26/365 Grateful - Color Makes Me Happy

We had snow all weekend but as is normal for us our snowy season is fleeting, here today gone tomorrow.

From the bright white of the snow we transitioned into heavy slate gray skies, the heavy rain falls, washing the snow away, the rivers and ponds swell and grow.   Escaping the gray I search out color, finding that the beautiful, effervescence of the bougainvillea fills my need.

24/365 Grateful San Juan, Puerto Rico

Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery

San Juan, Puerto Rico

The cemetery was built in 1863 in Old San Juan and is located outside the walls of Fort San Felipe del Morro fortress.  They built the cemetery to overlook the Atlantic Ocean to symbolize the spirit's journey to cross over to the afterlife.  

I was completely taken with Old San Juan, I will return one day to explore it's many charms, to wander at will up and down the narrow cobbled streets, to poke around in the small tiny curio shops and artists studios.  To take the time to sit in one of the many patios and absorb the music from the musicians playing in the streets.  One day was simply not enough time to do all that I wanted to do.

21/365 Grateful - Kiss a Stingray - 7 Years Good Luck

In Grand Cayman they say that if you kiss a stingray you will have 7 years of good luck.  I'm not really that gullible but what the heck if there is any chance that it is true i'm in.  

I chose not to bring my camera with me as I wasn't sure exactly what we were going to be doing and if it would be safe.  Needless to say it would have been fine and I regretted not bringing it the entire time.  Oh well just another excuse to return to 
Grand Cayman.  The highest point on Grand Cayman is their landfill.  I'm so used to our mountainous islands that this struck me as quite strange.

We were told that the larger rays were the females, it was quite strange to have them swimming around us, freaked me out at first.  They feel sort of like mushrooms, slightly spongy.  I wasn't quite brave enough to try to feed them.

19/365 Grateful - Back to Reality.

I arrived home at 1:30 am this morning after two wonderful weeks of being pampered, swimming in warm tropical waters, and exploring new places on a Holland America Eastern & Western Cruise. 

Lovely as it is to get away I could not help but think of  Dorothy in the (Wizard of Oz) saying " There's no place like home."  It feels good to be back home where everything is familiar, although I could get used to having someone cook and clean up after me. 

Now I just sit and wait to hear from the airlines as to when my luggage is going to come home...