by Judy Handley | Apr 20, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 110: Waterfalls, Soccer, Sushi, and a Movie
Date: Wednesday, April 20, 2022
Weather: Cloudy with Intermittent Rain; High 82, Low 72 degrees F
Location: At Home in an Airbnb in Rincon, Puerto Rico
During a Thanksgiving visit to Puerto Rico in 2015, we visited the Gozalandia Waterfalls as a family. Sam was only 8, Jonah and Ziggy were 6, and Ollie and Coco were 3.
00 Happy Thanksgiving from the Fab Five
The Goldpebbles were young, but they remembered enough about the waterfall adventure that they put it high on their list of things to do while visiting this time.
Today was totally cloudy and there were periods of pouring rain, but we decided to simply ignore the rain. It was actually a perfect day for the waterfalls.
The parking lot is part way up the mountain, and the last ascent is done on foot on a concrete walkway. Sometimes it is a gradual climb but for a few steep parts there are stairs. For the younger generations, it was just a nice walk. For me, it was definitely a climb! But the beauty of the waterfall at the end of the path makes it all worth it. Plus, there is a lovely natural swimming pool under the falls with a rope swing and rock ledges for jumping in.
Just as we reached the falls, it started pouring rain which made being in the water nicer than standing on the shore. Jonah and Ollie were not interested in jumping off rock ledges, but Ziggy, Sam, Justin, and eventually Coco jumped, and Ziggy and Sam tried the rope swing while the rest of us swam in the pool.
When doing suicide jumps off rock ledges was no longer exciting, we walked part way down and had lunch on rocks by the river. And further down at the lower falls, some of us watched as others climbed up and under the falls to a ledge to jump off .
Justin also took Ziggy and Sam with him for a swim under the water into a cave. At the lower falls, Jed joined the suicide rock ledge jumping team.
The final jump was made by Ziggy and Sam in tandem just before we climbed the steep steps back up to the path.
I was glad there was a railing for those stairs. Otherwise, I think I would have been crawling!
Next on the agenda was Coco’s 5 pm soccer game. Of course, just as the game began, it started pouring rain once more. Some of us had rain jackets and others borrowed an umbrella from another soccer parent. At the end of the game, Coco was elated as she scored one of the goals that gave her team a win. 
She used to be the only girl on her team, but recently another girl has joined. Go, Coco.
During our previous Thanksgiving visit, there was a sushi pool bar in Rincon that we loved. It was the perfect restaurant for kids as it was outside, and they could swim in between bites of sushi. The pool bar also had a big screen where surfing movies were projected. The pool bar is now closed, so our plan was to recreate that here at the pool house Airbnb. We have a nice covered area at one end of the pool and the plan was sit there while the kids swam. But once again, the rain intervened. It was pouring and the covered area was not enough to protect us. Plan two emerged.
We watched a movie on our ‘big screen’ television. It was not quite the same ambience as the pool bar, but the sushi sure was delicious.
by Judy Handley | Apr 19, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 109: Surfing, Sea Glass, Snorkeling, and Tacos
Date: Tuesday, April 19, 2022
Weather: Tropical Sunshine and Rain; High 87, Low 74 degrees F
Location: At Home in an Airbnb in Rincon, Puerto Rico
We packed a lot of activities into this day, but it all was done in relaxed vacation mode. I was the first one up this morning which seems like a miracle. I am never the first one up. Soon Heather and Jed joined me, and we got the day started. First on the agenda was a trip to Steps Beach for most everyone and a trip to Domes Beach for Sam to have his first surfing lesson with Uncle Justin. Jo had to teach this morning, so I went to pick up Justin, Coco, and Ziggy. By the time we got back to the ‘pool house’, our new name for our Airbnb, everyone was ready to go. We all piled into one van, and with me as chauffeur, I dropped Heather, Jed, and all the kids but Sam at Steps Beach, and then traveled on to a surfboard rental shop with Justin and Sam. They went in to rent a board for Sam and then I dropped them at Domes. I watched as Sam and Justin walked to the water’s edge with their surf boards and it brought back many memories of taking Justin to beaches to surf when he was a teenager.
