I Spy...

A man taking his dog for a walk.

A lawsuit waiting to happen.

A blue day.

My ride.

Magnets

Mmmmm.....Doughnuts.

Lordy be. The fridge is getting crowded.

Anything but Canvas

Been playing around with some new stuff and I'm starting to find that I'll paint on anything but a canvas. I've been collecting some glass jars cause I like them and wanted to figure out a way to paint them.

I first tried glass paints which were crap so as usual I found my own way through some online research. That's half the fun of this isn't it?

Above is a Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino bottle. Art and coffee - these are a few of my favorite things...

After a good dry, I'll shellac and see if it'll hold. Then off to Gilda's for a celebratory flower to put in the vase I have created. Now let's see what the pickle jar will bring forth.

More Reasons to Love Key West

Riding down Grinnell to get downtown and randomly seeing Mr. Michael Mosi standing outside Azur. Had a quick beer with him before his wedding party arrived. The party had their own cocktail concoction for the celebration which they brought in a Home Depot bucket.

Which begs the question..What is the corkage fee for a bucket?

Sunset at the Tiki bar with good buddies and seeing a few of my favorite water boys. Watched the sky turn several shades of purple and pink before it turned dark as we listened to one boy's fantastical experience on the water today.

Good lord, we live in a beautiful place.

Freedom

I can't stop thinking of this horseshoe crab rescue from yesterday's tour.

As the manager pulled up with the kayak people she made the comment "Good luck". Um, not a good way to start. The other challenging element of the day, was the guide I was paired up with whom I haven't worked on a tour in a long time. He generally goes on his own trips cause he's not one who "plays well" with others.

So off we go. Twas a steady trip. One semi-annoying family of people who wouldn't listen as they constantly raced and banged into other people without a care in the world. When we got towards the end of the tour, I parked everyone in a place where I expected to talk about something but found a horseshoe crab right near a mangrove root instead.

I wasn't planning on a show and tell at this point, but this was perfect I had been looking for one of these all tour. I asked the people to move back a bit in order to get into the tree to reach down and grab her but she wouldn't let go of the root. Normally, they start trucking as soon as you touch them but this one just squirmed in one place. I pulled on her thinking she had wedged herself in to keep from coming out until I saw it.

String. She was trapped.

It was all around her and she had probably tried to get away but ensnarled herself further in the root. Instead of paying attention to the tour I was now wedging myself further into the tree trying to figure out a way to free her. It was so sad, this tree which probably started as source of shelter and comfort had become her death sentence. We needed to get back in with the peeps but I couldn't just leave her like this.

I kept yanking and twisting but couldn't seem to get her free. She was attached. It started to really bother me. I asked my co-tour guide if he happened to have a knife on him. He didn't and so I asked him to come over and take a look.

"She's trapped. Can you help her?" I asked, revealing her delicate state.

"I don't have a knife but I do have teeth." he said.

He jumped in and eventually was able to pull up the branch. And as she came up attached we could see how the string devilishly snaked all around her legs and body keeping her in an immobilized state. I kept staring wondering how she got this way as the other tour guide kindly took his teeth and began to tear through the bind she was in. After several nibbles, he got her loose and handed her over to me.

I ran my fingers across where a little string was left, while carefully dipping her gills in the water so she could breathe again. I began examining her to make sure she was ok. She didn't make a move in my hand. Probably a state of shock after such an ordeal.

As I prepared to give the group a chance to view her, I told them all "Please be careful with her, she's been through a lot". To my surprise they all handled her with great care. Even the annoying family who had not been listening. They finally woke up and weren't acting like they were the only ones on tour.

The whole rescue touched a nerve and I got to thinking of my own entanglements. Things that I probably didn't intend to end up a certain way but got so wrapped up in them, they ultimately became my undoing.

The lessons from Peru continue to unfold as I have strange encounters this week. Overwork and party time flow into one another and the exhaustion gives me all the strength I need to say no to things. A big thing I've learned so far in these past two months.

Three men. Three very different approaches.

As I just go about my business and plan on having a good time with everyone. Two of the guys invite me in with their obvious charm. But what starts out as light hearted charm becomes bizzare when I don't snap into what they want.

They can't ask directly for what they want, so some emotional barbs come out to see if I'll stick around. I step back on both, not even wanting to go into the trap. As the silence quickly grows between us, it feels like what was offered is a brick I dropped at their feet. It wasn't a mean response, it was more of a "Huh, look at that. No thanks." and then a continuation of what I was already doing.

The third one was a funny nice guy who I've always had a good time with. He can be bruff trying to show you what he's all about, but on this night he's kind and gives me a really nice compliment as he looks me directly in the eyes. It was genuine and I liked it. Thats what I want. Upfront. Honest. Kind. Present.

No more emotional entanglements please, if I can help it. I just want to be able to do what I want, if I'm here with you it means I want to be. No traps. Just love.

So much wasted time and energy with emotional entanglements. Everyone has their shit but it's being honest about it that makes it easier. I've been trying to work on mine this year by dropping the walls that I thought made me feel safe but in reality kept me isolated.

By saying no to certain things and taking care of me, I find I don't need those walls and in return people can be themselves and I can be me. A much easier, natural connection to everything and it has been amazing. I had this intention going into Peru and it keeps on unfolding in different ways to show me where I need to be and how to get there.

I have a newfound respect for my co-worker. He was so gentle and kind with that creature, it was beautiful. He helped free her, where I could not. A couple stays behind looking over the place where we dropped the horseshoe crab back in the water.

"Is she ok? Is she moving?" I ask.

"She starting to move a little bit." they respond with a smile.

Good. She'll be ok...

Santiagos Staff Party

Let the X-mas in July party commence!

Heart hugs at Snipes!! Above is one of the Santiago boats out there yesterday. It had a bar, buffet table, keg and a Great Dane. As we rolled up on it in our much roomier ride someone let out "Holy Shit! It's the Clampetts!" They ran aground and out of gas on the way home.

I've heard so much about Snipes but it was my first time out with the crew. A pretty place to hang for the day. Rob and I both commented how much it reminded us of Lake of the Ozarks back in Missouri but with much prettier water. I think the correct phrasing was "purty water".

I forgot how much I missed my Sunday boat shifts on the ride out to Snipes. Love being on a boat for a change and was a lot of fun hanging with the Santiagos crew. They definitely know how to have a good time.

Pfiffer getting some noodle time.

Dane on the loose!

The much roomier boat the 10 of us rode in on. You can see the obvious size difference and how retarded it is as the "Kids table" boat is pictured to its left.

Partial Santiagos crew pic.

This boat cracked me up. We kept calling it the Kid's table. There was almost a fire on it too. While filling up on some potato salad, I noticed smoke come out under the keg. Thought it was ice melting - nope it was the battery.

Not a total surprise when it hit ground and ran out of gas on the way back. I think they had plenty of drinks and food to keep them company while they got rescued thankfully.

Loving the ride home.

Old friends...