It’s hard to believe it’s already the end of our second week here at the new home. Time is really flying by. There have been lots of challenges getting used to the new place, but many more fun experiences.

Isaac bought a hummingbird feeder and a regular bird feeder and strategically placed them outside our front window. For about three days he would ask me every five minutes if I’ve seen the birds and why I thought they weren’t coming. I kept telling him to be patient. We were both thrilled when our first hummingbird discovered the feeder: Isaac because they found the food, and me because it was great to see Isaac so happy. He was like a kid at the circus!

Yesterday was also our first day having to round up the horses at the end of the day and try to get them into their respective stalls. We have an employee, Jose, who works 5 and 1/2 days a week, so Saturday afternoon and Sunday the chores fall on us. If only you could have seen us running around the 8 acres in circles chasing these guys. Then, once we finally got them to the barn, two of them decided to get into the same stall. It was nearly impossible to get the one out! We talked nicely, yelled, pushed and tied a rope around his neck. I think it was dumb luck that we finally got him out and into his own stall. Needless to say, we were exhausted!

Truly, the list of things to do here is endless. But we attack it every day, one thing at a time. One of the biggest projects is the landscaping. For too many years only the most basic care had been given to the trees, plants, etc. There is great potential for the place. Because we have 360 degree views, we’ve been cutting back the tall stuff and are discovering more of the beauty that surrounds us. It’s really going to be fun taking time to design and craft the rest of the property into our little paradise.

So far, we still don’t have any home insurance. The government insurance company (our only choice of course) says there have to be bars on all the windows to qualify. We are trying to figure out how to get an exception. There is no way we are willing to block out our stunning views. And I don’t think with our dogs anyone would be crazy enough to break in.

Speaking of the dogs, we had five. We’ve already downgraded to three. The other two were completely useless. One of them was Dandy the Dalmatian. He was sweet, but certainly not a guard dog. The remaining three are Jairo, Freddy and India. Jairo is the adult Rottweiler and the most frightening to people who might want to venture onto the farm uninvited. But he is really the biggest, sweetest baby. Freddy the mutt has been here 10 years. He’s got a great warning bark, but he is much too scared to go near people. And India is an 8-month-old Rottweiler. She had obviously been abused before we inherited her (not by the previous owner here – before that). So she’s completely useless as a guard dog. When anyone makes a move towards her, she’s off and running.

I guess that means we have to make a decision about India. And we also have to get another dog – a puppy who we can train to be a real guard dog. Between the dogs and horses, we have a lot of mouths to feed. There are also 2 cows and several hens, but they belong to our employee.

I’d have to say the hardest thing for me to get used to now is the number of bugs. I have never had so many bites in my life! Thankfully, there aren’t many inside the house even though we keep it open all day. The majority of our bites come from being outside. I hope when the rainy season ends we won’t have as many. But I guess we’ll find out!

Now it’s time to get back to work. No rest for the weary!