Announcing it to the world

A couple of days ago.......

What a clatter........
                        
                                What a commotion................

                                           A whole lot of noise...............................

Deafening unadulterated LOUD babbling...........

Brazen sat in the trees loudly chattering for ages and ages.........

     He just went on and on and on....................

What was he on about I wondered........

Then Brownie ran into my office to get my attention, "Come and see!  Come quick Mummy! Come quick!"

I dutifully followed him outside to the patio, and there she was...........

Brazen's mate with her new born hanging on to her stomach.  I wasn't in time to grab my camera, but you'll get an idea from the photo below borrowed from the internet.

The tiny baby was a blue colour, since its hair had not begun to grow in and cover the flesh as yet.

It hung on for dear life on his mother's chest/stomach as she moved around with her maternal instinct in top gear.

The proud father sat in the tree looking on happily, but still noisy as ever.


Hear Ye!!  Hear Ye!!

Brazen was in the trees announcing the birth of his crazy offspring to the world.


Remember when they were caboodling on the gate? The time was right by my calculation.

Another monkey to terrorize the neighbourhood.....another monkey with Brazen's crazy-a$$$$$ genes.
"Lawd I cahn tek it nuh more."


A little later in the day, what did I spy with my own little eye?  Brazen caboodling with another female on my neighbour's wall.  He's really going forth and multiplying....where's the phone????

Have a read here and here.

"Batta Cabana" bats

In an earlier post I mentioned that I had a bat problem. It seems as if any creature, whether great or small, gravitates to my home like bees to honey.
I don't feel special in this regard though, since quite a few of my neighbours also have a few bats flying out of their roofs on evenings as well. 

However, the ones that have been residing here were now out of control. They had become quite noisy and I was hearing them sometimes during the day.  Having to carry on a conversation in a loud voice to drown them out was not my idea of fun.
They seemed to be having a GREAT time, partying in my roof. It sounded like they were playing poker or having a Vegas lifestyle above my head.  I swear I heard a roulette wheel on a couple of occasions.
I had served them an eviction notice, but still they continued to squat with total disregard for my feelings. It's prime real estate they told me, and they had no intentions of leaving.
There ain't a more stubborn person living in this neighbourhood than you know who....so guess what?
They're out of here.  No more "Batta Cabana"(*).  It was time to pay the piper. Their time here was definitely up.

Reading on the internet, I found lots of quack ways on how to get rid of bats, from strobe lights to moth balls, but the one that made sense to me was the exclusion method.
So it began. The exclusion method entails allowing the bats to get out, but restricting their access back in.
I got myself some insect screen mesh and sat down at my sewing machine to make a long tube.

Sewing the bat tube

My home is a two storey building, thus it needed to be long enough to reach the ground.
I attached a small butterfly net at the top of the tube.
This was placed over the entrance hole to allow them access out, but not back in. 
Once they have all moved on, I will be able to complete my roof repairs.

 The screen mesh tube attached to a very long stick.

 The bat hole covered entirely to allow movement out only

 The tube reaching to the lower level

One of my girlfriends had been complaining for ages about the bats that were consuming the fruits in her orchard.  Little did she know at the time that the bats were living in her roof, and their eatery was right outside their place of abode. How smart was that?
When I told her of my plans, she asked if I would help her out as well......no problem.
Once I've got my house in order, I will be available to help. It's a work in progress, and I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Many of my neighbours are now considering the same process to take care of their bat problem as well. 
Honestly, the exclusion method did not work that well for me, since my bats seemed to be rather smart.
I therefore relied on another simpler method.
I had two butterfly nets which I keep to trap any frogs in my garden, so that they don't harm Mr. BrownBerts with their poisonous toxins.
These two nets, along with a covered bucket became my BFF's in the bat eviction process.
 
