A Malachite butterfly
April 30
Life in the jungle: First thing, I mixed half a bag of cement to make more patio stones, and then moved on to painting the new cabana. After lunch, I went back to painting the cabana.
In the afternoon, Andy and I headed to Isabella Bank looking for excavator contact information, as the excavator operator we tracked down in the city is also stringing me along. The dry season is winding down, and I am desperate to get some heavy equipment work done on the farm. On the road, we saw the tail end of a tiger rat snake. I missed catching it by an inch and a second.
Tiger Rat Snake – photo courtesy of Christian Bech
In the evening, I started to put a lumber order together for the next (new) cabana. As the recently built cabana is now going to be used for Andy’s hot sauce kitchen, I am anxious to get started on the next cabana.
May 1
Life in the jungle: Another morning of mixing cement for patio stones.
I then moved some gravel/sand (cement) mix for the greenhouse floor expansion. After lunch, I took a two hour nap until I heard a dump truck coming down our road with a load of cement mix. This is the fifth dump truck load in less than two months. But I also believe it to be the last of the year.
My fifth dump truck load of material since February
The greenhouse is about 1,000 square feet, and we soon discovered that 50% shade cloth is too much shade for hot peppers. So, I am building a 1,600 square foot cement block floor to grow the hot peppers outside the greenhouse. I call that my “greenhouse expansion floor.” I use cement mix as my base material and lay cement blocks on their sides as flooring material.
The rest of the afternoon was spent moving more cement mix for the greenhouse floor expansion. I am actually getting close to finishing the floor. We are desperately waiting for cement blocks.
We will need over 1,000 cement blocks to finish this floor. Unfortunately, the local hardware store hasn’t had any blocks in months because their plan is to start making their own. This caused their supplier to stop supplying them, and then the hardware store ran into electrical delays in getting the hookup to their manufacturing building. The problem is that as soon as the rainy season hits, it will be impossible to get 1,000 blocks delivered down our road.
Greenhouse expansion floor
May 2
Life in the jungle: First thing, I mixed my half bag of cement for patio stones. Before and after lunch, I worked on moving more cement mix for the greenhouse expansion floor.
Mid-afternoon, a different, new excavator owner came to inspect the property and discuss my needs. It’s going to be sort of a costly job, but it sounds like he will be here on the 14th with an excavator and bulldozer. That is potentially cutting it close with the beginning of the rainy season. As any day after that, the rainy season could possibly start.
Reflecting, thanks to trying desperately and always waiting on these heavy equipment companies, they may have just cost me my opportunity to hike Victoria Peak this year.
Earlier in the year, I had purchased supplies and equipment to hike Victoria Peak, Belize’s most famous mountain peak. It was going to be this year’s “big adventure.” Because of the location, climate, and terrain, Victoria Peak can only be hiked in the dry season. [All these heavy equipment operator companies stringing me along would, in fact, cost me the opportunity and chance to hike Victoria Peak this year. Very disappointing.]
After Mr. Moralas left, I headed up to the village to pay the internet bill. I also talked to the hardware store owner about him bringing his mini excavator down the road to dig me some trenches for septic and underground electrical wires, and water lines, after the heavy equipment work was completed.
I never need an excuse to photograph my Tubroos tree
May 3
Life in the jungle: In the middle of the night, I woke up and my mind started to race about how close we are to the rainy season and how much needs to be accomplished in less than a month. That made for a sleepless rest of the night.
Pretty much first thing, Andy and I headed to the city for paint for the new cabana and an ATM stop. I need to pile cash for the excavator guy.
Later in the afternoon, I spent the rest of the afternoon moving cement mix for the greenhouse expansion floor. I have less than ten wheelbarrow loads left, and this job is done.
May 4
Life in the jungle: First thing, I mixed half a bag of cement for more patio stones. Andy and I then headed to Ladyville for an ATM. On the way, we stopped by Orlando (from the village) because I was pretty sure his son had a bushhog to cut the road. Sure enough, he did, and this afternoon the road got cut. We are officially ready for the excavator’s arrival. Earlier in the year, we had spent about two weeks cutting trees back from the road so heavy equipment could be brought down the road through the jungle.
After getting home from Ladyville, I took my mandatory Sunday afternoon nap. I did a tiny bit of housework after I woke up.
May 5
Life in the jungle: This morning, I dug two footings for a passion fruit trellis. I love passion fruit and am slowly adding trellises to grow the vines.
Andy and I headed to the city for more excavator cash. After lunch, I moved the last bit of cement mix for the greenhouse floor. That job is done, 1,600 square feet of floor space base. Unfortunately, there is no word on when cement blocks will be available.
I then worked on a patio stone patch job. Earlier in the year, I removed a large hibiscus bush to make more room to navigate past the greenhouse. I filled in the area with some of the recently made patio stones.
Before & After
I had to patch this area with patio stones.
I’m always building and using patio stones.
My Merlin app. Gartered Trogons are actually quite common on the farm.
May 6
Life in the jungle: Today was a tiny bit of a late start this morning. I finished the patio stone patch job I started yesterday.
After lunch, Andy and I headed back to Ladyville for an ATM withdrawal for the excavator company.
Returning home, I did some odd jobs, including some chicken coop cleaning. In the afternoon, Andy and I headed down the road to do a little chopping in expectation that the excavator company is coming on Friday.
For some reason, I was exhausted today. The weather has been very hot lately.
The road is clean and ready for heavy equipment to come down it.
Glossary of Terms
Glossary of words or people that may or may not be part of this particular blog post. This glossary will be at the bottom of every blog post for Belize.
Wayne – He is the son of the original owners of the farm (both owners are deceased). The original farm was two – 30 acre parcels minus two – ¾ acre parcels for my house. In 2017, Wayne sold me 40 acres of land from the original 60 acres (one 30 acre parcel plus 10 acres from the second parcel). Wayne lives in his parent’s house and has a few cows on his remaining 18 acres of land.
The ponds – I have two large (300ft long x 50ft wide x 10ft deep) ponds on my 30 acre parcel of land, which is basically a jungle. I have about 60 coconut trees (mostly mature) around the ponds. In my first two years of living in Belize, I also planted about 250 assorted fruit tree seedlings (Lime, jackfruit, custard apple, pomegranate, and avocado).
The coconut field – I have about 400 coconut trees planted (various growth states) on about 3 acres of cleared land of my 10 acre parcel. I have planted about 350 assorted fruit trees (lemon, starfruit, mango, soursop, cashew, lime, orange), all raised from seed since my arrival in Belize in 2021.
The river lot – my house sits on a ¾ acre lot. I have a second joining ¾ acre lot that allows me river frontage on the Belize River. I call that my river lot.
The dry – Belize has two main seasons. The rainy season and the dry season (no rain). The wet is obviously the rainy season.
Chopping – using my machete to clear brush, vines, weeds, and unwanted trees. Generally, when I chop, I am removing unwanted vegetation around my baby fruit trees.
Andy – A fellow Canadian who rode his dirt bike from Canada to Belize at the end of 2023. When I offered Andy the use of an apartment that I recently built and the use of my greenhouse, Andy decided to stay in Belize permanently and start a hot sauce company here.
