Diving Pebble Beach-Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

Since I became PADI Dive certified just a little over a year ago I have to say that I found a completely new past time I love. Diving. It's peaceful, it's always different under water, you never know what you'll see next. It's truly, a whole new wold. I had many moments where anxiety took my breath away and therefore the air in my tank. That had to be frustrating for my dive buddies-- could be why they stopped calling me to dive with them, hmm. Well I am not as afraid anymore, I am so much better on air conservation then I was last year and my new passion is taking underwater pictures.

I only have a little camera, nothing fancy. I have an Intova CP9 if that means anything to anyone out there and it takes OK pictures. Visibility helps and of course if the creatures stop moving for a second while I take their picture. One of these days I'll get the settings just right and show off great shots. For now, I'm just happy to have something to show the kids when I surface.

This year I finally convinced Michael to get certified and now he is the one addicted. He would go everyday if he could. We have been on several dives together. Off a boat, shore, and bay side. Sometimes we get lucky and the visibility is incredibly clear and other times not. Like I said, it's a whole new world out there and its always an adventure.

This week Emily began her certification class. It's part of making her senior year the best she can and I think adding this to her bucket list will make her feel so accomplished. I mean, not many kids can say they've been diving in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

This is Pebble Beach... doesn't look like much from this angle but it is a nice little beach, perfect for the kids, get some wave action and it has some sand, not just pebbles.

Enjoy. Until next time.

Terie

Hurricanes in GTMO

As soon as Hurricane season comes around we are bombarded with information on how to prepare in case this is "the big one," how to prepare a hurricane kit, where to go if we have to evacuate (funny as that sounds, some of us do have to evacuate), and we learn to memorize the sirens played around the base that tell us exactly what to do, you know, in case the big one hits us here in GTMO.

I have lived here almost two years and after all the preparedness we've done we have yet to get anything more than some wind and some rain. In fact, we've seen more rain in the month of May with no major storm preparation then in the last two hurricane threats of the season.

Now understand, that doesn't mean you shouldn't prepare or have kit ready as well as an evacuation plan. Not at all.  We always have a plan, we just never get to put into action, which is just fine with me and we are very grateful to be spared the troubles of housing the pets, tying down the outdoor furniture, and moving to the Elementary School.  I would have to include Wine in my Hurricane Kit.

During this hurricane season, I can't help but think about the people who live in the Hurricane Alley and can't evacuate or can't protect what little they have.  I can only pray they do the best they can to survive and that the Hurricane loses strength or takes a detour, something.  We are fortunate enough to have the means to protect our loved ones and our homes.

If you are considering GTMO as your next duty station or even as a contractor know this:

The last major Hurricane to really hit GTMO was in 1963.
Base security does a really great job preparing the base.
We have hurricane safe homes and other buildings used for evacuation purposes.
Our NEX and Commissary are well stocked and also do a great job helping us prepare hurricane kits.

As for the pets, we generally talk to families with pets and arranged to have ours stay with them. There's always a way around the shelter restrictions.

On this Hurricane number two of the season I can say that our Soccer or Volleyball games have not been canceled; swimming lessons are still on, and everything functions as usual. Hopefully saying this wont mean that the next hurricane is going to flood the base, yikes! Anyway, it's alright here, even during the hurricane season.

Emily gave us some rain, Irene a little wind, that's all.

Cirque Odyssey

Last night was a really fun night here in GTMO. MWR has been doing a great job bringing in different acts. Musicians, comedians,even the Missoula Children's theatre was here recently. I have pictures and more to say about that later.

But about last night. The one time I leave my house without my camera, we went to see Cirque Odyssey, similar to Cirque De Soleil, sort of. There were contortionists, dancers, really strong guys and very interesting acts on stage.

Recently weve been tailgating prior to any good show. It's a way to have fun, get out with friends and let the kids play while we wait for the show to start. Tailgating at an outdoor theater has been the highlight of our evenings out.

Chelsey Handler was here a few months ago making us laugh along with a few of her friends, we've had several musicians in every genre, and now were gearing up for the Navy Ball, the Marine Corps Ball and early next year the Seabee Ball.

Never a boring day here in Guantanamo Bay, at least not if you don't want it to be.

So much more to share...until next time!

My cat in a cast

Mittens broke her leg, right down the middle and none of us really know what happened. My guess is she was scared off a tree or had a bad fall jumping over the fence, who knows. She now has two broken bones. Thankfully for us, we have a vet in town and she's pretty inventive with what little we have here in GTMO.

After a few X-Rays and determining the extent of her injuries the Doc said my options were:

1. Amputate the leg

2. Fly her off island - expenses would reach nearly $3000

3. Attempt to straighten and cast the leg

Obviously, we chose option #3. It was the least expensive, least invasive, and humane way to treat her. However, unlike people, animals have a way of wiggling out of a cast. The first cast got a little wet and she was out of it within minutes. The second one took a little longer, about a week. After that one the Doc suggested we keep her confined in a crate or the bathroom. We went for the bathroom with a few visits to Emily's room for some cuddle time. Somehow she managed to wiggle out of that cast and now she's in her third cast. Third time's the charm... I hope!

Mittens is very playful and lively little cat. This, as you can imagine, has put a crimp in her style. But, we promised to help her heal and so we must follow doctor's orders.

We're just glad we have our Vet and her assistants to helps us help Mittens keep her little paw. She may not be crazy about her condition or the life style she's had to adopt, but she'll be thankful later when she has all four paws to play with.

