Salt Water Pool---Step One

Add salt....lots of salt (640 pounds if you are counting bags)

Weekend all planned out....

Some new pool equipment arrived just in time to be installed this weekend.....much to the joy and happiness of wives and children everywhere :)

Back Seat Drivers

A couple of Back Seat Drivers view the action from the aft deck of the Time and Tide as it cruises at a variety of speeds across Kentucky Lake.

Photographic Needlepoint

Paracatu does not have any Wal-marts, shopping centers, malls or even fast-food drive thrus---what they do have is lots of shops, food markets and small businesses.  Hand-made craftsmanship is still very much in evidence in many things including this pillow out in the cabana of the hotel.  The rendition is mostly correct as there are three very tall palm trees (though much closer together).  The only truly artistic license used is the courtyard in front of the hotel---there is none, only a small street.

Offseason Touch-up

The staff here at the Pousada da Villa have been putting a little extra time in this off-season applying a new coat of varnish to some of the rustic woodwork.  The staff has posted signs like the one above where they've worked and I've typically been able to work through these types of signage both at the hotel and the mine site when needed.  However, the hotel staff knows where I'm from, and my obvious gringo limitations, hence the "special" sign below was posted in front of the door to my room in English. Got to love them :)

 

Soon to be Table Grapes, Raisins or Vinho

I assume that the grapes on the arbor will become treats for the guests.  Of course I have no clue what color the grapes will be when they decide to grow up!

Bunches of Bananas

These little bananas will be on the plates of guests in a few weeks.

New kid on the block

Larger than most of his avian friends in the area, this menacing looking bird with the black coloring, heavy beak and an iridescent hood of feathered chain mail, was given a large berth when he came by to check out what the parrots were squawking about.  I would think he is probably a large seed eater but it pays to be safe :)

Birds of a Feather...

We had some fairly heavy rains here in the highlands of Brazil overnight leaving these three guys fairly well soaked and preening while waiting for the morning sun to begin to dry them out.

Walkway Display

While I didn't get around to all the gardening I wanted to get done along our front walkway, the hostas and daylillies do not seem to mind.  Hostas bloom first every year (and are the kings of the show right now), about a month before the daylillies take over.

Our first daylilly (overachiever) of the year on the front walk.

In the grip of winter....

The courtyard at the Pousada da Villa, like the rest of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, is obviously in the grip of winter.  In fact, the low last week was an incredible finger numbing 12C (52F)!

A little snack before the grilling begins!!

 

Future Fish Food

Cruising well off shore we received some visitors throughout the day.  Mayflies have hatched out and this particular individual was looking for love in all the wrong places.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayfly

Splish, Splash I was taking a bath

A return visitor to the bird bath this year is still an unknown.....this appears to be the female, the male is red.  She isn't the bashful type and enjoys an afternoon bath each day as her beau watches from the trees.

Coming into Season Soon

I taste-tested a blackberry but it looks like any of the early ones will be a week or so away from being tasty.  The bulk of the crop would be ready in, say 3-4 weeks---just in time for a couple of more experienced blackberry connoisseurs to do some taste testing.

Sailing in the Great White North

 The view from the office can be distracting at times with the sailing folks taking advantage of good weather and strong winds to sail around the bay in front of downtown.

One of the many marinas lining the bay.

Non-zoomed view....this conference room is booked pretty solid once the pool gets filled (say Memorial Day to Labor Day)

Broccoli Season

With lettuce on the way out, our focus is now on our next crop---broccoli!!!  This year's crop is taking a bit longer to flower than last year's crop though the plants themselves have grown nicely and are looking very healthy.

I did finally spy a few flowers this morning getting ready to do their thing over the next month or so.

Happy Mother's Day

From the pirate crew of the Time and Tide wishing their mom the best Mother's Day ever.....

Poolside at 54 Holly Lane

One of the quadruplets decorating the pool deck

Close-up of one of the clusters

DIY--Marine Style

Our freezer and fridge have performed flawlessly in our short time on the water (slip)----so much so that the awesome First Mate and I decided to keep some items in the chilled confines on the Time and Tide during the week until our return.  Unfortunately, it appears that the controller decided that the compressor wasn't getting up and going quickly enough and started short-cycling the little guy.  This was pretty detrimental to our recently cached food items and upon our return to the Time and Tide we quickly became enthusists for keeping ice in small styrofoam coolers. 

The bad boy controller that needs to have an adjustable window for compressors in different ambient temperatures and system age.  Should be a fairly straightforward fix as the part is readily available.