The "Sharing My Vision: Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just narrowed my 1,872 digital photos that I took down to 650.  I know if I went through it again I could knock off another hundred or two, but then I might delete something that I'll wish I hadn't.  So, you knew you were going to have to look at some of them, didn't you.  Hope your taste and my taste are close to the same.  For the next three days I will share my past vacation with you by means of a visual journey through the Turks and Caicos Islands.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary day.

Saw this view when I looked out the window of the airplane as we approached the Turks and Caicos Islands.  Shows the sand on the floor of the ocean in a patterned configuration. 

This is a piece of coral that was wrapped around a rock on the beach in North Caicos.

Ralph Lauren products in a jewelry shop.

My wife bought the dolphin pictured in the center of the display for her bracelet.

Sunset taken at Hemingway's Restaurant on Grace Bay.

Little girl sat next to the cat and started petting it.  The cat obliged while purring.

Cabana Beach Bar and Grill at the Ocean Club Resort

Just thought the colors in this photo were outstanding

Took this photo so I could use it for the title of my slide show I will put together.

Little guy crossed my path as I was taking a photo of the cactus.

Piece of artglass in an art gallery.

What can you say?  A beautiful beach as a storm approaches.

Travelers on Grace Bay Beach

Potcake dog being held by a rescue worker on Grace Bay Beach.

Shop that specialized in artwork made with large metal drums.

The "A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty "Hi-Ho Silver!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just arrived at the Wyndham Garden Hotel near the Phila. Airport. Plan to stay at the hotel overnight, since our flight to the Turks and Caicos Islands leaves at 6:00 AM tomorrow morning and we need to be at the airport at 4:00 AM.  Easier to stay at the hotel so I don't have to leave home at 2:00 AM, drive to the airport in the dark and find a parking space.  Too much hassle to do it that way.  Now my story has nothing to do with the travel or trip, but with the newspaper that I found on the rack at the entrance to the hotel.  A slightly folded, yellowing, day old USA Today paper.  Didn't matter, since what I have to tell you is found in the Entertainment section of the paper and that section was like new.  Deals with one of my all-time favorite western stars, The Lone Ranger.  There on page 1 of Section D is a story about the new movie that will arrive at the theater on July 3, 2013.  Called "The Lone Ranger", naturally.  What else would it be called?  Title roll is played by Armie Hammer while Tonto is played by one of my favorites, Johnny Depp.  How good will that be?  Only thing, it will be slightly different that what I have been used to with the Lone Ranger series as shown on TV in the 50s and 60s.  The movie tale reframes the hero's journey from law-abiding John Reid to the man who is forced to don the mask and work outside the law.  Movie will include the silver-bullets origin and naturally the famous "Hi-Ho Silver" cry.  Can hardly wait.  This time the movie will be narrated by Tonto, rather than The Lone Ranger.  Johnny's Comanche character will be complete with eerie full torso make-up and a stuffed-crow headpiece.  It will feature more about how Tonto became a part of the duo rather than the TV story about how The Lone Ranger came to be.  Can hardly wait.  The two actors had to enrol in Old West boot camp so Hammer could learn to dismount at full gallop and Depp could perfect his bareback riding.  When Hammer had to pull back on the reins and have Silver rear up on his back legs, the thought went through Hammer's head that I'm about to yell Hi-Ho Silver.  As he yelled and the horse landed, the crew roared.  Wow, I can hardly wait!  How about you?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Sorry for the poor quality of the picutre which I copied from the newspaper.

