August Hiatus
July 23, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
Things will be pretty quiet around here for the next five weeks. I leave tomorrow (and Tom will join me in a week) for our summer vacation. Zipper is staying behind, but he's not really into blogging, so no promises. We'll be in upstate NY for the first half of August and then Chicago for the second half. Let's hope things stay calm tropical weather-wise while we're away.
I'll leave you with a shot of SeaCampers from this past week. These six little boys wore me OUT!
Bahamian Feast!
July 22, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
Clockwise from top: conch fritters, curried goat, crab 'n rice, cole slaw, lobster salad, and fried grouper. Really, really delicious.
A Tale of Three Dogs
July 18, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
This is our dog Zipper. You might remember him from such memorable posts and Corn Dog and Zipper Phelps. For reasons that will become clear shortly, for the remainder of this post I'll be referring to him as 'Zipper The Second'.
This is Buddy.
And this is Zipper The First.
Right now you may be asking yourself, "What? Two dogs named Zipper??", and I'm here to tell you yes, there are two dogs named ZIpper that live at the field station. I'll give you a moment to wrap your mind around that...
And it's not even a coincidence, per se. Buddy and Zipper The First belong to Dave and Li, the field station's facilities manager and his wife. They lived on San Salvador several years ago for almost two years, and during that time their two dogs were much admired by our young friend and spelling champ, Alexis. So much so, that after Dave, Li, and their dogs moved back to the states, Alexis named an adorable, black with brown and white markings, quasi-stray Potcake puppy after Zipper The First. Fast forward several months, Zipper The Second has grown into a lovable scoundrel, Tom and Erin have moved to the field station, and they have adopted Zipper The Second. Fast forward several more months ... this is where things get a little crazy ... and Dave, Li, Buddy, and Zipper The First move back to San Salvador!
Basically, when naming Zipper The Second as a puppy, neither Alexis nor anyone else ever imagined that we would be fortunate enough for Zipper The First and her family to return to the field station. But we're so pleased that their back, it's totally worth the confustion of two dogs named Zipper living less than 100 meters apart. And besides, it makes for a good story.
Earlier this month, while Dave and Li were away for a week, Tom and I were in charge of all three dogs. Zipper The Second is not what you'd call a "dog's dog" and he gets a little grumpy when there are changes to his standard routine, so as you can see he spent a lot of time moping. Even when his companions were sweet and happy and playful.
Even during playtime at the beach. See Zipper The Second waaaaaay down the beach, pretending he has much more important things to do that chase a frisbee?
Oh look, he decided to come closer ... but not too close. And mostly just to bark at the other dogs for having too much fun and being insane enough to actually enjoy swimming.
Because if there is one thing that Zipper The First and Buddy love, it is the ocean. And despite being born on a tiny island in the Atlantic, this is one thing that Zipper The Second cannot comprehend.
He's got a lot to learn.
We Had Fun Even Though She Forgot Bananagrams
July 17, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
Emily, my good friend from college, came for a visit! She was here for about a week, and we had a great time. It rained almost everyday, but never for very long, so we didn't let it get us down.
The seas were perfectly calm, so we did a lot of swimming and snorkeling. Marine life highlights included an eel, a few rays, a large school of small blue fish, and a turtle. Okay, Emily didn't actually get to see the turtle, but I told her how neat it was.
She was also very nice about indulging my recent beachcombing obsessions (sea glass! coral rubble!!). And she didn't even seem to mind too much when I took her to Lighthouse Cave, but forgot to bring a flashlight.
I believe Emily also had the pleasure of sampling every deep-fried delicacy San Salvador has to offer. Conch fritters, chicken, grouper, cracked conch ... did we miss anything? Wash it all down with a cold Kalik, and you've got yourself an island vacation.
Mummified Frog!
July 5, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
Eleuthera
June 30, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
I know I've been a bad blogger of late. What can I say, it's been busy around here.
But about two weeks ago we took an overnight trip to the island of Eleuthera. (Its name comes from the Greek for 'freedom'.) I was excited to experience a part of The Bahamas that lies between the extremes of Nassau and San Salvador/Rum Cay in terms of populations and development. What we saw was great ... beautiful cliffs, inviting waters, cool caves, local music, tasty food and drink ... but I mostly came away with the feeling that the visit was much too short and that I need to go back. There is much of the island yet to be explored, especially the harbors and pineapple fields. There's a ferry you can take from Nassau to Eleuthera, so I may try to convince my parents to join me in giving that a try the next time they visit.
