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Indiana Jo(nes): Adventure Theme

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This summer a fifth Indiana Jones adventure will hit the movie theatres.

Always exciting.

In preparation for its opening I rewatched the previous films in chronological order (oddly not order of release).

Indy’s costume.

My interest is not only scholarly but also practical.  Charlie and I have plans to visit Egypt in the fall.  Certainly Indiana Jones knows how to dress for the desert so I thought I would take a lesson.

Best sneer I could muster.

I have created a feminine version of Indy’s main costume with clothing I already own:

  • lightweight safari shirt
  • sage green chinos
  • straw fedora
  • over-the-shoulder canvas bag
  • walking shoes

Ready for the desert.

While I may not actually take my brown wool fedora  to Africa I will certainly take my lighter packable straw version.

I layered a V-neck T-shirt under the button-down.

And I won’t be carrying a whip or gun!

Jo

May 2023 — Processed

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The month of May started out cold and rainy which allowed me to do research and make plans for upcoming events.  Then all of us got busy working in the yard: Charlie and Sug on the vegetable garden and foundation plantings, and I on painting outdoor furniture.  However, even I planted a small plot of sunflower seeds.

The cultivated area of the backyard grows vegetables — beans, radishes, cucumbers, peppers, and Swiss chard.

And as enumerated below I checked off quite a few items on the 101 tasks in 1001 days list I began last November.

In addition to the numbered list I:

  • took a day trip with Charlie to Winterthur Estate and Gardens in Delaware. (#64 on my 101 in 1001)

    I was fascinated by the koi ponds — my favorite area of Winterthur gardens.

  • helped facilitate a study on Mere Christianity by C S Lewis.
  • saw Shakespeare’s As You Like It at a local college with music and costumes from the 1960s — my era. (Completed #55 on my 101 in 1001)

    As you Like It set for the Forest of Arden

  • purchased next year’s season tickets for a classical music orchestra series.
  • sent invitations out for a 3-week summer Bible study at home.  (#10 on my 101 in 1001)
  •  watched a whole host of Hamlet films (after having  both read and seen live in the theatre Hamlet):  Mel Gibson, Kenneth Branagh, David Tennant. The legit theatrical production was easily my favorite but the movies were good, too. I also saw The Way, a 2011 release, which has recently been re-released in theatres.
  • visited Cylburn Arboretum in Baltimore. (#60 on my 101 in 1001)

    The signs into the arboretum are in a residential neighborhood.

  • purchased a Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport which I used for entrance to Winterthur and is applicable to other Delaware museums, estates, and gardens.
  1.  Celebrate Memorial Day. We cooked steaks on the barbie in the backyard.

    We cooked out but ate in.

    This a trial run for next week’s mini-retreat to be held at The Glade.

  2. Take a class: Vermicomposting 101.  We took a very informative class at our local library.

    Charlie and I learned about red wigglers and their function in vermicomposting.

  3. See a movie. I saw Book Club: The Next Chapter and enjoyed it even more than the first one.
  4.  Free up 10 hangers in my closet. (#95 on my 101 in 1001)

    10 hangers ready for action.

    Piece by piece I decided to discard the chosen items due mainly to moth damage, holes, or irreversible stains, otherwise I’m not against wearing out-of-date clothing.

  5.  Read a book: S is for Silence by Sue Grafton.  I finished this book early in the month.  I had forgotten how much I like this series and the main character — Kinsey Millhone.

    Someone mentioned this book in a class so I thought I should read it.

    I also read A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I should have known it was a science fiction novel — not my favorite genre.

  6. Work on a project in the Treetops Room.  Remove all toys, puzzles, dollhouse, artwork, etc.

    Everything has been removed except the large furniture.

    This was my most challenging task of the entire month but I resolutely found a place for much of what had been aimlessly stored on the floor in our back bedroom.

  7.  Remove one box from attic.

    Only kept a couple items from this box.

    (#30 on my 101 in 1001 — 7 boxes down, 3 to go)

    Four useless pieces of foam from when we recushioned the sailboat (which we no longer own).

  8. Go to a concert. — We saw Bayside Big Band at a really fun outdoor concert followed the next evening  by Rhapsody in Blue, my favorite piece of music. (Completed #26 on my 101 in 1001)

    Bayside Big Band at Glenmar Church

  9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: ACTION.
  10.  Write a goal list for June, 2023.