The "Farmin' the Conch" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Heading out to the Conch Farm on the isolated eastern end of Provo (conch is pronounced conk).  It is located amid a flat and sunbaked terrain of scrub and sand.  Nine years ago, while visiting the island of Provo, we made a trip to the Conch Farm, only to find it had closed for rennovations.  Then, a week before our vacation this year, we found out that the farm was closed again due to storm surge associated with Tropical Storm Hanna.  But, it is now open and we are excited to visit the only farm of its kind in the world.  Trade Wind Industries (TWI), or The Conch Farm, was first built as a research facility by owner and founder Chuck Hesse in 1984, but now exports much of the conch to the Florida Keys as well as Miami.  It's breeding techniques could help save the conch from extinction.  Man is the conch's biggest predator and only a tiny percentage of hatched conch eggs survive in the wild, whereas 25% of the eggs survive at the Conch Farm.  We turned off of the main highway onto a rutted and rocky road toward the farm.  Minutes later I was parking the car and we were headed to the entrance.  After paying, we began out walking trip through the farm.  The tour starts with a biology lesson and a description of the hatchery technology.  From there we travel through the metamorphosis buildings where we see the more than two million conch that reside in ponds in various stages of growth.  The conch are housed in greenhouse-like structures, then eventually transferred to holding ponds and later to ocean holding pens.  Our tour culminated with a visit to the small pond where Sally and Jerry, the two trained, 6-year-old, full-grown conch, are coaxed out of their shells so our guide can point out the main differences between the male and the female.  The goal of TWI is to expand conch production at its farm in the Turks and Caicos Islands and to license grow-out farms throughout the Caribbean.  Achieving these goals will increase supply and reduce production and shipping costs.  TWI hopes to eventually expand into Asia where conch is in high demand, both for its nutritional benefits and acknowledged cultural and aphrodisiac properties.  Once the farmed conch is in the marketplace at prices lower than that of wild conch, the wild stocks will be able to recover.  Pretty interesting tour with lots of photo ops along the way.  Extremely educational, also.  Now, all I have to do is aquire a liking for the chewy whatever it is.  Can't stand to see it harvested and then cut into pieces for chowder, salads, or stew.  Really gross!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - check out the neat photos I managed to take during my tour.

Trays hold conch after they have reached 3mm in size

The building on the right hold conch after they are 15mm and 9 months old

These are the offshore holding tanks where the adult conch grow to maturity

Our guide hold up one of the two "trained" conch

The female conch, Sally, is almost totally out of her shell. Notice the two small eyes near the guides finger.

The male conch, Jerry, has a small black penis you can see in the center of the photo

Just Sue playing a Beatles song on the conch

The "Landing Back In Time" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Looking out the oval window and watching the arid landscape fly by.  Actually, the landscape was not flying by, the plane that I was riding on was landing on the Providenciales International Airport runway.  Now, I use those words, international airport, very cautiously, since it looks like anything but an international airport.  The airport airstrip was first built in 1966 when the island was beginning to experience development and they needed a place for planes to land.   Two years later the airport, with the just finished airstrip, opened for small aircraft to land.  It wasn't until 1970 that a terminal was started.  Then in 1983 Club Med, a French vacation resort found in many parts of the world, began construction of a huge resort on Grace Bay in Provo.  In order to help fill the resort, Club Med helped subsidize the construction of a longer runway to accommodate larger planes.  In 1984 Club Med opened it's doors to business and the new airport runway began to land planes.  The runway was as long as the runway at JFK.  Well, as we landed today, I looked out my window and saw what has to be one of the smallest airport terminals in the Caribbean that accepts international travelers.  A very well-kept terminal building, but no passenger loading ramps that have access to the terminal.  We exited the plane by way of portable stairs and walked to the terminal.  For me, I enjoy stepping out of the plane and feeling that warm, actually hot and humid, air strike me in the face.  Hey I'm on vacation in the Caribbean, but on a rainy day, having to exit onto the tarmac can be a problem for many.  Currently there are approximately 12,000 commercial aircraft landing in Provo yearly.  As I read more about the airport I found that a new terminal that will be twice the size of the current one and lengthening of the runway is to begin soon.  The new work will be completed by 2014 and will ensure that the Provo airport will meet the needs of travelers well into the future.  Guess I'll have to make plans for a return visit to see their new airport terminal.  And while I'm there I might as well sit on their beaches for a week of two.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The terminal as it appears today

