Pics from trip out with Glen December 2011

Another property access culvert going in.

One more time around the block 

with grader and packer. We did some damage to the roads with the track hoe installing culverts and trimming in the ditches. 

Agave plants at 40 ft on center along the Southern Highway. 

That's a flower bed about 1500 ft long.

When mature they will have wicked spines about 3 ft tall. Not a cactus nor a aloe they are a member of the asparagaseae family

They will look awesome and we can make our own tequila, glug glug.

A typical outdoor kitchen stove in the village of Silk Grass. They do have a gas stove that runs on bottled butane but that would only be used during the worst of weather. Butane is expensive and heavy to carry a tank for refill on the bicycle. 
This at my friend Juan Pops home.

This is Juan's daughter Marisela in the great room at their home. Note the outdoor kitchen is beyond to the left and the indoor kitchen is to her right.

Here is Adriano's wife I can't remember her name. She is in her out door kitchen. Yes look closely down to the right. There is no electricity nor running water at their home. Water is down the block at the communal water tap. I had just dropped off an empty five gallon water jug for their use. Their sweet ride is parked in the drive way.

Some of the Pop kids. Do they look worried that the play station is broken?

A Year Later, Chainsaw and Lawn Mower

First the topographical survey, need to know the lay of the land and how it rolls. Well nothing too exciting there. It's just low rolling slopes generally down towards the south. The surveyor had to slash cut lines for line of sight equipment. We later used the 2.4 odd miles of cut lines to plant cohunes. Yep years down the road it will look like a cohune jungle.

Next, figure out an economical way to subdivide with cost of road building in mind. Not high density but enough to justify building roads. Draw it up and apply for "provisional subdivision approval", from the Land Utilization Authority. Then draw it up again and again. You see I wanted to incorporate walking trails into the big picture. LUA thought I was cheaping out on roads. First try I called the paths Public Right Of Way. Second I called them Walking Paths. Third I called them Game Trails, No Vehicles Allowed. But alas, no walking trails and "Provisional Subdivision Approval" was granted.

The legal surveyor Sal Marin, installed the property pegs. This generated more cut lines and you guessed it, planting more cohunes. These line where going to be a permanent installment. But rough cut by machete leaving all the stumps and six inch tall daggers standing in wait for something to land on it. Almost painful to walk in without good leather work boots it was the worst tripping hazard you could imagine. Not to mention Hurricane Richard October 2010 had made an awful mess in the canopy and that mess would be dropping for years to come

Time to introduce my Mayan Swordsmen Monaco, Angelo, Juan, Adriano, and Pacencio all of the Pop family. I figured out a shared budget and turned them loose with the mission of keeping things clean and green. Also to groom the property cut lines for ease of walking.

Next comes the road clearing and building. I was introduced to a couple road builders by various people. Picked a good local one out of Dangriga. DEC and Sons they have good equipment, and operators to run it on schedule. Highly recommended!!

With the roads built we need to arrange for inspection by the Minister Of Public Works. He claims they are some of the finest roads he has seen built by an individual such as myself and his  report would be favorable. But, he didn't tell me It would be a half a year before he picked up his favorite pen to ink out a report. There were a few more dignitaries' desks the documentation sat on waiting for ink.

 

     


 "Final Subdivision Approval"

I might frame it and hang it beside my kids baby pictures!

Until we got to the point of pushing a lawn mower down the trails, I don't really think the Mayan ground men understood what I was talking about. Now they have the lawn mower and a good understanding of just what I had in mind.

They haven't seen a lady walking these trails in flip flops, yet.

The walking paths are a little super sized but they will tend to grow inward and tighten up. They really like to work with the lawn mower. Juan is in the back ground chewing out a stump with the new Husquvarna. I bought four chains to cycle through the hardware store for sharpening. Lucky I had my buddy Glen there - awesome runner and I could stick with the project.

Look Kids??

    About three years after our first vacation and subsequently buying some land, we decided to take the kids for some diving and other various Belize adventures. Besides, I wanted to show them the fifty acres of jungle we now own.

    What? Where are all the palm trees?? I remembered palm trees!! Big sprawling Cohune palms. Did someone cut them down, thatch their roof, and eat the heart?

    OK, relax, I guess there are some palms just back on the one back corner where the Realtor showed me. There is only one thing I can do about that and I can't do it right now while on vacation with the wife and kids.

    But I did get to spent a day walking the survey cut lines and exploring just to satisfy my curiosity. Wow, how cool our own little jungle, minus the palm trees.

    My brain started grinding out a plan to come back soon and do some planting. The sooner I plant the sooner there will be big sprawling palm trees.