As I sit here drinking a Black Velvet, listening to Jimmy Buffet do Changes in Latitude on my MP3 player and watching the sunset in Bonaire. Yes, life is good and high tech rules. 13 and a wake up.

Green flash any second.

Cecil -
Great way to end the day. Think I'll join you. A little BV and a little JB and a little sunset sounds pretty good.

Jimmys done, Black Velvets drunk, sun has set, life is still good.

Thank You Hazel, it's nice to know I'm not drinking alone.

And I'll make a to everyone and the sunset with a little Mac(Naughtons).

Hey Cecil, have one for me. West Coast time is still work day for me...only 3:12PM here...3 hours or more to go for me before I get my glass of Chardonnay!

In the immortal words of Willy Wonka, "candy's dandy, but liquor's quicker." (wink) Sorry, don't have a cool graphic for it. Oh, yeah...almost forgot...Kerri showed me how to do it ;-)

Right back at you Kris . Cyne now I know why I don't like left coast time, you have to wait later to drink. I know I'd better go fix dinner or I'll be asleep by seven.

In the oh by the way category, I'm hard at work this weekend documenting the Tahiti trip from last year. I'll be scanning all the photos and writing the commentary. I work all day long on computers, I can make a computer sing with Visual Basic. Why is creating a web page such a hassle? Bitch, bitch, bitch. I'm willing to post some of the photos here if that is not to far off topic. Feedback??

PLEASE!!!!! not too far off my topic list. I promise I'll watch. Just gotta catchup...Gerwirtztraminer,chilled. Jimmy B on perpetual...phone off the hook so noone can talk about Nortel any more.Maybe I'll put my face down near the warm air register,so I can feel those warm tropic breezes... Cecil,you have my undivided attention..........................Haze...pass the pineapple,please ;-)-8-> You think this Bikini is a l-i-t-t-l-e t-o-o-o-o- teeny?

Cecil, I am always willing to identify new fish and look at good pics. On another note, I emailed Jake to ask who to write/email to suggest they get more reefcams in the Carribean (yes I know Tahiti is not in the Carribean)...anyway, maybe the Tahiti Tourism Department will see them and want their own reefcam...when you get your web page set up you better let us see it!

Ahem J-a-a-k-e, L-i-n-n-n-d-a-a-h....we really need l more colour in our palette. I mean, we're all sun-smart, but don't you think something a little 'tan' would be good for the tourists?...When you have a month or 2 to spare...I'm sure ;-)-8.> I'd look better in 'tanned' .

Kerri, you are such a kick! Are you and I the only ones up in these wee hours? Sometimes I am just falling into bed when the sun is coming up in Bonaire. I'd love to stay and watch, but if I did I'd NEVER sleep. Then when I do get up, the sun sets in Bonaire in about 3-4 hours, so I miss a lot and depend on the rest of these great folks to catch what I have missed. I am a musician and live the night life. When I'm not playing (working), I, like you, prefer the peacefulness of the night to get my serious (programming)work done.
Cecil, would love to see your pictures. Here or elsewhere. Want to scope out all the wonderful places in the world to see. Love all you folks.

Hi Kris,glad you're there. A girl could get locked up talking to herself this way. Wordsmiths do seem to be night-owls. Although every so often I have to crash for a couple of early nights. And it's funny, I miss the gang if I can't see them. You and Hazel could sure do a road show. Cecil and Cynde,too! But tonight it's partly ISP troubles. They say they're going to boost Websters memory a bit. I hope it's mre than a paragraph! Although some of my Am brethren and sistren say that often they lose something they like in an upgrade. We'll see.You still have the best smilies! I'll steal him,but the rumour is I'm in the market for a good used computer. And I may lose everything I save when I switch over. Grrrr. I was thinking about your problem with fans offering sips instead of tips....Maybe you could do a small sign that says: "Our singer gets silly after 3 olives! Since she's had the limit for tonight,you can put your token of appreciation here" Then you salt a brandy snifter with appropriate denominations!:-).....Okay, I'll work on it. They don't call me "Rewrite" for nothing. Think I saw Cynde-ella around a minute ago,too. Maybe she'll like my teeny bikini!:-) Hey girlie...can you sing 'one for my baby, and one more for the road"?(hic)

