UPDATE Casa Cabrera, Dominican Republic

In this picture you can first see the carport on the right side of the house and the stone wall which is now about 5 ft high and surrounds the entire property. It was about 2.5 ft before. The property past the house is also part of this project. This picture is the inside of the back yard right side when facing the house and the landscaping and of course the higher wall to contain my killer German Shepherd puppy:) Below is the pool that is now entirely tiled. Solar Pool pump gets installed this coming week along with the Solar Hot water heater.

Bet you all never would have thunk I would live in a "GREEN" environmentally anyway house?

This is the work continuing on the left side of the house and hopefully weather permitting finished this week. This is the left side carport where the wall is going up as I type. To the right of the wall will be a Iron Gate for the carport which will be over 6ft. High. My German Shepherd will have the run of the entire property and keep strangers away and make them more interested in the neighbors than here. At 5.5 months old he is already very protective and scares the crap out of people already. This week I accomplished a lot of work on the house. .

Purchased the Steel Gates.

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Purchased and had fitted the Granite Kitchen Counters.

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Purchased 1 Kingsized and 2 queensized Simmons Maxipedics for the 3 bedrooms.

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Contracted with a kitchen builder/Furniture Maker 3 platform beds and 6 Nightstand/Chests.

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Purchased a Solar Hot Water Heater.

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Purchased a Solar Pool Pump.

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Painted the entire house.

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Had 9 ceiling fans/light fixtures delivered and will be installed.

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Purchased 12 other light fixtures and they will also be installed.

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Purchased 27 ft of California type closet apparatus for master bedroom walkin closet.

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Purchased 3.5 kilo inversor and 12 red trojan Batteries.

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Purchased 2 9k btu a/c's for the lower bedrooms

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Purchased 1 18k Btu a/c for Master Bedroom.

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Purchased a Whirlpool stove/0ven 6 burner Stainless Steel

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Purchased a GE 20.5 Cubic ft Refriderator.

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Purchased a new Osterizer Commercial type Stainless blender

Moving right along. Hope to aquire Dining room furniture and Living room furniture this week along with pool and patio furniture.

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Hope to aquire window and patio door treatments this week also.

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Hasta Pronto!

US Politics

I am not much into Politics especially in the US since I have been living overseas for many years now but this election interests me.

Please don't mention this to anyone but I am a registered Democrat although I never ever voted a party line in my life but I HATED Hillary, I hated Bill and I will not be happy if Barack Hussein Obama gets elected.

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The man has NOTHING going for himself other than 180 days in the Senate as the most liberal voting Senator there. He is NOT patriotic although I feel it is good to question government because that is the Democratic way but he is just not a person I would want as President in these times.

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I have a 100$ bet with my buddy Herbert whom I believe sees most things the way I do but we severly disagree on this coming election. If I win I am going to cash this into Pesos and slap it on a bar in town and drink it down with him so I can rub it in the whole night.

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Thursday we were at Banco Santo Cruz taking care of some of his business and while we were waiting for slow computers I said that McCain was going to name Palin as VP. He looks at me and says "that would bother me" meaning I think he fears for his hundred smackaroos.

Now she was mentioned earlier on as a possibility but I was positive she was going to get taken 1st because she will be a good second in command and because she will take Alaska for McCain for sure and take a lot of the disheartened Hillary voters who don't like Obama.

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Now what I find amazing is that the Democrats are now saying she doesn't have the experience in Foreign Relations nor on the National Stage and she is young. How these dopes can even risk mentioning this is beyond me. She has more government experience than Obama, they are three years apart and although she may not be up to speed 100% now she is a fast learner, a bright woman and runs a good business so I am sure that she will be golden before the first term is completed. Obama if elected will have no where near the experience of McCain nor Palin.

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I think this was a great move on McCains part for so many reasons I think my buddy Herbert should actually pay me tonight so we can go on our bender early! Poor Herbie, I have been forwarding him emails describing exactly how bad Mr Barrack Hussein Obama is for a month and a half now. I am going to punish him before and after the election.