Mittens, you have three more weeks of confiment and then you'll be free to roam, well, the house at least. As much as we love to see them playing outdoors, it's evidently not a safe world out there. Updates on her condition will be forthcoming.

Photos by: Emily Wanger

Family Vacation in the Mountains

This year our family vacation took us to Deep Creek Lake.  A beautiful Ski Resort in McHenry, Maryland.  We, of course, did not do any snow skiing, however, we could not have picked a better location to go during the steaming summer weather this year.  I really can't complain about our high of 89 when everyone else was experiencing highs in the triple digits. I'm sorry and I hope you did everything possible to stay cool.

During our week at the lake we had a chance to really relax.  Being off island can truly be appreciated if you can just stop and slow down for a little bit.  We spend plenty of time on the water and in the water, hiking the trails, and playing in the sandy beach at the State Park.

Things we saw that were different (No Iguanas here) but we did see several Deer, Chipmunks, and pretty Butterflies.  The Ducks and Ducklings came out every morning and this was really neat to share with our little guy.

I would recommend this area to anyone who really wants to have a great summer vacation without the overwhelming heat, not much traffic to deal with, and not many people vacation in the mountains so there was really no waiting in any line anywhere -- that was the best part.  WISP resort has a ropes course, a golf course, and a mountain roller coaster you control yourself.  Of course I cant forget the go-carts, mini-golf, and arcades in town.  A lot to do but still a lot of time to relax.

Week two might not be so relaxing but it will be fun to visit old friends and family before heading back to the rock.  I miss my friends in GTMO.  See you soon!

Terie

GTMO Updates- staying connected

Over the past year I have met several families via this blog.  Most get here because, like me, they want to know more about this place and usually hit a brick wall on the internet.  Most of what you find pertains to the detainees, the camps, and some negative reports from reporters who judge the base solely on one 3 day visit.  All I can say is don't believe everything you read and understand that what I "report" here is simply my point of view and experiences.  Other's may have a completely different of life on the Naval Station Guantanamo.

That said, I have seen a few more people creating blogs about life here and many of the organizations on the installation have created FaceBook pages to help us stay abreast of events and activities.  I will post those links here and hopefully reading about what goes on in GTMO and the opinions of others, those of you transitioning or even thinking about it will become a little more educated.

http://www.facebook.com/NSGuantanamoBay

http://www.facebook.com/pages/FFSC-Guantanamo-Bay/210835152287802

http://www.facebook.com/pages/MWR-GTMO/317983567409

http://www.facebook.com/pages/MWR-GTMO-Sports-Fitness-Liberty-Center/103183395681

When we were moving to GTMO there was nothing out there.  I found one FB page which lead me to a couple of people who were stationed here and they answered many of my million questions.  I am thankful to have had them in my life, even if only for a short while after I moved here.

Anyway, these links will provide information about sporting events, activities, recreation, entertainment and some news and noteworthy events around the base.

As for me and my updates for this week.  Hubby and I just finished our Advanced PADI Dive certification and it was great.  The water was just right, the visibility was mostly OK, could have been better but I'm not complaining.  We reached depths of up to 100 feet and saw the prettiest fish, a couple of sea turtles, a few lobsters and even managed to eliminate a few Lion Fish in an effort to save the reef.  This invasive, non-native species is spreading through the Caribbean. They have no natural enemies here. They are said to be able to eat four times their weight each day. Native reef species don't recognize them as predators so they will swim right up to the lion fish and are quickly eaten. For this reason, many divers here will go prepared to hunt and kill the Lion Fish.  But no worries, they can be eaten and they do taste pretty good.


Looking forward to some time off island with family and friends. Here are some photos from under the sea... Enjoy!

Hurricane Season or Mosquito Season?

I'm not really sure what's more important in my hurricane kit, batteries or bug repellent?  We have lived in hurricane alley (is that what we call it?) The focus of living in an area frequently affected by hurricane weather is to pack, plan, and track. Pack the emergency baskets, plan the evacuation route, and track the weather so you know when to go.

Here in GTMO there aren't many difficult routes.  Those of us who live on the bluff or water front homes simply plan in advance, to go to a friends home away from the water or one that is considered hurricane safe or the shelters (schools and gym.)  We are encouraged to pack a kit, to which I say how about I just bring lots of food and water to my friend's house at the beginning of the season, we do have to have a road plan, food, water, clothing, etc. But it's really a no-brainer.  Most important, however, is what happens during the season.  We get a lot of rain, on and off, or worse yet, it stays humid, very humid the majority of the time, day and night and the best part, we get lots of mosquitos.  They are big, hungry, and could care less about repellent or thick jeans.  They'll sting through clothing as if it wasn't there.

We go through gallons of Off, Skin-so-Soft and alcohol, and a host of other chemicals aimed at keeping us invisible to the bugs.  Let's not forget the citronella tiki torches, citronella candles, fans, and special bug lights.  It really is a nuisance to have such a great  view and not be able to enjoy it or the warm summer breeze because of these naughty bugs.

I generally can see the bright side of any situation and rarely speak negatively about GTMO or any other place but now I'm just tired of the bites.  OK I'll have to change the tune now to a more positive note.  We have great windows, air conditioner, and our grass is once again green.  So for now we'll just have to limit our outdoor time and enjoy the view from inside.  Soon the rain will stop and we will go 6-9 months without a drop of rain.

This is life in Guantanamo Bay and we do learn to make sangria out of every bad bottle of wine we're given!

Take Care,
Terie