Sorry Kerri, know that one, but don't play it. How 'bout "I Get By With a Little Help from My Friends"? One of my oldies but goodies is " It's Closin' Time - Have One for the Ditch" - a little ditty that I wrote (most words unmentionable here, but the end-of-the-night folks think it's funny. Hey, I like your ideas about the tip jar - but I don't think they'll get it (they are just a little bit slow on the uptake sometimes ). Want to go to Bonaire and spend some time with people who actually think (intelligently) and enjoy life (island time).
Hic....... maybe I'll learn to dive someday, like my husband.

Oh sh. . . . oot. Had one too many talks with Mac I guess. Here we go, . . a portrait of my man.

Ahh Rats. I'm gonna be stuttering and stammering like Mel Tillis if this ISP goes down one more time. Frustration is wondering is there's a letter and the sign says "We can't be reached at this time". I get 3 words out and kerflooie. That's tech talk for "We've got your money, and we don't care if you got e-mail". I get by with a little hep etc. is the story of my life,so sing it proud! Now, the purple critter is a Grape Moray? The green split tail is a screamin' meemie in its juvenile phase? If I ever saw a diver about to be attacked by a screamin' meemie, it would be the fella above. I ordered my fish id book later than Cec and Cynde,so I may be mistaken. Although I did get File Fish not Cow Fish (I did look for the horns).Cecil, Cynde, I'm just funnin'. And Krissie, I know you are too. 'Cause in one of your e-mails, you said your guy and all the family who dived were v-e-r-r-y serious about environment etc. And so as not to play favourites, I have to point out the impostor is a (shhhh) Reef Stander. :-0 (Look! Tongue firmly in cheek)!

Cynde,

I don't recall the question about WebCams elsewhere in the Caribbean, but we (wearing my Caribbean WebCams, LLC hat there) are very open to having someone pay us to install WebCam systems on other islands or additional ones on Bonaire. All it requires is a client willing to pay for our services (the Bonaire WebCams are "on the house" - literally and figuratively, although we would ultimately like to recoup our investment and at least break even somehow). Ideal targets are large resorts, affluent dive shops, and island tourism organizations (which have money - that rules out about half of the tourism agencies in the Caribbean :-) ).

Jake

regarding the animated man picture.. I see the green fish and the bubbles - what is the purple thing bouncing to his right???

right about now I'd like a pina colada by the pool at the Divi

Denise...see Kerri's comment above...Cecil Thank you for capturing all of these. A lot of the action happens before morning on the left coast...

Jake I had emialed you about who I could contact to thank/suggest/spam about what a great thing Bonaire reefcam is...and suggest they have a reefcam on other islands...and did...

Kerri have missed ya girl! have a glass of wogga wogga for me...that good stuff is hard to come by here...and get your head out of the register...don't want to catch your hair on fire!

Here is a sunset captured at the Plaza on our visit in '98.

Here is a sunset captured at the Plaza on our visit in '98.

Oh Leigh Ann..............I believe you took my breath away.....

I would love to be in Bonaire now. It's in the 30's here today. It was in the 60's all week with rain and we complained, now its sunny but cold!

Absolutely gorgeous! (Siiiiiiiiiigh)

Not sure where Rosemark (pretty name) is Leigh Ann, but give my best to Nashville. One of my former lives involved leading groups of country music fans to Nashville and the Grand Ol Opry...I'll save the story of the big ole sherf and his Sam Browne belt with all those bullets, and the gals I nearly had to leave behind........ Didn't realize it got that cold. Or is it the weather gods sense of humour this year?

We live outside of Memphis, and it gets cold and snows and all that. The saying around here is "If you don't like the weather, stick around a few days and it will be totally different." It gets very hot too. Nashville gets more snow than we do. I'm not real fond of cold weather. I think I could make Bonaire my home permanently! My husband took the picture of the sunset. He is the photographer in the family!

Bon Noche. Awesome picture Leigh Ann. Let's see; Black Velvet check, Vanessa Williams on the MP3 player check, Barry still need's a haircut check, sunset in Bonaire check. Yes, life's good. How about a real time picture.