Jo

My Bucket List 2023

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Charlie and I have been making great headway on MY bucket list. (I’m not sure Charlie has his own list.)

We traveled to Vieques, an island off the coast of Puerto Rica, in a small 8-seater plane.

We have been doing all sorts of travel: airplane, train, car, and boat.

A morning at the beach is always welcome, especially when it’s secluded.

To that end here is my Bucket List: Items in grey have been on the list for awhile; items in blue have been accomplished.

  1. See the pyramids in Egypt –  We  have  2 weeks in Egypt planned for  Autumn,  2023.  A cruise down the Nile is on the schedule  as  is  a camel  ride.

    We have reservations on Le Fayan from Aswan to Luxor.

  2. Inspire somebody to do something great.  I have a friend who credits me with her impetus to do mission work which I think is great. 

    Sug travels to a school in Guatemala at least three times a year.

  3. Own my house.

    The Glade is our home.

  4. Write a book and have it published — I don’t know what the actual subject might be but I think I would write a fictional story about life among the very wealthy.
  5. Visit the Louvre in France — I have been to the Louvre and have seen the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, and Venus de Milo. 

    I’ve seen the Mona Lisa.

  6. Ride in a hot air balloon.

    Our hot air balloon ride was magical.

    We enjoyed this sunrise trip on a glorious day in Maryland.

  7. Take a ride in a gondola in Venice.  We visited Venice in September, 2019.

    I have taken a gondola ride in Venice, Italy at sunset.

  8. Go on a cruise. We cruised from Baltimore Harbor to Bermuda and back on Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas.

    I’m always happy on the water.

  9. Audition for a movie — I would have to check the local casting calls.  Getting the part is not as important as auditioning.
  10. Own a beach house.

    The shore house.

    It’s not exactly a beach house but we’re fixing it up and it’s 2 miles from the beach.

  11. Invent something — I’m hoping I could invent something that would be useful and bring in some cash.
  12. Have a million dollars — working on it.
  13. Go whale watching.
  14. Buy a stranger a meal.  I’m not sure how to go about it except to just be brave and do it.
  15. Do something I know is reckless! I would love suggestions on what reckless thing other people would consider doing.  I’m thinking  of doing something like parasailing or paragliding. Charlie thinks I’m nuts.
  16. Fly in a helicopter. Charlie and I took a helicopter flight over the volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii.

    We flew over the Big Island.

  17. Read the Bible — I read the entire Bible in a year. Very inspirational and enlightening.  I continue to pursue this activity through classes.
  18. Save somebody’s life.  Who knows how and when an opportunity might arise.  I pray I’m up to it.
  19. Fly 1st class.  Saving my money for an upscale trip.
  20. Make and sell a product.
  21. See the Southern Cross in person.  We  saw  it  in  Puerto  Rico. 

    The Southern Cross — Crux — viewed from the island of Vieques.

  22. Visit Greece.  Scheduled for Fall, 2024.
  23. Visit London. We visited London in September, 2018.  It was a wonderful trip. 

    Tower Bridge over the Thames River.

  24. See the Northern Lights — the Aurora Borealis — from Iceland.  We had a wonderful trip to Iceland in October, 2021.  While we were warned not to expect being able to see the Northern Lights we actually viewed them on 2 separate nights. 

    I went to Iceland to see the elusive Aurora Borealis and mark it off my bucket list.

  25. Visit New Orleans.  We went in February in a week of perfect weather. 

    A golden statue near the French Market of Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orleans.

  26. Learn to Tango.  Charlie and I enjoyed a 6-week tango class.    Perhaps we’ll dance again in the future.

That’s 26 items from the original list.  I’ve decided to add a few more.

27.   Travel from St Louis, MO to Nashville, TN during the solar eclipse.

A full solar eclipse is eerily exciting.

This will be our second solar eclipse.

28.  Visit the luminescent bay in Vieques, Puerto Rico.

Our kayaks were completely clear so we could see the luminescent microorganisms as we paddled through the bay.

29.  Dogsledding

30.  Police ride-along

31.  Pony penning in Chincoteague

32.  Mummer Parade in Philadelphia

Still adding to the list.

