weekends, a birthday, the Big Island, and SUP

I have failed at my blog updates.

Moving on!  What has happened in the past couple of months?  Welllll... I got a car, which would explain the lack of blog posts.  I've been trying to do as much as possible.  And by as much as possible, I really just mean going to the beach and out in general so I can meet people. 

Not to brag, but my weekends have been pretty amazing.  My birthday weekend, which was at the beginning of May, was spent on a sailboat with some snorkeling and beach time thrown in.  If you decide to come to Maui, take a sailing trip with Paragon out to Molokini for some snorkeling!  The snorkeling at Molokini isn't spectacular, but the sail out there is pretty great.  Plus, you'd be supporting a friend (yay free advertising)!  So Monday of my birthday weekend was spent sailing, snorkeling, and watching some wind and kitesurfing at Kanaha.  Kanaha is located on the North Shore in Kahului.  I would claim it's the windsurfing capital of the world, but I could be making it up.  It's extremely windy at Kanaha which makes for excellent wind-watersports.  Windsurfers and kitesurfers abound with the random gutsy person stand-up paddleboarding (SUP).  There's actually a windsurfing race in June that's held at Kanaha (and yes, I will be in attendance!).  Monday evening was spent having an Aloha dinner at Cafe de Amis with co-workers for an intern who was leaving the next day.  Have I mentioned Cafe de Amis yet?  It's a lovely open-air restaurant located in the beach town of Paia.  They serve crepes and curries and some delicious lilikoi (passionfruit) margaritas.

Tuesday, my actual birthday, began at Grandma's Coffee House located Up-Country in Kula.  Best Chai ever?  Yes.  After, I stopped at Ulupalakua Winery for a wine tasting and to pick up my fantastic birthday present from my brother.  After, I headed down to the south coast near Makena and spent a couple of hours at Little Beach.  Now, Little Beach is a clothing optional beach.  These sorts of beaches are typical in Europe... so if you decide to go and end up feeling a little hesitant, just pretend you're somewhere in Europe.  There is apparently a drum circle there every Sunday evening and sometimes some fire dancers join in.  I know that you're probably thinking of some funny quips as a response, so we'll just leave it at that.  I also ended up at the gym and then had dinner with a friend post-beach.  One of my best birthdays yet, I think.

I ventured all the way around East Maui with a stop in Hana (Ha-Nuh) on one of my weekends.  It's an amazingly beautiful (and sometimes treacherous) drive.  Large tour buses like to drive tourists on Hana Highway... this makes for some unwelcome surprises around turns and questionable driving on one-lane bridges.  There is a red sand beach which takes a little bit of hiking to get to in Hana.  I didn't venture out there this time due to time constraints but I hope to get out there sometime soon.  There's a really good Thai restaurant that's located under a tent near Hana Bay.  It's pretty popular and it took me about an hour and a half to get my tofu pad thai when I was there... so plan ahead.  I ate my lunch at Hana Bay and watched the local school group practicing on their outrigger canoes.  Hana is a small town and it seems pretty close knit.  I'm sure it'd be nice to spend a day or two out there experiencing the slow lifestyle that is lacking a little in the valley due to the mass of people and tourists.

In other news, I took a trip over to the Big Island of Hawaii last month for work.  It was my first trip to the Big Island; I was working the majority of the time, but I did have a chance to check out the Halema'uma'u crater and caldera at night in Volcanoes National Park.  Since I hadn't visited our sister facility on the Big Island yet, I was chosen to transfer one of our chicks.  Want to know more?  Read the new blog about the Maui Parrotbill chicks we've had the privilege of raising!  There are some more recent entries about other species as well if you want to check out the link on the right.  We've actually been in the news a couple of times in the past month.  Hawaiian Airlines is showing a clip about the 'Alala on their flights.  You can check it out here.  We were also on Jeff Corwin's Ocean Mysteries shown on ABC a couple of weeks ago.  Pretty cool, yeah? 

What else has been happening?  I'm slowly taking the steps to having paddleboarding as my hobby.  I've been twice now.  The first time ended in an unfortunate mishap that involved a wave and rocks and my self and a spiky sea creature.  I went again this week and avoided further injury.  It takes some practice to get balanced on the board, but it's worth it once you get the hang of it.  The trick is to not psych yourself out... especially when there could be certain ocean creatures lingering under you while you paddle.  My birthday present to myself was a roof rack and the next step is to save up for the right SUP that I want.  Last Saturday was the Butterfly Effect paddleboard race.  This year it was a three mile downwinder from Baldwin Beach to Kanaha.  It's basically a paddleboard event for women of all skill level.  It begins with a beach cleanup and, this year, it ended with a couple of events in Paia.  I was a little bummed that I couldn't make it this year and I've decided that I'll definitely be partaking next year.  Check out their website; they've recently posted a video from this year's event!  Because I had to work and wasn't quite prepared to do three miles on a paddleboard, I opted to go to the Maui Brewer's Festival instead.  It was a pretty good festival with lots of beer tastings, appetizers, and live music.  And people.  LOTS of people.  SO MANY PEOPLE.  It was a good time though.

I would leave you with a Hawaiian factoid, but I'm all out of words.

miscelleanous updates and facts

Another week on Maui and I'm fast approaching my one month mark. I feel like I was just in Columbia with all of my friends, enjoying morning walks to Drip for delicious french press coffee, bibimbap with tofu sticks, dance parties, hanging out with the best roomies ever, turning into a spinster cat lady, and having miscellaneous random late-nightish adventures (see photo at right - creds to Ashley). I never thought I would say it ever in my life... I miss South Carolina.

Yes yes, I realize that you all probably want to punch me due to annoyance because I currently live in paradise. Cut me some slack, okay? Geeze!

