Cloudy Ambitions

The solitary Sandpiper....

Yesterday I went to the Sweetwater Wetlands to do some photography.  The intent was to go and try and film something in cloudy weather.  And it was dark.  The purpose was to try out my new lense for today's photoshoot in Willcox.  That post will be up and coming.  In the meantime, I have been working on a lot of cool stuff from the garden, outdoors, and oh so much more:)

But it was also kind of magical.  The city was busy and the traffic for some reason was terrible.  And it's always bizarre to hit this awesome patch of nature in the city that makes you forget you are surrounded by streets and homes. 

What was even better?  There was something very relaxing about watching people bird quietly in the rain.  I sat down in one spot and just let my mind wander.  The ducks were flying around all over the place and so were many other birds. 

How do birds know where this place is?  As I've been discovering, there is a lot of water throughout the desert in patches here and there.  Where there's water; there's life. For now, here are some quiet moments to reflect upon....

I finally got a shot of a hummingbird in the natural setting!  I have a million of them around my yard but we're friends and I give them handouts.  This guy doesn't know me and Mother Nature was providing the food:)

There's nothing like seeing a hummingbird in the wild. And to be honest, there's nothing like being outdoors!

Here's a not so great shot to prove that a thousand shots are taken for a few barely acceptable ones:)

Golden Goddess Bamboo

Pic courtesy of Wiki

Getting back to the garden again, I'm working on my spring plans for this year.  This year a total transformation will take place around the property.  After removing everything from the planters last year at this time, this spring promises to be an exciting one at El Presidio landscapewise.  I adore all things bamboo and if placed in the right areas, bamboo will grow proud and strong in our sunlight. I enjoy using variety on the same theme in the garden.  What does that mean?  Well about 2 years ago, I began my work with the clumping  Buddha's Belly Bamboo on our southern exposure.  Today this bamboo is twice as tall as I am.  It loves abuse once established.  I throw fertilizer on it and it grows.  I water about once a week during the summer months and am rewarded with an absolutely lush look along my walkway.....and they keep growing:)  The tricky thing with this part of the project is training the culms to keep off the walkway.   For that I use a stake meant for trees to help keep the bamboo upright for the moment until they get larger.  Nothing is more treasured in Tucson than a green garden.

Pics from here on down courtesy of Sherry's Bamboo Blog

Well I have more work to do on the other side of El Presidio.  You'll find Golden Goddess Bamboo which is slightly different yet similiar looking to other bamboo.  I want to have a plant selection here on the property which will create uniformity yet add a unique appearance in the separate gardens.  While it will function as part of the landscape, it will also act as a museum of plants.  My hope is that I will be able to demonstrate to Tucsonans that xeriscape can be lush.  The bamboo is all strategically placed along perimeter of the building.  When it rains, the runoff from the roof falls down upon the bamboo and gives it a little extra moisture. 

So it's winter here and people are wondering if they should plant bamboo right now.  Don't do it.  Wait until mid March to do your planting....and even then you may have difficulty finding bamboo around town.  BUT don't lose hope, the Bamboo Ranch has all your bamboo needs and then some.  I took a trip over a year ago and will be back again this year to complete my bamboo project. Normally retail stores will begin to put their bamboo out during the summer months because that's when bamboo looks its best.  Bamboo will decline a bit in winter with frozen tips on leaves etc, but once that sun and heat come back, it will shed those leaves and shoot higher into the sky.  Again remember to check and see if your bamboo is running or clumping.  Clumping is your best best while running bamboo does an amazing job in a contained area.  We have lots of bamboo to choose from here in the desert.  People are sometimes shocked to discover that we can grow it here in the Southwest.

