cont'd

After about 45 minutes, we headed back up the Cliffside—not too bad a climb with the flat stretches to take a breathing break. Back at the villa, we found a hose and tried to wash all the sand out of the dogs’ coats. Later, when they had dried off, I brushed them out and they’re amazingly sand-free—even Daisy! We debated going into town to find a cyber café but just couldn’t summon the need to leave this place. We plunged into the pool to cool ourselves and rinse the salt off. When Bob swam to the far edge of the pool, Howdy went racing down the steps to the pool equipment room below. With the infinity pool, it must have looked to Howdy like Bob was going over the edge, so he raced to save him. He couldn’t figure out what do when he got down there though. Poor Howdy, it’s so tough taking care of his family. After about 45 minutes, we headed back up the Cliffside—not too bad a climb with the flat stretches to take a breathing break. Back at the villa, we found a hose and tried to wash all the sand out of the dogs’ coats. Later, when they had dried off, I brushed them out and they’re amazingly sand-free—even Daisy! We debated going into town to find a cyber café but just couldn’t summon the need to leave this place. We plunged into the pool to cool ourselves and rinse the salt off. When Bob swam to the far edge of the pool, Howdy went racing down the steps to the pool equipment room below. With the infinity pool, it must have looked to Howdy like Bob was going over the edge, so he raced to save him. He couldn’t figure out what do when he got down there though. Poor Howdy, it’s so tough taking care of his family. The rest of the afternoon, we read, I wrote some more, we watched the ocean and seabirds. It was fairly exhausting! For dinner, Bob grilled some chicken breasts and I made a veggie stir-fry and rice. After dinner, another swim in the pool with only the pool lights on and the Beatles cd that Mindy had made for me a few years ago. Then to bed. Last night, Bob set up the kennel right in front of the doorway to keep the dogs in but allow Howdy to sleep inside it. We left the cage door open and he slept part of the night there. We didn’t use the box fan last night because we didn’t really need it, and we wanted to hear the sound of the ocean waves breaking on the rocks below.


During the night—maybe very early in the morning—a dog began to bark somewhere nearby, very insistently and alarmingly. Half-asleep, I imagined a cougar or puma or ocelot getting too close to somebody’s house and the dog sounding the alarm. Another beautiful morning—breakfast on the patio, watching the seabirds again. We’re going into town to find an internet connection and replenish some supplies. Unless Bob and Howdy manage to catch a wild turkey here in the jungle, I think our Thanksgiving dinner is going to be shrimp on the Barbie with risotto and salad on the side. Another couple arrives today from Colorado. Hope they’re nice. And I hope you’re having a lovely Thanksgiving wherever you are. Boy, am I thankful to be where I am right now!