Onward! The storms persisted well after my last update. Hana Highway even ended up having closures due to landslides. Here's a fun link of pictures to check out. The rain has let up a little and we had a beautiful day yesterday. The wind is a bit out of control now; I'm a little afraid to walk outside since I may or may not get hit by a falling tree. Speaking of the wind, we made it out to Kamaole Beach Park I in Kihei today and had a thorough exfoliation thanks to the semi-brutal wind/sand mixture. I'm pretty sure I will still be getting sand out of my hair three days from now. I FINALLY got into the Pacific Ocean for the first time since I've been here. I've never loved getting into the ocean since it's so murky on the east coast. The water is so beautifully clear here though... you can definitely see if something is trying to sneak up on you. It makes it a lot easier to see the honu (sea turtles) as well. Once I get a car, I'll be purchasing some snorkeling equipment and a paddle board. Paddle boarding is the first hobby I plan on taking up. Although, I should actually go paddle boarding before I buy a board? I also succeeded in acquiring my first sunburn today. It had to happen eventually.

As I'm sure most of you assumed, just about everything is more expensive here. For example: I bought real maple syrup in preparation for the banana-mango pancakes (yum!) that I made one morning. It was $10.00. Ten! But so worth it. The last time I checked, gas was $4.55 a gallon. That should be fun when I finally get a vehicle. Unfortunately, some of the local produce and goods are pretty expensive too. A small bushel of kale ranges from $3.50 to $4.50! Thankfully, it's supposedly easy to grow so I shall soon be able to harvest my own kale for kale chips. Which, by the way, are delicious (thanks Sharon!). Kale bits sans the thick ribs + olive oil spread out onto a cookie sheet. Sprinkle sea salt. Bake at 425 until crispy (yeah, I almost typed "krispy"). Some grocery stores offer discount cards, but if you don't have a Safeway or Maika'i card at Foodland, a box of cereal can cost you at least $6. Granted, I'm slightly "granola" and prefer the least processed cereals (and foods in general) available. Still, most things are quite a bit more expensive than most places I've been to. Things to keep in mind when planning your trip to visit!

Just so you American readers know, I am now an extra hour behind the CONUS due to Daylight Savings Time... with the exception of Arizona. We don't celebrate that silly DST here, either.

rain rain rain

While walking back from my run up the hill the other day, it started misting. Maybe you've heard of the Hawaiian mist? For me, the only thing I could think of equating it to at the time was the Greek tradition of being spat upon. Not that I've ever had it happen to me, but I feel like the mist probably feels like what being spat upon feels like... and this is how my brain works.

It appears that Hawaii is being flooded. Kauai has received relentless amounts of rain and it has been raining here almost constantly for the past three or so days. The last time I checked the radar, Oahu was also receiving a ton of rain. It's becoming depressing. And cold. We even had thunderstorms! Thunder is a rare occurrence here. It was a bit tricky driving up the hill last night during the rain. Imagine driving up a stream with an occasional waterfall and a bunch of eucalyptus bark in the way. Fortunately, today is looking up so far; hopefully I can fit in another trail run before work. I'm hoping it won't be too slippery and muddy.

Yesterday, we headed down the mountain to check out the supposed 11-12 foot waves at Ho'okipa, which is off of Hana Highway past Paia. They weren't quite that big, but they were still pretty impressive. Next, we headed down Hana Highway a little way and came across some unassuming gardens. We decided to stop to check out some plants, but ended up finding a trail that led to at least three waterfalls. A bit of advice? Always wear hike-ready shoes when in Hawaii. I was just wearing my slippers (Hawaiian lingo for flip flops). Tevas and my feet would have fared a bit better with all of the rock climbing, stream wading, and muddy trails that we ended up hiking. It was a pretty great spontaneous adventure.

Before heading back up the hill, we stopped at the Paia Fish Market. As per usual, it was packed. It was apparently featured on the Food Network a few months ago and with good reason. I got the fish and chips which is pretty delicious. I am a vegetarian, but I started eating fish last year. I'm pretty excited about all of my additional options here this time around. I feel like I missed out on experiencing some really good food the last time I was on Maui.

Yesterday I headed into Kahului to open a bank account. I was walking and, surprisingly, managed not to get lost. Hooray! It helps that this island hasn't really changed. Also, the Bank of Hawaii still had all of my information from the last time I had a bank account with them. They must have known...

I caught the bus up to Makawao and had a fish taco at Polli's before making the trek back up the mountain. Fortunately, the interns were making their way back to the apartment and picked up me just as it started to rain. It'll be great if the rains end soon so that I can do more exploring without getting soaked.

What's on tap for next weekend? I'm not really sure yet. Maybe some kayaking, but I'm really hesitant since I still have my east coast lackoftan. Nobody wants lobster skin. Or skin cancer. We shall see.

Another fun fact: the state bird of Hawaii is the Nene (nay-nay). September 26th is Nene Awareness Day, so get ready to celebrate the Hawaiian Goose by visiting me in about six months.

birds, buses, and beaches

My life this week has consisted of power tools, ladders, nest building 101, passerine banding, incubation, a lot of sleep, a random illness, and then there was yesterday...

Work is going well so far and I'm feeling pretty good about everything. I hadn't done much else up until yesterday, really. Sadly, my first weekend was a waste because of a mysterious food poisoning / stomach bug incident. Day one I was ridiculously sick and day two was spent recovering. Thankfully I haven't developed cabin fever yet but I'm sure it's right around the corner. It's not so easy to get off of the mountain when you're lacking a vehicle.

So, one of the perks with living in an abandoned prison? Weird, creepy things happen. This place may or may not be haunted. I don't even know if I believe in ghosts, but many unexplainable things have been happening as of late. One example: there were mysterious footprints in the incubation room this past week. Nobody had been in there and the next time it was checked, they were gone. Nobody had mopped. This makes me feel really great about having to wander over to the incubation room at night in the dark. And by really great, I mean I am sufficiently creeped out and keep looking over my shoulder. Example two: the interns arrived back from dinner and were attempting to unlock the door but something else locked it whilst doing so. They figured it was me but I was in back of the apartment. Neat. At least the ghost isn't harmful? YET.

