Sloth Alert…

We were sitting around relaxing after dinner when the dogs began barking with an unfamiliar bark. We ran out and there was a big old sloth – maybe 30 lbs – walking across our yard. By the time we got the camera he was leaving under the bushes so we only got a picture from the back. We have seen them in the trees but this is the first time we saw one on the ground and so so close. Very exciting!

Arroz con Pollo…

There’s a mama hen who brings her 4 baby chicks by several times a day to eat whatever food is leftover from the dogs. One of their favorite dishes is cooked rice – they hop right into the pan and peck away.

More strange and edible plants...

Here’s another unusual vegetable that grows locally. This one is called a breadfruit and can weigh up to 4kg. The photo shows it sliced in half (the beer in the photo is for size-reference but also makes a good accompaniment to the breadfruit). When mature but not ripe, the breadfruit is similar in taste and texture to a potato. Here I peeled and sliced the hard fruit, discarded the “core” and parboiled the “pulp” in salted water for a few minutes. I then stirfried the breadfruit in a butter/oil combination with some diced onions, garlic, pepper and salt, similar to preparing hashbrowns. It was very tasty and the half breadfruit made more than enough food to serve 3 adults. On the nutritional side, the breadfruit is rich in proteins and a range of amino acids. Like the potato, it contains a lot of starch and should be supplemented with green leafy vegetables to provide a balanced meal.

Everyday natural products…

This exotic looking plant is called a “shampoo ginger.” From what I have found out, it is believed to have originated in India and the Malaysian Peninsula and is also called a “pinecone ginger” in some regions of the world. Each flower cluster (inflorescence ) grows on its own “spike” or stem and changes color as the pinecone shape develops going from a pale yellow to a bright crimson. The tiny cup-like “bracts” that make up this flower cluster serve as a natural reservoir for a clear soapy liquid exuded by the flower. It is said that this 'shampoo' was used by Polynesians when bathing, both for the hair and skin, and is the ginger additive in several modern herbal shampoos. You can use the liquid fresh from the plant – there is more in there than you would realize. Cut the stem and pour out the liquid then gently roll the inflorescence between the palms of your hands to get the rest of the “shampoo” out. I have tried it once already and will probably continue to do so – my hair does seem smoother – see photos.

You can’t escape the high price of gas…

Even here we pay close to $5.00 per gallon for gas. Plus, the closest “regular” gas station is about 40 minutes away. There are also 2 people within a 10-minute drive who sell gas from their garages for “emergencies.” Even though our car gets decent mileage we thought it might be a good idea to have back-up, high mileage transportation. Here you see Gordie on our new Suzuki motorcycle. I am waiting for him to get some experience riding on the dirt roads around here and then he will be teaching me how to drive it. Should be fun!

More home improvements

We have added window planters to each of the windows and are experimenting with which plants grow best in this environment. So far we’ve only had to move 2 to new locations. Also finished the 2 large planters in front of the house. One is filled with tomatoes (now flowering), squash and a few assorted other plants. The second will have jalapeno peppers (almost impossible to find here) and additional flowers. The other exciting “improvement” is the addition of “window pane-frames” to each of the windows. NO there is NO GLASS. You really want all the fresh, cool air you can get. And, YES, we have added some very lightweight curtains to act as bug netting when we sleep. It looks great and seems to have reduced the bat and bug population at night without eliminating the fresh air.