Very early in the morning and again in the evening, I took up my position on the upstairs patio, where I could easily reach the hole, and rounded them up that way.
Through it all, I kept on reading about their habits online, so I could understand them better.
I also learned that the saying "as blind as a bat" is not really true, since bats can indeed see.
All along, I thought they did not like light, but these bats ventured out in the early evening way before the sun had sunk below the horizon, and would return to the roost in the early morning when the sun was already up, and blinding my eyes with its bright rays.  These were the party animals of the bat world.
I found out too that there are six kinds of bats (chiropteran fauna) in Barbados, and I believe my squatters were fruit eating bats. 
I did see one fairly large brown bat among them, and wondered if it was the queen, like the kind in the bee hive community.
My bats were black and leathery looking, and very smart, vicious little creatures that had me cussing like a pirate (not really!) when they outsmarted me with their tactics.
I'll tell you how. They rallied together, where one or two would approach as if they were headed into the hole, and I would concentrate on them. In the meanwhile another one would fly in safe and sound, while I was still doing a "sing and dance number" with the others.  They pulled this stunt on me several times.
They realised that I was not backing down, and I think they finally got the memo.  I saw only one bat knocking around this morning, and soon he'll be gone as well. I will then fix the hole and complete my roof repairs.
Wish me luck.

Until next time, same bat channel.......

A bat study of bats in Barbados.
Another study here on Catching Bats in Barbados.
More bat reading here.

(*) If you are a lover of Barry Manilow, you will remember his "Copa Cabana" song, which is exactly how the bats were operating in my roof.

My what a week it has been

Phew!!
What a week.  A week of joys and wonders, yet filled with mishaps and letdowns.
For starters my dear beloved daughter came back home, and I was thrilled....please don't tell her this....I beg of you please.  I try to be the cool mum that doesn't worry because she's all grown up, but still....
I am a mother first and foremost, and it's our job as mothers to worry about our offspring, and besides she's my only "chickee".(*)

On Monday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William & Kate, became the proud parents of a baby boy, HRH Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge.

Prince George of Cambridge being introduced to the world outside St. Mary's Hospital with proud parents William and Kate.

Who better to make the announcement than a party-crasher town crier?
Even Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy got into the act...

On to other baby news......

We also had a monumental first at our local hospital.
On Wednesday, July 24, Dr.Na Tisha Robinson conducted the first ever foetal intra-uterine transfusion at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Dr. Na Tisha Robinson

When a foetus suffers from severe anemia, a foetal blood transfusion is necessary, an operation that can save the life of the unborn child.
The mother's immune system in this case was found to be Rh-sensitized, whereby it had produced antibodies which destroyed the foetus' Rh positive red blood cells, as they registered as foreign bodies by the system.
The donor blood transfusion was administered via the umbilical vein, and replaced the foetal red blood cells that were being destroyed.
Dr. Robinson specializes in maternal and foetal medicine, and conducted the one hour operation to save the life of the 31 week old foetus, which is due to be delivered in another two weeks.

Congratulations are in order all around.



I've been busy with lots of house maintenance chores, some tedious and boring, but necessary.  Some projects are going well, and some not so much, thus leading to the mishaps I referred to above.  But have no fear, I will survive, and they will all be completed, maybe not in the time schedule I had planned, but completed nonetheless.

(*) My term of endearment for a small chick, since I'm a mother hen.

**All images were borrowed from internet images.

Today

Even though there was tons of work to be done at home, I couldn't help but venturing out for a quick Saturday jaunt this morning.
My friend Kelly was having one of her quarterly garage sales, and they are not to be missed, regardless of how much stuff you have on your plate to attend to.
It usually starts early, and no matter how early you arrive, there are always other bargain-hunters ahead of you.  Oh well.
Silly old me, I forgot to take photos. However, everything but the kitchen sink was included in today's sale.
All manner of household items, clothes, bags, shoes, books and magazines, plants, computers, jewelry and many more items...oh yes and refreshments as well.
It's a social gathering, and I usually run into quite a few old friends and "familiar faces".....did I say familiar?  What I meant was, faces that I should remember but don't, yet they shout my name gleefully.....
I'm at a total loss, the name of the face playfully hiding somewhere in the deep recesses of my brain, and therefore not available for retrieval, but yet I manage a hearty, "Oh hi there my dear, how are you?  So nice to see you. How have you been?"
Diplomacy at its best, if I do say so myself.

I wandered around for a little while, and then opted for a few house decor magazines, since I'm in the throes of remodeling several areas of my old home.
I also didn't want to add more stuff to my uncluttered home, especially since I had only dropped off a huge box of used items to the Salvation Army just yesterday!
Of course I decided to take a quick drive down the west coast, since I was already on the road, and I also had some bottles to recycle at the supermarket as well.
On top of a hill on my way down to the coast, I had to stop.....and check out the beautiful scenery.