Yesterday, I decided to finally get out and explore. I started my trek down the mountain at 6:30 AM and made it into Makawao just in time for the 8:11 bus, which was running a few minutes late. It's about 5 miles and about a 2400 foot elevation change from where I'm living to Makawao. Needless to say, I'm a little sore today. I tried out my hitchhiking skills on my way back up, though, and ended up walking uphill for only about 2 miles.

I took the Upcountry Islander bus to Kahului and transferred to the Kihei Islander bus. The bus costs a dollar every time you get on or you can get a day pass for 2 dollars. I went for the latter option and ended up saving at least 5 dollars. Riding the Maui Bus is great for people watching and meeting a lot of interesting people. I made a couple of friends yesterday. If you follow me on the twitter, you probably saw my commentary tweets.

A brief geography lesson on Maui: Makawao is in the "Upcountry", i.e. on Haleakala. Kahului the main city on the island and it's located in the valley; if (WHEN) you fly here, you will fly into the airport in Kahului. Kihei is on the southeastish side of the valley. I've added a handy map for you to reference (click to enlarge).

I laid on the beach in Kihei for a bit then headed to the busier area in search of some snacks. I ended up eating at Fat Boy Burgers near Kalama Park. Of course they had a veggie burger amidst all the animal burgers... this is Maui, afterall. I opted to get the chipotle-lime sauce with caramelized onions and mozzarella cheese. It may or may not have been the best veggie burger I've ever had. I also had their sweet potato fries, but I've been spoiled by Pawley's in Columbia, SC and I found them underwhelming. I wandered around for a bit more, missed the bus, and wandered around a bit longer. It was a nice break from the cold, rainy mountain... and by cold, I mean I currently have six blankets on my bed. And, I am surprisingly not too terribly sunburned after applying sunscreen at least three times. Soon enough I will look less like a haole and more like a local.

Post-making the journey back up the hill, I joined some of the interns at Polli's in Makawao. It's a little Mexican restaurant with lilikoi (passion fruit) margaritas. We met some more locals and enjoyed some good food. Everybody is generally quite friendly here and most are interested in what we do up on the mountain. It was a pretty great day overall. One of my favorite parts was walking down the hill and watching the sun rise over the island.

Today I shall do some domestic things before returning back to work tomorrow. I'm hoping that I can stretch out these sore muscles so I can hike around the lava tubes up the hill after it warms up some. My work schedule will hopefully be changing quite a bit soon, so I'm going to try to take advantage of my set schedule for the remainder of this week. If it ever stops raining after work, I'll start my trail running up the road. Hooray for being able to do things outside during the "winter"!

Did you know that the state fish of Hawaii is the Reef Triggerfish? Also known as the humuhumunukunukuapua'a. Have fun pronouncing that one! :)

new adventures

Well friends, it's been over a year since I last updated this. Catch up: after returning from Belize, I was a veterinary technician in South Carolina up until almost a month ago. Since last month, I have resigned from my job, hung out in San Francisco for a few days, packed my entire life into boxes and suitcases (after giving away the majority of it to Goodwill), attended a fantastic going away party (thanks friends!!!) and boarded a plane to Maui on February 14th.**

** I also found a home for one of my two kitties. The outdoor one still needs a home... any takers in South Carolina?!

Fifteen hours later, I landed in Kahului and two days later I started the job I've been awaiting for years. So now, I am a Research Associate at an avian propagation facility for endangered Hawaiian birds run by the San Diego Zoo and the Hawaiian Endangered Bird Conservation Program. I had an internship with this program in 2006 and ended up staying a year with a seasonal position. Although I won't be discussing the details of my job, you can find out more by checking out the blog (link on the right!).

Things you should know: I work and live in an abandoned prison on the dormant Haleakala volcano. I'm sure there won't be any volcanic explosions while I'm here, but it's entirely possible you'll hear about some unexplained things happening in the apartment. Weird things. GHOSTY THINGS. I'll just preface this blog by saying that creepy things definitely happened the last time I lived here so don't be surprised if there are some slightly hysterical posts. Just saying.

My first few days have been spent getting settled in and reacquainted with the schedule. My body is adapting fairly well to the time change (currently 5 hours behind EST) and tonight is the first night that I haven't felt like taking a nap at 6 PM HST. I was pretty excited to find out that my favorite restaurant is Paia is still open (Cafe de Amis) and I was able to have a delicious vegetable curry wrap with mango chutney and raita last week. My favorite grocery store, Mana Foods, is still around as well. Nothing has really changed in five years... it's almost like a time warp. The only noticeable difference so far is more traffic and a bit more development in general. It's still amazingly beautiful.

Yesterday was the Pacific Whale Foundation's World Whale Day at Kalama Beach park in Kihei. We headed there after work in time to enjoy some reggae / island music, hippie dancing, and good food. It's been pretty cloudy and rainy over the past few days, but the sun broke through just in time for it to set. There was a mass migration of people from the festival to the beach to watch the sun set and, fittingly, there were a couple of whales breaching right off of the beach. I've seen many, many sunsets and this one was by far the most beautiful. The image on the right doesn't really do it justice. It's pretty unbelievable that this is my life now. How did this happen? I'm not complaining.

Tomorrow beings my weekend. I'll probably lay low tomorrow since I still things to do to get settled. Maui has a pretty reliable and cheap bus system which I think I'll explore on Tuesday and find my way to the beach. I have to get the first sunburn over with at some point, I suppose. It'll take me about an hour and a half to walk down the mountain into town and the bus stop, unless somebody offers me a ride. Hitchhiking is actually a pretty good way to get around on the island if you don't have transportation. I've been told that if you're going to hitchhike, Maui is the place to do it. One of these days I'll get my own car. One of these days...

I think you've been sufficiently caught up... stay tuned for more updates!

two point five months later

I had anticipated updating this a lot sooner than mid-December. At least I'm here now, right?

