The day I almost lost Douglas, again.

A long long time ago, there was a baby iguana named Douglas.
Douglas escaped her captor on Popular St. and ran across the street to the neighbors bushes.

I was able to recover the wily little lizard with a mad swipe of the hand.

She's been living at Honey Camp for more than a year now, and has been in her current enclosure for about a year. I've opened her door a few times and monitored her while she explored the yard.

A few days ago, she was out and about, and TJ and I decided to take out the magnifying glass and find Doug, who was sometimes referred to as Isa, or the iguana. We had her in our scopes for a while.

Upon TJ's instruction, we went to look for her in the bamboo. A few minutes later, we came back to where we last really saw her, and she was gone! Nowhere to be found. Nowhere, nope, nada.

I had to accept that she may be gone for good. That quick. In a blink of an eye, like Prince.

Surely she would come back. This is her home. Unless someone killed her... which is hard to even type.

Sandfly looked. Mateo looked. Even TJ looked a bit.

I don't know how I ended up on the beach, but looking out to the dock...
There I saw her.

Sitting on the dock.
About a halfway down, over water.
Looking over the edge.

"Please don't leave me. Please don't leave me. Please don't leave me." was the mantra I adopted.

We were about 35 feet away from each other. She looked at me. She bobbed her head, "stay away!"

I knew it was too risky to go after her. She is a great swimmer. With arms on their sides, the iguana slips through the water.

Once she held her breath for 30 minutes under water. I thought she'd died. If she went in the lagoon, she'd be gone.

I waited. I walked away. I looked back. I hid behind the coconut tree. I looked back. I walked into the shadows. I looked back. Had she moved?

It looked like she'd come closer! It couldn't be. I sashayed toward the beach, and she was at least 5 feet closer. It doesn't sound like much, but it made the difference between being over open water and land. I had half of a chance now.

I stayed on the ground, walking up the side of the dock. She didn't wave me away–a good sign. I walked past her a few feet, showing that I had other interests. She needn't be concerned.

I sat on the dock, maybe 3 feet from her. She didn't stir.

I leaned in casually, and as I reached, she knew she'd been had.

I was able to grab her without any trouble. As we walked back to her enclosure, it seemed she regretted her trust in me. I felt joyous and awful all at the same time.

History

Almost 2 decades ago, my roommate Tony Barrett and I purchased Douglas at the pet store in the Carbondale Mall when she was just a weeee baby. He paid $5 and I paid $5. I mostly took care of her, but Tony helped too, until he moved away.

Being responsible for this ancient reptile has been an eye-opening experience. She survived a good 5 years on florescent UV light, vegetables, lettuce and iguana food. Then, a finger fell off. I was in Mississippi when it happened, and was fortunate enough to find a herp vet who educated me on proper diet. In the states, an iguana really needs a regular supply of collard greens. He encouraged me to investigate and to learn more. I did and found two great websites that I often reference. http://www.greenigsociety.org and.... hummm..... I'm not sure what the other one is.

In any case, it came to my attention that there are some fairly considerable problems with promoting iguanas as pets. Without going into all the details, I can tell you that I do not think iguanas should be sold in pet stores. After years of creating sub-tropical environments in room after room, and in house after house for Douglas to be comfortable and healthy, I was faced with the opportunity to take her to Belize–an environment native to green iguanas like Doug.

She thrives here. It seems on the sun alone, she can live...  although I realize she needs to digest nutrition too. In any case, here she is, in the most ideal environment, and I cannot release her.

It's too risky. There are too many people in the area who would shoot her, and she is not afraid of them. This is the line between responsible parenting and letting your loved ones pursue their instincts. I'm afraid I have to keep her under my wing for now. She is gravid, and cannot climb with a belly full of eggs. I'm saddened by this, because I know that one swim in Honey Camp Lagoon would make her the happiest iguana ever.

I would be even more sad if I thought I had released her only to be shot by a careless human.

The Day I Got a Chinese Massage

For nearly 2 weeks, I had a sharp pain in the upper part of my left shoulder blade. The pain was there all the time, but worsened when I turned my head. As the days passed, the minor distraction became a major mood-shifter. I was quite grumpy, and wanted to feel whole again.

Years ago, SF had taken Matt to a Chinese masseuse for pain in a similar location. Matt had told me, "He put some black tar on it and told me to keep it on for 3 days. After that, the pain was all gone!" I'm always interested in learning about and experiencing different healing techniques, so I asked him to take me there.

We rang the bell at the gate 10 minutes before lunchtime, expecting to make an appointment. A woman caring an assortment of keys, unlocked the gate on the door of the house and addressed us at the yard gate. Like many homes in Orange Walk, the yard was enclosed with cyclone fence and concrete posts, having locked access points for foot traffic and cars.