I would have loved to be on one of those small pleasure boats sailing along the coast.

Nice day with hardly a cloud in the sky

Sun shining brightly down on the azure sea below

A nice brisk wind to keep the heat of the day at bay...

Time to get back to my reality and head home to get some work done.

I like gardening

I have no idea why Mum keeps on saying that I desert her when she's in the garden.
I do like gardening, but the sun gets so hot sometimes that it's better to chill in the patio and watch her work.....but that's only sometimes....not most of the time like she's making out.

Here's proof.  See?  I am in the garden inspecting for any critters that may do her harm.

See? I'm wandering around checking everywhere.....

....and I mean everywhere

Now it's time for me to head back to the patio....time to chill out......this sun is smoking....see you later Mum.

Hurricane Hunters

It's really amazing the gamut of tv shows that are available for viewing these days.
On weekends, if one is not a sports fan, sometimes it's almost impossible to find anything decent to watch.  A show that will capture your attention and hold on to it, so you're not surfing from one channel to the next.
This weekend, I ended up on The Weather Channel, yes that's what I said, The Weather Channel.
I was not sorry. I found a rather intriguing show called Hurricane Hunters.
I am a closet meteorologist at heart, after dabbling in the science at school and university.

Through the years, living on an island in the Caribbean situated along the hurricane path, we have always had weather advisories/bulletins that were relayed from "the reconnaissance aircraft."
Growing up, I imagined it to be some kind of plane flying directly into the hurricane to gather data, and I knew it had to be dangerous, but....little did I know how dangerous.


Hurricane Hunters (The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron) is part of the Air Force Reserve, and is the only organization in the Department of Defense  that still flies into tropical storms and hurricanes since 1914.
They are based at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi.
They operate ten Lockheed-Martin WC-130J aircraft and the crews are a part of the 403rd Wing.

Hurricane hunter aircraft (National Weather Service)

I had no idea that there were so many planes being used, for I had always wondered how this plane "in my head" would be carrying out these daredevil missions every 3-4 hours to bring us an update on a weather system in our area.
The show is in a half hour mini-series format and depicts the officers flying the hurricane planes directly into a hurricane to gather all data including wind speed, barometric pressure, eye location and size.
The planes are equipped with sophisticated computer systems, radar and weather measuring devices.
The crew flies the plane into the eye of the hurricane, and searches for the exact center of the eye where the winds measure 0 knots and the barometric pressure is lowest.
The eye is surrounded by the eye wall, a ring of thunderstorms where the most severe weather occurs.
In the center, even though there are mostly clear skies, the centrifugal force is very strong.

The primary source of energy for the development of a hurricane is latent heat. The temperature of the ocean water must be over 27 degrees C.
In areas of weather anomalies, the hurricane hunters fly the plane very low above the sea gathering data to check for intensification.
As the anomalies intensify, they either become a tropical storm or a hurricane.


All this data is then relayed to weather services (National Hurricane Center in Miami) and the hurricane specialists there then use it to predict the path of the hurricane and warn the prospective areas.
I can't begin to imagine living through a hurricane season without the services of these hurricane hunters. Due to them risking their own lives, many lives and homes are saved.
With the information that we are forewarned with, we have time to secure our possessions and stock up on foodstuff, water, medical supplies, seek out safe havens, and make sure our pets are safe and sound.
We owe a lot of gratitude to these brave souls, and I tip my hat to them. 
Here is thewebsite.
To read more about the life of a hurricane, go here.
An interesting article here.

All images were borrowed from the internet

Grave robber

I awoke early this morning as usual.

A beautiful rainbow was in the sky, and the moon was still showing itself against the light of dawn.
A light drizzle was coming down, so I put off walking the garden until after breakfast.
Sipping my tea and looking through my office window out to the garden, my cup almost fell from my hand.
To my dismay, I saw the box that I had buried the little birdie in, above ground right beside the grave. The flowers were strewn far away from the burial site.
What was going on?
Everything was okay last evening when I closed up.  Brownie had not yet gone into the garden, since the gate was still closed, and besides he is not a digger.
I couldn't blame Brazen and his crew because monkeys don't travel around at night.
All I could think of, was that it was one of the wild cats that traverse the neighbourhood every night.
Good gracious me, hadn't the poor thing endured enough?
Was he not entitled to rest in peace?
I went out to rebury the poor thing.