Golden Goddess Bamboo is a clumping variety that does well in planters or pots.  It won't grow to massive heights like others, but it can get anywhere between between 6 to 12 feet. If you look around town, you'll see this bamboo all over. Remember to water regularly the first year.  It will establish itself and eventually will require less water.  "This delicate-leafed hedge bamboo is a great choice for a smaller lot, or for those seeking a container plant for patios or poolside planting. Plant 4 to 8 feet apart and this semi-dwarf bamboo will quickly fill in to become a beautiful but not too tall privacy hedge." Listed as Very Hardy. Source Beautiful Bamboo 

Chestnut Sided Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

 Mother of pearls are some birds hard to film!  Today I went to the Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson to practice using my new scope lense for tomorrow's adventure into Willcox.  Once I figured that out, I did some birding.....

 ......and the challenge was on!  My eyes and ears are good at hearing little things.  It must be from all that teaching I do with kids.  Well it comes in hand with birding as well:)

 This bird was by far the most difficult to film and my hands had to be quick with the shots or I'd miss the opportunity.  It is rainy and overcast today so I thought I'd challenge myself to still look and see if I could find anything.

 There were several birders on the grounds and it was a lot of fun being around them.  We noticed certain areas that were higher in unusual bird sightings than others which included the bridge near the parking lot.  And this is where I discovered this rare to find bird in Tucson. 

 But the two of them would make me work for my money while doing the photoshoot. What these little birds were doing in Tucson is beyond me?  And of course, I start thinking about how this all happens and how interesting it is that birds migrate from state to state.

So there you have it....the Chestnut Side Warbler...non-breeding adult:)

Sky High

"In The Sky" by Katherine Sessor

In the sky I see
Clouds, black and grey
In the sky I want to be
A bird and fly away

In the sky I see
Stars so bright
In the sky I want to be
The moon and shine my light

In the sky I see
The sun's blinding rays
In the sky I want to be
A cloud to comfort my days

If You Build It......

"Tear down this wall Mr. Gorbachev!" exclaimed former and now deceased President Ronald Reagan to the Soviet leader in the 80's.  A line has been drawn here in the desert southwest between the environment and people wanting to keep the illegals out of the United States.  A border fence or wall would make "the wall" in George RR Martins books pale in comparison. I am a Sonoran aficionado for life. If you aren't aware of what is going on, I'll fill you in.  The US government is toying with the idea of putting up a border fence that would cut off Mexico from the US and thus "prevent" people from crossing our dangerous desert. Certain areas along the border already have a fence but not the entire perimeter. Illegal immigration is an issue and cannot be ignored, but there are other factors at play here.

Recently we have seen the return of the jaguars and ocelots population to Southern Arizona.  It wasn't a secret that for many years they were shot for their fur.  Some people have a jaguar or ocelot stuffed as proof that they once lived here.  Poachers abuse(d) the laws and illegally hunted these animals thus ridding ranchers of the problem. Older generations on both sides of the border decimated the populations and the animals disappeared. People would tell stories about these amazing creatures and it was hard to believe that they once roamed our desert land. To some people, jaguars are like unicorns:) Luckily for these cats, they are extremely elusive and difficult to spot.  Today, while ranchers and poachers still exist, they are fewer in numbers allowing these animals to make a comeback.  Protected lands both on the Mexican and American lands have helped as have laws concerning these animals.  And today, these laws just may save these critically endangered cats from a border fence that is proposed to cut off their routes into the US.  Studies are now being conducted by University of Arizona researchers on how this fence may affect these protected animals.  Cameras have gone up along the border to monitor wildlife crossing.  This issue has been a hot debate here in Arizona.  Once faction states that the fence will keep out illegal immigrants while the opposing faction states it will be a waste of money affecting the terroritories of animals that habitate those areas(which include these endangered cats).  This side also states illegal people crossing the border will find away around the fence through such things like tunnels or coyotes(people who smuggle illegals into the country).  So what's your opinion?  Mine is below.

