Up top day everyone!
We hope this newsletter brings a smile to you today. Maybe a brief moment to read and laugh here.
The weather gods have finally chosen to bring some rain!
The bad news is it’s not enough.
JIS or Jamaica’s Information Service reports that “…an excess of 1,600 hectares (1 hectare = 2.471 acres) valued at just under $900M ($5,646,736 US) has been lost or damaged due to drought and fires.”
A firetruck was called to put out a blaze up the street from our house this week. The grass is miserably dry.
My gardening is in a holding pattern
Our weather remains consistent, with lows in the mid-70s°F at night and upper 80s°F during the day.
The breeze is consistent here. We feel uncomfortable just before the sky opens up. Then it’s a ten/fifteen-minute downpour. Because of the constant breeze, and unimproved soil, all dries in minutes. The air cools and can be downright chilly.
Amazingly, Arugula thrives even without the precious rain. Tomatoes are toast, Papayas are still hanging on but ripening slowly, Mango has slowed significantly.
My gardening projects are on hold. Except for a few seeds I planted in containers. Containers are the only way I can control the soil’s moisture.
Those of you who live in small spaces can manage herbs and greens. I have Rosemary, Parsley, and Swiss Chard happy in cut-off bleach bottles.
Puppy paws are joyous!
Red dirt mud prints on the floor tile are not!
Jamaica is known for its famous red dirt. Densely packed with minerals, it’s mined for its rich bauxite deposits used to produce alumina. A huge industry in Jamaica, in 2023 bauxite mining earned Jamaica US$551.5 million!
For us, red dirt makes life one continuous “mop job” after our small rain bursts.
Our house is always open. If we closed up the doors, we would melt in the mid day heat.
This is a construction zone, screen doors do not yet exist.
All rugs have been rolled up safely in the garage.
Buff the magic Bulldog has a full run of the red dirt yard and the tile floors!
Good news is floors are perfect for easy clean up. The intensity of the iron content in the dirt makes clean-up somewhat more difficult. Nothing that a new mop head and a bucket can’t handle.
Bonus!!, our floors are continuously clean!
A fortuitous discovery I’ve made that makes my OCD heart sing.
Diluted white vinegar removes any smell of a dog. Dogs hate the smell. They refrain from using the floor as a quick-release location!
His mishaps are fewer and fewer each day.
Mosquitoes are happy!
Our tiny rainbursts have enlivened the mosquitoe population.
We manage them by closing the house up just before dark.
They love me. I open my office Veranda door early in the morning so they often invade to discover me.
I know this is the season for mosquitoe invasions in the midwest now.
Here is an interesting DIY antidote to the vampires.
Majory Wildcraft a queen of off-grid living just published a Substack interview with noted herbalist Julie James from Green Wisdom.
Julie James has 30 years of experience working with her extensive herb gardens in Long Beach, California.
She explains in-depth how to create healthy, herbal, natural bug repellents from the flowers of Catnip and Yarrow. She also adds Mugwort, Rose Geranium, and lavendar all of which mosquitoes hate to create a tincture with 95% proof alcohol.
The tincture must be reapplied every hour but it is 5 times stronger than Deet.
She sells her magic repellent online if your fresh out of catnip flowers :-).
She also discusses at length the unhealthy dangers of Deet especially for young children.
Coconut Shrimp
I’ll leave you with one of our favorite simple recipes. We love coconut shrimp in any form. This one was inspired by a trip we made to GeeJam on the north coast years ago. Quick and easy served with rice or pasta it makes a simple meal seem like restaurant fare.
Ingrediants:
1# of whole unpeeled shrimp
1 small onion roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic minced
1/3 stick unsalted butter
1 T coconut oil
1 Cup of Coconut milk
Directions:
Peel the shrimp saving the shells in a medium skillet. Cover with water or broth if you prefer. Bring to a boil. Reduce the liquid to about half. Carefully pull all the shells out to leave a rich broth. Toss in the onion and garlic. Cook until softened. Add the butter, oil, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce until desired thickness. Toss in the peeled shrimp. Cook until shrimp are just pink and have a snap when you bite one.
Serve over rice/pasta with a salad and crusty bread to sop up your yummy sauce.
Enjoy! I wanted to attach a photo but an unforeseeable delay foiled the pic. Here’s a photo of another fish dish we had this week. Steamed red snapper. I’ll post the recipe if you want to try this. It’s just not a quick easy dinner like our favorite coconut shrimp.
A quick story about one of my least favorite bugs, Mosquitoes!
Thanks for reading and listening until the end.
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I absolutely loved this—your words made me feel the afternoon heat and gentle breeze on my own porch! There’s something so grounding about pausing on a veranda, watching the world drift by with a cool drink in hand. Your description of the light dancing through the leaves reminded me of lazy summer evenings I spent with my first journal and a cup of mint tea.
Thanks for the vivid escape—now I’m inspired to carve out more “veranda time” in my day. What’s your favorite ritual for savoring those slow moments?