I've been back in the States since October 7th. While I do miss Belize - the wildlife, the people, and the overwhelming amount of green, I do have a new appreciation for America. The little things I missed: the convience of being able to go to a store and find what I need, not being sweaty 24/7, driving fast (who would have thought?), traffic lights, and the freedom / ability to go where ever I want and to do whatever I want. The big things I missed: being around people I've known for years and the relationships, the ability to blend into a crowd and not feel like I'm drawing attention to myself, and the familiarity of everyday life in America.

I didn't have too much culture shock upon my return. The biggest difference was the sheer amount of people and traffic. Summerville isn't a big city by any means, but compared to Belize, it was pretty overwhelming for the first few days that I was out and about. I spent the first month and a half driving everywhere and catching up with old friends. There are still quite a few who I haven't seen yet, but hopefully that will be justified soon! I moved in with some friends in Columbia mid-November and started back in my old position as Veterinary Technician at Dutch Fork Animal Hospital. I'm still getting adjusted to my life here, but big things will be happening in my life soon and I'm pretty ecstatic about it all.

My brief stint in Belize has given me a new outlook on life and has changed my attitude completely... I only wish everyone could share the same experiences I have had. The amount of personal growth I underwent is a bit overwhelming when I think about it. A year ago I never, ever would have guessed I would be at this point in my life. The little things seem so petty now and I seem to have less patience for ridiculous people (go ahead and define the term "ridiculous" however you wish, I'm sure it'll apply). I find myself pitying people for being so self-involved. Maybe that's pompous or condescending... either way, it's who I am now and I'm okay with it.

I will visit Belize again someday soon. My next travel plans are going to be concentrated on visiting somebody over in South Korea since she'll be having TWINS in April.

I will update this occasionally as exciting things happen in my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you all for your support throughout this past year!

belize today, america tomorrow

Well... it's my last day in Belize. I have mixed feelings about leaving, but I'm definitely so excited about seeing everybody I've been missing for the past nine months.

The last two weeks have been filled with travelling and hanging out with friends. I didn't get to go to many places, due to time constraints and finances, but I still got to enjoy the scenery. I got lucky and was able to tag along with some friends to Placencia this past weekend. Hooray for actually seeing the Belizean Caribbean! The town of Placencia is a little beach town. There are quite a few resorts and houses being built though so it's grown a bit over the past few years. I got to swim in the warm Caribbean and enjoy the sunset / sunrise... and I got a little sun! That's a good thing since I'll probably turn back into a pasty ghost about two weeks after my arrival in South Carolina.

Today I'll head to the gym for the last time, get some sun if it doesn't rain, and finish packing. Tonight I'll go to Greedy's and hopefully hang out with a few people who I will miss.

I'm sure I'll have a post-arrival post at some point so be sure to check back!

a resignation

Perhaps you have heard by now, but I gave my notice of resignation as ACM at CASA yesterday. I am slightly heartbroken at the decision I have had to make, but after a lot of thought I decided that it's the right one. I am trying to remain positive and reflect upon the extraordinary experiences that this opportunity has afforded me. I've had the chance to meet amazing people, work with a huge range of species from the numerous birds to the sweet little margay, and grown personally by leaps and bounds. Not to mention, I have been at the forefront of conservation in Belize for the past 9 months. I never imagined I would have ended up here doing the things I have done. I am grateful. My heart is full. And one day, I will return to visit all the places I didn't have a chance to see during my short time here.

I am taking days off next week. I was hoping to go to Caye Caulker, but other things take precedence now and I'll be visiting people instead. While I will absolutely miss everything and everybody here, I'm looking forward to returning to the States and figuring out what direction in which my life is going.

Thank you, dear readers, for all of your moral and financial support. I couldn't have done it without you. My only regret is that I am leaving my post as ACM a few months before I had expected.

I'm sure I still have at least a few more blog posts left in me to share what's happening over the next few weeks... stay tuned!

rain

This is week has been full of rain... literally and figuratively. Tropical Storm Karl just missed us down here but it's been monsoon-ing for short stints almost every day.

Patient-wise things are just about the same. Thanks to the kindness of a Belize Bird Rescue friend (I wasn't allowed to transport her myself), the Parakeet was transferred to BBR. She had started losing some of the weight she gained, likely due to the fact that she didn't have any other Parakeets to socialize with. The squirrel is still a squirrel. I'm now just waiting for him to be completely weaned so that I can take a trip to Caye Caulker. The Robin should be released in a week or two.

I have nothing else to say CASA-wise since I'm currently almost at my breaking point with everything that I have to deal with and I'm afraid I will write something that I shouldn't. I'll just say that I'm counting down now... 13.5 weeks, 94 days to go and I won't have to feel like I'm beating my head against a wall. I was so adamant, after seeing the state of frustration that the former ACM was in when I arrived, to not let these frustrations get to me. It saddens me that the ridiculousness has affected me and I now don't even feel like trying to change anything. Must.. keep.. it.. together.. for the birds. That's really all that matters anyway, right? Right. Insert sad face.

On a more upbeat note, I trekked into town on Friday for the Independence parade. I was told about five different starting times for it but it finally started at 4 or so. It was a parade. There are pictures on Facebook. And then I spent longer than I should have at Greedy's for their happy hour. Anguish and frustration leads to more alcohol being consumed. Oh dear. Such a positive blog post, this one!

I'm pretty excited about my little excursion to Caye Caulker. It's a tiny island off the coast of Belize City. Go ahead and google it... and feel free to make a trip here to join me! I would like the company for sure.

aces crocodile sanctuary

Nothing new here... everything is the same. The Parakeet is gaining weight, the Yucatan Squirrel is getting vicious, the Clay-colored Robin is still growing in her feathers and cannot be released until she is finished doing so. The Woodpeckers are around less but they're still being annoying and needy at times. The Chachalaca.. well.. might just be a permanent resident. At least she's cute? I tried so hard to make her think she's a Chachalaca!