Here it is.  I took these pics of the mighty ocelot at the Desert Museum.  I had a talk with several of the people around "Cat Canyon" about the recent sighting of the jaguar and ocelot in Southern Arizona.  And people here are excited to see this comeback and addition to our mountain lion and bobcat population. A biodiverse community is a healthy community.  A wall that will cost millions of taxpayer dollars will NOT keep out illegal immigrants.  They will find ways into the US whether we like it or not. They're doing it now!  The wall won't make one bit of difference. I do not support illegals at all.  They cost us a lot more money than they should, but a wall won't keep them out.  It WILL affect our wildlife with a very negative consequence.  You see, many years ago, ranchers put up hundreds of miles of barbed wire fence killing a lot of animals by "roping" them into an area.  Some would get caught up in the fencing and strangle themselves to death.  Today volunteers from all over the world come to take down this ancient fencing which is allowing the wildlife populations back into areas that were previously off limits.  Nowhere is this more evident than at the Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge.  I'll be taking you there this spring.  It's an incredible place to visit and another little gem most people don't know about:) Doesn't history teach us lessons? As the government and people have faced restriction on monetary expenditures, we as a human race have to learn that there are limits on things.  Not so long ago, people just took took took....cutting down trees, hunting animals to their extinction, and causing massive damage to our environment. And it continues today. But now our attitude is, let's exploit natural resources in other countries. While in Peru, I discovered the US was contribuiting to a wood factory producing fine mahogony products...and thus aiding in the destruction of the Amazon. A fence is not the answer to this issue.  If you do not follow the issue, illegal immigration, at least for this year, is way down in Arizona and hit an all time low for the first time in 30 years.  Part of it has to do with the lack of jobs and the other part has to do with an increase in border security.  So what's your opinion? What's your take on feline vs. the wall?  How would you handle it? More tomorrow....

The Cape Verde Chronicles The Final Entry

The thing I wished to happen in Peace Corps happened, but not in the way I expected.  Some people go their whole lives not knowing what they are doing or what their purpose is.  And that was me until one November day when my world would turn upside down.  I will always have Cape Verde to thank for that because it changed me....for the better.  Perhaps I would still be "lost" today searching for those things that had already been there....my family, my home, and my friends.  The Spanish speaking world is magical to me and I've always felt at home traveling to these magnificent places.  In a sense I never truly experienced culture shock like I did until living on the islands of  Cape Verde.  And all of this had to pass outside of my comfort zone. Today I end my memoirs from this interesting country.

Dated October 15, 2000. "My roommate Sydney writes back home to her friends that she is trapped on this God forsaken island!  I laugh outloud.  I love her humor and wit.  She's wonderful to have for a roommate and friend.  I just feel terrible for being a Downer Debbie all the time. Lately my energy has not been there.  I feel tired all the time and it's physically difficult to get out of the bed.  I want to sleep all day long!  We purchased paint for our house and I'll begin soon.  The other day, while I was teaching, a student by the name of Malika touched my butt.  I ignored it thinking it was a mistake, but then it happened again.  I had a chat with her about appropriate behavior.  Several nights later, I hear voices by our house early in the morning.  Apparently, there is a boat operator that takes Cape Verdeans to the other islands.....I open my shades and find Malika staring back at me!!!!  Creepy!  I wonder how my other friends are doing on the other islands.  And I wonder if they are having the same kinds of experiences."

Dated 10/18/2000 "I can't do anything today because I am sad....and angry. I wish I could be back home for Tommy and Evie(our family friends who were our neighbors and like part of our family since childhood.)  But I can't.  He's dead and I'm here. I want to be there for Evie.  Oh goodness....I don't know what has gotten into me.  You think things will always remain the same but they don't.  I'm the one who does all the crazy stuff but everyone else is supposed to stay stationary and wait for me to grow up.  How selfish is that?  My thoughts are with you all back home."