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Now Obama is putting on a platform against the Bush/McCain ticket but you know what, McCain RAN AGAINST Bush and not with him.

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Obama didn't get a bounce at the polls during the convention which usually give a good bounce for both parties because Americans are starting to figure out he is just a hollow suit who speaks well. Last polls show McCain in the lead and I will bet he gets a bounce with the VP Pick.

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As an Irish lad said how can Americans be so stupid. McCain is a nice old man, a certified war hero who spent 5.5 years in prison in the Hanoi Hilton, is married to a beautiful young wife who happens to own a beer distributorship~! Where is the choice in this election~? LOL

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Ok sorry to bore you all with my thoughts and I know I haven't posted crap for a few weeks. I have decided to finish a house in Cabrera to move into and have been running around purchasing most of the things I need. We are tiling the pool, finish painting, installing split A/C's in all the bedrooms, Solar pool pump and solar hot water heater, an inversor system for back up electric, granite counters and raising the stone walls around the entire property.

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I am sure there is a lot more but that is whats coming to mind right off the bat.

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I am going to start commuting back and forth next week so I will start posting pictures of the progress. I am very excited and anxious to spend at least half my time in Cabrera in 45 days to 2 months as I have stated here for years.

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Hasta Pronto~!

How can you tell if you are/were Mamas favorite?

I got this from my Uncle in an Email and it was just too cute. My sister was my mothers favorite I guess and this probably was my experience as well:)

Only good thing was I didn't want to be my mothers favorite. The price was way too high!:)

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Hope you like the new layout of the Blog!

Hasta Pronto!

Whoa baby, Have I made a mistake or what?

http://dr1dotcom.blogspot.com/

I have been updating my blog but at a different site. Man did I screw the pooch on this one!

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I originally made this blog to screw with the Stupid FUGLY Brit with the Napoleon Complex that owned DR1 and never posted much on it but I seemed to have posted a whole bunch of stuff there by accident. People were telling me that I haven't blogged yet I have and that is why. Go and check it out for now but I will move all the posts over to here and delete the other one:)

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Hasta Pronto!

Elvis Spotted in Sosua

Elvis has been living up on the Finca now for a week and man has he grown in just one short week. When Maria and I drove up to the finca and parked he was on the other side of the finca and this is what he looks like going somewhere in a hurry after we called him:)

Man I get the chills just looking at this 10 week old German Shepherd. He is perfect in structure and moves with grace and ease. I plan on showing him in Dog shows here in the DR and maybe finishing him and getting him his Dominican Republic Championship in the show ring. I have enquired but don't know if they have obedience trials here which he will be better suited for since I plan on training him to be a working dog. Here he is at ease after we have hung out for a hour or so. At first he can't get enough of us and demands attention. Today I bought a brush for him and went back late afternoon to brush him. He looked like he go sprayed by a porcupine he had so much crap all over him. I got most of it out but I need to do this every day in order to get and keep him real spiffy. When he saw Maria he was beside himself and couldn't give her enough greetings. That is the puppy in him and that is why he is at the finca now when I didn't plan to bring him up until he was a bit older. He refused to be left alone in the Condo and cried like a little baby. I also needed a break with my sprained ankle which was difficult handling a puppy with such a sore foot. So my gentleman farm country home is starting to come completely together. I have a German Shepherd to herd my goats and sheep. I have 21 goats and now 3 sheep with many pregnant. By the end of the year I should be over 30 animals. My crops are doing great and I eat off the finca every day. Today I brought back ochra, tomatoes, yuca, peanuts and squash. This is what life is all about. One day I will be living on the finca and probably only venture off when I need something.

Hasta Pronto!

6 week old Baby Goat is HUGE

My little big guy here is only 6 weeks old. He is already trying to reproduce and I think he is going to grow up to be a beauty. I am thinking about keeping him for stud along with the other one I bought a few months ago called Meme. They will both be very big and this guy will NOT have horns where Meme has the biggest horns I have seen in this country.

