Bits of Berlin!

At one time we had thought of purchasing this pickers shack along with enough property to traverse with our power lines.  At this point we feel the asking price is far more that the advantage we would receive.  We had even considered fixing up the building and living in it while our home was being built.  

We have recently talked with a builder and are going to build our garage and studio first and live there.  On the 3rd of January Don is meeting with an architect to discuss the plans we have created and get bids from both he and the builder.  We are also going to look for other bids and other people before we make our final decision on who will be doing the work.  Also, we need to hire a backhoe to move some earth and work on our driveway.  Once that is done, we will put 2 strips of concrete with gravel in between to create a road that the large vehicles required in the building process will be able to travel.  For this job we are also getting bids which is a slow process when most of the people you need to do the work speak only Spanish!  Although, we are working on our Spanish, that too is a very slow process!

Elian and his Uncle Dario came to the property with us one day last week to meet with ICE.  Dario was going to translate, however, we never actually saw ICE.  After waiting a number of hours we left for home but, it is our understanding that ICE did show up to look at our situation.  Elian is pushing the machete down into the ground where we have a little problem with the ground not being solid on the edge of where it was graded.  Just to the left of Elian are our Banana Trees which are still growing!

Machetes are so common here.  Everyone has at least one.  Since arriving we have purchased two--one for us and one for Roberto.  Roberto is much more talented with his!!

Rolando is a friend we met when we stayed here last time with Chavarria's.  He is quite a worker for a number of people around town and walks everywhere, including to the near by towns.  

He and Don have a "special" relationship and when Rolando walks by he will stop looking for a meal and lots of coffee with mounds of sugar!

The dog's name is Perro which means dog in Spanish.  She is very sweet and always comes out to greet us when we walk by.  There are dogs everywhere here and many of them are shy of strangers.  Our least favorite are the ones that bark when we want to sleep!

The sunsets here are spectacular and we only wish we could capture the beauty in our photographs!  We will keep trying!