Feb 29 - leap year Saturday

For the next few days it was relaxing and checking out the town. The weather here has been rainy off and on with a cold front for Belize lol but still very HUMID and about 27. The water has been rough everyday even though I was told it is usually paddle board water. S has not swam here at all.

Pretty nice view to wake up too right?

Breakfast is fab with our fancy fruit plate and creamy coffee

Who needs level, it makes for easy runoff to the south

Simple tidy and pretty yards are mixed with the crazy trash filled ones

Roof top time when the sun was out

There are dogs everywhere, I called this little guy Pedro ;)

We enjoyed great meals, drinks and played lots of cards as well as had relaxing reading time too. 

Belize bound

Up early and out the door at 5:30 via the Stouts. Sharon was sweet and brought me a luggage tag as the rest all had one. THANK YOU :)

Our 8:30 am flight to Belize was 5 hours; I watched Central Intelligence and we both watched Peanut Butter Falcon. We landed 35 minutes early at 3 pm local time, it took 1 hour to get thru immigration with time for a quick cold beer then on the island hopper flight. 15 minutes to Dangriga where Manuel was waiting. 45 minutes to Hopkins with a stop at gas station for another cold beer.

Citrus orchards, oranges used to be the number 1 resource but now it is tourism

Most of the horses we saw were well fed. The lush tropical grasses must be the reason.

After checking into our Buttonwood Guest House, we were off to eat at Jalapeños - not recommend for burgers (18 BZD plus $4 pineapple and $3 cheese/bacon) and margarita, S had the jalepeno margarita (15-18 BZ) not worth $45 USD!

The guest house had this sweet note, flower petals all over the bed and a lovely fruit plate waiting for us on our arrival. XOXO

Stock photos I found online; our room; Southwater, is the balcony below the upper deck with Stouts in Blueground; being 2nd floor behind the tree lower left on the photo.

Donna and Les picked us up after 8, met the Stouts for a quick hello then we were off on our bioluminescent tour with Happy Go Lucky Tours (which happens to be Les & Donna's daughter and son in law who run it). It was well worth $70 USD /couple seeing the water light up like lightening or glittery diamonds in your hand. Pictures were almost impossible to get in the dark. They dropped us back at the guest house at 10:30 pm after a very long busy but fabulous day. Thanks Donna for all your insider tips and information to get us here as well as while we are here and for the evening of catching up.

From the Happy Go Lucky website

Nocturnal Bioluminescence River 

Set out after dark to explore the beautiful and peaceful Sittee River under a sky full of stars. Belize has many nocturnal creatures that come out after dark to the riverside to eat and drink from the river. Use high powered flashlights to spot the eyeshine of crocodiles, kinkajou, coatimundi, raccoons, birds, resting iguanas, and much more! The second part of this tour involves cruising through a hand cut path from the river into the mangroves where you can spot resting bats on the sides of the trees and then out into the Anderson's Lagoon which boasts bioluminescent plankton that lights up with any disturbance in the water. It is magical to see fish darting away from predators and the boat as you cruise along. The water also glows behind the boat as the prop wash activates the chemical reaction which causes the plankton to light up. This is so interesting and intriguing to visitors that a swim in these waters is almost irresistible.

Packing day

Yep another early wake up and I even tried closing blinds as per Shaina's suggestion. I guess it is my new clock.  I was ready to check in at 8:30. Today is packing day and cleaning day and get everything done day. It was also a 3 cappuccino kinda day.

My suitcase was packed in stages after trying so many of the items on again and trying to decide. All the laundry I did was folded and put away with more being done. Plants were watered and house tidied along with marketing and setting out of office on emails and selling sites. It seems I work best under pressure leaving it all to the last day.

It is a beautiful sunny day hitting plus 5. The horses spent lots of time laying and relaxing in the sunshine. I went out at 2 to give KD her pill, like Daisy, the boys are now taking a break as per the on call vet technician who worries about long term kidney damage. Or maybe she just wanted her chore list less for the week she is in charge ;) It was soooo lovely out there, just like spring!

Back inside the garage I sprayed a coat of paint on the bread box. An hour or so later I went back for more touch ups of course getting my manicure and hands all blue ;(

Then it was back to catching up on the blogs, more double checking packing and more time wasted trying to get the Fitbit to even track or show time. S was home early at 8 and had to catch the end of the Flames game. It did not end well as he chugged 2 beers cheering them on. I was writing a Hometalk post for the accent table and sharing it to Pinterest in hopes it will keep the algorithm working for a bit when I am away.

After the Flames loss, S went out to roll a bale quick for both horse paddocks. Then it was final packing and rechecking and getting ready for the early morning adventure.

More appointments

I am not sure why my new wakeup time is right before 7 am but it is. I know for sure if I had to be at a job by 9 am I would barely make it up by 8:30 LOL Time to check out Instagram before making the first cappuccino. My very new Fitbit seems to be acting up and after lots of trouble shooting it seems it is a lemon and being replaced.

I showered up for the day ahead that is back to back appointments then ran out and gave the horses their pills. I was off to town after 10 to watch Aislyn while A&A were off to gymnastics. The latest tool ambassador parcel arrived just before me which was very convenient.

Oh yes and it is pink shirt day!

 

Aislyn and I had a fun visit as always and it was just a quick goodbye when the two got back as I have a mani/ pedi booked at 11:45. This was my last gift certificate; this one from Sheldon. It was nice to get the nails all holiday ready, thank you Prince!

