Pests, Posies, and Poverty of Earth

Today, I simply gave up on the Swiss chard Byron planted nearly a month ago. It never came up! The kale, which was planted about the same time, is all of three inches, and pallid. The spinach, which is among the easiest plants to raise, never showed up either. The green beans popped up almost immediately, and the radishes, our first veggie, are looking harvest-able. Half the zucchini crop (3) were murdered by some creepy insect thing underground and only three plants are flowering. The carrots and romaine lettuce are sickly and have not gained any height for weeks.

Pretty pathetic, eh?

                   Radishes  Carrots                 Romaine               Spinach            Kale    Chard   Green                                                                                                                                                          Beans

Eight weeks ago, I went to the agro store in Jinotepe to buy some fertilizer. "Do you have any diez diez diez (ten-ten-ten)?" I asked. "Quince, quince quince (15-15-15)," was the answer. So that's what I bought. I also started a compost pile for kitchen and lawn waste.

The first five pounds of fertilizer having been used when I dug the garden, I found 10-10-10 at the vet's, of all places, and bought some. And today, I dug into the compost and found some lovely black soil under the past few weeks' worth of gunk, which I shoveled out and mixed into the chard row, newly replanted. I shall watch and see if my work made any difference. I do recall reading that planting green beans adds an enzyme, something magical, to soil, and I wonder if I should have simply planted the whole garden with them from the outset. The soil may be pretty poor, as it has never been tilled or amended to my knowledge.

I had a fabulous garden when I lived in the country for three years when Gabe was in grade school. I had cauliflower to die for, and big juicy cabbages and broccoli. This wimpy excuse for a garden is discouraging. Well, I'll keep at it.

My zinnias are attracting scads of butterflies. I wonder if they have ever seen them before? And the nasturtiums I put in the same bed are coming up nicely.

This monstrous squash is a volunteer that has taken over a swath of sward next to an old chicken shed by the wall. It should have fruit the size of pumpkins, and if any succeed, I'll be happy to harvest them. Here's another look:

What does the squash know that I don't?

Flora, Fauna

First zinnias!

Until we treated them with pesticides, my zinnias barely survived the leaf-cutter ant invasion. And that may explain the seeming puniness of these first blooms. But there are many more ripening buds, so stay tuned!

Byron's wife Brenda sent me a gift of a blooming orchid native to Nicaragua, growing on a branch that we wired to a tree in the yard, and then we taped up a plastic bag to hold the roots and some soil. The whole thing is a bit of a mess, but I am hopeful that the orchid will latch on to the tree and we can dispense with the life support apparatus. The leaves are top left, and the tiny blooms are on a long twig drooping down the center.

Byron and I were walking toward the veggie garden when we surprised a large snake that bolted toward the house, and then into a shed that used to be an outhouse. Byron ran for the machete, but the snake was nowhere to be found. I'm certain it was more afraid of us than we of it. 

My zucchinis are thriving!

Also up are radishes and carrots, kale and romaine. Spinach and green beans are taking longer to appear. And Byron put in nasturtiums in the zinnia bed, which will take up to two weeks to sprout, but will make for some very pretty salads later on!

This morning, I thought I saw a white kitten climbing a tree just outside the house, but a second glimpse revealed a grey bushy tail. I watched it go from tree to tree, not fleeing, but moving at a fairly leisurely pace. Clearly a squirrel, and I found a picture (Ron Warner TrekNature) online.

It's called a variegated squirrel, and has a black dorsal stripe. They are normally associated with Laguna de Apoyo, a volcanic crater lake near Granada. Apparently, they are descended from pets, and are not especially afraid of people, even friendly, in some cases. I hope this one hangs out for awhile. Very pretty animalito!

And two days ago, Brynn was barking at something behind the sofa. All I could see was a long reptilian tail. Snake? Aughhhh... But it was just a terrified, emerald green lizard. I lifted it by the tail and set it outside in a clump of greenery. Turned out to be a juvenile black-tailed iguana, per this internet photo.

Despite the invasion of dog ticks, flies, and zancudos (mosquitoes), I just love living in such a varied community of wonderful creatures.

And Gone for Real

Gabriel left this morning, early. The hug was too brief, the "I love yous" continued as the car door shut, and he was gone.

When my son was very young, I was hospitalized a couple of times, and my friend Tey would take Gabe to her home for TLC. I remember the visceral longing in my arms for the feel of him; when Tey brought him to the hospital to visit, I felt such a rush of joy to have him in my arms again. Now that he is grown, I expect he would be weirded out to endure a hug as long as I want it to be, but my arms hardly ever yearn for that feel of him anymore. Dogs take up most of my affection now, and after all, Gabriel is a grown man. He isn't my little lovey-dovey toddler anymore.

We spent his last day taking a short trip to Granada and having a pricey lunch in a lovely hotel on the pedestrian mall that reminds me so much of Ft. Lauderdale. The restaurant is called Dario (presumably after the great Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío) and includes a large inner courtyard garden, as seen here:

The view from our table.                 