Recognizing her expression as curiosity and surprise, I guessed first that she was not accustomed to walk-ups, and then considered she may be the wife of the practitioner. I stated, "I hoped someone could help me. I have a pain in my back." and I pointed to the place it hurt. "Can you come back at 1:00?" she asked. So we did.

This time she unlocked both gates, and invited us into the first room on the right. The house was sizable. A long narrow hallway reached into the concrete structure with rooms flanking both sides. We entered the room which had a high bed to the left, a chair to the right, a desk and chair in the far right corner and a makeshift stool which had a cooler lid for a seat. There were old calendar photos of Taiwan which almost encircled the room, and a few other images hanging on the wall. Oh, and a certificate of practice with a photo of a man. I couldn't help but feel she was in someone else's space. I suppose we were too, but at her invitation, so I went with the flow.

She fiddled around at the desk, putting on gloves and moving things around. Then she asked me to sit on the cooler stool. She felt my neck and the back of my head, and began massaging specific areas. She used oils that smelled like eucalyptus and spearmint. I found great relief when she massaged the two ball shaped areas at the base of my skull. All around my neck, head, and arms she went - barely touching the spot where the pain emanated from. Yet, I was feeling better already.

Her final step in the massage was to pull my fingers and then my arms this way and that; up in the air, across my chest, behind my head. She spoke broken English, but I understood her for the most part. She told me to stay away from fried food. Then she said to put hot towels on each shoulder when I was resting. She suggested to do this while I was sitting around watching TV.

She started preparing a patch with the infamous tar, and continued with the instructions:

• If your head hurts, put the warm towel here... and here.
• If you get fever, put towel here.
• If your stomach hurts, put hot towel here.

Then she applied the patch.
She decided to add another patch on my neck.

We made small talk, then there were a few other instructions:

• No fried food.
• Wear for 3 days.
• If you shower, dry off before reapplying patch.
• Can you come back Friday?

Since we were coming Thursday, I told her we would be back then.

I left feeling great. My discomfort was gone.
I slept with the patches, but after the 2nd night, I'd had enough.
It was pulling at my hair, and felt bulky and itchy at times.
I took them off, showered and only replaced the large patch.

When we returned to the massage lady 48 hours later, I asked her to please remove the tar. At the last visit, she mentioned another patch would be put on at this visit. I told her I didn't want it, as it was uncomfortable. She acquiesced.

Then she removed the tar. When that was complete, she began massaging my face, my neck, my arms, my fingers. She did the pull up and down and around thing with my left arm and moved to my right.

For some reason, she cranked the pressure up when massaging my hegu - the pressure point between the thumb and first finger. It was really starting to hurt and I told her so. "Yes, it hurt" she said, and continued.

I started to feel lightheaded, and recognized the sensations that occur right before I pass out. I slumped over and told her I was going to "fall over." She stopped and waited, as if I would recover instantly. Of course, I did not. She went and got me a cup of warm water. I drank what I could, and breathed, and rested, and dropped my head between my legs, and tried to recover.

It was obvious that she wanted to finish. I eventually lifted my head and let her continue. She finished messing with my right arm by doing the up and down and around thing, and then she moved to my shoulders.

I didn't care what she did. She was away from my hand and I was relieved. She could poke and pull and prod on my shoulders and it would be nothing compared to the pain I just endured in my hand. I zoned out and waited for the end.

It felt like she was scratching my shoulders hard. Fine with me. Just leave my hand alone. She called Matt over to see. "Here it is coming out. But not so much on this side. Here is the problem, on this side." I heard her say to him.

She instructed:

• No fried food, but coconut oil okay
• Eat apple and beet
• Beet I think will be good for you
• Lots of vegetables
• Ginger

Later, Matt told me that she left some crazy marks on my shoulder. I couldn't see, but didn't think too much of it. Then at Rosa's, she said, it look like I got beat up. She helped me look in her mirror and sure enough, there was a long black, blue and purple mark running the length of my shoulder and one running up my neck. The spots were tender, but did not hurt like bruises hurt. I could still feel something in my shoulder blade, but it was a dull feeling; no longer a sharp pain.

I lasted the day, but was quite tired. The next day, I was even more tired. The pain in my shoulder was subsiding, but my head was getting full. I felt tired and feverish. I worried that I would have a bad sinus reaction, and managed to drag myself out of bed to squirt salt water up my nose. Then I collapsed again. Matt cared for Tetra, except for when she came for milk. We made it through the day without too much trouble. I didn't puke. Tetra behaved. Matt was patient and good.

