Island Paradise Day 47

When Steph and I decided to spend two months here in Utila, we thought there would be a lot of time where we would have nothing to do, and I was looking forward to working on my book every day. I started writing a book in 2007, and originally it was going to be about my first trip around the world with son number one. I worked on it for three years, but after getting a lot of feedback from other writers, I decided to switch it up significantly. By then I had taken my second trip around the world with son number two in 2010, so it was reworked again so I could incorporate that trip’s adventures. Then I decided that the book might as well be about all three trips around the world, the third of which I completed with son number three in 2014. Since then I have been working on it off and on (not often enough) and was much determined to make this the year I complete my final rewrite. After that I only need to find someone willing to do an edit, and then I can think about publishing it.

Well, we have one week to go before we leave here, and I only started on it this week. It has been so cloudy and windy that there really isn’t much else to do. I am hoping that next month while we are in Lake Chapala I might be able to get a lot of work on it completed. I did not realize how much time writing a daily blog would take, and once we leave here I will revert to a weekly blog posts, freeing up some time.

I certainly underestimated how windy it would be living on a beach – especially during the strong eastern trade winds season. That is not actually a bad thing here – as it really helps with the heat and humidity, however, the strong wind means big waves, and big waves mean limited swimming and snorkeling. It does not seem to impact people diving, as they are below the water’s surface. However, when it is cloudy the visibility in the water is greatly reduced. We are actually very lucky that we had so many days where the water was as still as a lake allowing for a lot of fantastic snorkeling.

Tomorrow we are heading into town for the chili cook off. It is funny that this event came along just days after I wrote that I missed my family and our cook offs. My family is very competitive. We do not shuck corn: we see who can shuck the most cobs in the least amount of time. (Does one shuck corn or only oysters??) My kids do not tell me how good the meal was: they rank it for taste profile and artistic impression. I am not sure whose fault this competitive business is (I blame my maternal grandmother), but it keeps life interesting, and we have a heck of a lot of fun.

Competition is essential, in my view. Without it we would not have a fair economy or sports. And let’s face it, politics would be boring. Where would the town of Oliver be without the Mountainview Drive Croquet Match or the Annual Adolph Snail Derby? By the way, friends back in Oliver, I DO expect the derby to go on this summer in August when I am there. I have been practicing some new techniques with the local land crabs, and intend to royally kick some snail butt when I get home.