I had beef, Gabe had red snapper, and the meal was divine!  We enjoyed some nice cabernet:

And took a selfie to commemorate our final lunch for who knows how long...

Safe travels, my darling boy.



Remember this boy, Tey?

Gone Fishin'

One of the first Nicaraguan friends I made in La Boquita was Harold, who is a smart, funny, enthusiastic chap who speaks excellent English, and works part-time as a translator, part-time as a fishing guide, and part-time as a driver for hire. He and his pretty wife and gorgeous daughters came to our picnic, and we arranged a half-day fishing outing for today.

A tuk tuk driver named Elmo picked us up at 5:30, and delivered us to the Casares fish market, where we were led to a panga, operated today by Luis. Harold brought tackle and mandatory life jackets and all the gewgaws we needed to catch the big ones. And we were off. The day was mainly cloudy and breezy. Perfect, really, as I dreaded getting out in the middle of the ocean under a blazing sun. Best of all, the sea was calm. A panga is a long thin boat which takes the least wave up and -bam!- down.

Gabe took first blood with a very pretty mackerel.

And second, with a black bonito tuna.

Then it was my turn, landing a jack - a big one!

And then as we headed back to Casares, trolling all the way, I realised the water was getting more shallow, and reeled in for the day. Gabe kept trolling, and suddenly, his line went singing out. It took awhile to land, but eventually, we had another jack to add to the catch. Here it is, with Luis holding the gaff, and Harold looking on.

Now my freezer is full of jack fillets, and our tummies are full of delectable mackerel sauteed in butter and garlic. We had a ball, the weather was ideal, and catching fish was the cherry on top!

Picnic!

Well, it was a mad rush toward the end. Up early on Sunday morning to peel potatoes and chop like a madwoman to make a couple of gallons of potato salad. Balloons and tri-color decorations brought by Gabriel went up around the place, chairs and tables were delivered (a whopping $11) and nobody showed up until after 4 for the 3 pm announced start. But I was canny; if I had said 4, I would have had to wait until 5 to begin serving drinks! I collapsed on the sofa with the dogs before I grabbed a shower at 2:30.





None of my non-Nicaraguan friends showed up! Is there a protocol that requires "gringos only?" Oh, I feel sure that is not the case, but there was a fair amount of food left over. The flies were not invited, and still showed up in droves, but the food was good, and the company better. Everyone enjoyed meeting Gabriel, and my house received many compliments as well.



Noel and Stefan posed for me with a hat brought from Boston by Gabriel.

Shopping (again!) in Masaya

Today, Tuesday, Gabriel and I bused to Masaya to the tourist mercado to shop and eyeball the vast selection of goods, which ran the gamut from the truly crude (tiny paintings of people on the toilet) to the amusing (funny frogs, turtles, musical combos, and gorditas (fat little naked women), as purchased by himself...

to lovely wood and woven crafts, traditional masks and paintings, both kitsch and semi-fine. Gabe loved the interesting wooden bowls.

Many key chains, toys, and doodads. I bought my niece Tessie and her new husband Andrew a wedding present, along with some drink coasters and a kiskadee mobile to hang next to my desk.

The Son, the Moon, and the Stars

Friday, 1 July
Nearly 48 hours ago, I clapped eyes on my sweet boy for the first time in a year!  Gabriel is here for a two-week visit, and I am simply elated to be with him. I almost forgot what motherhood feels like.

Brynn knew Gabriel for just a month before we came to Nicaragua, but clearly she remembered him, and was beside herself with happiness, as was I.

When I finalized the plans for this visit, I thought it would be a great idea to host an Independence Day picnic on the 3rd (Sunday) of July to introduce Gabe to the friends I've made here. What I did not think of was the requisite flurry of activity this event would entail during the first three days of Gabe's precious time here. Today, we shopped for the picnic, I made pickled eggs and beets, and made up my list of last minute purchases to be made tomorrow at the best supermarket, La Colonia, near Managua. We'll go early, to ensure a good supply of hot dog and hamburger rolls.

Saturday, 2 July
It is conceivable that hardly anyone will show up for my picnic tomorrow. My friend Noel keeps saying he'll come to see me, and he never does, though in his defense, I turned him down earlier this week because I wasn't feeling well. But sometimes, people say they are delighted to be invited before they even check to see if they are free, and then do not show up. Nevertheless, Gabe and I bused to La Colonia and bought hamburger, rolls galore, and extra rum in case anybody wants to spike their Cokes.

We have balloons to inflate, potato salad to whip up, burgers to shape, and decor to salute the red, white and blue. Tomorrow. Maria José and Byron will put in extra hours to make sure the lawn is clear, the porch is spotless, and the rented chairs and tables (300 cordobas, or $12!) are placed. The weather may not cooperate; we have had showers daily this week. Oh, well. One does one's best, and I am eager to see old friends from La Boquita, and newer ones, too. Wish me luck!