On Wednesday David took our car over the Ministry of Works building in Ranchito to renew the registration. Last year, the official checked to see if the headlights, tail lights, turn signals, and brakes all worked, before filling out the paperwork.
This year? Ehhh, not so much. Matter of fact, the guy didn't even come out of the building. Just went ahead and checked off all the bits and pieces on the form without even a glance at the car. Gotta' love it.
Permanent Residency Status
Still waiting for final approval. 'Nuff said.
Driveway Upgrade
Our driveway was comprised of packed marl. Over the years, rain and normal wear and tear started to take their toll. Parts of drive were uneven and, because of the marl, it became slicker than ice whenever we would get pelted with rain for days on end. Being the incredibly graceful woman that I am, there were more than a few times I slipped and ended up on my butt.
To solve the problem, we decided to cover the drive in gravel. Not surprisingly, our first stop was to a local gravel company. What was surprising was that they had no gravel and weren't quite sure when they would get any.
Through Fernando, we finally got hooked up with another company who made the delivery.
Fifteen plus cubic feet of stone was dumped in the drive. The driveway, just so you know, is 100 feet long.
Armed with only a wheelbarrow, shovel, and rake, Fernando started spreading the gravel. In less than six hours he had the job done.
When I posted these pics on my Facebook page, I noted that David and I have moved stone and it's way harder than it looks. When you factor in the heat (we've been clocking in at feel-like temps of over 100+ degrees F), it makes Fernando's efforts all that more amazing. As I also noted on Facebook, if I had to do this job, my body would have been prone in the driveway in no time flat, to be used as a human speed bump.
The dogs are still getting used to the new surface. Delicate toes and all that. For the time being, they are using the sidewalks to race down to the gate. That, of course, means that on a daily basis one of them knocks over one or more of the lights installed on both sides of the drive. Sigh.
Speaking of Pets
These, dear readers, are the gratuitous pet pictures of the program.
Name: Sam (a.k.a. Sammie).
Profession: Watchdog - if Sam barks, you know something or someone is in or around the property that shouldn't be.
Hobbies: Ear scratches, cuddles, and trying to outrace any person on a motor bike that comes down our lane.
Name: Lizi (a.k.a. Lizi Lou)
Profession: Gossip - if Lizi barks, which she does frequently at o'dark hundred in the morning, you know she's sussing out the dirt with the other gossipy dogs in the 'hood.
Hobbies: See description for Profession.
Name: Olivia (a.k.a. Baby Dog, a.k.a. Leggsly)
Profession: House dog - while Sam may be the keeper of the outside grounds, Olivia has his back when it comes to the house. She's been known to raise quite the ruckus when people she doesn't know enter our abode.
Hobbies: Playing with her stuffed gecko, tantalizing the cat, grass and rug surfing.
Name: Bronte (a.k.a. Kitcat)
Profession: Princess of all things - she rules the dogs and pretty much us and takes every opportunity to remind us what a special treasure she is.
Hobbies: Figuring out ways to get Olivia in trouble, eating houseplants, shredding toilet paper, plotting ways to launch her body from high places onto prone bodies in bed, stalking geckos and the Roomba.
Coming up: some of the really pretty things that have been blooming in our yard.
I guess one of the requirements for living in Belize is to have a lot of dogs and cats.
ReplyDeleteEddy (Ewker)
You can't help it. There are so many needy animals that you see on the streets that before you know it, your brood starts to increase. All of ours are rescues, as are pretty much the pets of all of our friends.
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