Jo

May 2023 — Objectives

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May May May — After a beautiful if unpredictable April weather-wise, May is most welcome.  We can begin summer projects in earnest and look forward to happy times.  My word for May is “action” so I’m hoping to get into gear and get some projects done.  I’m a planner but the time has come for ACTION!

  1.  Celebrate Memorial Day. Hoping a cook-out is the order of the day.

    We can count on Dash to dress up for a holiday.

  2. Take a class: Vermicomposting 101

    Wormy composting class.

  3. See a movie. This might be a challenge if it were not for vintage films.
  4.  Free up 10 hangers in my closet.

    Surely I don’t need all these clothes.

  5.  Read a book: S is for Silence by Sue Grafton

    A Kinsey Millhone Mystery by Sue Grafton

  6. Work on a project in the Treetops Room.  Remove all toys, puzzles, dollhouse, etc.

    I’m getting closer to a complete renewal — hopefully this summer.

  7.  Remove one box from attic.

    The challenge continues.

  8. Go to a concert.

    My all-time favorite composition.

    Rhapsody in Blue and Bayside Big Band are both options.

  9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: ACTION.
  10.  Write a goal list for June, 2023.

Jo

April 2023 — Processed

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We have had a busy and efficacious month of April. Charlie started his vegetable garden by planting radishes. He also painted the high fascia trim on the house — not an easy task — in addition to cleaning out the high rain gutters.

We have lots of flowers in the yard ready for picking.

In addition to the numbered list below I:

  • celebrated Earth Day by taking 2 classes at out local library — how to build a container garden and how to build a bamboo trellis.

    A full tutorial on building a garden container was presented.

  • took a Master Gardener class on Container Gardening.
  • washed the windows in my bedroom.

    Before

    Much better

  • watched 2 classic Brando movies — The Godfather and On the Waterfront.
  • watched both versions of Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much.
  • finally finished the biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow which I started a year ago in next month.

    Finally finished.

Now the numbered list:

  1.  Celebrate Easter.  We went out to dinner and filled the house with vintage ceramic bunnies.

    A ring of double daffodils and variegated hosta ring the base of the cross.

    The daffodils at our al fresco chapel bloomed for the celebration.

  2. See a play.  I read Hamlet last November and decided to actually see it since it was produced by our local Chesapeake Shakespeare Company.

    The Shakespeare Theatre in Baltimore.

    Most scholars agree Hamlet is the bard’s best play.  I loved it, especially the actor playing Hamlet.   I also went to see Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead at a local college but left at intermission.

  3. See a movie. I decided to watch the entire Mission: Impossible Series at home to prepare myself for 2 new ones that are coming out this summer and next year.  In order I watched 1 through 6:
    1. Mission: Impossible (1996)
    2. Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
    3. Mission: Impossible III (2006)
    4. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
    5. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
    6. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
    7. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
    8. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two (2024)
  4. Belated birthday surprise outing for Charlie and Sug. We went together to an introductory target archery class sponsored by our local Recreation and Parks Department.

    Charlie eyes up the targets and lets the arrow fly.

    Now we three are eligible for the Target Archery Skills Club and/or use of equipment during Open Range time.

  5.  Read a book. I’m sticking with my Egyptian series by Elizabeth Peters.

    Another good mystery.

    I read He Shall Thunder in the Sky.

  6. Work on a project in the Treetops Room.  Early in the month someone offered to buy our saddle and all the horse equipment that had been stored in the back bedroom but she never showed up.

    For sale along with other riding accoutrements.

    Even so I collected all the tack and apparel, made sure everything was clean, and put it all together in one spot awaiting the next offer.

    I still love this lighting fixture but have no place to hang it.

    However I did sell my vintage chandelier. Then I moved all the photo albums back to their crate in the attic.

  7. Eat vegetarian for a week.  (#92 on my 101 in 1001 list.)  I used the final week of Lent as my vegetarian week.

    Avocado toast is one of my favorite snacks.

    I didn’t limit eggs or dairy products but did enjoy avocado toast and sautéed or roasted vegetables everyday.

  8.  Visit Goddard Space Flight Center.  I ended up going alone to tour the Visitor Center.

    All suited up and ready for launch.

    It seemed the exhibits were all geared to subjects that interest me.

  9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: WONDER. Just watching the spring yard come to life is a wonder in itself.

    By the end of April the dogwood is in full bloom.