Dated 10/22/2000. "Today was a good day.  I went biking to Buracona....a pool that is created by waves crashing against the shoreline rocks.  It was rather beautiful....and a bit scary as well.  We went to see a Brazilian film.  One of the 30 year old teachers brought his 13 year old student.  They were dating.  I don't know what to say about any of this.  People justify this by saying, "It's the culture."  But it makes me sick to my stomache. To make matters worse, I saw the Principal escorting another woman who wasn't his wife! All of the volunteers witness this in some form.  Women are just objects that need to obey the man.  Swimsuit competitions happened on the islands.  Old men judged 7th grade girls in swim gear on several of them.  I don't know if I'll ever understand any of this.  I left the concert series disgusted but came upon a ritual in the streets that held me captivated.  Imagine dark cobblestone streets.  Women dressed in black wailing in a songlike manner as they carry a casket down the street.  A polio outbreak has happened on our island and it claimed a man's life. I went back to my garden...my sanity and headed towards the roof...the best place in the world.  My feline friend came back to visit.  I warmed some milk up and fed her.  She thanked me with her eyes and instead of running off, she stayed with me for a time."  It was here that things started changing for me.  I began to miss Tucson. Miss my family......and I began to feel the power of "nesting" or settling down somewhere to call home. You may wonder, where did Tucson come from?  Like something buried in the back of my mind, the memories of living there came back to haunt my final days in Cape Verde.  I had lived in the Bay Area, Mexico, Wisconsin, and Tucson.....and it was Tucson that screamed loudly in my head that night. I had always felt that there was something better than Tucson, but kept comparing the Old Pueblo to all the places I had been....and nothing could compete with the majesty of the Sonoran desert.  Not even the tropical rain forests.  I loved the desert....just not the dunes I was living on!  It was here that I discovered that not all deserts were the same:)

Dated October 23rd, 2000.  "Our roof cat and her friends are doing a great job capturing the cockroaches.  We don't have them as an issue anymore.  BUT we did have a moment in the house.  I heard screaming coming from my roommate in her room.  Apparently a spider the size of China escaped the banana boats and entered her room.  The thing was HUGE!! and fast!  Spiders give me the heebie jeebies but we finally caught the sucker after it sped all over her pepto pink walls:)  Nasty!  The lesson?  Never leave clothes or papers piled on the floor.  The other day, I made the same mistake and found a lizard on my floor hissing at me.  It was one of the endemic ones found only on this island.  I carefully released him outside.  Yikes!"

Dated October 28, 2000.  "You hear the theme to the Pink Panther in the background.  All is calm in the house and Sydney walks across the hall to whisper something to me....and suddenly a furry little head appears from the doorway.  But it's coming from the guest bedroom!!!  Apparently rooftop kitty has entered our house!  She waits for her food and meows if we don't feed her.  By 9 AM, we put out a bit of milk for our new family member. I am still very sick and haven't been able to work.  Something is wrong with me....and my roommate. Last night, in a moment of panic, I ran to the bathroom to throw up, use the facilities, and pass out all at the same time.  I have lost a lot of weight. We are being med evac'd back to the main island for a possible infection of giardia.  Syd's friend Mary came 2 nights ago to say goodbye.  We sat under the lights of the night sky by the ocean and it was sad.  I couldn't eat anything because I wasn't hungry.  We came back from the trip and I found a huge poisonous centipede on our floor.  I screamed bloody mary and tried killing it but it wouldn't die....so I took the broom and swept it out of the door.....and at that same time, I found a huge cockroach from hell in the room....I sprayed all over the house....Sydney says that I am trying to kill her....but this house will be BUG FREE....and proud to be:)  If you've ever had a cockroach crawl over your face while you're trying to sleep, you'd understand:)"

Date November 8th, 2000.  Syd and I were both flown back to Praia for health reasons....blood, urine, and "other" not so pleasant tests were given.....and this is what we discovered...Syd lost 26 pounds and I lost 20!  When everyone saw us, they were shocked by the weight difference.   Syd is still suffering from the headaches, but at least we are on the mend again. To end on a funny note.  I don't think I will ever forget the day I was teaching to my class and watched as a woman was hanging up her clothes to dry.  There are monkeys on the island of Santiago and one of them was held as a "pet".  The monkey got free and grabbed the broom from her and attacked.  That was awesome.  Note to self.  Monkeys were never meant to be pets:)"

Dated November 12, 2000.  "Today we went to Santa Maria...Syd and I....and we went swimming...and it was absolutely gorgeous. However, the waves are powerful!  I got caught in a current and thrown on my head.  Ouch!  The garden is growing wonderfully and looking great!"

