(R)ambling on....

Hola!  We've only a couple more days here and it will be time to head back to Texas.  As is our usual style, we just sort of pick up and go...  no fanfare...  no last-minute blow-outs or grand finale.  The biggest thing for me has been to buy just the right amount of food...  we like to eat, and groceries are our biggest expense.  But we don't often throw food out either...  Bill isn't at all picky about eating leftovers.


Last night I fixed that yuca that's been sitting in the cupboard for a couple of weeks...  I don't know why I've been putting that off...  probably because I thought it would take forever to boil to a soft texture.  Anyway, last night was the night...  I fixed chicken breasts with onion, garlics and jalepenos ....  with chopped cilantro on top for good measure.  (Sure cleaned out the veggie drawer with this dish!)...  and then fried the boiled yuca.  


It wasn't bad...  tasted to me mostly like a potato, but with a more mealy texture and maybe a hint of sweetness.  I didn't take any pictures...  but you've all seen a yuca in the groceries...  they're that long, brown tubular shaped root vegetable that is coated in wax.  When it's peeled it looks pretty much just like a potato.  There is enough for dinner tonight....  which leaves only 1 more dinner to think about.  


We bought some pollo empanadas at the bakery (chicken pies) for tomorrow.


Breakfast will be cereal and milk.....  lunch will be sliced avocados with a couple of variety breads I bought at the panaderia this morning.  I think we have enough juice for 2 more breakfasts...  also enough coffee for one more pot.  


If I thought the person who will clean this house before the next renters would use stuff...  or the next renters would use it...  I'd be happy to leave things that aren't perishable...  like rice, beans etc.  But I have a feeling that anything I leave will get tossed....  so...  that's why my kitchen looks like Mother Hubbard's Cupboard.


Here's a picture I took recently...

Bill and Jose

Jose is the gardener/lawn person here.  The person who owns the house we're renting also has 3 other houses located on the lane going down the hill from us.  Two of those houses are rented all the time, as is the one we live in.  The 4th house is the house the owners live in..... when they're here.  They also use it as a house exchange...  right now they are in someone's house in Switzerland, and that family was here.

But...  back to Jose......  he keeps the jungle from creeping over the driveway and the paths.  The bamboo in our side yard grew at the rate of about 6" a day...  when it got to over 5' high, Bill asked Jose to cut it down.  Jose also does some maintenence work.

Now... here's what's funny...

Jose doesn't speak English

Bill's Spanish is limited

Everyday they have an animated conversation....  this goes on for as long as a half hour.

Everyday I ask Bill what they talked about....

Bill's answer is...

"I don't know...  a little about the birds...  some about the town...  oh yes, Jose hurt his shoulder and will need physical therapy..."

I just shake my head...

I guess 2 guys can have a complete conversation and know what's going on without either really understanding the language.

What more can I say?

Well, I will have to add some photos...

There was a huge flock of Montezuma Oropendolas that visited us yesterday....

 Big guy...  the males are about 20" in length

 He has something stuck on his bill...  although the beak is black and orange, it isn't striped, like this looks...

Butt shot....  but a pretty good look at his beautiful yellow tail feathers.

There were close to 2 dozen of these birds in the trees just off our patio. They are quite noisy when talking to each other...  

While we certainly enjoyed their visit, this wasn't our first sighting of this species.  We'd seen them when we wintered in Mexico, and they have been at this place a few times since we've been here. 

But these are the best photos I've been able to get.

Who know...  something really grand might fly in before today is over.....

That's All For Today.....

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