Out with the old....

In with the new......

It's that time again. Time for our new telephone directories to be distributed across the island.
It seems before we can get accustomed to the use of one, than it's time for the new one.
Even though the directory is available online, the telephone company still prints a directory as part of the phone service package they provide.
A little while ago, the company changed its name to LIME (Landline, Internet, Mobile and Entertainment Services), but most folks just call them SLIME, since the service has steadily deteriorated over the years. The price gouging and mediocre service has been the bane of The Fair Trading Commissions' inquiries for many years.

Service fell further by the wayside when the Customer Care Call Centre was transferred to the island of St.Lucia. That really "got my goat" as we say here.  Totally impossible to place a complaint while talking to someone on another island who had absolutely no clue about local locations, while trying to decipher  a sometimes unintelligible accent...whose idea was that anyway? The company said it was to cut costs...well guess what...it became unbearable for most of us, so they are now moving the CCCC back to Barbados, where it should be anyway.
There are now several other competitors in the market now, thank goodness, and many folks have transferred their phone service for better rates and service.
They held the monopoly market for a long time, with a price raping procedure that government turned a blind eye to for many years.
The time is now ripe for some good stiff competition. Time will tell if they survive.

Tell Mama....

I'm going for a walk......

I had just finished watering my ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) by the kitchen door, and put away the watering can.
Couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this earthworm making a getaway.  Where the heck was he off to?
Yes, it had to be a he, only a he would not be satisfied with the lovely soil, and the lovely pot, and the lovely ambiance of the kitchen, and want to go elsewhere.
There is actually another ZZ plant in another pot on the other side of the kitchen.....maybe that's where he was off to.
I did not want him to get hurt/dry out on the floor so I carefully replaced him in the pot, where he buried himself back into the soil so quickly, that I stood in disbelief at the speed at which he disappeared.
- Mama....I'm home!!!
- Didn't know you had left.
- Yes, I ran away, but "the woman" put me back in the pot.
- That was nice of her.
- Not really, I wanted to run away and join the circus......
- Go clean your room!!
- Aww Ma!!

My overseer

When I'm outside gardening, my companion, who shall remain nameless at this point, always trots out beside me to see what I'm up to.
In the middle of the chore, I may look around to find that he is no where to be found. He is very smart that one..... I wear a hat, he does not.......maybe his head gets hot, I don't know.
All I know is, is that sometimes he wanders away to find himself a shady spot where he can observe me working.
Yesterday was no different.....the crotons at the side of the house needed a good trim.  They were overhanging in the walkway.

 So outside I went, followed by my trusted friend.........

Brownie the Overseer

You missed a spot...can't you see?  Gosh nothing would ever get done properly around here without me checking on everything.

Well trimmed crotons means lots of plant cuttings for my girlfriends to propagate.....a special delivery later today will surely brighten their day.

...And then there were three

Today, I threw open my door to welcome the day and look what I saw.....
Three ships had come a-calling........

The Queen Victoria,  The Silver Whisper and the Amadea

....at long last the Bridgetown Cruise Terminal was finally looking like a true port-of-call again.
You may read more about the Queen Victoria here, the Silver Whisper here, and the Amadea here.

Scaly-naped Pigeons

I have been meaning to post about these birds for quite some time now.....and now is as good a time as any.
 All the while I referred to them as "wild crows", but in actual fact they are pigeons, Scaly-naped pigeons (Patagioenas squamosa).
Larger and darker than a regular pigeon, they are slate grey, with scaly-patterned feathers in the neck/nape area, maroon legs and head, and are about 14-16 inches in length.
They live in the trees that surround a limestone quarry that is situated behind my property.
Amazingly, they only come into my garden to partake of the red seeds of the MacArthur palms, when they are ripe.  As soon as the seeds begin to redden, they come by everyday and check on their readiness for consumption. Keeping watch is an all day event.

He's in there somewhere

Tempting palm seeds ..not quite ripe enough yet

Keeping a close eye on his seeds

A very very close eye

Can you see the Gray Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis) keeping an eye on those seeds as well?
But look who's keeping an eye on him above!

That Kingbird had better get to stepping...these are my seeds, I've been watching them for a week now.

MY SEEDS!!!

Seeds are being guarded conscientiously from every angle.

Whenever I get too close, he disappears into the thick palm foliage.

Hope it's not much longer....I'm hungry.

Here is a link for more info on the Scaly-naped pigeon.