Dated November 22th, 2000. "There's nothing like seeing dead cockroaches in your water tank!!! Nasty nasty nasty! Tonight I worked out in the garden and things are growing extremely well. We are the envy of the neighborhood.  Someone asked me to grow pot for them, but I don't think that's such a good idea.  Dust, sand and grime gets all over my clothes, but the minute I walk onto our enclosed patio...it's like the garden of Eden.  It's sanity to my days of children jumping thru windows and hitting other kids, asking inappropriate questions...saying inappropriate things.  In fact that's the word they are learning..."inappropriate".  A student actually screamed "porco" or pig at me when I told her to stay on task.  I then responded "RUA!" or street.  She left and I continued my lesson to the 70 children in my classroom."

The days continued on until the "snap".  I was painting in my room.  The wall was blue.  I had painted so many times before over and over again....but it was this time painting that clarity happened. Pure. Simple. Clarity.  I was tired of painting walls that weren't my own.  I was tired of traveling around the world not having a home.  Wasn't it supposed to take 2 years for me to figure things out?  Apparently not.  I had had it with everything. And so for the first time in my existence, I realized that my life couldn't be placed on hold anymore.  Settling down and maybe getting into a relationship was important.  Owning a home was important.  I tried running away from Tucson, but the further I went, the harder it became.  Simply put....I missed this city immensely.  Why?  The University of Arizona operated on these islands to reforest them after the Cape Verdeans destroyed most of their vegetation.  Today you will find a lot of mesquite trees growing in the landscape.

I would not last more than 6 months in this country and it was the best decision I had ever made for myself.  A strong goal seeded itself within me to return to Tucson. For the first time in my life, I ended something before completing it....and it was liberating. I've never quit anything before! And for the first time in my life, I grew up and the selfish college kid died. I returned home to Tucson, bought a house, painted my own walls, and got into a relationship.....I guess all the things people do when they reach "the age".  Before Cape Verde, I lived all over the Americas.  Today I have Cape Verde to thank for enriching that which is most important.....home and knowing who I am. And I am so thankful everyday I wake up that I had this experience. 

Buracona on Sal

Here's our feline protector:) So what about the "snap"?  What exact moment was it?  Well I'll tell you.  I was painting my walls blue in my bedroom and listening to the radio to Melanie C "I Turn To You." And I don't think I've ever had a clearer singular moment than that in my life.  I was given a direction or a push that I had never experienced before. Today, I'm proud to call Tucson my home and it's good to be back here again.

1/18/2015-3 years later.  My thoughts today.  Young and foolish.  Inexperienced.  The simple fact that debt can dictate a person's life.  So many factors played into this decision but I didn't know what had happened when I had snapped.  Perhaps it was instinct that was leading me to make the right decision.  That was one of the most singular and powerful moments in my life.  Today, after all that has happened, I hope to go back to the islands again and revisit my past.  A former student is there having the time of his life.  And I have birds to find.  Everything changes.  We change.  Turning 30 sans everything people were "supposed" to have and in debt scared me.  We are free agents up until a certain point in our lives and then we become slaves to our dreams.