The next day, I felt good. And the following day, even better. I couldn't bare to eat too much sugar or caffeine. My body just didn't want it. "Water. Water. Water." it said. I made dinner. Mashed sweet potato with butter and ginger, steamed carrots with honey mustard, butter and sugar, and a salad from the sweet potato leaf.

I made dinner the next night too. Although it wasn't my choice to eat pasta, I still enjoyed making it.

So, I seem to be managing even better than before, which is essential right now. We're in our final weeks of being here, and are already packing, sorting and making lists to make a smooth exit. All this thinking and action can stress a person, and a couple, so we need to be on our best behavior.

Overall, I'm glad I had the experience of the Chinese massage. It's something I'd like to try again, for the sole purpose of a cleansing. I'd be interested to try it in WA or OR too, where I might be able to ask more questions, and understand more of what's happening.

TJ's Birthday: Part 2

Sunday was fully packed with activities. It was the Sunday after TJ's official birthday, and the day of the Rover meet. We managed to pull this all off with the help of Mrs. Acosta. As I've mentioned before, she's a big help to our little family.

We dropped TJ off at Rosa's house around 10:00 and ran a few minor errands before showing up at Maracas to do a minimal set up. We had time to post signs, eat lunch, and talk to the reporter from the San Pedro Sun.

One Rover was already there by the time we arrived, but the owner was not. People started trailing in to eat and see the show, but for a long time, it was only us and the other Rover. TJ, Rosa and company arrived just after 1:30. 

Soon, Steve Davis arrived, and a bit later another Rover. We were holding steady at 4 Rovers until 2:30. We had to hand out the voting cards, or this would never end. And, it had to end, because we had planned TJ's party at the nearby park for 3:00. 

Folks voted. We handed out awards. It was a good time.

Then, another Rover showed up. And 10 minutes later... another! We had 6 Rovers!

It felt like the party was just getting started, but we (or at least I) needed to get on my feet and over to the park. It was now a few minutes past 3, and I did not want to be a bad host to TJ's friends and parents. 

Rosa, crew and I said farewell to Matt and jumped in the Rover. We drove about 1/2 mile to the park and began setting up. Fortunately, no one had arrived before us. In fact, everyone arrived well after 3:00.

No matter. Nearly everyone we invited did come, and it was great to spend the waning of the day in such good company. I'm certain that while TJ was exhausted to begin with, she was perfectly happy with her park party. She acknowledged all the kids who came, but mostly chased her friend Jesse around. "I'm coming Jesse!" she would yell, as she trotted around behind her.

After all that action, TJ was spent. She asked for booby, and I gave it to her. She fell asleep instantly, and that was our cue to pack up. It was about 6:00. Matt put everything away and we thanked everyone still standing. We made it all the way home, and got the little one into bed without a peep.

Kids Guest List

Jesse

Josen

Francis

Astral

Angel

TJ's Birthday: Part 1

It's an important day today. We made sure little T knew it was her Birthday. We started with wishing her Happy Birthday of course! Then we watched a Dora Birthday and a couple of Daniel Tiger shows. Then it was time for the real fun to begin!

I had noticed an abundance of playgrounds in Corozal during previous trips, but with other errands to run, we never had time to visit but one. She really enjoys the slides, and I wanted her to know every slide in Corozal. I tucked away a plan to make a day of visiting all the playgrounds. Today, that plan came to life.

First we picked up the rental car, and TJ picked up a puppy. Look at her little heart melt...

I decorated the car and gave her a balloon.....
Which. She. Loved.

We stopped right away when we reached Corozal, so we could sit on this gorilla.

and this elephant.

Welcome to this episode of "shows you how much I know"

Here, at the first playground, she refuses to go down the slide. 

"I'm fine here, thanks!"

We showed her a smaller tunnel down below. "Now Dad do it," she says.

It was nearly 12:00 so we decided to check out a place we had never noticed before this trip. It's called "Blue's." Turns out, it was the perfect place for TJ's birthday lunch. 

There were lots of slides.

and a trampoline.

The food was alright. We paid for the playspace and the breezy seaside view.

After lunch, Mateo had some fancy Rover interview, so TJ and I went to the town square and went down the biggest swirly slide in Corozal! over, and over, and over...

There was a big fountain in the middle of the town square. The only way I could keep her out of it was to say we were going to go swim in the ocean. 

Ah, the bargaining we must endure.

After all that, she was pretty tuckered out. So rather than expending energy on any more playgrounds, we decided to treck back to Orange Walk for some famous tacos.

THE END. (stay tuned for more after Sunday, April 10th)

April Showers Bring May Flowers

SF and Mateo cleared, burned and have been continuing to clean up some land.

We transposed some papaya into the nutrient rich soil.

Just in time for some nice cooling rain showers.

P.S. The Rover meet is less than 5 days away!