Guam in the Summer Time

Guam in the summer time means Guam in the rainy season.  And that means that the grass is turning more green and growing faster.  And that means getting out the John Deere and using the weed-eater for trimming and edging.  And that means a nicer-looking lawn!

Guam in the summer time means the humidity is higher, because, well, we're in the rainy season.

Guam in the summer time means you're more likely to need and use your umbrella, because, well, you know...

Guam in the summer time means the surf is not as rough as during the winter months, and that means a lot if you like to dive, and if you're like me, you don't want to battle the waves before you can get under the water.

Guam in the summer time means it may be a good to time to "hop" to another location for a a time.  Where?  Oh, places like, other Micronesian islands, the Philippines, Singapore, Japan, other points in Asia or Australia, not to mention, the USA.

Guam in the summer time means tourists from any of the above places, as well as other locations, come to visit Guam.  And that means more people.  And that means it's good for the local economy.

Guam in the summer time means observance of Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Liberation Day.

Guam in the summer time means kids are out of school, and that means in a few weeks parents will sing the praises of the start of a new school year.

Guam in the summer time...

Guam in the Spring Time...

Guam in the spring time means Guam in the "dry season".  Although there are the scattered showers, it's still the "dry season.  How dry?  So dry that even those scattered showers aren't enough to green-up the otherwise brown-ish/green, crunchy grass.  So dry that we can't use our new John Deere riding mower to mow the lawn because it just hasn't grown tall enough to cut.  There are, however, spots around the house where I can put the ol' hubby to work with the weed-whacker, though.  Those spots seem to have no trouble growing, no matter what!

weed-whacker spots

Guam in the spring time means watching out for those pesky Boonie Bees.  The hubby took about six hits off of one of two or the little beasties last evening while closing the doors to the outdoor shed.  It seems the retched blighters had built a couple of nests at the back of said shed.  As soon as dark fell, however, he took them out with a can of wasp freeze.  Two nests.  Thirty-plus bees.  Hubby recovering fine.

Guam in the spring time means sitting out on the back patio to read, and eat supper (whether cooked on the grill or in the oven, but grilled is better).  It means slowing down at the end of the day, leaning back in the patio chair and watching the clouds sail by with the tropical breeze and notice the sun setting over the roof- and tree-tops.

Guam in the spring time means hotter days and thinking about the things you want to do or accomplish before the start of the "rainy season",  also known as "typhoon season".  By the way, are you typhoon ready?  Now's the time to check.

Guam in the spring time means we joyfully get to watch our bright-eyed poodle Suzette play after we nearly lost her last month.

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Guam in the spring time means getting the cameras out and taking as many photos as we can.

Guam in the spring time...

Happy Easter!

He is risen.  That's what it's all about.  Through the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ, all mankind will be resurrected.

Happy Easter to you.

Easter Eve

Here it is the evening before Easter Sunday.  The weather could not have been more lovely today.  The wind is gentle and there has been an abundance of sunshine on the north end of the island today.  My husband has taken advantage of this time to go hunting, and so we shall see when he comes home if he has succeeded in bagging a deer or a pig.  In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the rest of the evening on our patio and read for a while.

In Like A Lion, Part 2: Out Like A Lamb

March in Guam has come in like a lion, but is going out like a lamb.  Two  kinds of lambs enter my thoughts as I write this, with a question to go with them:  Can pets who are close to death see loved ones or even angels, just as people who are close to death often see loved ones who have already passed away?

That question crossed my mind last night as my husband and I listened to the veterinarian after he showed us the chest ex-rays of our toy poodle, Suzette, one of our "little lambs".  Suzette had been diagnosed the day before with heart problems, specifically, mitral valve prolapse.  Her condition throughout Saturday deteriorated to the point that in the early evening she had become listless and suddenly stopped breathing.  Some CPR on our part brought her back.   Hence, the emergency visit to the vet's office...which nearly never happened because it was almost impossible to get through to someone who could contact the vet, any vet.

So there we were, a little while later, chatting with the doctor about Suzette's ex-rays and all that was going on with the visit up to that point when, Suzette, who was being held by my husband and had been reasonable alert, let out two very strong, sharp, almost high-pitched, barks:  ARF!...ARF!  Well, well, Roger and I wondered.  What brought that on?  There was nothing going on in the room that we could see that would warrant such vocalization.  Yet, just as with a very weak and sickly child you are always glad to hear a good cry, so we were pleased to hear to good strong "ARF" because it told us that her lungs were still strong.  At least for the moment.  As we could see no apparent reason for the enthusiastic outburst I suddenly felt an impression that, perhaps, our Suzette was able to see something, or someone, we could not.

These situations are never pleasant to experience, when a loved one or beloved pet is close to death, but I am grateful for the calm, peaceful feelings that attend me when I am in one of them.  I am always and immediately thankful to God for His benevolence in moments like this, because just a few minutes later, we nearly lost Suzette a second time in the same evening.  In fact, this time, it seemed as though she would not be revived when the vet and his assistant took Suzette out of the room to try other methods of resuscitation.  Mind you, the entire family is very attached to our little poodle, but Roger especially so.  As such, he was finding it nearly impossible to keep his composure.  Sometimes the ol' "stiff upper lip" just evaporates.