This jaunt was the field trip portion of our biannual geology conference, so most of the sights we saw were rock-related as you'll be able to tell from the photos. Highlights included the incredible cliffs on the Atlantic side of the island (we've got nothing like that on San Sal) and Hatchet Bay Cave (even with its copious bats).
Eleuthera! I'll be back!!
Miss Alexis Goes to Washington
June 9, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
Remember way back in March when Alexis came in 2nd at the Bahamas National Spelling Bee? Well, her outstanding performance there earned her a trip to last week's Scripps 2010 National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC. She didn't compete, but was there to cheer on Yelena, the Bahamian champion, and see the sights of the city with Malik, her fellow 2nd place winner. And I got to tag along too!
It was a great trip. We took a very long walk to visit the Smithsonian Mall, Washington Monument, Word War II Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and White House. We rode the Metro and went to Chinatown. Of course, we watched portions of the spelling competition, which was very exciting. And we even got to have a private audience with the Bahamian Ambassador to the United States. (But after all that, if you ask Alexis what her favorite part was, she'll tell you it was the shopping. Kids!)
Most importantly, being at the Bee in DC really inspired Alexis. She has newfound motivation to make history next year (her last year of eligibility) and become the first Bahamian champion at Scripps. Oh dear, I suppose this means we better start studying ...
Beach Boys
May 25, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
Tomorrow I'm departing for a 10-day trip to the states, so I thought I'd leave you with a little eye-candy while I'm away. I've mentioned that the field station was originally a U.S. Naval Base. Once in a while we get a visitor who was actually stationed here back in the 50s or 60s, and even more rarely one of these veterans brings old photos that he graciously allows me to scan. For obvious reasons, this set is particularly enjoyable.
Just another hard day, roasting weenies at the beach. Who says the military is all work and no play? And I'm sure their all wearing their SPF 45.
It's nice that they let some local kids hang out with them. Not exactly sure what the fella on the right edge is doing, but it seems a little rude and maybe crude. These are sailors after all.
Snorkeling too!
And of course, our resident fisherman. He seems quite pleased to show off his giant lobsters and barracuda. Or maybe he's more interested in showing off his studly physique. Either way ... bravo! Personally, I just can't decide which swimsuit I prefer. Why did the belly-button-covering waist ever go out of style?
UPDATED: Photos courtesy of Vic Meally. Thank you, Mr. Meally!
Start Your Ovens
May 21, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
I've been in a cooking rut lately. Actually, I pretty much haven't been cooking at all. We get a little spoiled when the field station cafeteria is open (no dishes to wash!), and without the daily abundance of veggies from the garden that MUST be used, I've gotten a tad lazy.
In an attempt to jump-start my culinary mojo, I thought I'd share a couple recipes today. Coincidentally, both are from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food website. I'm not normally a huge Martha fan ... I find many of her recipes way too fussy. But Everyday Food is generally more accessible, and these recipes are simple, straightforward, and do not disappoint the tastebuds.
Barbequed Chicken Pizza
Adapted From MarthaStewart.com
Tom and I are homemade pizza fiends. We've even been know to fight over it. This recipe is a delicious way to get away from standard tomato sauce and pesto varieties. I make my own dough, but store-bought works just as well. The proportions are not very exact ... there's always plenty of wiggle room with pizza!
Olive oil, for baking sheet
1 batch homemade pizza dough (or 1 pound store-bought)
1 to 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (leftover works great!)
1/2 to 1 cup barbeque sauce
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 large zucchini (or yellow squash), halved lengthwise and THINLY sliced
1 small onion (or 6-8 green onions), halved and THINLY sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a large baking sheet. Stretch your dough to fill the sheet.
In a medium bowl, combine chicken and barbecue sauce. Leaving a 1-inch border, scatter chicken mixture evenly over dough; sprinkle with cheese, then zucchini and onion. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake until crust is golden and cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Roasted Cauliflower
Adapted From MarthaStewart.com
If you've never roasted cauliflower before, you MUST give it a try. Trust me, it's like taking cauliflower to a whole new level. So yummy! In the interest of full disclosure, the original recipe included capers, but since capers are one of the five foods that I cannot stand, I left them out. They are horrible, you won't miss them.
1 head (about 2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread florets in a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Toss to combine. Roast, tossing once or twice, until cauliflower is golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook garlic cloves, stirring often, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour over cauliflower, and toss to coat. Enjoy!
Motorcade
May 15, 2010 Posted by: ERIN
Yesterday the San Sal High School held an assembly to honor several students, including Alexis and her recent spelling success. The event culminated with a parade of sorts. I love the clusters of blue and the giddy, smiling faces.
