Doldrums

August is a doldrums month her in PR, hence the dearth of posts this month.

After diving 12 days in July, I've only been out twice in August. Weather is partly to blame: we're finally getting rain in the mountains, filling the reservoirs and staving off water rationing, at least on our side of the island. (More about the drought in a future post.)

So how is rain in the mountains connected to diving in the ocean? The rains, especially heavy rains, wash "stuff" down from the mountains and into the sea. One of the longest river systems on the island dumps into Aguadilla Bay. All the silt and "stuff" carried down by the river spreads out in the ocean. Prevailing currents carry it along to some of our favorite dive sites. All that "stuff" in the water reduces visibility, making for less interesting, more difficult diving.

On the bright side, I've done more riding and training with Chocolate this month.

Elaine started a new job - a real, live 9-5, Monday through Friday office job at the end of July. Yes, it is a steady if unspectacular paycheck. Yes, we now have medical insurance (which we are taking full advantage of). But we also do not have a full day off together. So for now, no Tuesday Adventures.

August is also the beginning of two months of business doldrums. School starts here either the first of second week of August, depending on the school. Classes are about to start in the States. So travel, both local and from the Mainland, has ground pretty much to a halt. It will be like this until the surf and surfers come back in mid-to-late October. So after Labor Day, we are closing Ola Lola's until the first (actually the second) of October. Pretty much all the "mom-and-pop" places close down for some part of September. We joke that we should all close and book an Alaskan cruise.

Life goes on through the "dog days," just at an even slower-than-usual pace.