And sometimes, whether we want to or not, whether we are ready to or not, we have to be prepared to let go.  Roger neither wanted to nor was he ready to.  I can't say that I felt any different, especially since Roger had, on my birthday, presented Suzette to me when she was just a tiny puppy.  She is now 13 years old (91 in dog years) but the calm feeling prevailed.  I honestly was expecting that episode to have been the little five-pound poodle's final moments, but the vet and his assistant returned with Suzette, whom they had managed to retain.  The vet reviewed with us the medications Suzette should take, but reminded us that all these measures would not "fix" her problem.  He had done all he could do for her.  The medicine could help make her more comfortable if she responded to them, but nothing more.  He could only guess how much time she had left...minutes, hours, days??  He personally guessed she had minutes.  While he could "put her to sleep", he encouraged us to take her home.  I thought we should too, but my husband wanted to make no decisions, other than one:  he would not be the one to sign her death warrant to put her to sleep.  

We brought Suzette home, not knowing if she would even last out the ride.  She did, and lasted through  the night, and well into today.  It is now April 1st, April Fool's Day, and while Suzette is showing marked improvement from last night, we are not fooled into believing she will be her ol' self again.  With the knowledge that when that unsought-for moment comes it will come fast, we are bracing ourselves for the inevitable grief that follows.  

It also happens to be Palm Sunday, the start of the final week that leads up to Easter, which brings me to the second lamb, the Lamb of God.  I personally believe that not only will mankind be resurrected, but that animals will as well.  After all, God is responsible for all of creation in the heavens above and in the earth below.  Is anything impossible to God?  When we are reunited with family after death, I like to think that all our beloved pets will be there to rejoice with us and continue on by our side.  Right now, we are at Suzette's side, unsure of how long she will be with us, but with the sure knowledge of God in His heaven and the gift of the resurrection through His son Jesus Christ, how can we think that she will not be by our sides again one day?

In Like A Lion

Well here it is the fourth day in the month of March and Guam is experiencing a lot of high winds, high surf, and periods of rain.  Of course, it's been like this for about two weeks.  Just the other day, I was musing about the old saying regarding March:  if March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb.  Conversely, if March comes in like a lamb, it will go out like a lion.  Yes, I thought to myself, but does that even apply in this part of the world?  I'm not exactly sure.  Still, March was giving off all the signs of "coming in like a lion" to me, and frankly still is!  So, whether it applies to the western Pacific or not, there it is.  In like a lion, I say.  There are twenty-seven more days to go to see if March in Guam "goes out like a lamb".  It sort of keeps you guessing, this Pacific application of the Old and New World weather saying.  I hear that as the world is tilting with the coming of spring (or autumn if you're in the southern hemisphere) the winds are shifting direction. Sort of like when you're stirring a glass of chocolate milk one way, and before that direction of swirl comes to a stop, you take the spoon and start stirring in the other direction. So, it must apply on the far side of the world after all.  We'll see if the lion is tamed at the month's end or not.

Dark clouds blowing over Tarague Beach just before loosing a burst of rain on us.

On Tarague Beach looking north-west at the setting sun reflecting off more in-coming rain clouds.

Dark clouds moving in southerly direction after shedding some of the wet stuff
 for a few minutes.

Saipan

In the middle of last month, our family hopped up to the island of Saipan, the northern most island in the chain of islands known as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.  It is a small island, but very pretty.  Saipan, along with the rest of the Mariana Islands, is loaded with World War II history.  If you ever visit the island, or Tinian, Rota, or Guam, be sure to bring a camera with you.  In addition to the historical aspect of Saipan, it is also a good place to go hiking, biking, and scuba diving.


View from our hotel looking toward Mount Taputchao.  The village of Garapan is in the foreground.

Sign at Bonsai Cliff, scene of a great tragedy in World War II.

Bonzai Cliff:  scene where Japanese soldiers and civilians threw themselves and children over the cliff rather than be captured.  No amount of pleading from the horrified American soldiers or captured Japanese could stop the suicides before hundreds met their deaths.  

                                                 Japanese memorials atop Bonzai Cliff.

              A Boonie Dog standing on the road at the bottom of Suicide Cliff seemed to pose for the camera..

Japanese static displays below Suicide Cliff.

                                                            Looking up at Suicide Cliff.

 


                                                 Japanese memorial near the static displays.

Looking up at another part of Suicide Cliff.  Notice the holes in the cliff face, evidence of the heavy bombardment by the US Navy prior to the landing.

                                                          Market Night in Garapan.

                          Another shot of Bonzai Cliff, this one taken in around 10:00 in the morning.

                                                                                   Video I took of the waves at Bonzai Cliff.

Memorial atop Suicide Cliff.

               Bird Island.  Unfortunately, there were no birds on Bird Island the morning I took this picture.

 

                                        View from the cliff top looking down into the Grotto.

Entrance to the Grotto.  This is a popular scuba diving spot.  It is best to be a skilled diver before attempting a dive here.

Stairs leading to the Grotto.  Divers walk down these steps carrying all their gear.  Parking is above and does not allow the convenience of pulling the car close to the water's edge first before pulling out the gear.

                   Scars of War:  The cliff face at Suicide Cliff along the road to Marpi Point and Bonzai Cliff.

View from atop Mount Taputchao.  Clouds were a problem, but once in a while I could get a  shot of the shoreline.  From the top of Mt. Taputchao you can see all of Saipan and Tinian Island just 3 miles to the south of the island.

                                                     Monument on top Mount Taputchao.

                                        View of the village of Garapan from Mount Taputchao.

                                                 

                                                           American Memorial Park.

                                               Japanese pill box near the beach at Garapan.

                                                              Downtown Garapan.