Runway leading into Provo International Airport

Proposed new Provo terminal

The "Winter of Your Life" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Feeling old today.  Need to eat breakfast so I can take my meds.  Isn't that terrible.  Years ago I would have laughed at people who said what I just typed with my sore fingers.  Then I hear that funny bell coming from my computer that signals that I have mail.  Click on the postage stamp icon and up pops a message from my childhood friend Bill who lives in Arizona.  Now why did he send me a story titled  "Winter of our lives."  He's older then me, by a few days as are many of my friends.  Is he trying to tell me something.  He stopped a month ago to spend some time with me when he returned to Lancaster for his 50th year class reunion.  We had a great time talking about our past as well as our future.  I almost missed him that day when I locked my keys in my car a few miles from home and was late getting home.  First time I EVER did that in over 50 years of driving.  But, he was there in my driveway, reading my morning paper and waiting for me.  I started to read the story he sent me and realized that both he and I are older than we really want to be.  But, as the saying goes, we have no choice.  Remember, you need to live your life to it's fullest.  Don't miss doing something you really wanted to do in you life.  I certainly am not missing what I want to do.  Heavens, read my stories and you will see what I have been doing for the past few years.  So, for those of you who are my older friends and for those of you who are my age, and even for those who are close-by in age, I thought I would pass along the story .......... to make you think more than anything.  Are you really in the "Winter of you Life?"  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

You know... time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all and I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams. But, here it is -- the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise. How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go? I remember when I was in the spring of my life, a young know-it-all, seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.  But, here I am in the winter of my life.  My friends are retired and getting gray, they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me, but, I see the great change.  Some suffering with a critically ill spouse praying they will outlive their loved one, to be there to take care of them. Then there are those that have been called home by the Lord, remaining in our hearts until we see them again.  Some of us have more friends and loved ones in heaven than we have here with us. We are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be. Each day now, I find that just getting minor chores done is a big challenge for us.   Taking a nap is not a treat anymore, it's mandatory or I just fall asleep where I sit!  I enter into this new season of my life -- unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!!  I praise God that I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last, when it's over I will be in my eternal abode without pain or sorrow for I have given my life to Christ, my Lord and Savior.  There are things I wish I hadn't done, things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done.  If you're not in your winter yet, let me remind you that it will be here faster than you think.  So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please make it a priority and do it! Don't put things off too long because you can never be sure if this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life. "Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those you love. LIVE IT WELL!  ENJOY TODAY!  DO SOMETHING worthy of praise to God! Enjoy your blessings, be thankful!

The "Restaurant Tips for the Novice" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Carol and I just finished eating in a restaurant on the island of Provo in the Turks and Caicos chain.  Most of our meals were eaten out, since we were on vacation.  One evening after our evening meal we returned back at our resort and pulled up our email.  There was a story that was published by Reader's Digest telling me about 50 secrets that my waiter won't tell me.  Started reading and found it interesting.  Things I would have never thought about.  Some really gross!  Here are a few you may want to watch out for when you eat out, if you ever do so again after reading this.  It was an ordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

1. Coffee you purchase after 8 PM will almost always be decaf, since the staff doesn't want to have to clean up more than one pot at the end of the evening.
2. Some restaurants that specialize in kids meals will put extra sugar in the pizzas so the kids will like them more.
3. If you are a vegetarian and ask if they use vegetable stock in food preparation they will usually tell you yes, even if they don't.  Figure you won't know the difference anyway.  
4. In a lot of restaurants the special is what they need to sell before it goes bad.
5. I've written this before in my stories, but lemon slices are touched by many and the lemons are never washed.
6. Very few restaurants ever carry skim milk, so if you order skim milk, chances are you are not getting it.
7. If you eat eggs at a breakfast buffet, chances are it is made from a powder.
8. If your food takes a long time to reach you it is probably the kitchen's fault and not the server.
9. Avoid eating at restaurants on Mother's and Valentine's Day.  They are so busy that they won't be able to pay proper attention to you.
10. Don't order fish on Sunday or Monday.  Fish deliveries generally come on mid-week days.
11. If you send your soup back because it isn't hot, they will probably take you spoon and run it under really hot water so when you put it in your mouth you will get the impression it is the soup.
12. If the menu says that the dessert is home-made, it probably is but at a bakery a few miles away.  
13. If you need water or something else, don't snap, tap or whistle.  They will probably ignore you more than before. 
14. Use your waiter's name if at all possible.  They will give you special service.
15. Try not to walk out of the restaurant with the slip you wrote the tip on instead of the copy.  The waiter will get nothing.
16. Make sure that the waiter does not allow the water pitcher to touch your glass, since they are using the same pitcher for all customer's glasses.
17. If you're worried about cleanliness, check out the bathroom.  If the bathroom is gross, so is the kitchen.
18. Finally, waiters can boost their tip by lightly touching the customer, crouching nest to the table, introducing themselves by name, or drawing a smiley face on the check.  Studies have proven these four things to be effective.

