Our Little Brutus -- A Heartbeat At Our Feet.

A cat is a puzzle for which there is no solution..

By now you must all know that one of my favorite topics is Brutus.  I can write and talk about him forever.  You see most of you probably have children ...we don't..... all I have in that respect is Brutus and I adore this kitty with all my heart.

The same way you will do anything to protect your child I would also do for Brutus.  When we got Brutus Arvid was very doubtful about the whole idea of having a cat.  You see he never had a pet in his entire life....sad but true.  Looking at them today one would never think so.  Arvid is crazy about our kitty and pampers him sometimes more than I do....almost.

When we bought The Lil Red in Eleuthera we always had in mind bringing Brutus along with us.  He completes us.....as Arvid says we are a family.

Well I was a bit scared of the thought because he is only an indoor cat and here we ran the risk of Brutus getting out and just getting lost.  Arvid and I came up with the idea of building a little extension to the house...we call it Brutus' hallway.  What it does is that it gave us an extra protection against Brutus getting out.  We now have 2 doors we need to open to get into and out of the house.  We get into Brutus' hallway.  Close that door then open the main door to the house.  In this case if Brutus get out he is in this hallway and the door to the outside is closed.  It has worked great so far. 

Having Brutus here with us also keeps me busy.  The first time he was here he was very stressed out....you see Brutus is a city cat.....back home in Florida he is used to condo living and he loves it.  There he has his routines and his favorite sleeping spots, plus he has his own bedroom.....yep the laundry room.....from very little we trained him to go to sleep in his room by 11pm same time as we do. 

Now every night by 11pm he just waits for the TV to go off and is ready to go to sleep.  All we have to do is say "to the room" and Brutus runs to his room.   In the mornings we get him up at 7:30 or whatever time we wake up.  Not a problem. 

The problem is that here in Eleuthera his routined changed.  He still has his own room...the office.  Much bigger than the one in Florida but for some reason he does not sleep through the entire night.  Still goes to bed at 11pm...is waiting for Arvid actually.....but every morning he is awake by 4:30 to 5:50 crying and clawing to get out of his room.  He has even learnt how to open his bedroom door and also ours.  We have now devised a way in which Brutus cannot turn the door handle.  First we padded the door form inside (you can see a rug on the inside of the door) so that the noise from the scratching is dimmed.  We then found a stick and we use that to anchor the door handle from the outside making difficult for him to open the door.  So far this is working but the clawing and crying continues.  I get up by 5:50 most days so that I can get him out of his room and so that he does not disturb Arvid.  Arvid gets too crabby if he does not get his sleep.

Right now it is 5:30 and I am awake with Brutus...I don't mind he is such a good kitty.  I brush him, play with him and in a few mintues he and I will join Arvid in bed for a few more hours of sleep.

Brutus does not have a problem during the day time.  He has completely adapted to this Island Living and he also loves it.  Sleeps most of the days or just watches the birds and butterflies from his little condo on the inside.  He also loves to sleep on that condo.....he like most cats can sleep all day long and he also has his favorite spots here.  The challenge remains the early morning hours.....still working on it.  If you have some suggestions they are appreciated......well now it's back to bed.  Looking forward to what today holds....each day has been very rewarding and very fullfilling  We have blended into the laid back lifestyle and it will be sad leaving it and having to go back to the grind of the city life......but that's not until Friday.  Still have many more days to live the Island Life.......

No matter what we do we are having fun as you can tell from the pictures.  Most were taken yesterday at Sky Beach.  The drinks were nice and cold, the band played good music, the pool was deliciously refreshing.......and the company was the best....Arvid & and I.  Even my feet were relaxed.....

Give thanks for what you are now, and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow

until next time....

Sky Beach...Eleuthera, Bahamas

Eleuthera has so much to offer for those looking to relax and just enjoy the  peace and quiet the island is known for....yet in the mist of this quiet island you will find a resort that is comparable to any in the USA.
Sky Beach Club is this such  place.  Every detail is dedicated to modern luxury, comfort and total privacy. You can feel the cool breezes as you relax on your spacious balcony. Enjoy serene nights and colorful days.

