Simply Norma

I’ve been a little slow in journaling recently. It hasn’t helped that my left hand is still in a splint with no end in sight of when it will come off. Thanks to the pelican encounter I had, I will probably be wearing this thing for a couple more weeks. I guess it’s better than a hard cast but if healing doesn’t start soon then I’ll have to do what I dread: head to the doctor’s office, get an x-ray and probably have a cast put on.

Living with one “good” hand makes life a little bit more challenging. Driving (putting on my seatbelt is the worst) hasn’t been impacted much. Bagging groceries, typing, and cooking have all seen a downward spiral as I try to rest the hand as much as possible.

My goal, to cook a couple of vegan recipes each week from the cookbook 1,000 Vegan Recipes, has not come to fruition yet. Cooking is slow going these days and trying to take photos at the same time would make it seem like life is at a standstill.

Add to this, (yes, I am lamenting my situation at this moment) that my camera was killed during the pelican encounter and I’m a wee bit irritated. Last week I went shopping for a new camera and there are so many that it made my head spin. All vary in price and quality.

Yesterday I went to Costco, looked at a few other cameras, and decided to try a Panasonic Lumix ZS10. It was the last one they had and also the floor model so I was able to buy it at a discount. The main reason I selected this one is that it is a point-and-shoot so I don’t have to play with too many settings unless I want to. In addition, the zoom on this camera is better than my old one and I’m always trying to take pictures of the large birds that live in my neighborhood so the added zoom will come in handy. Lastly, I’m able to take pictures more quickly instead of having to wait a few seconds in between shots. It’s not as good as an SLR but for my purposes it will do.

The bonus for me is that Costco has a “buy it, try it and if you don’t like it then return it within 90 days” policy. I’ve never been hesitant to return things that didn’t work or fit but this policy makes me less hesitant to try things.

So — we’ll see what happens in the next 90 days. The battery is charged and by tomorrow, when we’re expecting our first Twin Cities winter blizzard of 4-12 inches, I’ll be ready to snap a few pictures.

Let me know what you think. I still have a few more pictures to post with my old camera but hopefully you’ll see a difference once the new pictures are posted.

 

While driving around the small towns of Puerto Rico, I came across this pink flowering cactus.

Anyone know what it is? I haven’t been able to find any information on it yet.

 

I love water! Whether it’s a bubble bath or snorkeling, my senses are heightened when I’m around water. The ocean has it’s own smell and the warm breezes that flow from it that touch my skin ever so lightly make me feel like I’m getting a massage.

Looking up I see coconut trees. How Caribbean!

Two beaches I went to recently are really beautiful. The first one is in Aguadilla and is called Crash Boat. Many of the locals hang out here and merchants sell food and drink so you don’t have to bring any food with you (except for suntan lotion and a towel) unless you want to.

The waves were high when I was here but not high enough to prevent me from floating out a ways to enjoy the water. Out in the distance I could see an island — not sure what the name of it is.

The pier was “closed” so I wasn’t able to walk to the end of it. It was a beautiful day for swimming, sitting and enjoying the beach.

The beach occupies the site of a former military port that use to rescue downed air crews from Ramey Air Force Base and the pier is part of the remains of the old infrastructure. (from Wikipedia)

The second beach I visited is called Shacks Beach. I have been here a few times before and it is as beautiful as I remember it. Normally we park (and pay) in the local resort’s parking lot but my brother-in-law knew of an “off-the-beaten path” place where we could park for free.

On the other side of the walkway, beauty explodes! (This is also where I had my Pelican Encounter …)

There weren’t too many snorkelers out while I was here because the weekend had not yet started. Both adults and children can find places to enjoy on this long stretch of beach. We saw a kiteboarder enter the waters only to be drawn back onto the sandy beach as the wind was quite strong where he was located.

As the day progressed, the ocean changed color as shadows made the sea look a deeper blue. In the summer, you can stand on this ledge with no fear of a wave washing you off.

Not true while I was here. The waves were quite strong and I was thankful that the coral reefs were a good buffer.

Now — why don’t I just live here?

 

 

 

I met my granddaughter recently. She was born 3 weeks early while we were on a cruise in Puerto Rico.

She has quite the lungs when she’s hungry but otherwise she likes to cuddle in your arms and makes you feel warm. Her hands are so tiny.

Babies are so dependent on us to feed, clothe and keep them safe. This is one baby who I know will be well taken care of.

She already smiled at me. (smiles) 

Sitting on a beach chair looking out at the ocean with a sick cousin by my side, I noticed some birds and a pelican on a large rock off in the distance.

The rest of the family had decided to go snorkeling but I decided to keep my cousin company. So we sat and chatted. And chatted. And chatted. After awhile, my cousin said to me “Hey, let’s go take a picture of the pelican over there.” I explained to her that I had already taken a picture of it but she was insistent that we get closer.