Instead of droning on about my current uneventful and lackluster life here in Belize, I'm going to share a little about the torching of ACES Crocodile Sanctuary down in Punta Gorda this past weekend. If you're friends with me on Facebook, I may have inundated your news feed with links to different articles about this tragedy (sorry!). The news has made it on to CNN and it's a fairly good article. Sadly, the majority of the comments are lacking facts, extremely ignorant, and upsetting. I've had to force myself to stop reading all the garbage people are saying because it's only succeeded in making me depressed and hopeless for the future of the human race. Dramatic? I don't think so. Just realistic. The truth is, you cannot really have an honest opinion about this unless you are here and have experienced the need for all aspects of conservation in this country.

ACES is the only (legal) crocodile sanctuary here in Belize. They work closely with the Belize Forest Department to relocate problem crocodiles (made problematic through people feeding them) and provide sanctuary to those that cannot be released. They're also involved in education, research, and conservation, thereby doing the people, the environment, and ecosystems of Belize an invaluable service. It's unfortunate that there are many, many people out there who cannot see the great work that they have done. Thanks to a mob believing a psychic, thinking that limes on a table were sufficient evidence that the missing (neglected?) children were at ACES, and general ignorance, Vince and Cherie lost everything. Some of the crocodiles on site (endangered species, mind you) were killed and their house and guest lodge were torched. Cherie had been working with the locals to start a Humane Society in Punta Gorda. Stray dogs and cats run rampant around here and the majority of them are not spayed or neutered - you can see the problem. Recently donated veterinary supplies to go to the shelter were also burned. How is that beneficial to anybody? What is the point?

I could go on and on about how ridiculous this entire situation is but I will spare you. You can check out ACES website for updates and here is another article in which it tells you how to donate and help Vince and Cherie rebuild.

Way to go human race, way to go.

psittacines, the squirrel, and independence month

Since I couldn't do anything else for the essentially one-eyed Red-lored Parrot, he was transferred back to Belize Bird Rescue on Monday. Good luck, kiddo! You'll be much happier over there AND you won't have to be subjected to my man-handling any longer. In exchange for the Red-lored, BBR brought me a juvenile Olive-throated Parakeet. I've gotten in two of them previously and neither of them have been able to be fixed... this one will hopefully be a different story. He was kidnapped a couple of weeks ago and had his wing and tail feathers clipped. Thankfully, they handed him over to BBR. He wasn't eating and is ridiculously skinny so he was sent here for some extra love and weight gain. So far so good.. he's definitely a fan of plantains, pitahaya, and egg. Yum.

I totally forgot to mention that I released the Aracari! She was released about two weeks ago on-site into the wild flock. She hung around for a few days with one of the wild individuals and then disappeared for a week or so. She stopped by on Tuesday to spend some time with Elmo. She's getting so big and her bill is starting to get the adult coloration. What a little dinosaur. I still haven't gotten used to the fact that my patients are basically all species I've never even seen in the wild before I came here.

The Woodpeckers are refusing to move on. Really, their instincts have to kick in soon... right? I have no idea of what to do with them if they don't stop begging and being a nuisance. Ideas? Anybody? Sigh. They're stressing me out. A lot.

In non-avian news, the little Yucatan squirrel is somehow almost thriving. My impromptu formula appears to be working so far... I'm always paranoid about MBD with babies though. MBD is Metabolic Bone Disease which is when the bones are weakened due to incorrect nutrition while they're growing. I've seen it happen with squirrels before. They can look completely healthy but then they jump and severely fracture bones. Only time will tell, I guess. Poor little experimental squirrel.

My excitement this week consisted of a completely random Tuesday night. My nights are pretty slow as of late; I typically take my computer to Greedy's so I at least have a little bit of social interaction. Just as I was leaving on Tuesday, I got sidetracked by the offer of some free beer and conversation. This somehow led to me spending the night "hunting" for tarantulas in a tour guide's yard with a bunch of American tourists from California, Florida, and New York. Hooray for spontaneity? And also tarantulas.

Belize's Independence Day is September 21st. Since Belizeans love to celebrate, September is basically Independence Month. Belizean flags are showing up all the over the place - on cars, buses, houses, buildings, etc. There are supposed to be a lot of festivities and parades coming up soon and I'm hoping I'll get to help celebrate! ... whatever that means.

A constant gnawing of homesickness has taken up residence as of late. It's hard to shake it since I'm generally by myself and don't have very many distractions. Tonight was the first University of South Carolina football game of the season and I have to admit, I actually miss all the Gamecock craziness. We're about to kill Southern Miss though... Go Gamecocks! Oh America, I will see you in 15 and a half weeks.

Last Friday I didn't actually do anything except go into town for a bit. Maybe tomorrow I'll walk up to Cahal Pech. It's been so hot though I'm not entirely sure I would survive the trek or make it back in time to feed the squirrel. Life would be less frustrating if I had an actual vehicle. Multiple days off are coming up SOON though.. I'm excited to explore outside of Cayo!

an empty nest.. almost.

There were several releases this week! First, the Chachalaca... you know, the one that arrived as a hatching egg back in May. She was released on Tuesday. The Golden-fronted Woodpeckers were released yesterday and the White-tipped Dove was released today. Unfortunately, the Chachalaca and the Woodpeckers found their way back to the aviaries... I'm really hoping that their instincts kick in soon and they take off. In the meantime, they're receiving food supplements until they're completely foraging on their own. The flock of Chachalacas have been calling in the morning. I exposed the Chachalaca to vocalizations when she was younger but so far she doesn't seem to recognize them. This is the problem with raising a hatchling on it's own - no matter how hard you try to make them realize what species they are, the outcome isn't generally ideal.

On Friday, I received a Yucatan Squirrel baby. It was found on the road with a broken tail. He's definitely not a bird, but who can say no to this face?! (Yes, the internet is crap again). Being in Belize, I don't have the ideal formula for raising a baby squirrel so he's really a test subject. He's had his up and downs but he's currently he's doing well. Once again I'm stuck with a single individual BUT he will be releasable! No negative thoughts allowed. None.

