The Three Amigos

Looking out from the patio this morning I caught sight of three amigos strolling along my neighbour's wall.

 They knew "good well" that the monkeys had discarded pieces of unwanted mangoes on the ground below.
How did they know?  I have no idea but they knew alright.  The monkeys had made a big mess on the ground below the wall.
This posse is part and parcel of the family of wild chickens that frequent the village below.

 Every so often they wend their way up the hill to check out what's happening in my neighbourhood.

 Mr. "Rooster Cock" as we call them has a beautiful plumage of vibrant colours and lovely tail feathers.
He is the Head Honcho and he is the leader.

He was first to jump down from the wall to start scavaging for the mango pieces left behind by the monkeys.

The other two dutifully followed.

With stomachs full, it was time to move on again.
Look at his colours....so pretty.

 Away they went clucking on their way.
I know you're wondering where Mr. Brownbie was during this episode, but I had secured him safely inside, if not his barking would have scared them away.

Skills

I am still amazed at what a busy church my daughter and I have been attending recently.
I don't always write about everything because every Sunday there is something happening.  We missed the last two weeks after the Mother's Day service which in itself was really nice.  Each mother received a lovely cardboard teapot with chocolates and teabags inside.
By birthing a baby, Mothers give the gift of life and to celebrate this there were two lovely glass vases (Vases of Life) which were filled with flowers by all the congregation as we walked to the altar for communion.

Christ the King Church is really like a family and we do feel at home there.  Everyone is so welcoming and take the time out to make sure that we as new members are okay.
Last week was the Family/Beauty of Belonging Service which we did not attend but maybe next time....so much activity for one church....I am not accustomed to such an active church but I'm liking it.....keeps me on my toes.
When we can't attend we view the live broadcast of the service online.

Today there was a display of Skills by various members.

 

As you can see the congregation is made up of all kinds of persons with various skills....who would have thought that we had a Book Binder in our midst?   That's nice to know.
Any Sunday I feel ill I'll know there is a doctor in the house....that's also nice to know.

Happiness is.....

....having a good friend that's got your back.

Brownie and Big Blue Rat at play.

Happiness is.....having my sewing machine back home and "firing like a brute."
On Thursday my sewing machine broke down. The thread was not being lifted up from the bobbin casing and the needle kept on knocking against the casing thus damaging the needle in the process.
Called the technician who was on his way to a doctor's appointment but still passed by to collect it.
He called this morning to make sure I was going to be at home and he brought my baby back home.
It's working like a dream....just like riding a jet-ski over calm blue waters.

Here is the culprit...a worn out gear.
So happy for this great service...thanks Mr. Gittens!!!

Happiness is.....realising my patience has paid off waiting for the beautiful blooms on my white ginger lilies ....

 

........and my bougainvillea

 My white desert rose is adorned with lots of flowers too.

 The best Happiness is.....  for today occurred in the supermarket this afternoon.
The check out lady is scanning my items happily.  The bagging lady comes up and says to her "Wait you here very late, you working overtime?"
The check out lady replies, "Yes girlfriend I am working tonight."
Suddenly I am enveloped in a big hug by the bagging lady.
I'm stunned..."What what what did I win?"
"No no she explained, I'm so happy my friend is working with me on my shift this evening ....I'm just so happy!!!"
I laughed and collected my groceries.
"Maybe my friends could learn a thing or two from you ladies...they're surely lacking....have a lovely evening."

Hope you had a happy day too.
Here is the link to Happy by Pharrell Williams.

A busy delicious Sunday

I woke up this morning knowing that today was going to be a busy day.
Usually I make sure my Sundays are quiet with no work or noise involved, but today was different.
I did a few loads of laundry, I cooked, I cleaned, and I spent most of the day sewing.
I had a few potatoes in the pantry that needed to be used up...so I thought to myself HAAA!! Scalloped Potatoes coming right up.
I also found  a small butternut squash gifted to me by a friend....so I thought to myself again YESSSS!! Scalloped Potatoes and Squash coming right up.

Scalloped Potatoes and Squash

First I thinly sliced the potatoes and the squash

Placed the slices in a bowl of salted water and microwaved for 5 minutes.

Guess who showed up as soon as I was about to grate the cheese?
How does he know that I'm using cheese...I left him asleep on the patio before going into the kitchen.

I drained the salted water off the pre-cooked potatoes and squash.
In another bowl I placed the following ingredients.
1-1/2 cups of milk (I used Carnation milk)
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon garlic butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons hot Bajan peppersauce
1 cup grated cheese (minus the pinch I gave to Mr.B.  I used Anchor Vegetarian cheese since that's all I eat)
I small onion grated.
Mix everything until well blended.
Pour over the potatoes and the squash in the bowl mixing thoroughly till all the pieces are covered.
Pour into a greased dish  (I used garlic butter to grease the dish)
Sprinkle the top liberally with breadcrumbs and parsley flakes.
Cover with foil.
Bake for 1 hour at 250 degrees until golden brown.
Remove from oven to cool and set up.

Look what else popped out of the oven...a delicious Bread and Butter Rum Pudding (background).
I had made cheese sandwiches for the Swap/Tea Party a few weeks ago and had stored the cut off ends in the fridge to make a bread pudding.

Scalloped Potatoes and Squash with a fresh tossed salad....yummy.
I guess I should share the Bread and Butter Rum Pudding recipe too.  I have made it so many times on this blog.