Walking on the sandy beach towards the rock where the birds were sitting, I inhaled the clean ocean air and allowed my eyes to feast on the deep blue hues of the sky and the clear water. Everything was perfect.

Following my cousin with the camera in hand, I slowly made my way to the edge of the ocean. I didn’t want to get wet even though I had brought my swimsuit along.

Once we got closer to the pelican, I watched how the waves splashed behind the rocks he was on. It breathtaking!

“Try taking a picture from here!” my cousin shouted.

Closer and closer I got to this wonderful looking bird who seemed to be posing for a shot.

I took another shot as this time the birds moved ever so slightly —

I hadn’t noticed the orange/red coloring on the one bird before. This was exciting!

Completely aware of my surroundings, I gingerly stepped a little closer with just my ankles in the water. One more picture, I thought to myself.

My cousin was yelling “Over here — take it from over here!” She was a little bit deeper in the water. “Come on!”

Not one to miss a good shot, and with the birds cooperating, I waded in a couple more steps. This shot would be perfect, I told myself.

And it was! The pelican had bowed its head as if in reverent prayer and the smaller birds gazed straight ahead as if they were posing for me! It was a dream come true!

And then it happened. I noticed a huge wave coming towards the rock that the birds were sitting on. Uh oh. That wave was heading our way. I turned around to get back to the sandy beach when suddenly I felt my feet catch on something underneath me.

Pain seared through both my feet, the camera flew up in the air and I fell backwards. With hands outstretched to stop my fall, I watched as my camera hit the rock. Then I hit the water.

The huge wave splashed over both me and my camera. In the meantime, my cousin was yelling “Norma! Norma!” She was hurriedly trying to get me up before the next wave hit but the pain made it hard for me to get up. Both feet had landed on a jagged rock that was behind me.

My camera! My cousin quickly got the camera out of the water. After she helped me get upright, I felt as if water was draining from my foot so I looked down to see what it was I was feeling. The right heel had a large piece of skin protruding from it and blood was gushing out. Limping to the beach, with one arm over my cousin’s shoulder, I knew I was in trouble.

I hobbled back to the beach chair as blood continued to flow from my foot. After a few minutes, I knew I had to stop the bleeding so I went over to the edge of the ocean and dunked my foot in it as I had heard that salt is good for healing. Once back on the beach chair, I took a towel and pressed my heel against it. Ouch! My foot was now throbbing.

My cousin and I sat there for about ten minutes talking about the freaky turn of events when suddenly I started feeling nauseous and sweaty. I looked at her and said, very matter-of-factly, “I think I’m going to faint.” I explained that the sight of blood makes me faint. Her response was “No, you’re not.” I emphasized what I knew was inevitable — “I AM GOING TO FAINT.”

“You can’t do that.” Her response made me want to laugh except for the fact that my head was now starting to spin.

“It’s going to happen real soon” I said quietly. Then, she got up, walked to the edge of the ocean and yelled for the rest of the family to come in. When she returned she found a canvas towel holder and gave it to me to blow into but it didn’t have the same effect as a paper bag. As my head spinned, I saw her standing there unable to determine what to do. My oldest son came out of the water first and assessed the situation (he’d had this experience with me before — the fainting) then headed over to a bar area with my husband and younger son in tow.

Later he relayed his experience of going up to the bar and asking for “alcohol.” The woman behind the bar said “Yes, we have lots of alcohol. What kind would you like?” (how funny!) Not speaking the language very well he did not know how to ask for alcohol in Spanish. Eventually, with hand motions and a few Spanish words thrown in, the bartender gave him a can that had something in it that clots blood. After purchasing some water, they headed back to where I was.

A quick spray with the blood clotter can, a drink of cold water and some sympathy had me feeling much better — hobbling but better.

Since the injury was on the bottom of my heal, I had people around me clean and bandage the wound for the remainder of my stay in Puerto Rico. Once back in the U.S., I went to the doctor who told me that we had done everything right as the heel was healing as it was supposed to with a large scab covering the puncture wound.

It’s been almost four weeks since my fall in the ocean and the right foot is healing beautifully. Unfortunately, the left foot is now starting to feel sore throughout the day and my left hand (the one that I tried to stop my fall with) is currently in a splint. It felt achy after the fall and as each day passed the pain started getting worse and worse.

Friends have told me I might have a hairline fracture and that I should get the hand x-rayed. Searching on the internet for similar injuries, the possibility that I have a hairline fracture is high but the only thing the doctor would do is take an x-ray to confirm it then put me in a splint. I’ve decided to bypass the x-ray, assume it’s a fracture and wear the splint for 4 weeks to see if it heals.

Sometimes it doesn’t pay to get closer to beauty.