The "Drivin' the Roads of Provo" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Returning our rental car to Scooter Bob's after 8 days of driving around the island of Providenciales which is located in the Turks and Caicos chain of islands.  Nine years ago we made our first trip to the island.  Some of the most beautiful beaches in the world are located on Grace Bay and we just had to see them for ourselves.  Rented from Scooter Bob back then and had a good experience so we decided to give him our business once again.  Biggest difference from our last trip to this trip was paved roads.  Back in 2003 most of the roads were covered with potholes and jagged stones and we actually could hear tires blow out as drivers hit the holes and stones with too much force.  This trip there was one paved major four-lane highway that traveled essentially from one end of the island to the other and had round-a-bouts where other roads branched off of the main road.  Most secondary roads were also paved, but a few of the roads leading to restaurants, businesses or tourist attractions were still littered with stones and potholes.  But, I had a great time navigating while driving "English" style.  That means that I had to drive on the left side of the road rather than on the right side as we do in the USA.  Took me about 15 minutes of concentration and my wife and Just Sue yelling from the back seat to drive on the left.  Our first rental was on the island of North Caicos which I have already documented in a story.  The steering wheel was on the right side of the car which meant I was driving with the center line on my side of the car.  The vehicle that I rented in Provo had the steering wheel on the left, as does my car at home, and therefore I drove with the steering wheel on the outside of the road.  Tougher to figure how close I was to oncoming traffic, so I just hugged the side of the road as best I could.  Now to the car that Yan, our rental agent, had waiting for us when we arrived at the rental agency.  Purple car named "Otter."  Yep, they named every one of the 60 or so cars they had on the lot.  Wasn't like the other car we had on the other island, it was the "Otter" car.  It was a Daihatsu Charade with a 3-cylinder Toyota engine in it.  I must admit it had great pick-up and was an automatic with air.  The only thing I had to be careful of was that it was REALLY SMALL and close to the ground and when going over speed bumps, which were everywhere, I had to slow down to a stop before advancing over them.  Only bottomed-out one time when I didn't see the bump, and that was a real treat for the girls who occupied the rear seat.  Few sparks had to be coming out of the car on that one.  Then there was the problem of driving in the water.  Not talking about the ocean or bay, but the streets that had very poor drainage and were covered from side to side for blocks at a time with water that had to be lapping at the bottom of the doors of the car.  We survived the first few days with "Otter", but then he died.  Pulled into a gas station to put $20 worth of gas (3 1/2 gals.) in the tank and "Otter" wouldn't start again.  Called Scooter  Bob's place and they brought a replacement car.  This time a white Charade by the name of "Mosquito."  Served us well for the rest of vacation and after 8 days of driving on the roads of Provo, I parked the car in the lot at Scooter Bob's, checked on the health of "Otter" and gave the agent the keys to "Mosquito."  Fun time with very few problems on the road.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Diving to the Depths of Grace Bay" Story

Friends Randy on the left and Tom on the right.