 

The box was slightly damaged, but the body still remained inside, thank goodness.
I dug the hole again, and buried the little birdie yet again.

 

This time I placed a small brick over the grave.  Hopefully this will thwart any efforts to disturb the poor thing again.
Once again little birdie, Rest in Peace.
Update: I caught Brownie snuffling and pawing/digging around the brick after lunch, so I guess he was the culprit after all!

Poor thing

One morning earlier this week, Brownie was standing alert and looking out quite inquisitively at something which held his interest. He continued to cock his head from side to side, while giving a small yelp every so often.

I couldn't quite figure out what was going on, until, I heard the "Cheep, Cheep, Cheep" of a small bird.
Looking out, I saw a tiny chick, covered in black fluff, which had somehow got away from its mother, under what circumstances I had no idea.

It was obviously lost, and kept on cheeping away quite noisily, while running all around the garden.
Had it survived falling out of its nest or had the mother abandoned the poor thing?
I tried  (unsuccessfully) for the most part of the morning to capture this little one, before it came to any harm, but every time I approached, it ran away at full speed.  How did its little legs move so fast?

I finally decided to put a small plate of cooked pasta and water in the garden for the baby chick to eat.  It just kept on running around cheeping away all day.

All the birds that came into the garden that day, it followed them around, but they all ran away from the chick like they were avoiding the plague.

Brownie of course was in high gear to get out into the back garden, but I kept the gate closed.
What next?
Dusk time came, and the chick was still running around cheeping.  It should have been tired by then.
Eventually the cheeping stopped, and I imagined it finally went to sleep for the night somewhere in the garden. The rain fell during the night, and I wondered about how he/she was doing.
The following day, early in the morning, the cheeping started all over again. At least it had made it through the night.
I then saw a blackbird in the tall palm tree seeking grubs from between the spent fronds. Oh great, I thought, the mother is going to feed the poor thing.

Little did I know......

To my horror, the blackbird gobbled up the grub, and continued to search for more, eating every single grub that it found.

I took some more cooked pasta out for the chick but it ran away from me again. 

 The old pasta was still there. It had to be hungry and probably quite tired and weak from running around an entire day.
It ran very fast to get away from me, and to hide under the shrubbery along the back wall.

Sometimes, it is not right to interfere with the course of nature, but it was too much for me to bear. 
Checking with a (vet) friend of mine later in the day, I was told that the poor thing was probably sick and that's why the mother had abandoned it.   So sad.
Before I closed up for the evening, I checked on its whereabouts in the garden.  It was all snuggled up under a palm tree, looking quite weary.

This morning, in the early dawn, I walked the garden, and found its little body no longer breathing.

Brownie helping me to look.

Every animal that passes away in my garden gets a proper burial.
I prepared a box for the body, lined it with fresh newspaper, and gingerly placed the little body inside.

Dug a hole in the earth and gave the poor thing a decent burial with a prayer, and then placed some heliconia flowers on the grave.

Brownie saying goodbye

Rest in Peace little birdie.

As it land........it come ashore

Well here we have it.....the end of the mango season.
My girlfriend dropped off  some of "the stragglers" for me earlier this week.
The trees are giving up the last of their fruit for a while.......the last of the last of the last of the Mohicans, so to speak.
As soon as the delicious fruit arrived, Brownie and I had to have a taste.
Sweet, succulent, so very tasty.
The Man of the House licked up every last piece, and kept on looking around for more.
In the twinkling of an eye, two mangoes were consumed with such fervour, even I was astonished.  Brownie not so much.
From now on it looks like I'm going to have to sneak behind his back and have a mango all for myself.
A saying here: "As it land it come ashore" meaning as soon as something is acquired, it is used.

The joys of life

It's the simple things in life that bring the most joy.......
A bright summer's day.

A pile of leaves

Ready Set Go!!!

What's that doing in the way?

Oh well, it you can't beat 'em

Carry on smartly.

Brownie rolling around in a pile of leaves, makes me smile every time.

