 5 stops offered us a little of what the Caribbean is like. Its beauty, its people, its history, its colorful buildings, etc. I cannot deny there is all of the above….but very little of the magic one dreams about.
There is no running water on some islands…no running water!! The only water one gets, comes from rain, caught in a container! Sounds romantic unless you have 4 kids, and 2 dogs and 10 plus loads of wash a week. Does not work well in a place with no running water.
There is no sewage disposal on some islands….mmmmm need I say more.
YOu may not wear any type of camo clothing on a certain island…..don’t want to mistake you for either a bad guy,or the real police.
Unfinished houses are passed down from parents to children. If the current family makes any overage during the year, they add a cement block or two and put in more rebar. It continues to be built slowly, not in months but years/generations.
Most make their money off tourism…..tourism that lasts from November to April. They sell all the same things one can find in any tourist town…t-shirts, pens, cards, dolls, towels, etc.
Most island businesses who are successful in the tourism portion of town, sell alcohol, diamonds, tanzanite, and perfume. “Big deals”, they say are offered……doubt it very much. Bailey’s sells for the same there as it does here. Most brand name hard stuff, sells for about the same too.
Don’t want to rain on your parade…..just offering some insight as to how 3rd world some of these island are. Their land is beautiful, their lifestyle is not to be envied. (At least that is my opinion)
And lastly, I sometimes felt like the ‘queen’ coming off a magnificent cruise ship….Would they trade places with me……in a moment. I was embarrassed. I hear of so many US tourists ‘showing off’ on their journeys to other lands. I wanted to be sure I was not one of them.
I am one lucky SOB…..I know it! I think most of you are too. Just keep some of these things in mind when you travel. Be gracious, be understanding, be careful, and be thankful! later
We try to keep things as low key as possible…..we hide the suitcases…..bringing them out to fill when he is in the other room napping. His potty box stays in the usual spot until the last second….
I must say, however, Pookie is a seasoned traveler….He has been ‘on the road’ at least 4 times a year, cross country, which does not include our trips to Las Vegas to see his cousins, two beagles, an old barn cat, and a desert tortoise that will live longer than all of us. Pook came to us 12 years ago.He is one of those ‘ordinary’ American Shorthair designs. Even when we adopted him from another family who were getting rid of children (graduating from high school and college) and pets (schooling unknown), we thought him cute but kind of dull. However, we soon learned we were dead wrong and he has been an absolute joy, even a party at certain times.
First we found we didn’t have to worry about a water bowl….we already had them, scattered around the house….yes toilets. Works fine for him, works fine for me. Next, an even more important trick came to our attention….he can open doors. Not too good with the knobs, but with the handle kind, he is killer. Friends who come to visit, and who are not especially ‘cat’ people, come to find him sitting on their chest about 7:30AM.He is either looking for breakfast or a nice warm spot to cuddle for some extra winks. Because of this, we station door stops for privacy.
Now back to vacation……well, the bags are packed, the maps are found, the Interstate has been picked out, the La Quintas have been chosen, and now we show him the red leash! Yes he walks on a leash….and he’s pretty good at it….Or I’m pretty good walking with a leash, don’t know which. The leash isused for safety,cause I don’t want him to jump and run when a German Shephard, also staying at the La Quinta, comes strolling down the hall. We walk on a leash regularly cause it keeps him (or me) in shape. Cat owners also know that when walking, a cat will always walk along the wall, not out in the middle of the hall….that is the ‘wild part’ still in him. The interesting part is that Pookie always follows the wall to the extreme…he even zigs and zags in and out of the doors to each of the rooms. A little OCD maybe? Who knows.
He also is good at sitting on top of hotel luggage carriers….He waits patiently til cat box, cat food, suitcases, and books are packed and then sits proudly as we stroll down to our room. I might add he even understands the concept of elevators and waits til the door is completly open or closed before entering or exiting.
We have even been offered special deals while we were vacationing……A growing family of 5, packing and piling in the little tikes one morning, offered an even trade……our dutiful pet for all of their clan. We passed. Our clan is now in their mid-thirties.
As of this writing, Pookie is now visiting his cousins in Shreveport, La. They include a black cat, 1/2 his size, who can chew him up and spit him out in a second, and a full-sized golden doodle. Although they have know each other for 8 years, they have not grown tight. His cousins try to show him a good time, however, he chooses to hiss in response, and head directly for his room. He does not leave until the potty box leaves and there is no talking him out of it……
I know, I’ve heard it from Pookie a thousand times…..you can choose your friends, but not your family”. It’s only a few days away from Thanksgiving….so forget what Pookie says…..don’t hiss at your relatives, know where the potty box is, and enjoy your meal.
seriouslyscorpio 