Tomorrow for my day off, vehicle dependent, I'll be going to the gym and the Cahal Pech pool. I can't wander too far since I have the squirrel to feed every four or so hours... but at least I'll be getting rid of my awesome farmer's tan.

Can you tell when I don't start working on my blog days in advance? The only other news I have is that I bought my plane ticket back to South Carolina. I'll be returning three weeks early on December 19th. I had the ability to be in town for the holidays so I jumped on it. It was bittersweet purchasing my ticket. I will definitely miss this place, the work, and the people but I'm also excited to be back in America and see everybody. I'm still four months out though so I'm probably getting ahead of myself.

My non-CASA life was a bit crazy this week which took away from an intriguing blog post. Next week will be filled with fun and exciting things! I think.

the end of baby season... sike!

CASA's 100th patient arrived on Friday (never a real day off, right?). He's a Red-lored Amazon parrot who was a previous release from Belize Bird Rescue. Poor kid is a possible victim of a slingshot attack. Slingshots are pretty popular around here with bored kids and they typically take to using our feathered friends as target practice. There's more to the story with the Red-lored, but... we'll just leave it at possible slingshot attack. This picture is from the day after intake. You can see his left eye is pretty swollen. Unfortunately, it appears that he may have lost the eye. However, if he can adapt to having only one eye, I think he'll do perfectly fine in the wild. He'll be much better off instead of being in captivity. I'm not a fan of wildlife being in captivity. And now, I will not elaborate as it will turn into a rant.

The Yellow-green Vireo kid was released on Saturday.. he took off. It's always nice when they're so obviously completely finished with you. The Aracari is all set to be released... if only it would stop raining and the wild flock would return.

I got ahead of myself and started thinking about the end of August and how I'll have several releases and, consequently, some real free time. Ha! I never learn. Wednesday brought me two Clay-colored Robin fledglings. They had been found three days prior and fed bread and water (why, oh why?). Do you see Robins eating prison food in the wild? Hm... didn't think so. Anyway, apparently the nest fell and a dog scared away the mother who never returned. One of the kids didn't make it through the night, unfortunately... but not surprising after 3 days of just bread and water. The other kid is feisty and starting to pick up food on his own. Ahh, not-so-needy birds are fantastic. Can you tell I'm burned out? Eh.

To help with the burn out, frustration, depression, the huge quantities of food that Gracie has forced upon me, and my energy level, I decided to join a gym (only $50/BZD a month - thanks Grandma!). It's located in town in the top of the JNC mall which is a much smaller version of shopping malls in the States. It's all open air; I prefer working out in the evening so the heat isn't too bad, the humidity is another story though. Lack of windows allows for a beautiful view - surrounded by the hills of San Ignacio and Santa Elena. The owner(s) are excellent and helpful. They got me started on a circuit the first day and yesterday they had made me a new workout before I came in! I've never had a personal trainer before... I may be ruined for life when it comes to working out.

My presentation on Wednesday for the Forest Department ended up being cancelled but it will be rescheduled eventually. I was really looking forward to getting away for a few hours, too! The plan was to stop by the Barn and Grill restaurant in Tea Kettle afterwards. It's really a steakhouse but there are some veggie options. It's delicious and owned by some friends so make sure to check it out if you're in Belize. Mile 53.5 on the Western Highway! :)

Friday was pretty amazing. I finally ended up going to Guanacaste National Park which is right outside of Belmopan on the Western Highway. I got a bit of a late start so birding was not optimal... plus somebody forgot their bins. Not that it really mattered anyway since the mosquitoes were out of control so I had to keep moving to keep from being swarmed. There are three trails in the park. The first trail that I took was supposed to take 45 minutes. I got distracted several times though so it took me about 2 hours. I had lunch in the random limestone area (so much limestone in Belize) so I could escape from the mosquitoes. I have come to find out that if there's a (clean) stream, I usually have to go wading in it. After wading around for a bit, I decided that I should check out the waterfall. At the bottom there was a little swimming area, so, of course, I had to slowly make my way down the waterfall in order to go for a swim. It was slippery and almost disastrous but I survived. For some reason, the fish decided to nibble on me whilst I was swimming. At first it tickled but some of them had larger mouths than others and then I got creeped out. Some even larger bit my toe and I decided it was time to get out. I'm still alive so I'm assuming whatever tried to take a chunk out of my toe wasn't poisonous. Good times? I finished hiking around for a bit and headed back to Cayo. It was a good day and definitely what I needed!

Tomorrow isn't going to be too exciting. I plan on spending most of the day in town and then the veterinarian is coming to check the Red-lored. After that, some beers and then some hang out time with a friend. Maybe.

patients, etc.

The Yellow-green Vireo had a major break through today - he actually started eating on his own! Soon I'll be able to kick his little self out so that he can start his real life. The Collared Aracari fledgling is doing so very well. I introduced her to Elmo outside of the carrier earlier this week. They're getting along great - Elmo will even feed her when she begs! The wild flock of Aracari have been visiting more often than usual. The fledge is getting along great with them as well. A couple more weeks and I plan to release her into this flock since they appear to have already accepted her. It's nice when it all works out how you hope it will.

The woodpeckers are in an aviary now and they've started eating on their own. It's strange how fast these guys are progressing compared to the other pair I had earlier in the season. They will probably be ready to go within the next couple of weeks as well. Hopefully I'll have quite a few releases before the month of August is over!

I haven't received any new patients recently but the next will be patient number 100! Maybe it'll be something amazing like a Harpy Eagle or a Orange-breasted Falcon... but probably not sense they're almost impossible to find. If it's another Yellow-green Vireo chick, I might cry. (Please google Harpy Eagles... they're so big and they often eat monkeys. I'm pretty sure I would not survive handling one of those).

My down time this week has consisted of going over numerous job postings. So far I've only applied to one. It's a start, right? If anybody has any job opportunities out there for me... just let me know. Job applications and cover letters are undoubtedly the worst. They're right up there with public speaking for me. Speaking of which, I've been asked to do a presentation for the Forest Department next week. Oh nerves, please behave and don't turn me into a nervy spaz.

