You Know You’re Home When…

It’s like we’ve never left!  We’re right back in the groove again.

I was late the first day back to work because the battery had died on the van.  The blood machine at the clinic wasn’t working properly and delayed labwork I needed before proceeding with surgery.  My first case was putting to sleep a sweet, aged Golden Retriever while her family sobbed uncontrollably.  My cat spay ended up being pregnant. The door knob at the back of the clinic fell off, locking us indoors.  The knob on the cold water in the bathtub is broken.  And the air-conditioner can’t keep up with the heat so the clinic is hovering around 80*F by late afternoon.

Just one thing after another!  We’re back home!!

We’re still laughing though.  It was so good to see the girls at work.  They really are family to me and I missed being around them during the last 3 weeks.

It’s good to have a sense of humor. We had a client drop by this week who has a chronically ill dog and so far the medicine hasn’t been working.  They really need to proceed to a specialist but they were hoping that antibiotics would be the simple answer.  The debate over what to do with the animal was getting difficult…when she eats she vomits, she can’t take her medicine but the next step is going to a specialist but they really don’t want to do that. Eureka!  They found an answer….stop feeding the dog!  WHAT??!!  Now why didn’t they teach me that in veterinary school?

Today when we got ready for church we all breathed a sigh of relief.  I love the church in Bermuda but it was so nice to walk out the door, load up in the car and drive straight to church.  At one point I yelled to the kids, “Hurry up…we have to catch the bus!”.  They all looked at me like I was crazy.  Then when we got in the car I said, “Now remember, when we get to town we’ll probably have to walk in the rain”.  Yep…they think I’m ever crazier.

It was just fun to revel in the freedom of driving to the door of the church, rain or shine.  And we were so excited that we showed up nearly an hour early!  And we all fit on our regular row…3 row, left of center.

Gas is only $2.39 per gallon and we drove straight to church…yep, we’re home.

Bermuda Vacation 2009: Day #20

Well, we did it…we came home.  I was kicking and screaming (quietly in my heart) and Darin was leaping for joy.  He had done his time on the “Rock” and was ready to head back to our little green acres.  I was ready to stay there forever in my own little world of denial!

Totally unlike anything we’ve ever done before, we actually woke up early, had all our suitcases packed, stripped all the bedding and vacuumed the house.  Strange.

I think at some point I opened my big, fat mouth and said, “This is awesome!  We’re all ready to go and we’re having any stress!”.

Then the taxi never arrived…and then he called and he was lost (Bermuda is only 21 square miles…you can’t get too lost!).  We figured after getting advice from Mom he’d be there in 4 minutes.  But, 4 minutes became 14 minutes and now it’s raining.  We’re standing out in the driveway looking for him so he doesn’t miss the turn onto our street.  But, with the rain, we had to move the party into the garage.  We must have looked a bit silly all crammed in the single garage with our luggage…everyone was out there except Darin.  He was inside waiting for the phone to ring again.

The gentleman pulled in 30 minutes late when the rain was coming down heavy.  He backed up to the garage door and we loaded the best we could.  Darin reminded him that we were supposed to be at the airport in 7 minutes…then the race took off.

We started off down Middle Road (logical choice) but when we got to Burnt House Hill he turned off to Harbor Road!  I’m not sure what his reasoning was.  Harbor Road is beautiful.  It’s my choice when I’m going into town but it’s wiggly and narrow in spots.  For most of the way, you could never pass anyone.

So, now I’m thinking, “He’s purposely going out of his way since we complained about him being so late!”.  It didn’t help that the man had a very unusual voice…like he was suffering from severe laryngitis.  I couldn’t understand a word he was saying over the van noises and the rain.

From there he took another turn and another twist and we were on roads I’ve never been on…ever.  We ended up just west of Flatt’s and then he took North Shore road again.  The least I can say is we certainly got the scenic route!  He was zipping here and zapping there.

We got to the airport in 37 minutes.  I patted him on the shoulder and said, “You should be a race car driver” and he replied, “I used to.”.  Great.

Waiting at the airport

Bermuda Vacation 2009: Day #20

Our last day in paradise…oh my.  I just don’t know what to do with all my emotions.  It’s hard “vacationing” somewhere that is “home”.  If I was at Disneyland or in Hawaii, I probably would have had my fill by now.  But, I never tire of Bermuda.  Leaving here means so much loss for me…I have to leave so much of me behind.