This is a picture of my little big guy with 3 other 2 other gals and one boy who are at least 6-8 months old. He is as big as these guys and the one to his left is pregnant. This is the largest fasted growing goat I have seen. I love the differences in color on all these guys. They are all individuals and distintive. . Hasta Pronto!

Mary(a) had a little lamb

This is the first lamb born on the finca. This stunning guy is 1 day old and have very unusual coloring. Notice he is white and tan with a black bellie and legs. Unusual markings on his face also. Leads me to believe that it is possible the father is unknown. He looks a little like bad piece and a little like Kevin. Hmmm, I have to check on this! LOL

I have had sheep for about 2 years and now have the first baby. When I first got the mother she was very little and the male I bought at the same time died 2 months after he was at the farm and I didn't get a new guy until I moved to the new finca. I was expecting 2 but only had one. Worse than that he is a boy and not a girl to reproduce. I will have to go out and buy a couple of more gals to increase my flock. Hopefully I have enough mothers between the sheep and the goats to have babies every month. I know I have at least 5 goats pregnant now so hopefully we will be in babies all the time now. This is Maria or Mary(a) with the baby. You can see other small goats in the background.

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Ok guys lets hear all the sheep jokes you can come up with! Perhaps I HAVE'NT heard them all already:)

LOL .

Hasta Pronto!

Takin a picture of the picture taker

If you have been downtown Sosua and seen a guy with a camera taking pictures and developing them with a small printer on the spot this is the guy. He always lets me take his picture which I do everytime I see him. I love taking pictures of the picture taker:)

My ankle is repairing from a sprain and I am now without cast, portable cast, ace bandage, crutches and cane. It still hurts after a few minutes and swells but it is getting better and better every day.

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Elvis my new German Shepherd is doing great. He is up at the farm now and really enjoying himself. He torments the goats and when I went to feed them he tormented them more, so much so I had to pick him up and move him away from a nervous one so she could eat her Yuca top.

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Last night I ate some fried Batata and Sausage I picked up at the butcher along with some squash. The batata and squash was from the farm and delicious!

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Each day I take more and more home. In a few weeks I will have to sell my yuca crop. I have eaten some of it already and it is sweet as can be. I will make a few bucks on this for the first time. .

It is starting to rain occassionally instead of drought then flood. Way better for me up at the farm. It is also starting to get hot.

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My sheep is going to give birth very soon and I have about 5 goats pregnant. My family is growing. I had a goat born 6 weeks ago and he is as big as a 6-7 month old and growing like crazy. Problem is that this guy is going to be agressive and is bravo already. Hope he doesn't get out of control or he goes to the butcher. He is a pretty guy and I would like to keep him for stud.

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Hasta Pronto!

Goodies from the Farm in Sosua

When I went up to the farm to drop Elvis off we did some shopping. I got a couple of large Squash, a big watermelon below and Peanuts. We cut this bad boy in half and I took half home and Danny will take the other half home when he goes home tonight. Heck I can't eat the whole thing. The sucker must have weighed 40 lbs.

I know you don't know much about peanuts and either did I till I had them growing on my old finca that I sold but the peanuts grow under ground. You rip up the whole plant and pull the peanuts from the roots. You can roast them or eat them raw which is the way I like them.

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Hasta Pronto!

Elvis is alive and living in Sosua Dominican Republic

As some of you know years ago I had a kennel in New Paltz NY and I bred German Shepherds and some Rotweilers. I also tried Dobermans and Akitas but didn't like or enjoy those breeds.

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I have wanted a German Shepherd for the Finca and just bought one on Friday. I wanted to name him Malo which is bad in Spanish but Maria got all upset and said it was a terrible name for a Dog. I liked it because he is going to be a BAD BOY when I am finished with him.

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He comes from very nice German and Eastern Europe working lines with Siegers and Shutzhunds in his back ground. He is a very beautiful 9 week old puppy and I absolutely love him.

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So far he has been a struggle with my sprained ankle and Maria went to Nagua for 2 days to spend mothers day Dominican with her mother and son so I had to walk him 4 times with a bum foot.