You get no argument about that on these boards. We may be in the presence of the only Island I know with a fan club! And an active bunch. I know I ended up in the wrong Commonwealth country. Australia,Bermuda, no, my folks picked Minnesota and Ontario.Do you think your husband would mind if I put his Bonaire pic in my scrapbook? Give him a credit line. No one will see it but me,and maybe a friend, but he earned his credit! Can't take a photo to save my life. But I do know what I like. It oughta be a book cover. Or in a gallery.IMHO

Cecil,you are terrr-ff--ic. Just for you, a real oldie instead of Vanessa Williams. Might be Joe Williams,though. Or Sinatra. 'My Dreams are gettin' better all the time'. Look at those waves rollin' in. Just to rock the island folk into a gentle sleep.

Kerri, I've got Napster on Random play and that was what was playing, more specifically "Colors of the Wind". I really like that song, it reminds me of what we should feel for our fellow humans and the Earth. To quote Mr Schawtz (second verse);

Come run the hidden valleys of the forrest
Taste the sun sweet berries of the Earth
Come roll in the riches all around us
and for once never ask what their worth

The rain storm and the river are my brother
The Heron and the Otter are my friends
and we're all connected to each other
in a circle, in a hoop that never ends.

Profound words.

Jimmy Buffet's "He went to Paris" is playing now. Also very profound. Poetry is where you find it.

Kerri, I'm sure he wouldn't mind at all.
The wallpaper on our computer is a turtle and he made a screen saver of some of our Bonaire pictures. When it's really cold, I put that one on!

Man this conversation is getting to me. A week ago tonight we were front row center for Jimmy Buffett in Ft.L with backstage passes! What an exceptional night! Tomorrow morning we go to Bonaire! Work kind of sucked this week, but you know what? I'm over it!

Tom, Buffet and Bonaire in one week! Who do you know? Or who did you have to kill? Kidding! I've seen some of your messages. Know you work hard and have been planning this trip thoughtfully. 'Aquarium' divers cum picture takers. Right? See, I pay attention. Which won? Camera? Or diving the currents? Whichever,stay safe! And have a terrific time. The price of admission is just one good trip report. But you know that. I expect Bob and Kelly will be anxious to hear. Whoooa! Backstage passes to Buffet? I better practice major league kiss-up stuff while you and your wife are away....Just an ol' parrot-head hippie tryin' to adjust:-)

Cecil: Here's my Amen.

Now,y'all are talking my language (music). WOW - it's nice to know there are some ol' hippies like me out there. Thanks everybody.

Kerri, I enjoyed your reply and I think most Parrotheads are just leftover hippies, rowdies or wanderer's still looking for a good time!

This was the first JB concert that we took our kids to (they're 11 & 7) and they had a ball...Of course Jimmy smiled at them quite a bit and when the show ended he leaned over to my wife and said "get those kids home, now!" with that infectous grin of his! As for the backstage passes, I don't know how I'll ever go to a concert again without missing that x-tra! lol!

Bonaire, ah Bonaire...It's just going to be "aquarium diving", relaxation & Amstel for us! I need a break from the cold weather this winter (it was 82 here today, lol), and the chance to waste away in my Margaritaville, which I call Bonaire!

Talk to you soon!

Okay, all you Parrotheads out there. I want you to know that when I began teaching in this one-room school house on the prairie my students ONLY listened to country music - the "my mama got run over by a beer truck and now I'm in prison" stuff. I have truly warped their minds, because now they ASK ME TO PLAY Jimmy Buffet, as well as Miles Davis, Mozart, Coplain, Bach, didgeridoo music, Bob Marley, the Chieftans, and Candy Dulfer - a mean saxaphone. Just goes to show what you can do with young minds and a captive audience! I have always thought a Jimmy Buffet concert field trip would truly be a worthwhile experience, but so far my "superiors" have not agreed. My students' favorite Buffet album is "Livin' and Dying in 3/4 time."