    Then contemplating the heavens and man’s quest to find truth is an ongoing fascination.

  10.  Write a goal list for May, 2023.

Jo

Vieques — Riding on the Beach

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Charlie and I try to take a horseback ride almost every place we visit.

The horses were all tacked up when we arrived at the barn.

Our trip to Vieques, PR was no exception.

Elizabeth went over the basics of mounting and riding before we took the reins.

I booked a late afternoon (4 pm) ride with the Esperanza Riding Company.

Hardhats for hardheads.

After getting instructions from our wrangler we were each assigned a helmet and a horse.

My ride was Carlitos — Spanish for Charlie.

We mounted one at a time and lined up for our trail/beach ride.

The ear of Charlie’s blond gelding is just visible in the lower left corner. I’m in front of him.

Off we rode at a walk out the gate and into the hills of Vieques.

The view from the hills went all the way out to the Caribbean.

Some of our excursion was on the paved streets of Esperanza in Vieques.

Another shot of my best side on the Black Sand Beach of Vieques.

The real thrill of the ride, however, was walking along the black sand beach which eventually became white sand.

We stopped for a photo shoot.

Then we rode around a rock outcropping that forced us totally into the water.  It was exciting to let our horses navigate the waves.

I was tired and ready to head back to the stable.

Finally we rode into the sunset — like all good endings.

Jo

Vieques — Mosquito Bay

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Our main reason for going to Vieques — an island part of the Puerto Rican archipelago — was to see the bioluminescent bay. It contains up to 160,000 microscopic dinoflagelates per liter of water.  When agitated, these microscopic organisms (Pyrodinium bahamense or swirling fire) react emitting a blue-green light for about a decimal of a second. There are other bioluminescent bays around the island, but the Mosquito Bio Bay is the one that shines with the most intensity, its shallow and small entrance from the sea impedes the waves from washing away the dinoflagellates; and the mangrove trees, with their decomposition process, provides abundant food for the micro-organisms.

No moon, only stars.  (The bright star in the middle of the left side is Sirius — pointed to by the 3 stars in Orion’s belt.)

In order to see the bioluminescence at its best we traveled during the new moon so the nights would be especially dark.

The interior of the bus was painted with sea creatures and lit with a black light to allow our eyes to adjust to the darkness.

We met up with our travel companions just down the street from where we were staying.  Each of us was issued a personal flotation device.  Then we boarded a small bus driven by Eduardo who informed us of what we would do and see on our tour.

Ours are the kayaks on the left — completely clear so we could see the luminescent microorganisms as we paddled through the bay.

We disembarked at the edge of Mosquito Bay* where we met up with our guides:  Eloy and Jimmy.  Eloy gave us a paddling lesson and Jimmy led us while we were in the water.

The luminescence is difficult to capture in a photo. (The horizontal line is the gunwale of the  clear canoe.)

Jimmy took us to different areas of the bay as he told us ecological facts and legend.  He was also very good at showing us constellations in the night sky.

We enjoyed our trip.

Even though this is not a good photo opportunity the bioluminescent bay in Vieques is a magical sight on a dark night.  It’s the reason we went to Vieques and we were not disappointed.

Jo

* Mosquito Bay is not named because of mosquitoes — there were none — but for a pirate ship that used to hide there. Mosquito Bay is named after “El Mosquito,” a small ship owned by Roberto Cofresí, a pirate who was a Robin Hood-type character. Cofresí often hid El Mosquito in the bioluminescent bay, which was connected to the ocean by a small, easily defensible inlet.

April 2023 — Objectives

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April is spring in Maryland — in all its glory. The dogwood bloom, daffodils are rampant, the weather is milder.  Charlie starts his vegetable garden. Bring it on!

  1.  Celebrate Easter.

    Nothing is so cheery as a bit of springtime fun.

  2. See a play.

    I have tickets for the preview of Hamlet.

  3. See a movie.
  4. Belated birthday surprise outing for Charlie and Sug. No hints yet.
  5.  Read a book. I’m sticking with my Egyptian series by Elizabeth Peters.
  6. Work on a project in the Treetops Room.

    The Treetops Room is ready for guests but still has a lot of clutter.

  7. Eat vegetarian for a week.  (#92 on my 101 in 1001 list.)
  8.  Visit Goddard Space Flight Center.

    Top to bottom– the moon, Venus, Jupiter — 3 items I can identify in the night sky.

