Work commenced today, after the usual chores, on the rebuilding of the front beach. We breakfasted on hot toast and Nuttela to give us the energy we would need while we mentally re-designed the area.
Lisa decided the first job was to clear the area.
She clambered in amongst the rocks collecting wood, leaves and debris
while I investigated the accumilated bits.
I manned the wheel barrow to trundle it all to the far end of the garden. Dark clouds gathered overhead giving us the shade we so badly needed for this sort of work.
Despite the overcast sky we were soon perspiring freely as barrow after barrow was wheeled up to the growing pile at the far end of the garden.
Coconuts had lodged in amongst the rocks looking a bit like the stones themselves.
These needed to be collected and moved to the pile under the large palm in the middle of the garden. Kerriann didn't want to add them to the fire as the dogs had developed an unhealthy habit of pulling out the charred cooked coconuts and ripping them apart all over the garden. Having covered the grass with charred remains they would then come bounding back to her covered in soot and stinking of the fire pit!
The coconuts, once piled and stored around the tree, could be relocated to areas around the garden when needed, sprouting ones would be split not only for the dogs but for their spongy insides that was suppose to be delicious!
Over the years the large rocks around the point had moved, embedding themselves into places where there really shouldn't be a rock. Bit by bit the girls dug around the offending chunks of stone and relocated them to better positions.
Lisa carefully rescued the the tiny inhabitants as she came across them.
I tried to do my bit to help of course,
but I found I couldn't do much so I went off to play with Rascals for an hour until Lisa arrived to ask for my help with the next part of the days activities.
The pile of relocated wood and bits had now grown to quite a size. Kerriann had added a lot of the mornings leaves to the pile and I had the pleasure of striking the match to set the whole thing alight.
I have not had a lot of experience of lighting fires so my first attempt went out! Lisa took over and under her guidance we soon had a roaring fire blazing away.
I tried to help pile the bits onto the fire but Kerriann said it was too dangerous for a small duck and I was sent to sit by the beach 10m away.
The fire roared away and Lisa was reluctant to leave it unattended so we sat together under the nearby tree while it burnt down until it was small enough for us to rake together.
With the fire now smouldering nicely we all returned to the beach to assess the situation. Tupa holes littered the area around the root systems of the trees. Huge holes formed craters along the slope.
Lisa set to work collapsing and raking the area until it was smooth and ready for phase two.
The large stones that we wanted to move had now been positioned into better locations, the gaps between them had been filled with smaller stones. The area was now ready for bucket after bucket of coral that Kerriann was raking from the front beach. Lisa helped carry the large heavy bucket into position and then raked the coral into its final position.
By mid afternoon the place was looking transformed. The area had been raked and cleared, all the holes were now filled, (for now), coral and sand now lay where coconuts, wood and seaweed had reigned. Lisa had received a small but deep cut beneath her toe during all the activities and this was immediately washed and covered as any cut, no matter how small is prone to infection in this humid country!
The girls took a well earned swim and then collapsed onto the decking to play Backgammon. Well that was the plan, but when Lisa took a shower to wash away the salt, Rascals had other ideas and while Kerriann dozed away on the one lounger Rascals took over Lisa's chair and decided to have a rest herself!!
Lisa's arrival garlands had been put into a bowl to decorate the table, each morning as we walked into the main lounge the smell of the blossoms filled our senses, it also made a wonderful place to have a mid afternoon nap. Once Lisa returned, Rascals was firmly put back in her place and everyone settled down for mid afternoon naps to be ready for the evenings Tupa Hunt.
The sun set was once again breathtaking, the moon was now getting quite big in the sky, in a few more days it would be full but already it was lighting up the garden with its brilliance. The girls waited patiently until they thought the Tupas would be out of their lairs and we set off into the night armed with the torch, a rake, a big bucket plus two dogs!
As we passed under the big tree at the bottom of the garden Lisa noticed a flower in the tree. So far we had only seen these flowers once they lay littered on the floor each morning. This was our first experience of seeing them bloom in situ. Lisa raced off to get her camera.
Kerriann and I stood silently in the dark, while Lisa clicked away with her camera and added some wonderful shots to her already growing 'flower-close' up file. Pepsi suddenly started to bark from the far end of the garden, she had found a Tupa and the hunt was back on!
Lisa by now was very comfortable with picking the creatures up.
Our new neighbours in the holiday cottages next door had questioned as to what lived in the holes around the place so we gave them a surprise visit with the evenings catch. One of the boys, Leon was a chef and was very curious about the edibility of said Tupa!
As vegetarians neither Lisa nor Kerriann could advise him but we did find out the next day that some local people put them into a cage for a few weeks and 'purge' them with coconut and fruit before eating them.
It was decided however that these creatures would be released in the usual way and having said our good-nights we returned to our garden for the 'Great Escape' over the fence!
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