My Blog List

One Improvement After Another


Power poles and distribution are installed on the center road.
I'm a little disappointed in myself for not taking more pictures of this large expense. BEL did a nice job and caused no damage to the road with their heavy trucks. In fact they proved the road good and packed it tighter.

Check out the Power Poles in the background

Let's compare some before and after pictures.
Culverts and drainage are working great.

The newly installed additional culvert six months ago. Landscaping required.

The additional (far) culvert as it looks now Dec 2012. 
We have had lots of rain lately. Water trickles out of the bush for a few days after the rain stops.

South Road, six months ago, stripped by the grader, and re compacted.



Dec 2012 Looking Good. Thanks again to DEC and Son's out of Dangriga.
South road just after being cut with a lawn mower. Looks soft but it's hard as steel.
This is the toughest Cohune in the valley. It survived a roaring fire then a grader sheared it clean off the face of the planet and a compactor pounded the crap out of it. It is now protected!

 My buddy Glen, getting water for the new plants. Culvert wata yum yum ! !

Bought plants - split the doubles and chop the big ones into little ones
I have learned to compliment first and then ask for plant cuttings. Most strangers will go out of their way to provide samples. Just stick it in good soil and watch it grow. Here is my planting nursery. I am looking forward to providing cuttings as well some day.


Besides sharing my adventure ... just a reminder
 You can own a piece of this tropical paradise.
 
That's it for now I need to sort through the parrot and orchid pic's.

For anyone interested I will arrange a guided walk about.
Call me in Canada at 403 - 650 - 7451
Or feel free to check it out on your own.
Our grounds man is usually there.
Thank you, Dave Brown




Power Distribution Pricing Secured, Road and Drainage Improvement

  A few improvements in the subdivision. We had some wash out on the south road during heavy rains in the dry season?? I know - strange it did not happen during the last rainy season! This is a low area that collects water from the jungle and a portion of the south road ditch. Pictured here is the intake of the newly installed second culvert.                              

You can also see the origional culvert with vegetation around it about 4 feet away. The vegetation is important to eliminate errosion where water flow is concentrated. It's a relief to see the vegetation before errosion.  Grass will be better but I welcome the weeds for now!





Here is the output end of the two culverts, The new culvert was placed exactly where the washout occured. You can see some of the fines aggregate on the bench at the edge of the dug out. Again, bring on the vegetation!!

The dug out nicely acts as a settling pond before the water flows into the Silk Grass Creek. The creek is teaming with small fish, year round. It is not uncommon for the locals to drink water directly from the creek.





Once again DEC and Sons, the local road builder stepped up to the plate and provided a courtesy grader and packer for a few hours to improve the road cross section and make it similar to that of the center road which is perfect. They pulled alot of material that was spread a little too wide to create the proper crown in the road. I also had them run the packer on the center road just for good measure. Looking foreward to the grass growing back into the ditch area

Our grounds men phoned me in January, "Dave, the weeds and grass are taking over the road way. We want to buy some spray and kill it back". Me "no leave it, I think it will be OK".



Our grounds men called again in February, "Dave the weeds and grass are getting knee deep in the road way. We need to buy some spray and kill it back."  Me, "well ok but only about ten feet wide where the vehicles drive."

I regret letting the guys spray and kill back the weeds and vegatation on the road. So we agreed the roadway will be cut with the lawn mower when it grows back. The vehicles will beat down any grass and weeds once the road sees a little more traffic.

Here's the center road after an all morning rain storm. I was worried about errosion when leaving in December because it was just dirt on the sides with no grass. It turns out the drainage is great.The gentle curved ditches did not erode at all. A lawnmower can nicely get this and the grass is starting to look real good. The electric power is going in on the right of this road. Unfortunately BEL is going to cut the trees back about 10 feet to ensure the high voltage lines are safe from contacting the trees.












While out in Belize this May I paid BEL (Belize Electric Limited) and signed on the dotted line for power distribution installation to the center road lots.
 Pricing worked out to about $3000 USD per lot for power.
Shown here are the lot prices in USD.
I have allowed for "include" power to the property line for the north and south roads as well.
Power is going in on the center road immediately.