Last Friday I decided to sleep.. and sleep.. and sleep some more. Throw in reading a book and watching some Dexter and that was my day off. I guess I had a month and a half of craziness to recuperate from though. That's my excuse, anyway. At least I made it out to Greedy's in the evening though for some socialization. But (!) I have another day off tomorrow! It's amazing! I'm really planning on going to Guanacaste National Park tomorrow. There won't be a repeat of last Friday since I really, really need to get out and do something in nature. My sanity has waned every since I've been on my own again here and hiking always helps balance me. By the way, thanks to all of you who showed support during my breakdown this weekend! :)

rain, a broken bird, and trail rides

Blog overhaul! I am a fan.

The rains are definitely here. It's been raining every day for... who knows how long. It's been a while since there was a day without any rain. I hope it doesn't stop because as soon as it does, the mosquitoes are going to be out of control. Speaking of pests, the army ants were out almost every day last week. Baby powder works wonders as a deterrent - just in case any of you have to battle the secal. Sometimes I feel as if I'm repeating myself in this blog... apologies if I am.

All the kids are doing well. The Woodpeckers are getting ready to fledge and the Aracari kid loves flying around in the evenings when her cage is cleaned. She was introduced to Elmo today. There were a ton of vocalizations and posturing and no aggression. After a couple of days I'll release her from the carrier and let them have actual contact. They're extremely social birds so the company is good for them both. The Vireo is still not eating on his own nor is he showing any interest to do so (arrgg!). The released Boat-tailed Grackle disappeared for a few days but may an appearance today. She's no longer begging and actually runs from me. Excellent.

Monday consisted of a quick run to Benque Road in search of an "injured parrot". We couldn't find the bird or the people who were supposed to be standing around it, mostly because I apparently am no good at taking directions. Thankfully he got a ride to the clinic but unfortunately, the Olive-throated Parakeet had a severely broken wing. The shoulder, the humerus, the elbow, and the radius / ulna were all broken. No hope of recovering. This job sucks sometimes.

Other than the depressing Parakeet, there's no other news to report. Oh, except that the "seed-eating" White-tipped Dove keeps stuffing himself full of the Chachalaca's diet of fruit. Weird and also unexpected. Seed-eater? What does that mean?

Friday was a real day off and pretty amazing. After an early start, we were on our way to a friend's house in the village of Tea Kettle. It has a beautiful view with a ton of birds, but sadly it was pouring so we didn't get to see much of anything. It eventually cleared up and after a few errands, we headed to Blue Hole National Park. We swam for a bit and saw some excellent birds... no cave spelunking though. One of these days I will see the cave there. We headed back to Tea Kettle and I finally got to ride a horse for the first time ever! We did a trail ride through the jungle and saw / heard so many Mealy parrots. These guys are massive! They're the largest parrot species in Belize. After a fairly good Chinese dinner in Belmopan full of meaty spring rolls (blech) and a few drinks at La Cabana (insert a tilde over the n), we decided to stay in Tea Kettle for the night. I ended up being pretty spoiled with air conditioning, a comfortable bed (my current one is a killer on my back), no mosquito netting, and no various creatures / debris falling on me in the middle of night. There were quite a few Mealy parrots flying about in the morning as well as some Keel-billed Toucans and other miscellaneous passerines. It's hard to return to the confinement that is CASA after experiencing how amazing Belize can be.

Alison left on Wednesday. We were all unsuccessful in convincing her to stay even longer but hopefully she'll be back in a couple of months! (hint hint) I had gotten used to having her here... now it's a lonely and boring.

Perhaps I'll have another real day off tomorrow... now just to find something to do that doesn't take 5 hours to get to by bus or cost a ton of money. Hmmm. Guanacaste National Park, perhaps? Or maybe I'll just lay in my bed all day if the tropical storm / wave decides to make an appearance.

an aracari and an adventure... finally!

We have the internet again! I felt so very lost without it. I might have a problem...

Friday morning arrived with the cutest patient ever... a fledgling Collared Aracari Toucan! She was found on the ground Thursday morning. She has weird miscellaneous wounds and an old leg fracture which has healed correctly. Thankfully she's eating on her own so she doesn't have to be force fed. Soon we'll introduce her to Elmo, the resident Aracari, so she won't forget that she's a toucan. Photo credits to the lovely Alison Kocek (feel free to follow her blog and harass her for not updating in YEARS).

We released the Great-tailed Grackle on Saturday. He's really friendly and is still receiving supplemental feedings. His current condition is a bit disconcerting but I guess all we can do is give him time to figure out how to live in the wild. Monday brought us two Golden-fronted Woodpecker nestlings. Well, three actually, but the other had died in transit. The other two look great though and are eating a ton... as it usually is with the Woodpeckers.

Alison got conned into staying two more weeks! But sadly, she leaves on Wednesday.. unless she can be dissuaded otherwise. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do when she leaves.

I think I forgot to mention that a couple of weeks ago we saw a Jaguarundi! We were leaving the office one evening and we spotted one about 15 feet from us. We had seen adult and kit tracks on the trail about a month ago. Pretty crazy. The day before yesterday there was a young Fer-de-lance snake on Alison's porch. Go ahead and google it. Uhhh... yeah, just a little scary.

Tomorrow we finally have an adventure! Blue Hole National Park on the gorgeous Hummingbird Highway. We both need to get away from the facility since it's been a month and a half of almost straight working... I am so very excited to get away from it all. I love doing this, but no real day off since Mid-May has gotten to me just a little.

doves and vireos

Well, we had hoped to get a day or two off to do some exploring but the babies keep on coming. Saturday we got in a White-tipped dove fledgling. No real injuries; it was just found on the ground with some ants attempting to attack it. Monday was an exciting day - we released the 3 Yellow-green Vireos. They were slightly confused but flew into a tree. The two White-fronted and two Pionus parrots were transferred to Belize Bird Rescue in order to get some pre-release flight training. They'll likely be released on-site in a couple of months. Tuesday morning brought us another Yellow-green Vireo. He had fluid in his lungs and was gasping for air, but he somehow pulled through and is doing fine now.