The Cape Verde Chronicles Part 4

Memory Lane

From the last time we met, I found out that I was assigned to the desert island of Sal.  No plants, no vegetation.....just dunes, the sparkling warm crystal blue ocean waters of the Pacific, and yet the sight of another drier island known as Boa Vista covered in sand dunes nearby.  We would experience the "Bruma Seca" or the Sahara storms off the African continent as they traveled hundreds of miles across the ocean.  The winds would be so strong at times that cars would be turned on their sides.  I even remember a fork off the road was picked up by the wind and thrown against our home window which shattered the glass panel.  Everyone was to move to the inside of the home.  Everyone thinks living on an island is wonderful, but I'm here to say....it's not:)  There's nothing like feeling helpless or trapped as an ominous dark cloud approaches your home from across the ocean....and there's nowhere to run.  My move to Sal would be "the snap" that I needed to help me focus on what is important in this life.  Today if I ever travel back, my view of the world will have changed and I would look at this country in a new light.  A beautiful woman by the name of Cesaria Evora would teach me the meaning of "Sodadi" or loneliness in my own American way. RIP my barefoot diva...your music is some of my prized collections.  Your words haunting and full of yearning...."What more is there?" So here are more chronicles of my experiences...

Corn makes cachupa!

Dated August 29th, 2000. "Mr. Hankey would like to sing you a song.....and it goes something like this...."Poo is in the air....everywhere you look around!!! I am "emailing" you from the sunny and windy Sal....Things are going well here....and at first I thought I was going to hate this place....but things have turned out better than I ever could have imagined. This is the biggest place for tourism and until this weekend I didn't know why.....but then I saw the miles of beaches. The sapphire sparkling water is warm, the waves incredible, and it's only a walk away from our house! However I can see both sides of the island at certain points. I'm trapped here."

Our farewell..

My letters get progressively worse. Dated October 26th, 2000. "I miss Central America, South America....Mexico.  I wonder if coming to this part of the world was the right decision. My group that was once 30 is now 24....another volunteer has returned back home.  She was on the island of Santo Antao....the GREEN island! Last night my awesome roommate, Syd, made some type of fried egg sandwich which tasted really good.  I don't know what I'd do without her.  She has kept me from going insane.  The students here are a nightmare and not like the ones on the main island.  We had a knife incident, a 20 something guard having relations with one of my 8th grade girls,  a teacher dating one of his students, rocks thrown in thru my classroom windows at other students....one getting hit in the head.  Is any of this worth the headache or the frustration?  Or the worst part...tourists interrupting my class to give the "poor" African children candies.  All they want are handouts.  None of them know how to do things for themselves.  It's a strange culture.  In Espargos, the capital of the island Sal, the students are really wonderful, but then I have to head to Santa Maria for the other half of the day.....and this is the tourist town.....and the real issue.   To find happiness, I go to my rooftop and watch the planes fly overhead.  Big large planes.....flying to different destinations all around the world.  Sometimes I just hang out at the airport to be around people coming and going....to make me forget.  I've taken so many things for granted in life.  A kitty comes to my roof and looks at me.  I remember both my cats back home and I offer our little visiting friend leftovers.  She stares back at me."  This cat would become our "pet".  She was feral but she also controlled our cockroach population.

My awesome future roomie on the island of Sal!

October 28th, 2000.  "I hate it here.  I've walked the island and while it has its beauty, there aren't any plants!  My neighbors have several in pots and they are treasured....like gold.  Water is a finite resource here and it only comes once a week to fill our tanks.  If we forget to turn the spicket on, we won't have water to wash our clothes, cook our meals, or take cold showers with!.  They say Tuesdays are the day, but that isn't always true.  It requires constant checking to make sure that we don't flood our tanks and have water flow into our home.  My roomie is wonderful.  In a moment of inspiration, we went to buy concrete blocks to create planters on our patio.  Thank you Grandma and Mom for sending vegetable seeds.  Our patio is now a container garden.  I don't know what I'd do without it.  Everyday I check to make sure caterpillars aren't eating the leaves.  I've set a box near where I garden for my cat friend to sleep while I work with the plants.  The soil here on this island is no good.  We brought soil in from the other island and it is doing the job. "

Watch your feet while swimming:P  These little black sea creatures will sting you:)
Tomorrow I finish the series of this life changing adventure.....