We woke up to nearly a “white out”…the rain is so bad we can’t see across the sound to Dock Yard.  It is really coming down.  I believe our “work” here is done!  We promised them rain, but this is ridiculous!  My cousin called this morning and said, “You’ve done enough…!”.

It is raining

Bermuda Vacation 2009: Day #19

We had a nice storm blow in last night.  It was absolutely gorgeous sitting on the veranda with the stiff breeze and all the lightening bouncing around up high in the clouds.  I honestly don’t recall alot of thunderstorms in Bermuda (memory loss?).  Most of the rains we get caught up in are just that…rain showers.  But, last night it was an electrical storm of great magnitude!

We’ve had reports from home that something is crawling through the trap-door of the chicken house and murdering the chickens.  Our flock has gone down to half the size (from 42 to about 20).  I guess we have lots of work to do when we get home, finding the rascally bobcat/raccoon/skunk that is doing the damage….and buying new baby chicks.

I do love my chickens…they are the sweetest little pets to have.   I guess I just never imagined that a bird could be so interested in me.  They really are inquisitive and fun to be around (minus the bird poop).  Maybe I need to teach them self-defense?

Today we needed “self-defense” on the bus!  My word…it’s like 4000 people have been dumped on the west end of Bermuda and they were ALL on the bus!

I must say it was like watching a bunch of lost children fend for themselves…they’re trying their best not to get lost, no thanks to the bus schedule.  Buses were inappropriately marked and running tightly together to try to accommodate the bulging population (boat people).  The ferry to St. George’s was canceled because of the rough weather and small craft advisories.   So, all the tourists could get as far as Hamilton and then they all just swarmed around trying to figure out what else they could do and how to get back to the ships.

The kids pose under a Poinciana Tree

Bermuda Vacation 2009: Day #18

The days are dwindling down and we’re just trying to coast…get a few last things done but basically enjoy the last days of relaxation before returning to reality.  Today was the first day of summer and the day with the longest period of daylight.  We would have really enjoyed that if it was sunny…

We started our day as  any other Sunday…trekking down the hill to the bus.  The only problem today was we had a miscommunication about who was going to push the “next stop” button on the bus…so no one did!  We ended up getting off several blocks away from our intended stop…and trekking back up the street then up the hill.  By the time we got to church we were a sweaty mess.  The doors were shut while the prayer was being said.  So, we stood in the un-air-conditioned vestibule just watching the sweat roll off our faces.

Inside there was no room to sit.  Eventually people moved over and we squeezed in two here, 3 there, 4 there….nothing we would ever consider doing at home.  We were thankful for our seats and the good company of people to sit with.  The singing was  great (we learned some new songs like “Jesus Is The Best Thing”) and the special music was awesome.  The pastor reminded the congregation that all this turmoil over the Guantanamo prisoners has to be measured against God’s Word and we can’t let the devil use it to cause fighting and racial problems.  His argument was scripturally founded and right on!  And, in his closing remarks he used an example of a time in Bermuda back in 1963 when racial tensions were eased with a large gospel rally, spear-headed by Bill Patterson…my uncle that I never got to meet.  But, he was a missionary who came to Bermuda and changed so many hearts to the Lord. 

It was a strange Father’s Day.  Without good transportation and at the mercy of the weather, we had limited choices of where to go and what to do.  We settled on a good, home-cooked meal and a swim at the beach.  Of course, it rained.  We did get a small swim in before packing it up and going back home. 

Today's Beach

Bermuda Vacation 2009: Day #17

I’m still in disbelief…I can’t believe I’m here.  We just got back from a drive to town and just all the sights and sounds and smells overwhelm me.  How on earth could I be fortunate enough to be here?

Today started with sunshine so we packed our picnic lunch, our snorkels and goggles, and all our swimming regalia and took off for the beach.  We decided to do something wild-and-crazy and visit a new beach.

I will tell you we live just up the hill from the finest beach on the island…the water is beautiful, the surf is never too rough, the undertow is minimal, the beach sand is raked every morning, life guards are on duty and there’s a beach house complete with food, toilets and showers!  The beach also has busloads of people…the “boat people” that we refer to so often.

