The third-level

 We get up early, partly because we are awake but also because there are chores and animals that are on an early schedule as well. We actually look forward to getting up, because we know that morning cup of coffee is waiting. Usually Miguel prepares it all the night before; we just have to get up and 'push the button' to start the drip process. While the coffee is dripping, we take out the garbage, let out the cats, take out Loco, turn on the hot water heater, clean out the litter boxes, and sweep the terrace. The person who hit the kitchen first is responsible to 'push the button'. If one of us is lolling about in the bed, the smell of coffee brewing is enough to coax the person to get up.

When I was working we'd sit in the living room to drink our coffee; browsing through bookmarked sites on the internet, reading email, and catching up on the news on the tv. On weekends we'd try to remember to take our coffee out to one of the terraces so we could enjoy the morning, but routines are hard to break, and mostly we continued to sit in the living room and ignore the beautiful outdoors.

Now, without pressure to get through the morning routines in order to spend the rest of the day working, we are more relaxed and really enjoy our morning cup of coffee outdoors. When we have guests we can't go upstairs so we go out on the front terrace, swinging in the hammocks while chatting about the garden, and giving attention to Cappuchina, who joins us in the hammocks. But when it's just us here, we often go up on the other terraces, scolding ourselves for not enjoying them more often.

Here are some pictures from a recent morning when we decided to go up on the third-level terrace. I started taking pictures looking over the beautiful blue waters towards Cancun, and moved around the terrace. Follow me as I show you what I saw.

Looking south-west across the 'jungle' in our colonia. Before Hurricane Wilma killed them off, we had wild parrots living in the trees in our jungle.

Looking down at the front hedge and the living roof over the front walkway, and the second-level terrace.

Looking south-east across the lagoon towards Colonia La Gloria.

Looking east towards the Caribbean and mid-island colonias.

Looking down at Miguel's plants on the second-level terrace.

Looking north-east across the lagoon towards the mainland.

Looking down at the cats out on the back terrace.

Looking west toward Cancun.

The terrace itself.

When I was working, we rarely enjoyed this terrace. You might say I woke up and smelled the coffee. Literally.