The internet is out again until who knows when so I'm currently updating from Greedy's in town. I would have put together a better entry, but the baby needs feeding back at CASA. One day I'll have another interesting entry... one day.

some birds, some interns, no exciting adventures

I finally had a day off on Tuesday! Well... sort of. I went to the Cahal Pech pool and then we got two birds in so I helped out with those. Now I am slightly burned and semi-well rested. I was able to sleep in for the first time since May and give some attention to my poor neglected hammock. Thanks Alison!

Two more birds on Tuesday. One was a Rock Pigeon, a non-native species. They're the species of pigeon you can see all over the world. He had an older humerus/shoulder fracture which was already beginning to heal and I suspect there was some infection in the bone. Needless to say, he wasn't with us the next day. The second patient was a Golden-fronted Woodpecker fledgling. He's more or less blind. He's been put on antibiotics in the hopes that it is caused by an infection. He kind of hurts my heart... and that's all I'll say.

The Yellow-green Vireo kids are taking their time with being independent. It's become frustrating! Our little botfly larvae guy (lovingly nicknamed Bitey Botfly and/or Bot 2) is doing great! It's amazing how he was inundated by larvae and had minor surgery but is now doing great. They're pretty cute, just extremely frustrating with their inability to feed themselves.

The grackle who arrived about six weeks ago with the shoulder fracture is flying all around his aviary. A bit more flight practice and he'll be ready to go. He's sharing his aviary with the Chachalaca and once her feathers are hard-pinned (no feathers growing in), she'll be released. Four of the parrots will be transfered for pre-release conditioning very soon. Hopefully they will be leaving on Saturday. They've been here since last year and it's definitely time for those guys to go. The Roadside Hawk with the torn eyelid is doing fantastic. He still has a small hole in that eyelid, but he can catch live prey and fly pretty well. It's amazing to think of how he looked when he first came in and how he looks now. He'll be released tomorrow.

Nothing else too exciting has been going on. We went to the Cahal Pech ruins on Saturday for a couple of hours but the random kid who followed us around and said about 20 words the entire time made it a little awkward. We saw some Blue-crowned Motmots and a few others species though so it's alright.

I'm hoping something miraculous happens before Tuesday so that Alison and I can at least go to the zoo or to Blue Hole National Park. Fingers crossed? Off to feed some babies!

distractions

Distractions and general ridiculousness led to no update last night. My apologies, friends.

While on a walk down Bullet Tree Road to see some birds on Wednesday, a car drove by us, then reversed and made us weary. Turns out, the family who found the Vireo (Yellow-green?) and brought it to CASA last Wednesday, found two more. We're fairly certain that they're the siblings to the initial Vireo. The woman has dogs and was wary of renesting. One is in good health and the other... had four Botfly larvae. Yum! And also sick / creepy. They were located in his head, chin, and in his left nare. Those were easily extracted by squeezing and pulling with tweezers. The fourth was located on the abdomen but it had been closed off so it couldn't be easily removed. Yesterday, I gave him some pain medications and proceeded to use a scalpel to remove the dead larvae. It was a little crazy; luckily it was only subcutaneous so it was fairly easy to remove and not too horribly painful. The kid took it like a champ and is doing well so far.

On Sunday, we released the Roadside Hawk that had been raised by somebody in Orange Walk in the morning. We had a picnic on the lawn in honor of the fourth with veggie burgers, baked beans, and watermelon, as well as various Belizeans fruits. It was too bad we didn't have any fireworks.

We've acquired a wandering intern. He arrived on Monday. He's pretty young but eager and enthusiastic and from England. I've met so many different nationalities since I've been here.

Alison's mom left on Monday. Time goes by way too fast here. A few more days and I'll have been here for 6 months. An offer was made to stay for another year but it's not realistic to stay as a volunteer... life and bills and my health call.

Hopefully these Vireos will start eating on their own very soon so that Alison and I can actually go out during the day and do some fun things. And now, it's time for breakfast.

minus eight, plus two

Many of you have probably heard about Tropical Storm Alex paying us a visit. It arrived Saturday evening and had cleared off by Sunday afternoon... we mostly just got a lot of rain and some wind / "squalls". Monday's weather was perfect so it turned into release day! The 2 Golden-fronted Woodpeckers and 4 Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers were released on-site in the morning. The Woodpeckers (above) were completely finished with us and didn't hang around for very long. The Flycatchers were a bit more confused and hung out for a while trying to figure out what was going on. We drove to Bullet Tree a bit later and released the remaining 2 Euphonia (I lost another on Friday morning) into a delicious berry tree. Good luck little guys!

A House Wren arrived on Monday evening. She had hit a ceiling fan in San Ignacio. Her wing was pretty trashed and, unfortunately, she didn't make it past Tuesday. Those guys are really stress prone, plus she probably had some head trauma and who knows what else. Another baby came in on Wednesday. It was found on the ground the road the El Pilar. It's a passerine and... that's all I know. Time will tell, I suppose. He's mostly uninjured. It's always not ideal to raise a kid by itself since they can get confused. We'll see how it goes...

The Chachalaca has been moved to an "outside" aviary ("outside" because she has no exposure to the elements). She's flighted now but she's still got awkward teenage plumage. The parakeet is still a parakeet and the grackle is still sort of a grackle. She is flying a bit though which is promising and she's FINALLY eating all on her own. That took way too long. The Roadside Hawk had surgery on her eyelid last week. So far so good. She's opening her eye all the way but she'll be examined this week to see if the lid has healed together.

I was able to get off the property on Tuesday to "get browse". We did get browse... we just threw a little hiking and jungle machete-ing and birding in there as well. It was nice to get off the property for a bit. We've been invited to lunch in Santa Familia tomorrow. It's going to happen, even if I have to take the baby along with us.

Five and a half months down... how is it July already??