He is everything I want in a Dog with the exception that he is a boy and I like gals better. No problem though it will work out perfectly and I will train him up and he will be a sight when people see him work.

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My Sheps were Natural herders and even after generations of not working as herding dogs they did it perfectly on my farm in the states. This particular guy is a very intelligent fellow and will do great and all I need is a bit of patience till my ankle heals.

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I took him up to the finca today and left him with my guy Danny. He will live in the servants quarters till my ankle repairs and then I will take him back home for socialization and training.

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Hasta Pronto!

Black Ass, White Ass and Whiter Ass

These are 3 out of 5 friends of mine that were down in Sosua last weekend and a couple for a week. I met 3 of the 5 or 6 guys in Boca Chica when I was there hanging out with another buddy of mine. I told them Boca Chica is the pits and they have to come to the North Coast. Well that was in July and a few of these guys have been here no less than 5 times now and all at least 2x and they won't be returning to Boca Chica again.

I was having a great time with them but some of my buddies called for a Motorcycle ride which I couldn't turn down. We were up in the mountains going down a goat trail when it was real rutted from heavy rains. I was going only about 2 miles an hour and I couldn't negotiate the ruts and dropped the bike. Ended up spraining my ankle last Sunday and Monday ended up at a clinic for xrays. I stayed with the ride until it started swelling and then begged off to ice it.

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The Doctor put me in a Cast and it was only supposed to stay on for 3 weeks. It was up to my knee and to pitch of my ankle in the cast put my left foot 16 inches in front of my body. Very Dominican and it meant it was impossible to walk with my bad foot 1.5 feet in front of my body.

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I left it on for 3 days and took a wire cutter and started peeling it down. Two days later it was completely off my damn foot.

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I had my friend Rellosk bring down a "Air Cast" which wasn't exactly the one I wanted but worked real well. Atheletes would wear this and play ball in it. It gets me around so its cool.

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I had a sprained ankle before and it was much worse. Took me 2 years before I felt 100%. Thankfully this sprain isn't as bad.

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Hasta Pronto

Dateline Sosua, Dominican Republic-Who's your daddy?

This picture is Danny, me and my two new baby goats that were born today.

If you notice mine has white boots and his has black boots. One time when I had the restaurant he came in and tells me that we had baby goats and one was all black and one was all white and the other was black and white. My waiter Nelson who thinks he is a comedian says that I am the father of the white one and Danny is the father of the black one and both of us probably fathered the black and white one. It was pretty funny but Danny was denying it and we were all laughing.

The next picture is Maria and I holding the two babies. I don't know why I ended up with the black booted one this time:) This is a picture of the two of them on the ground. Real cuties and the two of them are colors I haven't had on the farm and I have never seen these colors before.

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Next one schedualed to give birth is my Sheep. Yup folks I have heard all the jokes already. Yes I keep a pair of boots in my truck!

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I posted pictures of a baby goat born on the farm less than a month ago. He is now as big as my 6 month old goats. I will see if I have a late photot of him now with the others.

Man this is fun. I love raising goats and it is so much fun just feeding these guys you wouldn't believe it. I supplement their food with tops of Yuca which they love. Must be full of vitamins and other good stuff because they go crazy for it.

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Hasta Pronto!

Moscow Circus Playing in Puerto Plata

Timing is everything. Maria asked me if I wanted to go to the circus in Puerto Plata. I told her I wasn't a kid and left it at that. She speaks to her mother and she is going to Puerto Plata for a couple of days to see her family there and I suggested that she bring Maria's son Melvin with her and we can go to the circus together. Worked out great and Melvin stayed with us for 2nights and 3 days and we all went to the circus.

Melvin is 6 now and a great kid. I bought him a want that turned many colors. Kind of looked like a weapon from the space movies. We had Cotton Candy and other junk and had a great time.

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Little did I know that this was the first time for both Melvin and Maria to see a circus. I guess some things I just take for granted and never would have imagined.

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I bought the best seats and we had a ringside box which was great except for the High wire act where I had to strain my neck to see it.

