A Dazzler

Erythynia - just starting to bloom.

This is one of those dazzling beautiful days. The sky is so clear and blue, the water is turquoise, the sun is shining.

It was also the coldest morning we've experienced here - 63 degrees! Chilly. We always found this statement to be amusing when made by others, that 63 degrees could be considered cold, right up until we experienced it for ourselves. Our bodies have adjusted to this tropical climate with its warmer temperatures and when it drops and there is a strong breeze off the ocean, it is chilly. Last night at our women's Bible study, several ladies were wearing long sleeved shirts, two wore sweaters and one had a sweatshirt! The die-hards wore the sundresses or tank tops anyway.

We have the new stove installed and operating. We tested the oven with my oven thermometer and compared the readings with the chart in the manual. We think we have it figured out. We had hauled the old stove out onto the deck, and there it sat when Merlin came down this morning. She asked what we were going to do with it, we said haul it to the dump, and she said "oh no! There are people who could use this." We explained what had happened, that it was really unsafe to use, but she insisted that someone really in need could find a way to repair it. So she made some calls and a little while later, Dennis came down with his pickup to take the old stove to someone who was willing to attempt a repair. I hope no one gets hurt in the effort and that no one will use it without having it repaired - if that is even possible.

Some more details about the stove shopping adventure. We bought it at Molinero's in Coxen Hole at the open-air store, well, actually it's under a tent type roof, but the sides are all open, the floor is partly packed dirt and partly wood. They have another store further down the street that's in a normal building. The salesman walked us down there to look at the model which we finally settled on. When we agreed to take it, he walked us back to the open store, and while he started on the paperwork, Don walked across the street to the bank to withdraw the money. The salesman first had to shoo some visitors who were sitting at his desk and around it, visiting with another employee. That's commonplace here; the people are very social. Once that was done, and the visitors left, he got started but then was distracted by a soap opera that had just come on. He had a hard time focusing on the paperwork. Don was back from the bank before he had it together. He called us over finally, Don gave him the money, and then he took three pieces of paper, stuck carbon paper (remember that?) between each sheet and then put the little bundle into a daisy wheel type printer (remember those?) and printed out our receipt. And we were done! That was around 2:30 p.m. At 4:45, the delivery truck pulled up by our house, bearing the new stove. No dolly. They just scooted it off the truck, caught it and two men carried it down the stairs (one walking backwards) and into the house. And these were not big burly guys, either.

The ant battle continues. Don's got the flyswatter out, slapping away. The wall above the window in his little office was covered with those big ants this morning. They're probably refugees from the ant hill extermination.

Well, time to go sit in the porch swing and enjoy the day. Adios!