The Best Chocolate in The World
In my hands is a basalt stone, about the size of a small running shoe. I’m rubbing roasted cocoa nibs on a metate, (mah tah tay), a curved tablet of rough-hewn stone, and watching the cocoa bean components melt into that familiar texture of warm, dark chocolate. Chris offers me a small spoon and I […]
Watercolors
The green torpedo burst into the air, exploding the water around it. It hung in the air, shimmering in the sunlight, flapping wildly, temporarily framing itself into its own watercolor. For one brief moment I was the sole admirer of a painting unlike any I’ve previously revered. The glimmering water, the late day Caribbean sun, […]
Sky Juice and Dog Paddles at Secret Beach, Belize
The “beach” here in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye is somewhat illusory. While most of the beach is public, the combination of sea walls, jagged shoreline, construction projects, and scattered bits of rocky terrain create a beach-ish puzzle. A walk on the beach in San Pedro means trotting over various obstacles, some natural and some not. […]
Island Turkey
Considering his night, Bobby’s smile is energetic. He six foot tall frame balances gracefully in his six foot long kayak. He’d spent the night fishing the coral reef and has several Jacks and a Permit or two in his boat. “Cualquier otro pescado?” I ask. “Yes” His voice husky is tired from his overnight excursion […]
Rain, Sunshine, and Snapper
The week of our arrival to our temporary home here on Ambergris Caye, the island received about 12 inches of rain courtesy Hurricane Eta. This island is very flat and of course we’re but a few inches above sea level. That means the rain water leaves when the sun comes out, and very slowly at […]
The Coral of Belize
The first coral bed we approach is the size of a minivan and it pulsates with life, a magical alien life. It’s life one would find in a Dr. Seuss book; translucent purple leaves the size of a large pizza, scaly green and orange tubes full of 45 degree corners, some with tiny eyeballs winking from inside, there’s yellow bumps, red rocks, and green bruises. There’s spikes and string and curtains of yellow fabric, all dancing to the beat of the water.
Departure
“Well shit. Now what?” Sunday morning’s news wasn’t good. A tropical storm had formed in the Caribbean, it would strengthen, then head for Belize. As were we. Our home had been emptied off its contents and was safely stored, our cats had new homes, our chickens likewise, our jobs but a memory. We had a […]
My Own Funeral
I went to my own funeral this past weekend. It was a somber affair, me slipping through this mortal world, quietly seeking out signs of my joyous former life. The mourners hugged me, questioned my whereabouts, wondered when we would see one another again and at the end of the day my memory was toasted […]
Tin Roof Farm is For Rent
Are you looking for a unique rental home in Greenville County, South Carolina? Our Tin Roof Farm in Piedmont, SC, a 15 minute drive from downtown Greenville, SC is available for rent. And we’ll rent it to you with, or without chickens. Our farm house, built in 1959, has been significantly renovated and features almost […]
The Restaurant Coach
“Chef Malik, we’d like to talk to you regarding our new restaurant in Sumter, SC, and coaching us through our reopening.” Sumter? Are they kidding? That was my first thought. A fried chicken house in Sumter wanted to waste thirty minutes of my time with inane questions about canned green beans or instant grits. “Hey […]