  9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: WONDER.
  10.  Write a goal list for May, 2023.

Jo

March 2023 — Processed

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Ah, Spring! Oddly the sunlight streaming into the house makes me want to wash windows.

El Malecón in Esperanza, Vieques, Puerto Rico.

In addition to the planned items in the numbered list below:

  • I watched some classic movies including Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, Giant, Inspector Bellamy, The Third Man, The Apartment, All About Eve, and The Philadelphia Story. My favorite was the latter which starred Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart, and Cary Grant.
  • I went to ukulele class at a local library. 

    The library was prepared to lend a tuned ukulele to whomever needed one.

    I also talked to a librarian at my nearest library to see what might be brewing in this area closer to home. She said I inspired her so I’m hopeful something fun will be scheduled. 
  • I continued doing tai chi twice each week. 

Now for my attention to my actual goals for the month:

  1. Celebrate birthdays. 

    We had a subtle Saint Patrick’s theme for the coffee party.

      We had another Friday morning coffee get-together for Charlie and Sug  whose special days are one day apart on the calendar. 

    I made lots of little treats so everyone could try everything.

  2.  Head to Vieques in Puerto Rico. 

    An ocean view never gets old for me.

  3. Begin working on a small claims court filing. 

    Why don’t people just pay their ground rent?

    I looked up information on the internet and filled out the initial paperwork.
  4. See a movie. I saw Jesus Revolution which was well-cast, informative, and entertaining. Also 80 for Brady which was a lot of fun.  I also saw the Oscar winner Everything, Everywhere, All at Once — I’m not a fan.
  5.  Read a book. This month I read one of Elizabeth Peters’ early Egyptian mysteries — The Falcon at the Portal.

    I have more Elizabeth Peters books scheduled to read.

    I’m learning a lot about Egypt while enjoying a good mystery.
  6.  Remove a box from the attic.

    I’m on a roll — next to go foam and globe.

    I removed 2 boxes and ruthlessly threw away things I haven’t looked at for years and years. 

    This big box is in the recycling.

  7.  Work on fall travel plans.  I have plane tickets to Egypt for Charlie and me, including trips inside the country.  I have made hotel reservations and booked our Nile cruise. 

    We’re planning a 4-day cruise down the Nile.

       That’s as far as I got.
  8.  Get rid of 5 pairs of shoes. 

    Now some of the shoes on the floor can be stored in a shoe cubby.

     All 5 pairs useless for some reason or another — no heels, insides deteriorating, inside color rubs off on feet, etc. Now I have no navy blue shoes!
  9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: HOPE.
  10.  Write a goal list for April, 2023.

Vieques — Getting There

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Vieques is an island just off the coast of Puerto Rico where the world’s foremost bioluminescent bay can be found.

A large Adirondack chair on the  Malecón in Esperanza, Vieques, PR.

However getting there is an adventure in itself.

We flew above the clouds over the Atlantic Ocean.

First Charlie and I flew from Baltimore to San Juan Puerto Rico — nonstop on Southwest Airlines.

Even though we were in the final seating group we snagged seats in the 4th row from the front.

I had prearranged by email to be picked up by a private van owned and operated by John Rosario Gonzales (Highly recommended) who met us at San Juan airport to shuttle us to another airport — Ceiba — about an hour away.  He texted me when our plane landed to tell us where to meet.

VAL — Vieques Air Link — 10-minute flight from Ceiba to Vieques.

We had tickets on a smaller flight from Ceiba to Vieques.  When I say smaller flight I mean they weighed everything and everyone.

We were tightly packed in a tiny plane for 8 passengers.

Our luggage had to be less than 25 pounds or we would be charged $1.50 for every pound over — my suitcase was 19 pounds.

The luggage compartment was at the rear of the plane.

When we arrived at Vieques we were picked up by a driver in a van from Maritza’s Car Rental.  He drove us to the rental car lot where we were given a royal blue Kia Soul which would be our wheels for the week on Vieques.  The taxi, flights, car, and accommodations had been arranged months in advance and confirmed within weeks before our trip.

A vehicle must be reserved well before the trip because they run out.

We drove to our AirBnB across the island about a 15 minute drive.

The view from our AirBnB balcony.

The setting was ideal.

Jo