I then drove back to check on the others. The weather had gone from sunshine to rain to sunshine and back to rain by the time I got back to Steps Beach. We were having a typical tropical weather day for this time of year—a mix of sunshine with bursts of rain. I wanted to make sure the kids were okay with the rain. I found them on the beach under Ziggy and Coco’s big almond tree with great climbing branches. But instead of climbing, they were all searching for sea glass. They had planned to snorkel but decided that sea glass collecting was more fun. Actually, the water seemed a bit rough for snorkeling, so the sea glass was a great diversion. We all then went back to Domes to pick up Justin and Sam.
Sam felt like his snowboarding experience helped him a bit with surfing. He had a few good runs, but also a lot of crash and burn runs. He and Justin were ready to head home.
The afternoon was more snorkeling for some of us and water play in the ‘pool house’ for others. We continued to have bursts of rain and one downpour, but we just simply decided to ignore the rain.
By this time Jo had joined us and she needed to run some errands. Heather, Jed, and I wanted to go back to Steps Beach to snorkel. So that left Uncle Justin with the kids who spent the time in the pool and then went for a walk to get ice cream. The snorkel at Steps Beach was fantastic. There are huge elk horn coral, sea fans, and a wonderful variety of colorful tropical fish. I don’t know when I last snorkeled, but whenever it was, it was too long ago!
Tonight, we went to Justin and Jo’s for beef and shrimp tacos. Everything was absolutely delicious. After dinner Ziggy made cookies for all of us and Justin built a fire.
Instead of sitting around the fire, Jonah and Coco started a basketball challenge. Who could shoot the most baskets? Those of us who entered the competition had a great time, but Jonah and Jo definitely made the most baskets.
Tomorrow we travel to the waterfalls. The family fun continues.
by Judy Handley | Apr 18, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 108: Enjoying Life in Puerto Rico
Date: Monday, April 18, 2022
Weather: Hot with a Threat of Rain; High 87, Low 74 degrees F
Location: At Home in an Airbnb in Rincon, Puerto Rico
Day one of our family vacation in Puerto Rico was wonderful. Heather and I were the first ones up this morning and we made a run to the grocery store to get food for lunch, plus a few other necessities. Breakfast was taken care of by Justin and Ziggy. They arrived at our Airbnb with the ingredients for Ziggy to make pancake batter which Justin cooked on the griddle. Then we all walked to Marina Beach to snorkel.
After snorkeling a bit, the kids decided they really wanted to rent a paddle board (they ended up renting two) and spent the next hour messing about on those boards.
Lunch was back at our BNB. While the adults fixed lunch, the grandkids played in the pool. We had not made plans for the afternoon as we wanted to let the kids decide what they would like to do. A decision was made that Justin, Jo, and I would take the kids to Finca Maravilla, the name of Justin and Jo’s two-acre homestead, to explore and just hang out. Heather and Jed stayed home and went to Steps Beach to check it out, while Justin introduced the Sam, Jonah, and Ollie to their horses, Hopi and Barnaby
and let them each have a try at using a machete.
Sam cut down some rogue almond trees while Jonah got to cut down the banana plant and Ollie got to chop the stalk of bananas from the tree.
And Ollie got to feed Rabbit, the pet pig.
Then the kids took off on a little exploration while I sat on the porch. So relaxing.
At the end of this perfect day, it was out to dinner at a new Thai outdoor eating venue. The service was extremely slow, but the food was absolutely delicious. And finally, it was back in the pool at the Airbnb.
Tomorrow surfing and more snorkeling are on the agenda.
by Judy Handley | Apr 17, 2022 | Cape Cod, USA |
2022 Life Logs, Day 107: We Made It!
Date: Sunday, April 17, 2022
Weather: Sunny & Windy in Boston, Hot in PR; Cold in Boston, Warm in Puerto Rico
Location: At Home in an Airbnb in Rincon, Puerto Rico
Despite Heather’s bout with Covid and a delayed flight, we made it to Puerto Rico on this Easter Sunday. The timing of Heather’s Covid made the lead up to the trip a little nerve wracking, but miraculously she tested negative yesterday. We flew on Frontier Airlines which was also a little nerve wracking this morning. Just as we got on the road, Heather got an email saying the flight was delayed by two hours. We decided to keep going as the Frontier website continued to say the flight was on time. Then she got another email saying the flight was delayed by only an hour and twenty minutes. When we reached the airport, we parked the van in front of the terminal, left the kids in the van, and Heather, Jed, and I went in to check the luggage and check on the actual flight time. When we told the attendant we planned to leave the airport and come back later for the flight, she warned us that the time might change again. It could be earlier. It seemed no one really knew what time we would depart. We left anyway and took a walk on the East Boston side of the Harborwalk along the water. We parked on the street by a park with soccer fields and a playground and an on ramp to the Harborwalk.
