The Thin Line Between Love and Haiti - Part III

Not in my humble oppinion 

'Maidens' Finest Hour but Bearable

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu5LjnmYvp0

 so an alternative, which may not fit with the narrative and images, might be

attached to the next episode!

It somehow seemed wrong to be enjoy a sumptious al fresco meal that first evening

 while semingly everyone beyond the gates were starving,

 but like my company at dinner (another US citizen and Samaritan) Jane, who was also there 

attempting to make things easier for the local population.

Time to do a bit of exploring after a very early breakfast, but not before 

getting a few pointers from Ernso.

 The whole of the huge garden was well appointed holding many 

flowering plant, bushes and trees, plus a wealth of bird life

(this being the front)

such as

 TROPICAL KINGBIRD

 ZENAIDA DOVE

BLUE-GREY TANAGER

and the ubiqitous

BANANAQUIT

while the back was given over to a variety of gentle sports, not least

SWIMMING

plus another array of Birdlife such as

one of my personal favourite Yanks

CAPE MAY WARBLER

but more particularly when in this

'adult summer plumage'.

 The Businessman at Work

 VILLAGE WEAVER

found across much of Sub-Saharan Africa from where it was introduces,

a huge colony of which were just across the road.

More construction going on around the pool and the odd sighting of 

the more than nifty

OVENBIRD

named from the construction of its nest.

Rock 'n' Roll Trivia:-

'Maiden' have had a chequred career as far as personnel are concerned but, along with maybe the vast majority, the current line up is favoured by myself. They comprise of 3 Lead Guitarists - Dave Murray, Janick Gers and Adrian Smith with the drum stool occupied by 'snooker freak' Nicko McBrain. Vocalist Bruce Dickinson is also a long-haul Passenger Airline Pilot while bassist Steve Harris was the original founder of the band back in 1975 and composes most, if not all, of their music!

Try this for a considered better track from 

The Maiden's

 'Out of the Shadow'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqE2GFDlc6w

 "A gypsy child at daybreak a King for a day"!

Oh to Be in England Now That April's There

Robert Browning

Would seem by the tone of that, Robert is not a discontented Wild-lifer as the dearth

of subject matter continues and we would readily swap locations.

Written by the Bard in 1845 while on what seemed to be a ‘home sick’ ridden visit to

Northern Italy

it would seem safe to say (but not to go) that we would be getting more joy there birdwise?

Once again the message being

"Not A Lot"

To emphasise the point, as if our constant bleeting thus far hasn't already endorsed that enough,

we were reduced to clicking and videoing

MAGPIE

along with

BOG MYRTLE
still in brown shades of winter plumage.

The Greek nymph Nephele, goddess of the clouds and mother of the Centaurs, is a fickle beast, or at least she was that night - Monday. All keyed up to view the parade of 60 newly launched satellites from Cape Canaveral she wafted a thick blanket right across the heavens just in time to block out the predicted 21:17 arrival.

(Thanks Bomber)

https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-4-launch-success-misses-rocket-landing.html

At 03:45 on Tuesday morning I was woken by the full repertoire of certainly

2, but maybe 3, 

Tawny Owls 

giving it large just the other side of the

River Stour not 400 yards away.

Standing in the doorway it was immediately noticed that Sod had also played his hand (Law)

as every Heavenly body in the firmament was visible!

Maybe we’ll get another crack at it tonight??

 

No matter how small the improvement on Tuesday we were deserving of it
as a few locally common things came out to play.

While completing the early morning domestics the local

 male

 KESTREL

took to the high wire

perhaps performing a little longer than most readers would have liked.

Next up was a brief appearence of one of the

usually shy and captive

EMU
before heading up north

where the now cavorting 

pair of

COLLARED DOVE
are now well into the nuptuals at the
Eco Recycling Works
("one needs a little nap after all that billing & cooing")
At the Irrigation Pond one of the prospective parent

COOT's

seemed to be waiting in anticipation while the other continued incubating.

At the Gravel Pit it was now left to the boisterous

CANADA GEESE
to make up the numbers in their pursuit of finding a mate.

Again we were
Clutching at Straws - Marillion
on the Heath with only

PIED WAGTAIL

and a handful of

 LINNETs

 making up the numbers

What this one was doing we don't quite know but whatever, it wasn't phasing the still leafless

ASPENS
swaying in the breeze
The Best was left until Last as heading off for Sainsbury's to
Victual and Bunker Ship
and where one of the 'wonderful'
Check Out Ladies
was having a little moment bemoaning her lot.
My reply to her, which seemed to cheer her quite a bit, was to remember
"if you don't do what you do then I cannot do the same"!
I went on to say that thus far today I hadn't noticed a Bank Manager, Solicitor, Airline Pilot, Estate Agent
et al as the Governmental Diktat had quite clearly stated that
"only Key and Essential Personnel were required to go to work and you are one Lady"
'WE ALL NEED EACH OTHER'

The Thin Line Between Love and (Haiti) - Part II

Maybe a little macabre, as the county most looked forward to was

maybe the last place on earth anyone would want to set foot in.

However, before even boarding the flight a plan had been tacked together including,

disembarking, clearing Passport Control and Imigration then taking a peek around

the exit door before jumping into 

Port au Prince

 with both feet!

As it turned out the exit door wasn't reach as young Robert, in his smart 3-piece suit strode over,
introduced himself as the
Senior Tourist Advisor
shook my hand firmly and asked how he might help.

 HAiTIAN FLAG

Taking up the western section of the island of
HISPANIOLA 
with the 
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 
to the east

The Capital
Port au Prince 
Before leaving the

AIRPORT
Bob had telephoned

Buisnessman, Pastor, Entrepreneur and Hotel Owner
ERNSO JEAN LOUIS
additionally the most well known and respected man in the country,
who was by my side within 15 minutes.
Briefing me on the do's and dont's of Haiti a booking was made for 5 nights
with an option of more should my stay be extended.

 A brief Cook's Tour was enough to show that this devistated country had by and large been left to its own devices after the shattering earthquake of 2010 and quickly summed up for myself that "no oil, no precious minerals, no silver or gold simply equated to
NO WORLDWIDE HELP"

CATHEDRAL
before the quake

The Epicenter
and human beings living in the rubble

ever since!
This was expected, but not on such a wide scale, and was personally considered to be an
Indictement against the World Community

UN Presence

but everything looked broken!

Just a sign on a wall which had me thinking about
The Girl of My Dreams!

 The Ocean Tug of the same name
CONFIANCE
 my charge for a couple of years!
Having commissioned the Coxswain of the Falmouth Lifeboat, Tony Warren
to paint such a picture for me in 1983

MAIN STREET

Backstreet in Enso's community and

 The Iron Gates of the

EUCALYPTUS GUEST HOUSE

a live like you would at home establisment

with most area'open spaces' for all guests

to enjoy

Mike - the House Attendant, Gina - Ernso's wife and US citizen
Scott who was trying to build an Air Ambulance Station in the foothil almost single handedly.
Looked like we had fallen on our feet again and hope to bring you more on that later