Cliff the feline border collie

Cliff is the little black cat in the photo below. He’s a stray, fed regularly by some people in the neighborhood of Savaneta, Aruba. As you can also see in the photo, Cliff herds the chickens that are also taken care of by the same people. It’s amazing to watch Cliff, who seems to keep the chickens away from the nearby road and generally in the vicinity of the food and water bowls.

Cliff the Cat herds chickens.

Cliff the Cat herds chickens.

I’m not sure if Cliff has a “snack” once in a while. Whatever the case, this seems to be an example of confused identity on the part of Cliff who might have been a border collie in a previous life. You never know.

Published in: on July 11, 2013 at 1:26 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Work continues…

…on the Ritz-Carlton in Aruba. As you see here, the main structure is mostly complete.

Inland facade of Ritz Carlton, Aruba.

Inland facade of Ritz Carlton, Aruba.

The building is much larger than I thought it would be from the conceptual drawings that were in the local newspaper. It takes up a chunk of the beach and is immediately adjacent to a very popular wind/kite surf area. The good/bad news is, there’s no more beach to build more hotels in this area.

Published in: on July 9, 2013 at 9:39 am  Leave a Comment  
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Friends at Charlie’s Bar

As regular Bent Page readers know, Charlie’s Bar in San Nicolaas, Aruba, is one of my regular haunts. I’ve done tons of writing and socializing there. With good reason, too, because plenty of people pass by. This week, Virginia Madsen and Nick Holmes stopped in to enjoy the ambience and a chat with yours truly.

Friends at Charlie's Bar, Aruba.

Friends at Charlie’s Bar, Aruba.

We told stories, enjoyed some food and drink, and of course made plans to return. So it is in Aruba. See you there soon!

92 years and more!

Manuel is one of those characters in San Nicolaas, Aruba, that makes the place an interesting setting. He was born in Cuba and after Castro’s gang ruined his family, Manuel came to Aruba, where despite being 92 years old, he still works.

In San Nicolaas with Manuel.

In San Nicolaas with Manuel.

I nick-named him “pops” because he has that look and a nicer guy is hard to find. Long life and much health to you, pops!

Published in: on July 5, 2013 at 11:35 am  Comments (1)  
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