But, on the other hand, they will actually quit working when I plug in Harry Chapin's "100,000 Pounds of Bananas." (Afterwards, they always say, "Mrs. Scharosch, that is a really dumb song) Anyway, I agree with Cecil. Poetry is where you find it. The sunset postings have been poetry for me. Long live parrotheads, and break out the sans woogie woogie.

Kris, you see that? Another Richter.... 82 degrees cold! I vote we get two buckets of itty bitty ice chips and dump 'em down their wet suits. Then run like heck. Oh, better cover your ears. If this works right, they're gonna say plenty nice girls shouldn't hear!!!!!!(grinning ear to ear)

Haze! I wondered where you were hiding? Trying to pretend you weren't lurking all day? We know better. Just about decided Kris is my long-lost twin. Right down to the initials. Wanna be the third twin? They'll never let all three of us on-island together again,mind you...but 'til they catch us........;-) To quote ol Jimmy .."maniacs in the mansion"........

Hmmm...Change my initials? Then I would be Kazel Fcharosch. I'll have to give this some thought. I'd consider an island meeting though =)

Yep, I'm there Kerri. Nothing is too good for 'em! Well I can see we're going to have to learn some "island music" before we go to Bonaire. Even if we just bring a guitar and keyboard and play for the folks at Jake and Linda's BBQs. And of course I'll have to stay long enough so that I get to meet all of you there.
Hazel is a true lurker - only comes out when she has something to say that makes us all sit up and listen. WAY TO GO Hazel - you know what they say about us Idaho girls!?!?!?

They say some of you Idaho gals are half-baked? They say the only way Idaho girls are good is when they're at least half smashed? Oooh, stop me before I hurt something. Like the good name of Idaho. Or my former reputation as a writer. You're right, i apologize. It's like picking on you when your back is turned, since Webster threw me off web again. He's been so good most of the day.:-( And usually he goes quietly. Just a little drop- down to mark his exit. But tonight, he snapped crackled and popped his way out. Thought the TV had died! And now you're thinking I ran out on you? N-e-v-v-e-r. Now, Hazel, what is that =). Dawn Pacheko uses it. I thought it meant "with child"? No? Ooops,sorry. And Kris, I don't know if it's Webster, but your lil diver guy seems to be disintegrating? Is that how he looks to you guys? Okay, sweet dreams you two. And Hazel, a nom de guerre might be useful so Trav is a little older when he find out his mother is a tad (whspr) eccentric? but no real blood sister would let you call yourself "Kazel". Sounds like a burn cream. Or a discount store. And you're too full of fun to be either.

Just logged on and caught this Sunday morning diver leaving the cam.

Kerri, just to clarify . . . "they" say us Idaho girls like to get nak. . . uh . . "au natural", and get in a hot tub. I'd like to state that this is absolutely absurd and untrue. (We only do that in natural hot springs.)

Robert - good catch! It's always neat to log on and catch something right away!

Kris - just to clarify...when this Idaho girl gets into a hot tub, the name of the state changes to "Potataho." I agree, it's absolutely absurd and untrue!

Hmmm, a comic possibility I missed! I must have been tired! Nice talk, you two. I'm not touching the next dozen straight lines with a 10 foot proverb.;-x

Well the sun's setting, I've got my Black Velvet, Janis is singing "Get it while You Can" on Napster, the web page is moving along, Belize is getting closer, Barry needs a haircut, the cam needs something (I'm not whining). Whatever. Life's good. I took long enough to write that, that now Jimmys singing "Come Monday".

Awe, Cecil, you missed the boat that pulled up for a night dive!

Nothing like a sunset to calm the frazzled nerves and offset too much caffeine :- } Bon!

Gee, all the things that I miss when I don't checkin with Bonaire over the weekend. What was that Kerri that I say or do? Depends what it is before I admit to it. = )

Sigh...back stage at a Buffett show! Wow, that must be exciting...maybe someday. For now I just follow him around the country whenever I can just to check out the Parrot Head parties and see the show. I was at the Orlando show myself and was disappointed that I hadn't tried to buy tickets to go to the Ft. Lauderdale show while I was in Florida. Insane? Yes....but what's life if you can't have fun right?