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It is still playing so I recommend if you can see it that it is well worth it.

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Hasta Pronto!

Pirates in the Dominican Republic

I don't know why but there seems to be a thing with eye problems here. I know I had two problems with my eyes getting itchy and swolen and I had to take drops for it to clear up. Man it was awful! I even went to a Doctor believe it or not because it bothered me so much.

I got a call from my numero uno sister who was in the clinic in Puerto Plata and I went to pick her up. Hell she still looks lovely. She is going to kill me for posting this one:)

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Hasta Pronto!

The Gals of the Brittania Pub in Sosua

This is Heydi who is standing with my buddy Patrick. I captured the best shot of the two of them:) Another BEAUTY and I also got the best shot of the two of them. I hope you all are starting to get it! LOL Here is a beauty solo without my buddy Patrick who by this point probably hates me but I hate to ruin a shot of a beautiful woman:) No I want to name this shot Beautys and the beast. That is Ted in the middle the evening bartender at Brittania most nights. However I don't know why I consider myself lucky when I just have the gals in the pictures. There is also another BEAUTIFUL bartender/waitress Eva who I don't have a picture of but I will. I was there tonight but without my camera unfortunately. . 2 beers for 99 peso happy hour and a food special for 99 pesos every night. I had Pasta bolonesa tonight along with 2 Bohemias for 198 Pesos. Can't beat that with a stick and I get to look at beautiful women! Who has it better than me? . Hasta Pronto!

El Tablon in Charamicos Sosua Dominican Republic

These are pictures taken of a section of Charamicos where the Dominicans live in Sosua. They have been given apartments to move to coutesy of the government so they can clean up a neighborhood that had a lot of problems.

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Anytime you heard of a Shooting or Drug Raid this is where it was. The police were affraid to go down there although I wasn't. No one ever bothered me when I went there. The road ended where a river met the ocean and there was a fish store there. Only problem was if you asked for Tuna you got Red Snapper. Well all the people are moved and they bulldozed it as it was happening so no squatters got there first. It was a horrible place but the people that lived there miss it and don't like the new slum that was built for them. I will go to the new place and take pictures and post them here. It is very tight and crowded albeit NEW.

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Oh well, guess this is something that had to be done! They are going to make a dock at the end for the fishermen and a park of some sort. They also need to clean up the river because of all the polution. The Dominicans who live upstream just throw their garbage in the river and it is killing the reef but they cant help the reef till they stop the problem which here is very difficult.

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Hasta Pronto!

LADIES IN YELLOW

This was taken Saturday evening in my condo just before we went to dinner to celebrate the one on the left's birthday. Unfortunately the restaurant she choose which is the fairly new Italian Restaurant next to Bliss in Cabarete is now closed and for sale. We went there once before to celebrate something and had a nice meal but alas wasn't going to happen this time. We ended up having typical Dominican food at a restaurant that we have been to many times before and it was a great meal so it turned out ok anyway.

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Afterwards we went downtown for a drink or two and I had a lovely night.

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One time I took these sisters to the Butcher to buy some meat to cook up and as they were arguing back and forth about what to buy the Butcher says to me "They look exactly alike, they are so cute, I want them both". I couldn't help but laugh because that is exactly the thought that has gone through my mind many times in the past.

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I have had friends who didn't know one think she was the other and mention my name so evidently many people think they look alike. One time we were at a restaurant where one of them worked and the other one and I were having drinks. The cook calls her to the kitchen to take food out thinking it was the other sister. Hilarious!

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Hasta Pronto!

Dominican Kids Update

I am pleased to say that the money raised for Dominican Kids are funding the tests needed prior to these 100 Operations. .

We also funded their Dental Clinic in Maranatha previously.

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Feel free to contack Robert for further information or if you would like to donate individually in addition. They have many ongoing projects that I would like to be a part of and hope that some of you all do as well.

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Hasta Pronto!