Prayer flags

When my neighbours (behind my garden wall) moved in, I immediately knew that they were of Indian heritage.
They erected a group of prayer flags to the back of their property which fluttered in the wind.  The flags were pretty, but since they were so close to my property, many visitors to my home always thought they were my flags, and would ask what they were there for.
Upon closer inspection they would realise that the flags were not on my property at all.

Prayer flags (Jhandis) flying high on bamboo poles in my neighbour's garden

Many years passed, and the elements took their toll on the flags until they stood tattered and torn.
A couple of weeks ago, I saw that new flags had been installed on taller bamboo poles. They can now be seen from further away.  They also look as if they're now a part of my garden more than ever.

Closer view depicting the deities

Once again my friends were asking the meaning of the flags.   Never knowing what answer to give, about the relevance, I decided to carry out my own investigation.  Hello Google my friend!

In the Caribbean we have many descendants from bygone days of slavery. When slavery ended in 1834, suddenly there was no more cheap labour available on the plantations.  It was then that East Indians were lured to work on the plantations. They arrived in the Caribbean as indentured labourers between 1838 -1917.
150,000 went to Trinidad
250,000 went to Guyana 
(With island migration, they are now spread throughout the Caribbean, including Barbados.)

They also brought along their religious beliefs (mostly Hindu) with them.  Elements of their surviving Indian culture included erecting prayer flags (Jhandis) outside their homes.  The flags are used as part of religious ceremonies, symbols of faith, and a way to show pride in being Hindi.


 Each flag is dedicated to a particular deity. Each deity is the embodiment of a particular characteristic. For example, Saraswati is the giver of knowledge, learning and inspiration and Lakshmi is the giver of wealth and prosperity.

Active Hindus will offer their prayers and Mantras to these deities (divas or devis) and place a flag in the ground. Placing the proper prayer may help with many of life's hurdles, like good health after sickness, or finding another job after being fired.
Once the flags are in the ground, they cannot be removed. The only way they can be collected is after time, or if they either break or fall over.

Prayer flags are said to bring happiness, long life and prosperity to the person who planted the flag and to those in the vicinity. 
This may very well be the reason why Brazen loves to sit on the corner of my garden wall.

According to the www.prayerflags.com website, the prayer flag tradition is an ancient one and dates back thousands of years in India and to the shamanistic Bon tradition of pre-Buddhist Tibet. Bonpo priests used solid coloured cloth flags, maybe with their magical symbols, to aid in balancing both internal and external elements. The 5 colors of prayer flags represent the 5 basic elements: yellow-earth, green–water, red-fire, white-air, blue-space. Balancing these elements externally brings harmony to the environment. Balancing the elements internally brings health to the body and the mind.

I also came across this article - all neighbours are not created equal apparently.


http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2004-01-15/news/0401150127_1_hindus-flags-symbols

There are also pet prayer flags available.  Who knew??

Firing like a brute

I don't know about how the grass grows in your garden, but my grass has no sort of behaviour at all.
It only takes just a drop or two of rain to take it to new heights.  It's amazing how after cutting the grass, and after a nighttime rainfall, the grass is standing tall again in the morning.....as I said no behaviour.
Having said that, it seems as if I have been cutting grass non-stop recently.  As soon as I'm finished cutting the grass in the back garden, it's the grass in the front garden that needs cutting, and then the back garden etc, and the cycle just keeps going and going.
You can imagine my horror when I picked up my trimmer to work on the grass outside my front wall, it belched some acrid smoke, and then gave off a scent as if it were ready to explode in my hands.  What the frickity frack????
It had been working so hard recently that the poor thing had had enough.  Diagnosis: Burned out armature/motor.
Luckily for me, I had a spare trimmer.  Many years ago on one of my visits to the metal dump, I ran into a truck driver who was dumping old electrical appliances/gadgets for a superstore....items that customers had taken to be fixed and had not returned for them.  At that time I had in my possession one faithful trimmer that had stood the test of time for many years. 
I "rescued" three of the trimmers that were like mine that he was dumping, and brought them home, figuring I would use them for parts.  What a surprise when my techie friend told me that they were all good to go.
I have been recycling the trimmers over the years, and now I'm down to one.

 

 The Last of the Mohicans

 I gingerly removed it from the box, and took it outside to finish the job.  I pulled the trigger and it came to life with so much gumption that I was startled, almost dropping it in the process.
It was "firing like a brute."(*) Made short work of the grass cutting, and I was finished in no time.

