Barefoot Diary's Podcast

OCTOBER 7, 2017 ~ Vieques Island, Puerto Rico Chasing all over the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, for ice, food and gasoline was part of our survival process after Hurricane Maria. But, we turned into contortionists and powerful climbers as we searched high and low for the illusive cell phone signal. Never thought (in this lifetime) we'd be playing hide and seek with an electronic "wave." Sheesh! Listen to the challenges and the foibles that created as we tried to communicate with the rest of the world in: Telephone Hill.

OCTOBER 6, 2017 ~ Vieques Island, Puerto Rico Living through a hurricane is tough, but the surviving part builds character. Maria left us with no power, no running water, no cell reception and no INTERNET!!! This geeky girl learned that doing without is sometimes more fun than having it all.  You just have to be more creative! We so hope you enjoy our survival adventures, and you and always read and look at the pictures at: The Bare Necessities

SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 ~ Vieques Island, Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria our property became a haven for displaced iguanas and John, as he was cleaning up the yard, became an iguana keeper and their leader. So, what ya iguana do? Well, we just fed them, spoke gently to comfort them, and uh, well, loved them. It's not so easy being green, especially after a major catastrophe like Maria. Read the story and take a gander at John's awesome photos at: Iguana Refuge

SEPTEMBER 20, 2017 ~ Vieques Island, Puerto Rico This is a day that changed our lives. This story is a play-by-play, hour-by-hour account of the horrific night that Hurricane Maria found us.  You know, I thought I had gotten over my post-hurricane trauma, in that I could tell the story without tearing up. Evidently not, I kinda lost it on this recording. Brace yourself on this one! Definitely you'll want to see the photos at: They Call this Wind Maria 

SEPTEMBER 13, 2017 ~ Vieques Island, Puerto Rico No bragging on this one, but surviving Hurricane Irma bumped me up a level from being a hurricane rookie to having one hurricane "notch" on my belt! And, oh my, I learned a lot! Listen to this "down in the trenches" account of things I learned about hurricanes, particularly Irma! You are welcome to read this story and look at the photos at: 20 Things I Learned from Hurricane Irma

SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 ~ Vieques Island, Puerto Rico Being a hurricane rookie, I really didn't know what to expect as we prepared for Irma's arrival on Vieques, Puerto Rico. But I sure recognized the hustle and bustle as everyone prepared for Irma's debut. In fact, I'd seen this type of hubbub every year as people all over the world prepare for, uh, Christmas! Hang with me on this one and see if you agree. You can also read this story and look at the accompanying photos at: Hurricane Irma

AUGUST 21, 2017 ~ Vieques Island, Puerto Rico Combine a solar eclipse and the clucking, crowing chicken population of an island, and you see (and hear) some mighty peculiar things...things that make you go hmmmmm! I loved writing this story and John got a lot of exercise trying to get our fine-feathered friends to pose for the pictures. We hope you enjoy Chanticleer Alarm Clocks.

AUGUST 10, 2017 ~ Vieques Island, Puerto Rico One of the coolest things about running on Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, is that there are no snakes on the island. Nope, not a one! I can handle spiders and even mice, but snakes make me go a little spastic.  But we discovered there were other critters here that can, in fact, kill you or wish you were dead.  We explore these menacing critters, centipedes, scorpions and millipedes in a piece called: Creepy Crawlies 

AUGUST 8, 2017 ~ Vieques Island, Puerto Rico The house we are sitting, here on Vieques, Puerto Rico, is in a barrio called Monte Santo, which is right smack dab in the middle of the island. To get to either of the two towns on the island, we normally take the scenic route on a corridor we call Mango Dump Road. I've also run, and yep, fallen while running on this road, which to me, made it notorious. Little did we know that it indeed has a rich history...bandits, hurricanes, murders and a father's dream for his son...all make this phenomenal stretch of pavement a place to remember. Read along, read or just look at the photos at: The Legend of Mango Dump Road  

AUGUST 1, 2017 ~ Vieques Island, Puerto Rico We realize that it's hard to get excited about a place called Mosquito Pier, but hang with us on this one. Where else could you walk a mile over clear, turquoise water?  Where else could you swim with the turtles, and enjoy postcard perfect coastline views that will take your breath away with no crowds, no tourist traps and no city din? No where else but Mosquito Pier on Vieques Island, Puerto Rico! You can also read this story and take a gander at John's awesome photos at: Mosquito Pier

JULY 19, 2017 ~ Vieques Island, Puerto Rico Yep, John does have a voice! Listen to his epic story about how he dealt with a MONSTER while I was home for my mother's funeral.  You won't want to miss the video at: Monster Mango Buffet

JULY 12, 2017 ~ Carrollton, Texas, USA Today we buried my sweet Mama.  I came home for a few weeks to help make arrangements and help my dad.  John stayed at our house sit on Vieques to "hold down the fort." I miss him. I also miss my Mama.  A lot.Listen to the beautiful tribute my sister wrote to a great lady. To read and watch the video tribute go to: Mama

JULY 1, 2017 ~ Vieques Island, Puerto Rico We love swimming, exercising and running at the beach. Listen to how John ended up donating his flip flops to the canine population of Vieques, Puerto Rico, by way of one spunky Perro Negro! Read the story here:  El Perro Negro and the Flip Flop

JUNE 20, 2017 ~ Vieques Island, Puerto Rico I'll bet you never knew that mangos and horses are besties! At least here on Vieques, Puerto Rico, they are. Listen to how wild horses helped us manage our over abundance of mangos, or you can read the story at: Mango Munch Festival - Horses Welcome! Neigh! Neigh!

JUNE 12, 2017 ~ Vieques Island, Puerto Rico Growing up in Dallas, I can’t remember eating mangos or even seeing them in the grocery stores. Mangos were just not on my radar. That completely changed when we arrived here on Vieques. Listen to this "syrupy" account of how we managed the mango harvest during our house sit on Vieques, Puerto Rico. Or you can read our account here: Doing the Mango Tango