Seeing I was wearing shoes to leave I had to sit extra long with the dryer on my toes so it was a super quick stop at Dairy queen to grab a burger to eat at 1:30 as I drove to Chestermere to my 2 pm lash appointment. I won these lashes on Instagram before Christmas too so this has been a very lucky week cost wise for me. I really liked the classic look Jayme from Lash Out Loud did. Thank you for the win!

Once I was done at 3 it was a quick drive back to Strathmore to pick up US cash and run into two grocery stores looking for a small bottle of clamato with no luck. I have a buyer coming at 4 so made a beeline to the ranch.

I hustled to get home pulling in the garage at 4 pm. It was only a few minutes later the bed frame buyer called from the gate, whew! He loved the bed and with his co pilots they had it loaded in about 15 minutes. Thanks for shopping local Randy. Well he drove out from Calgary so sorta local.

On the way home I had a lady message me to call her wanting to buy the antique vanity and inquired about shipping to Westlock. I called her now and sure enough she is going to find a way and paid for it via etransfer and will make arrangements in the future. This is the best day!!

I snapped pics and details for the treasures gotten yesterday

Time to get some chores done; laundry was started as I worked on marketing as well as writing a tutorial for the green serving tray. I also painted the primer along the edges of the bread box and left to dry overnight.

I finally finished the Safe final episode as I got ready for bed. I started the movie Uncut Gems but after half hour closed it and watched some youTube. Tomorrow will be packing day so best get some sleep.

Calgary appointments

Shaina popped in and out of bed thru the night with both of us having the usual interrupted sleep. She headed back down to her room at 6 with me being awakened again with a phone call at 7:45 saying they could fit me in at 9 am at the dentist.. in the city an hour away! The fog had  the ranch socked in  and cold at -17. I quickly got ready and was off to the city after 8.

 

leaving the gate and looking across at Matt's

On route I had a close encounter with the police as I was talking into my phone to give maps the location. He waved his finger and said no phone, whew! That was lucky. I made it to my appointment  at about 9:10 after diverting around an accident and rush hours places but had to wait for over half an hour. But in short order the dentist had it smoothed and I was on my way.

Next stop was winners to look for a few more swimsuit options, a stop at Value Village where I found a few treasures (and left many as being very selective now) It was now noon so I grabbed a chai tea and waited outside Kaylin’s work enjoying it. She had a lunch break at 12:30 so we chowed down on fish tacos with a side of tater tots at Brewsters.

I dropped her back at work for her 2 pm appointment and I was off to my microdermabrasion facial I won in an Instagram giveaway at Christmas. The Spa Ritual was a lovely place with a very relaxing atmosphere. My facial was not till 2:30 so I enjoyed laying on a heated chaise lounger with citrus water. I also tried the chai with turmeric root tea. My facial with Jen was AMAZING!! It was an hour and a half of fabulous massage, lotions, potions and treatments. And valued at $225 plus tax, THANK YOU Spa Ritual.

I was finished after 4, changed and on my way with a purchase in hand to Kaylins. She was home from work and efficiently sugared me all up for the trip. I heated up my remaining tea and hit the road home at 5:15 pulling into the gym a little over an hour later. Shaina had stalled the class a few minutes for me to get there. she worked the class over with Lexi joining us for the cool down and entertained everyone in the gym.

Seeing she had no one in the next boot camp, she and Lexi headed home. I grabbed an Edo noodle bowl and headed home to enjoy it and a cold beer before 8. It has almost been 12 hours since I left. Britt had kindly came out and gave horses pills and Cooper a quick play date. Thanks B!

I caught up with marketing and emails before crawling into bed. I tried to finish the Safe season but could not make the last half hour shutting the lights off after 10 having had a long busy day!

Snow to fog to a fractured tooth

It was lightly snowing when we awoke.  It had snowed overnight so there was a good accumulation that covered most of the hay and sidewalks. It continued to lightly snow all morning.

this was from yesterday morning when these nuts thought skating was fun

I took off the bread box clamps and did some sanding on the cutting board while S shovelled the sidewalk after he plugged in and started the skid steer to roll hay.

I went out to give pills and be his gate man while he rolled a partial bale to the big field. He then packed up his backpack for todays flight. We had some lunch quick before we were off to town. I caught Roo on way out to take to Moore's for her dental appointment.

S picked up the merc from the repair shop and made a loop thru Tims. I started down the highway pulling over along the way to swap his back pack for a tea. He was then off to the airport for his short work week. The snow that was falling at our place let up just outside Strathmore and sunny not long after.

I arrived at Moore’s just a we bit after our 2 pm appointment. Roo was sedated a few times to get her wolf teeth and caps pulled and a dental smoothing. While her sedation came out she also was treated to a spa day with full brushing and tail combing while Dr Jordan pulled her mane. She also go her vaccine so she will be ready for her time at the trainers in March. We had her loaded and I was on the road home before 4.

sedation kicking in

rinse and spit

2 wolf teeth and 2 caps removed

spa treatment

Back home I unloaded her back to the herd then quickly caught up on a few marketing things before eating leftover creamed chicken before heading to my workout at 6:15. It was plus 1 when I got back to the ranch around 5 but as driving to boot camp I hit low lying fog and car read -13!! At least the sun is still out at 6.

After boot camp I headed home and made a smoothie, Shaina arrived about 8 to eat her share of creamed chicken then I made her a smoothie too. She is now on a strict regime for 8 weeks partaking in a fitness challenge so weighs and tracks everything.

She was off to bath after our catch up while she ate. I did some marketing and went in to have a shower at 10. I grabbed a handful of pretzel sticks and dammed if I did not fracture the back portion of a molar off!! WTH. I watched a Safe episode after leaving a message at my dentist.