It was an ordinary day.  Waiting for the sun to set over Grace Bay in Provo.  We arrived late this afternoon and after a quick dip in the ocean are anxiously awaiting the first of what we hope will be many gorgeous sunsets over one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  I have my Sony Alpha DSLR camera ready to document the sunset.  Will try to take it with and without the polarizing filter that I always use when photographing sunsets.  As I await the sun to drop into the horizon, I look to my left and see this fellow with a large camera bag over his shoulder, carrying a camera that has a lens to die for.  He checks up and down the beach and settles on a spot close to me.  He looks like he has taken this same shot many times and knows where the sunset will be the most spectacular.  I watch him prepare, looking for the overhanging palm branch or the spot in the beach grass that will allow him to frame the shot to make it interesting.  I turn toward the sunset, take a few shots of the sun as it drifts behind the clouds and turn back toward the fellow.  Not there!  He has seemed to have vanished.  Maybe I will get another chance to talk with him again.  You see, I am a photography nut who enjoys taking photos of just about anything and enjoys talking with like souls who share my passion.  Well, the next night I get a chance to meet him as he arrives again with his camera and camera bag.  Tom is his name as he introduces himself as well as his friend Randy.  Randy owns one of the units at Ocean Club East were Carol and I, as well as our traveling friends Jerry and Just Sue, are staying for two weeks.  Tom is not only a skilled amateur photographer, but also a scuba diver as is Randy.  Right off the beach sits Randy's 9.9 HP Zodiac that carries the two of them off into the distance to dive beyond the whitecaps.  Depths of well over 100 feet create fantastic chances for Tom and Randy to dive as well as take photos.  During my two weeks on the island I got many chances to talk with both of them about the island as well as their love of the sea.  They both are residents of New York and met while working for Verizon.  Randy bought his unit in 1989 and found that after 9/11 his wife didn't care to fly anymore, so he had the chance to have Tom spend a few weeks in paradise with him, scuba diving and taking photos.  Randy started his scuba experiences in 1967 in the local lakes of NY while Tom took up the hobby in 1978.  Tom now uses his Canon G9 DSLR, housed in a waterproof unit to document the dives that the two friends take most days that the weather will permit diving.  One evening as Carol and I and our friends were having our evening meal at the Cabana Bar and Grill on the premises of Ocean Club East, Tom pulled up a chair next to us, sat his laptop on the table and proceeded to show us some of the most spectacular underwater photos I have ever seen.  He and Randy not only know the names of the sea life we are watching on the screen, but the history and mannerisms of all of the colorful species we are viewing.  It was as if we were watching a National Geographic episode on TV.  During the remainder of my vacation I talked with and picked the brains of both of them.  Found out that Randy knows most of the history of the island and a few of my stories I have published or will publish in the future were done with his help.  He also offered me a ride in his water vessel, but I wasn't able to pull myself into it in the rough waters.  I did get to take his underwater Sea Doo scooter for a short ride one day.  I have traveled to many locations in the Caribbean in the past 10 years and have met many wonderful people, both locals and visitors, but have never found two guys that have been as interesting, informative and just plain friendly as Tom and Randy.  I hope I can stay in touch with them some how and maybe meet up with them again someday.  Their friendship made our vacation something special this time around; thanks to both of you for befriending us!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - The photos I have included are photos that I took from a CD that Tom gave to me before I left.  See if you don't think they are amazing.  Please remember that they are copyrighted. 

 

The "Have I Got A List For You" Story

See, I only have a few lists!