Hazel, I wish when I was in school I had a teacher like you! You go girl! I hope these kids realize how lucky they are(I mean you are saving them from country music and getting them to listen to real music..lol). Nothing better than being influenced by Jimmy(and the others you mentioned)at an early age. = )
Oh, and if you want to let them listen to some Buffett and similar music during the day over the intranet make sure you check out:
http://www.margaritaville.com/radiomargaritaville/

As a lover of country music... phhhhhhhhhhhttttttt

Barry Baker

Oh well it's a work day. No Jimmy Buffett (who's very close to country, Barry), No BV, and most distressing no Bonaire sunset (I've got to drive home). So maybe somebody will help me out.

Speaking of desperatly trying to tie this whole thread together; I'm a Parrothead (who would love to just see one concert), who likes sunsets, and spent a wonderful 8 months in Idaho Falls many years ago, and dives, and who watches the Bonaire cams. Did I miss anything?

Cecil, if it was wonderful it couldn't have been Idaho Falls, Idaho. If it was, it must have been a girl or something else that made it wonderful. Terry has a son that lives there,...but there are many more places in Idaho that are really worth visiting. Where Hazel is from is one of them; where I am from is not. Don't mean to put my home state down, but I've seen it, and now want to see other places far and wide.
I'm working too, but fortunately at home, so can stop and have my Mac whenever I feel my day is done, and music IS my business (most of the time), so that is an all day thing most days. The Bonaire sunset will be there when you get home, no doubt. Drive fast - take chances. (Just Kidding!)

Here's your sunset Cec., get the BV, put on the tunes, make a note to call Barry's barber. . someday . . .
(Glorious sky and water reflections!)

2 last parting shots. . . .ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

Kris - nice posts! I'll see it in person in 17 days!

Dawn - thanks for the encouragement. I do try to make school interesting. We have a class motto, it's "WEIRD IS GOOD!" My students usually appreciate my efforts, but today they had to take a spelling test, which is a tricky matter since I have four grade levels, and thus four different tests. The website you gave is good - Masha danki. I think I'll add a new word to our lists next week...can you spell "parrothead?"

Cecil - I'm sorry, I do have to agree with Kris. Idaho Falls? 8 months?? Must have been love or something...

Thank You Kris, awesome sunset. Commuting is done, Dinners eaten, Boston's "Long Time" on Napster (OK first song I selected next one random), don't have a BV (work night), hard at work on my web page (may premier in a few days), life's good. 11 days and a wake up.

Idaho Falls, summer of 1974, love was in the air. Yeah right, I was on wife #1 married 1 1/2 years, in the navy. Life was not so good. I loved being out west, got to know Yellowstone and the Tetons and fishing for Cutthroat trout.

Okay, Cecil, I concur. Yellowstone, Tetons, and those spirited Cutthroats are hard to beat. Some part of me forgot that Idaho Falls is a skip and a jump from beautiful country. But now I'm wondering...a naval base in land-locked Idaho Falls? Did it have something to do with the DOE, or would you have to cut off my head and put it in a safe if you told me? Nevermind...I don't want to know. I picture you best on some beach after a good dive, drinking margaritas from your solar shower

Yep, Hazel, I would agree with all you said. Even here in Nampa, there are wonderful things to be found within just a little bit of a drive.

Hazel, I'd like to think I resemble that remark, but I'd never water down Tequilla. I was in training at the Nuclear Reactors out in the desert. An interesting fact, I got to spent my 22 birthday fighting a fire out in the desert by the reactors, better than my 23th birthday, spent out in the North Atlantic under water. Memories, memories.

Oh, sorry Barry. Didn't mean to offend anyone = )

Kris, great captures of the sunset. I left work before I could see the sunset in Bonaire too. Of course the sky was beautiful last night after the sunset here in Massachusetts.

Hazel, sounds like you can have a nice tropical spelling test one of these days? Most people can't even spell Buffett's name correct so your kids would be better than most if they could do that. Margaritaville is always another good one(and just tell them that Margaritaville is where ever they want it to be). Seems like a safe enough way to mold their minds to think like a Parrot Head. = )

Where's the green flash!!!! I know there had to be one. It was a perfect sunset! Nice catch!!