Bread and Butter Rum Pudding
In a mixing bowl add the following:
1 cup milk
4 - 6  tablespoons melted butter
3 heaping tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon powdered spice
Rum soaked raisins 
Stir everything together thoroughly.
Dump stale bread pieces into the milky mixture and stir until all are saturated.
Pour the mixture into a greased dish.
Sprinkle the top with Cinnamon sugar.
Bake at 250 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour until top is golden brown and knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool.  Serve with ice cream, rum sauce or whip cream.
Enjoy. 

So how was your day?

Brazen and his BIGG mango

This evening as I headed outside to the back garden, along came Brazen stumbling across the wall with a BIGGG mango.
I could tell from the way he was barely holding on to it that it was really heavy for him, and I could not help but laugh.
Here it was, he had found a really big mango and it was larger than his two hands could manage....but manage he did.
He finally gave up carrying it along and sat down on the wall and started to eat.

I can't believe I picked this big-@$$ mango for my supper.

 Positioning the mango between his feet, he secured it with his toes and proceeded to bite into it tearing it off into pieces.
Do you see how long his tail is?  He loves to sit on the wall and drape his tail over the wall where it's just above Brownie's head and tease him that way.  No matter how high Brownie jumps he is always short by an inch....Brazen calculates this formula exactly every time.

 He looks somewhat perplexed for just a moment probably wondering, "Why on earth did I pick this BIGG mango? It is a lot to eat."

 Here comes one of the youngsters looking to have a bite of the mango...but Brazen was having none of that because he had already shared a stingy piece with the little one. (I missed that shot)

The little one realising he wouldn't be getting any more of the delicious mango jumped down off of the wall and went on his way.
You can see the tip of his tail as he wanders away.
Brazen sat and ate the mango till it was no more.  With a very full stomach he stumbled along the wall like a drunk man on his way home.
Where was Brownie during all of this you may wonder?

 Relaxing inside enjoying the cool breeze from the fan......he just didn't feel like being bothered with Brazen this evening....he chooses his battles well.

Medic on call

Yesterday afternoon when I let Brownie out he immediately headed to the front garden by the small gate.
Usually I check to see what he's up to, and boy am I glad I kept my eyes on him.
The garbage bin is located just outside the small gate and I do believe that some passerby may have been aiming their discarded food at the bin and it missed  and landed inside the garden.
Suddenly Brownie bent his head down and sniffed at something, and then started to gobble it all up.
I had no idea what it was, and he wasn't intending to stop gulping it down.
Calling his name loudly didn't really break the spell either.  I rushed over to him and chased him back indoors.
I wasn't taking any chances for I had no idea what he had just consumed.  Reaching into the cupboard I pulled out the old reliable.
All pet owners should always have a bottle knocking around for emergencies such as this.

Hydrogen Peroxide 

Hydrogen Peroxide is good for cuts and bruises as a first aid antiseptic but also a life saver for our pets.....it induces vomiting.

I hurriedly mixed a 50:50 portion of hydrogen peroxide and water and added a few grains of Andrews liver salts (for upset stomachs) to be on the safe side and gave it to Mr. B.

Within five minutes Brownie was vomiting...thank goodness.

I then gave him a dish of soya milk to soothe his stomach and dilute any remaining toxins.

He was fine afterwards.

This dog keeps me on my toes that's for sure!!! 

Note: If you don't have hydrogen peroxide on hand a strong solution of salt water will also do the trick.

 

A mix match day

Early this morning I heard the soft pitter patter of raindrops outside....I was elated.

 The shower finished not long after, but it was enough to quench the ginger lilies.....

 ....and the bougainvillea

Around 6.00am as I sat combing Brownie's hair on the patio, there was an explosion.
As I sat looking on, one of the electric poles in the downhill neighbourhood burst into fiery sparks and traveled to a nearby pole.
That pole began to send off fiery sparks into the air in large bursts of electric blue and yellow light.
It reminded me so much of the starlight fireworks (sparklers) that my dad bought for us when my brother and I were kids.  Those were the safest kind for young children back then.
Today these electric fireworks were mean and monster-like....very scary.
They continued to spark ferociously every few minutes.
I was alarmed since none of the neighbours seemed to know what was happening.  Then a guy ran out and shouted and pointed  and whipped out his cell phone and made a call.
I thought it was to alert the power company but then I saw other neighbours coming out after each call he made.
Amazing how local folks are enraptured by fires and disastrous events and run devil-may-care to regard and be entertained by such events.

Some time later the Light and Power Company truck arrived on the scene....by this time the sparks had lessened.
"Wait I call you evuh sence, whey you did?" a lady called out to one of the guys in the truck.
He promptly got out and had an animated conversation with her and then got to work.
It was getting late and I hurried to get ready because daughter dear and I were headed into the city to run a few errands.
In between our errands she mentioned a new sweet eats store that she wanted to check out.

Decisions...decisions....decisions...we bought a large slice of strawberry cheesecake to share.

As I waited on her to be served, I wandered over to the window lookout and took a few photos of the hustle and bustle of Bridgetown below.

Upper Broad Street across from the Careenage with the statue of Lord Horatio Nelson facing up the street.
(He once faced down Broad Street...but that's another post!)

Back at home, it was time for lunch and to feed you know who.

 Looking out the kitchen window I saw two trucks from the power company at the pole again.
Then they left again...finally.

Just as I came inside, my friend Sonia called to ask for the monkey trapper's number...."These monkeys down here by me are terrorising me, I can't take it any more!!"
The trapper will pay her a visit in the next few days...he is familiar with that particular troop so will be able to take care of them precisely.
In the meanwhile I will hold on until he comes to my area again....Brazen had better watch out!!