There are quieter coves that we often sneak away too that are nearby but we never get brave enough to just go crazy and head to a different area altogether.   So, we hopped on the bus and headed to Dockyard where a park has been built for swimming.  The advertisements in the tourist magazines make it look pretty spectacular with inflatable slides and water toys.

Other then spending time on the beach a lot of time is spent waiting on the bus, don't you feel sorry for us?

Bermuda Vacation 2009: Day #16

Rain, rain….go away…come again another day!  Oops….I’m not allowed to sing that.  So far we have been the “Ambassadors of Rain”, bringing rain and happiness to every parish we travel to.  So, I guess, with such a vital need for rain, we will continue our mission of mercy.

Meanwhile…11 people in a small house on a rainy day!  So, what do you do?  Well, Mom taught the kids how to play marbles.  We have a circle made of string taped to the living room floor.  And everyone has their “bungy” or “shooter”.  And, of course, we have marbles everywhere (not necessarily the ones I’ve lost).

Brock lines up his next shot

Bermuda Vacation 2009: Day #15

I just got through digging through some cabinets in the living room.  It all started with a hunt for a Rubik’s Cube…Brock is recently obsessed with solving a “real” Rubik’s Cube rather than a similar game on his ITouch.

Opening that cabinet door was like opening Pandora’s Box…well, minus all the dreadful things that are supposed to happen!  The only dreadful thing in the cabinet was dust and mildew….whew!  It’s amazing how much accumulates in a humid climate like this.

What I did find was all the old family games that I played with my grandparents since I was just a little kid….Parcheesi, Sorry, Aggravation, Password,Yahtzee, Boggle, Scrabble…oh, the nights spent on the veranda laughing and teasing and spending hours just playing games!

Remember the Parcheesi dice?  The ones you shake in that little cardboard flask…shake, shake, shake, roll!  Sometimes the dice were practically weapons.   And just like in Sorry or Aggravation we’d all be waiting to send someone “home” with that very passionate (or was that sarcastic?) “Sorry” to  go with it.

Bermuda Vacation 2009: Day #14

The best thing about a vacation like this is you just wake up and ask yourself, “What are we doing today?”.  Sometimes no one answers you and that’s OK.    Most days we just wait and see what the weather is like and then decide from there.

Today Darin thought it would be a great idea to head back to the trails near Grotto Bay where we went GeoCaching earlier.  There are caves and grottoes scattered throughout the reserve that we knew would just thrill Braeden & Brock.

So, off we went on our trusty steeds.  The Walsingham Nature Reserve is located next to Castle Harbour and also on the back side of the Crystal, Fantasy and Leamington Caves.  Also known as “Tom Moore’s Jungle”, the reserve has everything 11 year old boys find intriguing…secret paths that disappear into the jungle, doors that open to hidden caves, crystal-clear lakes, stalactites, stalagmites, columns, curtains, mud…they would have stayed there all day.

Cave exploration

Bermuda Vacation 2009: Day #13

Everyone can relax now.  I went to town today and bought 8 cream puffs…life is good.

We also went to Immigration to get my application for Bermuda status.  With “status” I can come and go from the island as a Bermuda native.  It does not give me Bermudian citizenship or a passport, but gives me a link to Bermuda based on my nationality.

I’ve thought about doing it for the last year, but just assumed it would be impossible.  Mom filed for Tim and he received his status so I’m going to give it a try.  With my status, my children can also apply for status.  Darin is out of luck.

While we were in town, we climbed the 155 steps up to the top of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity church.  The first 3 or 4 steps were fine…the other 151 really stunk.  You’ve never seen so much quivering flesh in your life!  But, the view from the top was phenomenal.

With the Tall Ships gone, the island seems a bit dull.  We were kinda lost today on what to do.  We all basically agreed to just relax.  Jesse cooked supper….pork chops, scalloped potatoes, green beans and rolls.  That kid can cook!  It was delicious.

Church Bay is great place for pictures

We set out a new GeoCache on south shore.  I like to entertain myself by exploring the area while Darin works on the final details of the cache (finding the coordinates).  Today I found several chameleons that needed my attention.  The Spanish Bayonettes, Norfolk pines and flowers were also so stunning up against the tourquoise water.