 Ancient ruins from a time past....near Cidadi Velha.

 My worst fear.  Fish food.  Looking at this pic makes me sick. But maybe you think otherwise:)

 Traditional Batuk dancers

 An island in the middle of nowhere.  Sodadi.

The last shot is the one that seemed to always happen to us.  We had an exhausting day and during a quick sit, goats decided to rain on our parade.  But to be honest I had some fun here.  My friend was irritated:)  I mean who doesn't love goats!?

 Chilling with my host brothers in a ribeira where farmers grow their fruit trees

Market day

The Cape Verde Chronicles Part 3

Today I continue on with more fun memoirs from my time in West Africa on the beautiful islands of Cape Verde. Dated from August 7th, 2000. "The weather here is warm and hot with high amounts of humidity.  Parts of me are sweating that I didn't know could sweat!!!  My rear end for example!!  Sorry, but it is really gross sometimes.  No amount of cold showering can help me!  I feel moist like a brownie.  I have several more funny incidents to share.  We crammed into a yatz(a small mini van).  A woman with a bowl of dead fish sat next to me.  Of course it would be me!!  For two hours, we drove across the island to the sea village known as Tarrafal.  I plugged my nose and tried to focus my attention elsewere.  We reached the interesting town known as Assomada and saw a huge market in the cobblestone streets.    I'm stuck next to the fish lady while my friends are in the back chatting it up.  In typical Kreesh fashion, I wanted to share with everyone in the van what I was seeing outside my window.  A little girl carried a dead fleshy goat on top of her head.....blood and flies all over the place....in a moment of pure joy, I shouted to my friends, "Look!!"  They all turned their heads and several almost became sick.  I sat back and smiled next to my fish lady friend.  It was worth it. To combat the smells(my family has super sensitive noses), I had to create a fantasy world from going crazy. (This is where I fine tuned my skills in sarcasm:).  I came up with several plug in scents for my house.  There was Praia Morning(dust, dirty diapers, human feces), Praia Rain (fresh rain mixed with urine) and Ass-omada.." Sadly my inventions never made it and the line was discontinued.  If you've never experienced this stuff, it can all be a little overwhelming:)

My English class in Sao Domingos, Santiago

Dated August 8th, 2000.  "Okay...you have been hearing about this place called Cape Verde and you probably get this impression that it's maybe a little like hell......I mean my clothes are sticking to my body right now....however what you don't know is that this place is very exciting also....I went to Tarrafal the other day and witnessed some things you don't see everyday like sea turtles on the beach....tidepools, in my flip flops of course, where I saw octopus, sea urchins, crabs, and even the occasional shark off in the distance.  Of course that moment was shattered the minute I saw a kid grab an octopus out of the water and bite straight into its head.  I'm not making this stuff up people."

"Head, shoulder, knees, and toes.  Knees and toes."

Written August 24th, 2000.  "Things here are okay....and I will tell you that things are meant to happen for reasons.....above and beyond my control.....But as a very dear friend puts it.....you are where you are.  Yesterday I received that letter which told me about what site I'll be serving for the next two years of my life.  I will be leaving for the island of Sal.....this was the island I least wanted because it looks like Mars.  Just dunes, sand, and more dunes!  Peace Corps is sending me because they need a strong teacher to deal with the students there. When I found out, I locked myself in my room and cried. No plants. No gardening. No water! Just sand.... Perhaps life is just about what is thrown at you.  For the first time, I wish I didn't have the qualifications to be placed on this island.  But I remember why I joined and understand that I need to give it a chance.  It does have the best beaches and tourism is at an all time high here.  Everything I am as a person is now challenged.  How will I do it all?  I've got to go.  My training is complete. They're kicking me off this island."