Today, I spent the morning in the back garden, cutting grass (what else?), weeding and trimming shrubs and trees.

Yes, another Saturday at home, but I was busy as a bee.
Since they fogged yesterday afternoon, I also did some laundry today.  Linens that needed some special washing care.  Battenberg lace tablecloths are pretty but can be quite a chore to keep up with.
They were riddled with storage marks which I knew would be nearly impossible to remove.  A basin filled with Oxy-Wash and a couple of hours in the sun, and Voilà, they were all gone.  YEAH!! 
(*)"Firing like a brute" is a favourite saying of one of my friends.  I have never had cause to use it until now.

All's well

 I chased Chantal away

Just a quick post to let all my blog friends and family know that both Brownie and I are okay after tropical storm Chantal passed our way.
We weren't drenched as expected, thank goodness.
We did have some rainfall, no wind to speak of at all, and I did detect some rolling thunder out over the gloomy sea.
After the all clear was given around 11am yesterday morning, the day remained quite gloomy and rainy.  Perfect day to get some indoor stuff done like:
Sewing alterations - Check
Bedroom cleaning - Check
 
I had lots of phone calls from overseas friends to check on who else?  Mr. BrownBerts.
The dog of the house, who incidentally found it necessary to run around in the rain before doing his business after lunch....go figure.

Tropical Storm warning

My phone started ringing off the hook today with the news of tropical storm Chantal approaching our area.
We were having a lovely bright sunshiney day.  Looking out it was hard to even begin to think that there was any hint of bad weather on its way.

 Partly cloudy skies

Clear visibility about 2 miles

Told the Head of Security, and he was on the alert right away.....keeping an eye out for the storm.

I'll be right here when Ms. Chantal gets here.

Let her come, she's got to get past me first.

 At 5pm, Chantal's position was:
Location: 11.8°N 53.9°W
Moving: WNW at 26 mph
Min pressure: 1005 mb
Max sustained: 45 mph

 

Barbados is the island on the outside of the island chain.

Chantal appears to be  pretty spread out, but her path looks like the eye will pass to the north of us early tomorrow.
We are under a Tropical Storm warning, along with Dominica, St. Lucia, Martinique, Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico.
Yes, it's yet another hurricane season in the Caribbean.
According to NOAA(*), this will be an active hurricane season 
with a" 70% likelihood of 13 to 20 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 7 to 11 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 3 to 6 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher)."

(*) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Something sweet to eat along with The World's Strictest Parents

Usually after my lunch, I tend to have a small dessert, however this week all that was available in my pantry were cookies.   Yet, I didn't have the urge to bake....until this afternoon.

Rustic Apple Tart

Pineapple Cake

After the baked goodies were cool, I sliced them into neat portions and put them away in the freezer. In this way, if I'm in the mood for "something sweet to eat" I can just zap a slice  (45 seconds) in the microwave and have it with tea or after lunch.

I know you're wondering if I was out today....well yes I was, but only for a short period of time.

During an in-depth and extremely interesting conversation with my pc guru friend last night, he asked how the tv was doing, and I told him just fine, it even seemed to be showing better than before.

We kinda have the same tv viewing taste.  We discussed "Falling Skies", "Game of Thrones", and a couple of other movies, and then he dropped a bomb on me.
"What about "The World's Strictest Parents?"
"Whuh? What?" I asked.  I had never heard of it.
"Yes, they did one of the episodes in Barbados too. You should check it out."
He then gave me a synopsis of the show and directed me to YouTube.
Okay, so off I went to view "The World's Strictest Parents -Barbados episode".
I was flabbergasted.  Let me sum it all up for you quickly.  A pair of rebel British teens are sent to live with a Barbadian family (Seven Day Adventists) for a week. Their parents hope that they will change their ways by the time they return home to the UK.
I was in total shock at the Barbadian parents.  Let's just say that I am happy that my parents were nothing like them.
I must point out though, that it all worked out in the end.  I hope that the two teens are still walking the straight and narrow path in their lives.
Here is the episode link, if you have an hour to spare and if you have the heart to view it.
I give you Nathan and Nicole....she actually opens bottles by removing the caps/stoppers with her teeth!


http://youtu.be/S8YJA_BOUdM