--------------------------------------------------------------- The surgical team arrives on this Saturday, May 10, 2008 to perform surgery on about 100 people. Will you help us to pay for their blood and heart tests that are necessary prior to surgery? To donate you can use our website or print off this email and send directly to our mailing address below. Thank you for your help and may God bless you! 30 Us Dollars each is the cost for a total of 3000 US dollars Robert Nelson http://us.f526.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=robert@islandimpact.net Island Impact Ministries - in the Dominican Republic http://www.islandimpact.net/ DR Phone (809) 571-4078 DR Cell (809) 601-4336 Providing Health Care for the Poor. Promoting Education through Child Sponsorship . Preaching God's Word for Life Change.

Saturday night dinner with my Sisters

Saturday night I had dinner with two of my lovely sisters. We ate at Baileys and then went out for a little bit. The one below had to work early in the morning so we weren't out for long but it was fun.

Afterwards we all went back to my house to go to sleep. It is fun having both gals over instead of just one. More fun when they are drunk but not this night! They are so pretty and love to get their pictures taken. I try to always have my camera with me! Not even a beer to their names and they are having the times of their lives!

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Tomorrow night we are going out to dinner again to celebrate the older sisters birthday. I am looking forward to it already!

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Hasta Pronto!

Fiesta De Herman

Well as always Herman throws a great party. It is great to get on Hermans "A" List for that reason! This excuse was the completion of his addition and improvements to his villa and that starts with this wall:) It doesn't end there though! Besides the wall in the front he built a office just off the kitchen which I didn't even see while I was there this time. I have only seen it unfinished.

Below is the Gazebo from the inside. It is a 3 level Gazebo with the first level being a studio apartment, the second level is below and in the other pictures which is a big living room and kitchen. Open windows to get the breeze and HUGE. There were 35 people inside at any given time.

These are musicians he had playing for most of the day. They were cool and people enjoyed them. Even some dancing! All this terrace area is brand new and a lot more I didn't photograph. I will have to stop back and take more pictures to post. This is herman with the pigs head. Hell that was just about all that was left after everyone devoured the rest of the guy. It was a great party and Herman did a fabulous job on the design and finish of the addition of Villa Macau. Anyone who gets to stay there will thoroughly enjoy themselves. Contact me for reservations. Up to 5 bedrooms, a pool, lovely gardens and grounds and everything you would want in a luxury villa rental in the Caribbean.

Hasta Pronto!

This is a picture of Maria I took at Doug and Lindas house. The house in the background is 18000 sq ft and it is two doors down from where I am going to build my new home. Mine of course is going to be a little smaller:)

This next shot is of just Marias head. Man I love that smile!

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This shot is of the next door neighbor where I am going to build. You can actually see where I have cleared to build my barn which will start this month. Also you can see where the house is going to be which is to right and just below the house in a clearing.

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This picture is of Hermans house from Dougs Driveway. You can see the new gazebo front left and not much else that is new except some terrace from this angle.

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My Cuz Brett stayed here a few months ago and thoroughly enjoyed the house. I was speaking with him today and he reminded me that I haven't updated the blog in a while so this is dedicated to my Cuz Brett! I love ya baby!

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Hasta Pronto!

A few minutes at Linda and Dougs house in Sosua

Sunday afternoon I stopped after leaving Hermans Party I went over to Dougs house with Doug. Maria was taking the pictures.

When we walked into the house the doggies had already had their way with the toilet paper and the house was full of it:) It was a riot and Doug didn't even flinch so he must be used to it. I would hate to pay his Toilet paper bill every month! We were sitting outside and through the window they had this big painting and I didn't know if it was painted on the wall or not it was so big. Had to actually go in to make sure it wasn't. Below is their lap pool with a bumpout so others can be in the pool while someone is swimming laps. This is the type of pool I built in Cabrera in the bigger house. I don't know if I had mentioned this to them when they were talking about building their house but it is the same in principal as what I built. This is the toilet paper monster. He has a taste for the absurd:) They have a very nice home and it will be looking at my home when I finally get to building it. I can see my next door neighbors house from their pool deck and my property where my barn is going and where my house is going. I have a building up but it was hidden by the trees. Hasta Pronto!