Happy Monday, everyone! It’s time to dive into your favorite telenovela set deep in the Guatemalan jungle. Let’s catch up on some life updates. Remember that handyman disaster we had last month while we were away? Well, we are beyond relieved that he finally quit. After he left, the carpenter, who was also working during our absence, admitted that he never actually saw the handyman during his supposed working hours. This guy was supposed to sleep over every night and leave around 9 am, returning at 4 pm. Judging by our skyrocketing electric bill, we suspect he was showing up around 6 pm, keeping all the lights on until early morning, and shutting them down just before pretending to leave. It was a pretty clever ruse to make it seem like someone was in the house.

Our hens are back to laying their usual one egg a day each. When we returned, they were barely producing one egg combined from all nine hens, suggesting the handyman wasn’t feeding them properly. Despite this, he managed to go through two 100lb bags of corn, which he charged us more for than our usual cost. It turns out he was starving our animals and feeding his with our food. When he resigned and his dad had the audacity to ask why we were firing him, it was a huge insult to our intelligence, considering all the neglect and deception. We couldn’t be happier he is gone.

Interestingly, his father took responsibility for paying off his motorcycle debt. We are surprised he managed to gather almost $1,000 in three weeks. It’s baffling how he did it, as he didn’t have any income protection or significant savings.

We’ve replaced our dead rooster with a new one. While he doesn’t fight with the turkey or goose, he doesn’t seem eager to mingle with the hens and isn’t in any rush to produce chicks.

The carpenter is now the only staff left at our house. He’s a discreet teenager who always kept to himself, even when we had a team of builders here. He arrives punctually at 7 am every day, which is rare around here. Despite his shyness, he’s very bright and has suggested some clever improvements around the house. He has been doing a fantastic job. We asked if he wanted to stay on as a full-time handyman, and he agreed, but with the condition that he could take some days off to work on his house. So, we arranged for his girlfriend to clean our house three mornings a week while he does his tasks at home. Together, they effectively fill a full-time role for us.

I’ve mentioned before that I wasn’t keen on having a maid, but my partner was becoming very insistent. The girl is Spanish, having come here with a Spanish boyfriend who owns a nearby hotel; she left him for the carpenter, who appears to be the love of her life. She is working not for the thrill of earning a Guatemalan wage but to relieve the boy so he can work on their house. She’s discreet and efficient, so things are working out well so far.

We had another storm last week. Thankfully, we now have an emergency routine to bring the boat out of the water and secure everything inside the house as soon as the wind starts to blow. During the heavy rain that followed, we were comfortably enjoying the show until it started to rain inside! Despite having a solid concrete roof, water was seeping through the stones of the wall. For aesthetic reasons, we didn’t use much concrete between the stones, assuming it would be like old European houses that don’t get wet in winter. We forgot two critical points: first, the strong side winds make it seem like a high-pressure water hose is pointed at the wall; second, those European houses have wide roofs, whereas our roof exactly matches the house’s footprint. So even a slight wind causes rain to hit the wall directly.

It was quite a sight to see the water streaming down the walls, but thankfully, no damage was done. We’ll need to figure out a way to seal those gaps while keeping the stone wall’s attractive look.

These storms are unusual. My partner’s family has owned ranches here since the early ’80s, and even he is surprised by these mini hurricanes. Usually, hurricanes hit Belize or the Pacific Coast of Guatemala but seldom reach the northern part of the country.

The development on our 90 acres is progressing slowly. The mayor was supposed to provide us with a list of all the required documents for approving the development. Since there’s no post office, they haven’t sent it, and it’s strange it’s taking them six weeks to give us that list. We should be treated like any other developer, with rules previously set for everyone to consult. Receiving special treatment isn’t something we appreciate.

I’m currently reading Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. It’s a fascinating book that reflects on how chaotic the world could be if people like those working for our council had absolute power to halt private enterprise in the name of equality. The book talks about a man who invents a revolutionary metal but is hindered from producing it so that less successful entrepreneurs can have an equal chance. It resonates with my frustrations, especially when people suggest giving jobs to those who don’t deserve them out of love or kindness. This kind of thinking, embodied by a character’s mother who suggests giving undeserved jobs is virtuous, echoes the misplaced ideals some people uphold.

If you get the chance, do read Atlas Shrugged; it’s incredible. There’s a lot of resentment in my region towards wealthier people, which is understandable due to the history of colonization. However, it’s been 500 years, and perhaps it’s time to acknowledge that many of us have worked hard to get where we are. Blaming historical figures like Christopher Columbus won’t change our present circumstances. Playing the victim and waiting for government handouts isn’t a path to success.

Despite these challenges, we are making progress. The wall is finished, and so is the entrance gate. We’ve kept it closed for now because many curious people were wandering in, and some were using it as a shortcut to avoid the village and its speed bumps. We don’t intend to maintain roads for their convenience. The ongoing talks with the council will determine whether we keep the roads private or hand them over for public use and maintenance.

We’ve been maintaining the grass on our land. After burning everything to the ground a few months ago, the heavy rains have made the grass greener and thicker than ever. Since it’s too humid to burn now, we hired a few guys with machetes to cut the grass and bushes, keeping the land neat.

On a lighter note, Mrs. Duck had four adorable little ducklings this week. They are a much brighter yellow than the pictures show, almost like they could glow in the dark! Their father is white, so it’s amusing to see how they turned out so yellow with a black mother. They are quite a sight and very entertaining.

That’s all for now!