When here in Eleuthera this is one of our favorite places to go to.  Yesterday we were there with some friends for dinner and we will be heading back there today to listen to some music, have a few drinks and some more of their good food.  What a wonderful time we had and will also have again today.....  The views are breathtaking and the food is excellent...

The Bahamas resort Sky Beach Club has a truly gorgeous beach just look at the pictures. Nowhere on Eleuthera will you find another beach as pretty and ideal for walking, swimming and snorkeling that offers a restaurant, swim-up bar and infinity pool.

The restaurant serves excellent food and the service is top notch.  This is the view from the restaurant....takes your breath away...just take a look at the pictures and tell me you do not wish you were here....

If you find yourself one day in Eleuthera do not forget to pay a visit to Sky Beach...you will not regret it

check out the link

http://www.skybeachclub.com/

Since coming to the island we have been so very relaxed.  There are no agendas to our days....we just go with the flow and do whatever we please and many a times this whatever is just sitting on our deck enjoying the sounds of the waves, the sunshine, a good book, music or in Arvids case a good Kalik....life could not be better.

We have been very fortunate in life but it has all been due to perseverance, hard work and setting our goals.  We work very hard but we also play hard and enjoy our lives to the fullest.  When in Florida life is work and work that's why we look forward to our times in Eleuthera....here we have the time to sit back and just enjoy every moment ...

“No one ever finds life worth living - one has to make it worth living”

until next time...

Only In The Islands......

We started out the day with our usual walk on the beach and to our surprise we saw a pick-up truck just sitting in the water.  Seems like the guys did not take into consideration the high tide.  What started out as a fun afternoon did not end so good.  These guys were on their way out to have some fun with their jet-skis.  They drove the pick-up down the boat ramp and just left it there.  What a surprise they had a few hours later when they got back.....stuck...with no where to go.   No problem we are in the islands, living the island lifestyle so we take it easy.  Rather than stress and hassle to get the pick up out they went home had a good nights sleep and came back for their truck in the morning.   OOPS!!!  They forgot and left the keys locked in the truck.  Now they had to break into their own truck......took them a while but they did get in, got the truck out and drove away as if nothing had happened.....laid back, relaxed, no stress about anything.

 Lucky for them I did not call the police to report

 a possible car theft.  Arvid stopped me right before I dialed the number.....he recognized the guys from yesterday.

This type of mishap seems to be a normal occurence for the islanders.  Another time we were on our way to the airport and we saw a car sunk to the bottom of the sea....same thing no one stressed.  Left the car there until the next day and had it pulled out.  Fortunately, no one was injured.

Not everything here is so dramatic there are also moments that take your breath away and make you realize what a beautiful world we live in which there is kindness in every corner.  For example not so long ago some friends were out fishing not realizing that pretty soon they would encounter the adventure of a lifetime.   Heading back home they spotted what they thought was may have been a whale blowing, about 1/2 mile offshore.

Cautiously venturing a bit closer, they discovered that not only was it a large Humpback whale, but unfortunately the exhausted mammal was all tangled up in a fishing net. 
Without any diving equipment, they had ruled out water entry as an option and contemplated their move.
They did successfully manage to cut most of the ropes but with only two remaining, the animal, with improved mobility, started to make its path to freedom more difficult. The group tried repeatedly for over an hour and a half to remove the final tethers, but, with no success, decided they would need more assistance. They called upon a friend and  they came to the decision that someone would have to jump into the water to cut the two ropes.
With dive equipment in his boat, the friend jumped in and according to the account provided to The Eleutheran, he jumped "onto the back of the whale and cut the last two ropes as the whale dove down". He and the net returned to the surface and the freed whale was away.

This was most certainly a once in a lifetime occurrence and the group said they all felt great for saving the Humpback whale.

Being kind does not really take any effort all it take is a moment and in that one tiny moment you are given the opportunity or the chance to make a difference in someones life be it a person or an animal.  In this case these friends made a difference in the life of this whale.  They took the time to save him.  Today take time to make a difference in someones life.....