It was an ordinary day.  As I may have mentioned a few times on other recent stories, I am getting ready to travel to one of the most beautiful places on earth for vacation.  And when I get ready, I make lists.  Actually, I make lists even when I'm not traveling.  A list will be needed of all the electronic stuff I want to take.  Things like our two Kindles and charger, the iPad and charger, the Toshiba laptop so I can write stories and not have to try to type on little tiny keys; and charger, my Apple thing-a-ma-jig I listen to songs on when on the beach; and charger, my cell phone and charger, and finally the cameras and chargers for both of them.  Then I need the battery chargers for my batteries and a surge protector so I can plug a whole bunch of different things into one device.  I know I forgot something, but at least I can add it to the list and will not have forgotten any of the afore-mentioned.  Then there is the list I need for doing the Middle School yearbook and the Landis Run yearbook.  Photos of the cooks, principals, security guards, etc. have to go on the list along with sports teams, clubs and activities photos and finally candids.  No, wait, I missed music groups and I don't know what else.  That's why I need a list.  I have a list for going to the grocery store that I printed and padded into tablets.  Went aisle by aisle one day and wrote the items that we buy the most and made a pretty neat list.  Then I have a daily list so I won't miss doing something tomorrow.  I keep a date calendar on my desk, by the phone that I write my appointments and meetings in so I remember, then I transfer them to my daily notes when the day comes.  Follow so far?  How about you ..... I'm sure you have notes you write, don't you?  Only people that have photographic minds don't need lists.  Carol came back to the den the other day, looked at all the lists I had spread on my desk and work table and said, "You know, (un-named) who I work with, right.  Her son makes list after list like you do.  Only thing is, he has autism and has an excuse.  What's your excuse for all these notes?  Do you have a note to tell you which note to look at?"  "I'm fine and I know all I need to know," I told her.  Then I asked her, "Did you happen to see where I put my glasses?"  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Faces of Strangers: #8" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sippin' my mango smoothie with two cherries on the top.  Catherine had just made it for me a few minutes ago.  Catherine is a real sweetheart who works at the Cabana Beach Bar at the Ocean Club East Resort on the island of Providenciales in Turks and Caicos.  First afternoon on vacation I went to the beach bar about 3:00 PM and ordered my first mango smoothie.  Asked her if I could have two cherries on it, since my wife was going to share it with me and we each liked the cherry on the top.  No problem!  Paid for it and hustled back to my chair on the white-sand beach by the turquoise sea under the swaying palms.  What more can you ask for while on vacation?  Well, I'll tell you.  Going back the next day and having the same bartender having a mango smoothie with two cherries ready within minutes of arriving at the bar; without even asking me what I wanted.  Catherine started at the Cabana in 1995.  She was born on Grand Turk, but came to Provo when she heard of the opening at the beach bar.  We talked most days about ........ what else but life.  Found out she loves to travel to the States for her vacation time.  Travels with her church members to Kentucky and Georgia.  I asked her what they do when they travel on vacation.  "We praise the Lord!" she told me.  "And, shop!  And, relax!"  Catherine is a member of the Church of God - Pentecostal on the island and loves her church and her friends who are members with her.  We got to talking another day and I asked her a few more personal questions.  "Catherine, what color is Jesus?" I asked, not trying to pry into her personal life too much, but actually wondering what a native black person believes.  "Well, black!  What else would he be?"  She responded immediately.  "And, not even that, but Cleopatra was black also."  We talked more about our beliefs as well as her family.  She was a wonderful person to talk with in the heat of the day.  And, of course, she made a great mango smoothie for me every day of vacation.  Oh, yeah ....... with two cherries on top!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Where Conch is King" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Traveling through Blue Hills in Providenciales looking for a place to eat.  Not just any place mind you, but a place that we remembered from nine years ago when we ate there.  Back then it was located along the Caribbean Sea and had rows and rows of conch shells that were sitting next to it on a vacant lot.  In 2003 we stopped at da Conch Shack for lunch on a hot humid day.  The kind of day that made you want to hop in the water to cool off before you sat down to lunch.  And, that's exactly what my wife Carol and our friend Just Sue did that day.  Right in front of the colorful roadside restaurant they wandered into the cool, turquoise water to cool off before lunch.  A few yards from the beach they came upon a real surprise.  Conch shells!  Hundreds and hundreds of conch shells that had been discarded after removing the conch from them to make chowder, fritters, and fried conch.  They each brought two shells from the water which we placed in the trunk of our rental car.  Still have one of our shells on display under our TV in the family room.  Brings back memories most every time I watch TV.  Well, the current da Conch Shack is no longer in the same location, having been moved a block or two from the original one a few years ago.  No longer rows and rows of empty shells lining the property next to it, but there is a display along the water that holds shells for purchase.  The new colorful bar and restaurant is a popular hangout for tourists and locals.  It still is rimmed by the turquoise sea while the picnic tables hide under the swaying palms just as they used to years ago.  The conch is as fresh as you can get; you can watch the staff clean your conch minutes before it is delivered to your table if you care to do so.  They serve between 300 to 600 conch a day, depending on the season.  You can order your conch curried, cracked, in stew or chowder, fried or in fritters.  They do have a few other menu selections, but at this place, conch is king.  I personally don't like conch.  Too chewy and most times you have to just swallow it whole.  I must admit I was disappointed after waiting and talking about our return to da Conch Shack for more than a year.  But sometimes your memory makes things out to be better than they really were years ago.  On this day, that was the case.  But hey, we're on vacation and everything is just fine no matter how we pictured it to be.  Wouldn't have missed our trip to da Conch Shack for anything.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Wall in front of da Conch Shack covered with conch shells