The boys wished they had brought a soccer ball but had to be content watching others play. We were literally blown away in East Boston as the wind was so strong and cold.
So we quickly returned to the airport to park in the long term parking garage and take the shuttle bus to Terminal E. There was only one restaurant open, so we ate an early lunch and then boarded the flight that was delayed a little more than two hours. Watching the Goldpebbles listening to music with their variety of ear buds and headphones while waiting was quite the picture.
The weather in Puerto Rico was a bit different from the sunny, but chilly Easter morning in Boston. It was hot and sultry, the kind of weather I love. We picked up our bags and our rental van and headed to Rincon. It is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from San Juan to Rincon which seemed like forever after a four-and-a-half-hour plane ride. But it was all worth it when we got to Finca Maravilla and were greeted by Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco. There is nothing so wonderful than having the whole family together. The Easter bunny had left goodies for us and Justin brought the bunnies inside to give us a big Easter welcome.
Then it was on to the Airbnb for a midnight swim in the pool.
Wonderful beginning to our PR vacation.
by Judy Handley | Apr 16, 2022 | 2022 Life Logs |
2022 Life Logs, Day 106: Fingers Crossed—Puerto Rico Tomorrow
Date: Saturday, April 16, 2022
Weather: Partly Cloudy and Windy; High 62, Low 42 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
It looks like the Goldstones and I are headed for Puerto Rico tomorrow morning. Everyone has tested negative for Covid, Heather just in the nick of time. None of us will be able to relax, however, until we are on the plane, and it is in the air. Heather is exhausted as she had to spend her entire afternoon totally repacking everything. Once the two big bags were packed, they were seriously overweight. So, she repacked everything in to four bags. It was cheaper to pay for four bags than two that were overweight. I delivered Shadow to Meghan and Sheri’s. Not everything got done, but it will still be here to do when we get home. I’ll head to Heather and Jed’s at 7 am and we will head to Boston from there. We take-off at 10:40, arrive in San Juan just after 3 pm, and then get in a rental van and head the two hours or so to Rincon on the western coast of Puerto Rico. Can’t wait to get there!
Tonight I watched another movie, the 2018 version of A Star is Born with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. What a powerful, powerful story of love and loss.
The parking lot is part way up the mountain, and the last ascent is done on foot on a concrete walkway. Sometimes it is a gradual climb but for a few steep parts there are stairs. For the younger generations, it was just a nice walk. For me, it was definitely a climb! But the beauty of the waterfall at the end of the path makes it all worth it. Plus, there is a lovely natural swimming pool under the falls with a rope swing and rock ledges for jumping in.
Just as we reached the falls, it started pouring rain which made being in the water nicer than standing on the shore. Jonah and Ollie were not interested in jumping off rock ledges, but Ziggy, Sam, Justin, and eventually Coco jumped, and Ziggy and Sam tried the rope swing while the rest of us swam in the pool.
When doing suicide jumps off rock ledges was no longer exciting, we walked part way down and had lunch on rocks by the river. And further down at the lower falls, some of us watched as others climbed up and under the falls to a ledge to jump off .
Justin also took Ziggy and Sam with him for a swim under the water into a cave. At the lower falls, Jed joined the suicide rock ledge jumping team.
The final jump was made by Ziggy and Sam in tandem just before we climbed the steep steps back up to the path.
I was glad there was a railing for those stairs. Otherwise, I think I would have been crawling!
She used to be the only girl on her team, but recently another girl has joined. Go, Coco.
We watched a movie on our ‘big screen’ television. It was not quite the same ambience as the pool bar, but the sushi sure was delicious. 
