December 30
Life in the jungle: I started my morning finishing the framing for my screen-enclosed greenhouses. I wanted to get that job out of the way quickly, as 2x2s warp quickly in the sun. The quicker the wood is framed the better for the wood. I had exactly the right amount of lumber to finish the job. My lettuce greenhouse is 6 ft x 2 ft x 2 ft. My tomato greenhouse is 6 ft x 2 ft x 5 ft (LxWxH).
After the framing was completed, I went back to painting the apartment that I restarted yesterday. I finally got the windows finished with primer and a coat of primer on one side of the door. I wanted my door installed months ago. Later in the afternoon, I went back to my small screened greenhouses and I started stapling window screens to the frames. I got the smaller lettuce greenhouse complete. And I am about 1/4 of the way finished my larger tomato greenhouse.
I discovered this evening that it’s Friday today. I was thinking that it was possibly Wednesday.
Its meant to work as a screened greenhouse to grow lettuce and keep bugs and iguanas out
December 31
Life in the jungle: This morning I finished my two deck greenhouses. After breakfast, I went up to the village for groceries. This afternoon I took a wheelbarrow load of seedlings to the ponds to plant on Monday. I also took a wheelbarrow load of seedlings to the coconut field. After that I worked until dark setting more cement blocks around the second hen house. I still have a few blocks to lay.
There was some short rain showers throughout the day. Not good. This evening I worked on a blog post about my first year in Belize and 2022 in general. I had started this post the other month. I didn’t get the post finished but it is currently 3,000 words. I had no choice but to stay up late tonight, not because I wanted to but I knew New Years fire crackers would keep waking me up if I tried to go to sleep.
This one is meant for tomatoes and peppers
[While I would plant lots of seeds for these small screened greenhouse nothing would ever grow. But the greenhouses are now being used by my roommate in 2024.]
January 1
Life in the jungle: Today is my Sabbath. Besides sleeping in and a nap in the afternoon I continued reading and finished The Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldredge. No rain today.
The Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldredge
January 2
Life in the jungle: I had kind of a late start this morning. I wasted two hours pumping water. I couldn’t get the pump to pump water. I dismantled everything and set everything up as I had it set up from the beginning even though I still had problems with that original setup. Hopefully, shortly Saul can help me overhaul and re-set everything up properly.
After a late breakfast, I planted 21 lime trees and 4 custard apple seedlings at the ponds. I then planted 5 lemons, 4 starfruit, and 6 soursops in the coconut field. With no rain for the last few days this afternoon I went back to the ponds and watered my papaya plants.
A lemon seedling and soursop seedling
January 3
Life in the jungle: Today I was off to the city. My two priorities were to visit a bank machine and to find a source and purchase some used pails. Which I did. I plan to use pails for my container gardening. I also picked up other supplies.
By the time I was home and settled all I had time for was to water my papaya plants at the ponds. I also spent time cleaning around the baby plants and preparing to replant seeds for the papaya seeds that didn’t germinate last month.
January 4
Life in the jungle: My morning got away from me a bit. I wonder if this will be a temporary or a longer-term habit. I caught a Dwarf gecko (Sphaerodactylus glaucus) this morning and discovered a setting on my phone that would allow me to focus and photograph him. I never knew about these geckos being in Belize before but when I arrived in Belize last year, I kept finding them all over the house. I don’t see them as often as I used to. I think they hang under the house more now.
A Dwarf Gecko
When I finally got to work, I went to the coconut field and planted 2 more starfruit and 12 soursop seedlings. Later on, I needed to burn my kitchen garbage and I got the fire going good enough that I was able to finally burn a bit of the hurricane debris from back in November. Later in the afternoon, I headed to the ponds. I replanted 3/4 of the papaya seeds that needed to be planted in empty spots and I gave everything a watering.
This evening I watched Nomadland. I have watched this movie a few times already. (With no internet I am currently stuck watching certain movies over and over.) But this time it made me wonder if living a traditional type life (with a house) is just not how I am supposed to live. I don’t think I could live in a van (like in the movie). But I wonder if I am meant to just live on my bike. But I don’t think it’s smart to just go back to the bike touring life (at this moment). Perhaps give living in a jungle a few more years and decide later on if this is something that I want to do forever. I could see myself bike touring all of North America for the rest of my days.
It’s interesting, I don’t really have the desire to see a lot of different places around the world anymore. I mean there are a few places I would like to visit. But the food and language barrier of other countries has me turned off from visiting such places since biking through Mexico (which I thoroughly loved). But when I watch bike ride videos of other cyclists with all the scenery in the background of foreign and far-off countries, I realize that except for the jungle, Canada and the US have the same scenery depending on where you are in the country. And often more beautiful scenery.
January 5
Life in the jungle: Insomnia hit last night. I couldn’t help but think about my idea last night about living life back on my bike. I am thinking maybe to live here in Belize for five more years and see how I feel and see where I am at in life. I would be 55 years old. If I still long for the road then leave Belize. It would be “something” to look forward to and when I get a job to start saving for. If it never happens then that would mean I am content here in Belize and that’s okay too.
I came about as close to running over this boa constrictor as one can
On my way to the village, I came within a micro millimeter of running over a boa constrictor’s head with my front wheel and stopped just in time for my back wheel from going over his neck. I ended up getting the perfect photo of Verna Mae touching her very first snake in the village.
Doing a little bit of snake evangelism with Verna Mae
I was also able to get a sack full of rosella (or edible hibiscus) seeds from Verna Mae. I saw a Facebook post the day before of her daughter with the fruits. The fruits make a tasty fruity juice (or wine). Overall, a good morning.
A sack full of rosella (or edible hibiscus) seeds
Getting back to the house I bagged a bunch of my desert rose seedlings in planting bags. The seeds had germinated in a wet paper towel and must be planted quickly. I also realized that today was the last day to plant my container garden according to planting by the moon phases. I planted three containers (pails) of tomatoes, two containers of green peppers, and 10 pots of lettuce. The only thing I didn’t think about is that my seeds are very old. I think they are way too old actually.
This evening I wrote a blog post called A New Dream, a New Goal about wanting to resume my bike touring life. You can read the post and about my new plans HERE.
Glossary of Terms
Glossary of words or people that may or may not be part of this blog post. This glossary will be at the bottom of every blog post for Belize.
Jack & Jill – These are my ex-property managers (names changed). They are Canadian, they introduced me to Belize in 1997, sold me their house in Belize in 2003, and rebuilt my house from 2014 to 2018. I have known them for over 30 years. After almost 20 years of me supporting their life here in Belize Jack decided quite unexpectedly to declare “war” on me right before Christmas 2021. They would end up stealing my business license and causing me a lot of grief. They live on the farm, but not on my land.
Wayne – He is the son of the original owners of the farm (both owners are deceased). The original farm was 2 – 30 acre pieces minus 2 – ¾ acre parcels for my house and 2 – ¾ acre parcels that Jack & Jill own which were all originally purchased from the original owners. In 2017 Wayne sold me 40 acres of land from the original 60 acres (30 acres plus 10 acres). Wayne lives in his parent’s house and has a few cows on his remaining 17 acres of land.
The ponds – I have 2 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. I have plans to plant a few hundred papaya trees here plus other fruit-bearing trees around the ponds.
The coconut field – I have about 400 coconut trees planted (various growth states) on about 3 acres of cleared land of the 10 acre parcel. I plan to add various fruit trees to the same field as soon as I can.
The river lot – my house sits on an 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 2 main seasons. The rainy season and the dry (no rain). The wet is obviously the rainy season.
Chopping – using my machete to clear brush, vines, weeds and unwanted trees.