Picnic tables by the sea, under the palms

Shells for sale along the shoreline

The "Potcake" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Finishing our evening meal at Danny Buoys along the main strip in Providenciales.  Still in the same building and location that it was when we first visited the island in 2003.  The Irish Pub is a popular sports bar now rather than a laid back family restaurant as it was nine years ago.  Carol and I along with our friends Jerry and Just Sue are parked on the deck, under a huge flat screen TV that is broadcasting some college football game.  The noise inside the restaurant is unbearable.  Screaming and yelling as well as breaking into song as they watch a different game.  At the end of the deck is a dark colored dog, laying off to the side as to not attract the attention of the waiter and being chased away from the customers.  My wife finishes most of her BBQ pulled-pork sandwich and places the rest next to me.  I look at it and then at her.  She whispers for me to take the rest of the sandwich to the end of the deck and give it to the dog.  I stand and head slowly toward the dog with the food, but he sees me approaching and walks away from me.  I try to coax him to take the food, but he is frightened so I place the food on the deck and walk back to my seat.  As soon as I sit back down I see that he had found the food.  Within minutes the woman sitting across from us rises, walks to our table, taps me on the shoulder and thanks me for feeding the dog.  She tells us of all the strays on the island that are starving or are being killed by the government to try to control the over-population of the dogs.  By now my wife has tears in her eyes.  The dogs are known as Potcake dogs.  It is a name given to the dogs of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.  The name came about because for years and years the locals fed the strays the congealed rice and peas mixture that remained in the cooking pots after they finished eating.  It is a mixed breed dog that has now been given it's own name.  Kind of a Shepard-mixed, but is extremely intelligent, loyal, calm and hardy.  And, they are everywhere!  The following day on the beach we saw a woman and young girl with four black puppies and a slightly larger yellow puppy.  Naturally had to go over to see them and take some photos of them.  Found out they were rescued Potcake puppies.  Youngest ones were 6 weeks old while the larger puppy was 8 weeks old and they were having the best time rolling and playing in the sand.  The woman and girl were members of the TCSPCA and were helping with the adoption and fostering of the dogs.  People on vacation can return to the states with a dog if they are approved by the TCSPCA.  No charge and they will help by giving you a carrying box and helping you get through customs and security with the dog.  You must take the dog on the plane as a carry-on and keep it under the seat in front of you.  If you don't care to keep one for yourself, you may wish to act as a courier for someone who has asked for one online.  The TCSPCA is trying their best to help with the overpopulation of the Potcake dogs on the island.  Carol and I talked it over and both agreed that puppy in our home at this time would not work since we have a cat who is 19 years old and in the last stages of his life.  Not quite fair to him to bring a new puppy into the house.  We have saved the website address and at some time may consider helping out by adopting one of the cute Potcake pups.  Info for the adoption or courier service is: mail@potcakeplace.com or www.potcakeplace.com.  Can you help?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.