 

 

 

Seven days in Puerto Rico gave me lots of time to slow down the Puerto Rican way — a slower moving body. Perhaps it’s the warm weather or the laid back attitude of the people who live on the island that causes this effect. No matter. It is refreshing to slow down..

On this trip, we decided to head to the Arecibo Observatory. But first a side trip to the “house” of Juan Ponce de Leon. My Uncle, a natural tour guide, was always aware of the small amount of time we would be on the island and visiting him — a mere 3 of the 7 days — so he was also dashing around thinking of what he could show us. A perfect host.

Ponce de Leon was appointed the governor of Puerto Rico by the then Spanish Crown. There is not much to Ponce’s house. It’s truly in ruins.

To the right of this picture is a busy road. According to my Uncle, Ponce’s house used to extend past this road to the other side but they destroyed part of the ruins to put the road in. I wonder why they didn’t build an overpass? Hmmm …

Well, it is what it is. We can’t go back and change things.

Back in the car, we passed an overlook so we stopped to take a look at some of the scenery.

Pretty plants in the area.

Our trip to the Arecibo Observatory was very interesting. It started with our GPS taking us through the “back roads.” Well, that’s what we thought but in actuality it was THE road. It was filled with large potholes that my husband tried to avoid. The area was mostly farmland and very hilly. A group of cows relaxed as we stopped to take their picture.

What’s the difference between a U.S. mainland cow and a Puerto Rican cow? Easy! Puerto Rican cows speak Spanish. (chuckle chuckle)  Seriously, I think it’s true. My cousin has a dog and he won’t respond to anything I say in English.

My first thought going up the hill is that we were lost but signs clearly mark the way.

At the top of the hill, a person in a booth waved us through the gate to where the parking lot is. Then the climb up many many stairs began although they do have a shuttle for people with disabilities.

On the other side of the visitor center we bought our ticket to get in.

Once inside the visitor center, there were many displays to read through. Some of them were hands-on so I could experience what they were talking about. These were my favorite since I learn best by sight and touch.

But I was distracted. I wanted to see the radio telescope. I’d been here before many years go but my memories weren’t very clear from that time so this would be a “new” experience.

A little history from Wikipedia …

“The 1000 foot radio telescope is the largest single-aperture telescope and contains the largest curved focusing dish on earth, giving Arecibo the largest electromagnetic-wave-gathering capacity. The dish surface has 38,778 perforated aluminum panels.”

The reflector panels weigh 300 tons.  They are dirty and I wondered if that would have any negative impact but I was told by the tour guide that it did not.

A special shoe is required to walk on the reflectors. The shoe protects the panel by distributing the person’s weight and the person cannot weigh more than 150 pounds.

In addition, there are three radio transmitter towers.

Cable cars were actually moving while I were there. A person can’t be afraid of heights to work here.

The hole below, which is almost in the middle of the collection dish, is probably where this cable car is headed.

Off if the distance I noticed a helicopter pad and a smaller satellite dish that belongs to the Observatory.

Heading back inside I went to the theatre-like room where a tour guide would be giving a presentation.

I’m sure the information would have been valuable to my learning if 1) the woman wouldn’t have spoken so fast (the accent made it worse) and 2) she would have stopped to see if anyone had questions. As it happened, I held up my hand and her response was: “Questions will be taken at the end of the presentation.” My response to her was “I don’t understand what you’re saying. Can you clarify …?” I felt like adding “Or will you repeat the whole thing for me at the end?” But I held my tongue. (good for me!)

She stopped to give clarification although I believe she assumed we were all scientists as it was still not in layman’s terms.

To my credit, I later found out that other people had the same problem with understanding her and the content she was presenting.

The Arecibo Observatory is a place everyone should visit if they go to Puerto Rico. It is simply awesome looking!

It has also been used in at least two movies, Golden Eye ( with James Bond) and Contact (with Jodie Foster).

On my way out, I took a picture of this beautiful flowering bush.

Ahhh … Puerto Rico! Isla del encanta! (Island of enchantment)

 

 

Back in September, my Padrino (godfather) passed away in Puerto Rico. I haven’t posted anything about him yet. It was hard to lose him and I haven’t quite found the words to write about him yet. I’m sure it will come at a later time.

On a recent trip to Puerto Rico, I went to see where his ashes were buried. Normally, when you’re cremated they bury you in the ground in a coffin. Here they dig your bones up a few years later and place them in a crypt like the one below.

I’m not sure why, but I was startled to see the way it’s done. I had always assumed that once you’re in the ground that you’re there for life — not so on this island. I’m not sure how it’s done in the United States but I’d never heard of this before.

Padrino is not in pain anymore. That’s the only thing that feels right about his death.

We only pass through this life once — we really need to live it the best we can.

 

 

 

Normally, when a person dies in Puerto Rico