When it comes to kindness I have Arvid here who personifies the word kind.  I say this because I have never seen anything like what he shares with Brutus and this from a man who never had nor ever wanted a cat.  Arvid takes time to play, talk and to pet Brutus all hours of the day.  All Brutus has to do is to come curling around his legs and Arvid is like putty....at nights he tucks the kitty in bed, he sings to him...yes he does and it is a routine both enjoy everyday.....I love watching it....Being here in Eleuthera is very good for us.  We have time to do little things that normally with our life back in Florida we hardly have time for....loving every moment!!

“I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

until next time....

Life's Little Pleasures....

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away”

There are so many things we find enjoyable in this island of "ours".  A favorite of ours is to just go out for a walk never knowing what and who we may run into......so different from back home where life is so hectic you just want to run in and out of your apartment without really running into anyone.

Out here we take time to look and smell the air, the ocean, look for starfish, fishes, there is always fruit on the trees.  My favorite is to just pick one and eat as we walk along.  Arvid does not approve too much of this but I am having a blast...there's mangoes, papayas, tamarinds, seagrapes, coconuts and much more.  I love it all and I have a great time just picking and eating as we go along.....right now we are having some coconut...the same ones I picked from the tree...

Another nice thing about our walks is that we go  by all these houses with pretty names.  Yes here in Eleuthera every house has a name.  For instance ours is called The Lil Red House.

Here are some names of some other houses also.  Dolcevita....is an Italian Restaurant.  Excellent food.

Troll Hill is owned by a Norwegian man and his Bahamian wife.  

Foolish Pleasures is another very beautiful place.  It's a Waterfront home on a private beach. Includes 4-person Jacuzzi.  We have stayed here many times before owning the Lil Red...  As you can see the homes all have very cute names and many of the signs for them are made from driftwod....others are just painted straight onto the rocks...

Most of these homes belong to Americans who when not living in them rent them out.  We do not rent out our Lil Red....

For more info on renting in Eleuthera checkout the link:  http://www.eleuthera-map.com/vacation-rentals.htm

We are really loving this Island Living.  Seems like Brutus is also having a great time here.  This trip he is much more relaxed and calm.  He now knows that this is another of his homes as well.

Here he is fast asleep under his bed.  This kitty has it made and he knows it!!!

As for Arvid and I we are enjoying everyday here and loving every moment!!!

“Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.”

until next time...

Just Having Fun.....

Laughter is an instant vacation

The days are going by without us being aware of it.....so very relaxing and enjoyable.  So very different from our lives in Florida.  Life here is full of laughter and joy...

Here I wake up and go straight out to the beach for a morning walk and to look at the sunrise while enjoying a good cup of coffee.   One of my favorite hobbies while in Eleuthera is collecting shells.  They are perfect and make wonderful presents but best of all it relaxes me and I find pure pleasure doing it.  We have collected thousands of shells and have made beautiful vases filled of them and given them to all of our relatives.  These shells have have traveled all over the United States and to Europe.  Pretty soon we will also be taking some to Canada.  We both enjoy doing this.   There is something about just walking along the beach that makes everything seem so much more relaxing and peaceful...

Arvid and I are extremely happy out here and more so because we have Brutus with us.  Life here is so much simpler.  Not too many things to get you upset here.  Traffic is light, people are nice and laid back, no fighting any crowds or making lines to get into a place....just the way we like it.  As you can tell from every picture of us we are always smiling....there is  always something to make us laugh....we always enjoy what we do it does not matter if it's work or play we do it and have a good time at it....

Today we are doing lots of small chores around the house...things we would never do back in the city..pulling weeds, trimming trees, raking the beach, hanging clothes to dry on a line.....we do not have a dryer (by choice)...but we do have a clothes line and it does a wonderful job...here it's back to the basics and having fun at it....when we need a change of pace we go into town for a drink, dinner or to listen to some island music....a favorite in the island is Dr. Seabreeze...Eleuthera's King of Calypso.  More info check the link (http://www.eleuthera-map.com/dr-seabreeze-2.htm).

Living in Fort Lauderdale makes getting to Eleuthera very easy.  For us it is only 1hr and a half trip by plane.  We usually fly in a smaller airplane because it offers one of the most spectacular aerial views.

Here are some pictures of what our life is when in the islands....

Arvid trimming the palm trees                                      basking in the sun...

sniffing the food                                                                   January 8am....

 If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Live today for tomorrow may never come....

until next time...