“Looking for Linda” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

On returning home from our trip to Mérida it was very easy -virtually seamless in fact – to resume the routine (has a certain ring to it that. A bit like a Cole Porter song, “Begin the Beguine”. No? Oh well never mind).

Regular readers will know the score. Up early, mug of black coffee and iPad out on the veranda for start of the day meditative time. Just me and my thoughts and wherever the Internet will take them. The only things that limit where my thoughts may travel are whether I have ingested enough coffee and the Internet bandwidth. Obviously I have total control over the former unless we have been stupid enough to run out of coffee – and although I might have my moments there (being stupid I mean)- we don’t because Rose is never that stupid. She’s far too organised for that.

Now control over bandwidth? Well that’s a completely different matter entirely. I’m powerless. You’d imagine though, wouldn’t you, that at around 05.30/06.00 hours that most of the bandwidth would be available to me. Mine all mine and all that. I mean how many other people are up at that time drawing off my bandwidth? Doesn’t work that way though as I’ve found out. I decide where I want to ‘head off to’ enter it in the Search Bar and then watch and watch that bloody egg timer. But hey that’s part and parcel of living in a place like this. I mean I didn’t come here for supersonic Internet speed. It would be nice of course but it’s not the be all and end all.

What the advent of ‘the egg timer’ means is that I turn my mind to other things. I stop peering at the monitor look around me to see and hear what’s going on and pre and post Mérida I been focusing my attention on the building projects either side of our house.

I mentioned in a previous edition that the lots immediately to the north of us had been cleared and work had commenced on building a boathouse (or boat palapa as they are called here). Well it’s now really taking shape.

Foundations and floor in.

Forms in for the pillars.

And more forms being made.

Work starts on the dock.

Preparing the wood for the decking.

And the dock starts to take shape.

As do the pillars.

Starting to look like a building.

Dock finished.

The project immediately to the south of us is much smaller in comparison. A top floor extension for Pirate Villas. A three ‘man’ team is on this one. The builder, his assistant and his wife. Yes, his wife.

There she is precariously balanced whist helping to fix the rebar in place.

With the forms in

she helped carry the concrete up to the top floor

whilst baby son played with the sand

I wouldn’t want you to think that I’ve just sat around watching other people work. Oh no. I’ve started painting the exterior side of the southern fence.

And Rose took over the ‘watching’ role.

Rose doing her Kilroy impersonation.

It was hot – probably in the low 90s – but I made reasonably good progress

The broom marks the spot!

Just this bit to go. And then I can start on the northern side! Can’t wait can you!

But then it was time for sitting around and watching. Watching the sun set.

“See you tomorrow”.

Oh, before I forget. For all you ladies out there a new boutique has opened in Laguna Drive, Boca Del Rio. A bright yellow establishment.

With long opening hours.

So if you are looking for Linda (I’ve been trying to find a way of using this song for a headline for ages) you know where to go!

The headline for today’s edition is based on the single released by Hue and Cry in 1989 which reached number fifteen in the UK Singles Chart.