Rincon Adventure

I have been volunteering for ARF for about three months helping with fundraisers and taking minutes at our weekly meeting. We actually adopted our dog Hopkins from an ARF fundraiser 5 years ago so we have been involved with the organization in one way or another for a few years. We just had our biggest fundraiser of the years on St. Patrick's Day. We had approximately 230 people attend this sit down dinner as well as silent/live auction. It was held at the Villa Cofresi in their banquet hall and they took care of the food, table, chairs, linen, dinnerware, etc. We were responsible for the bar as well as all the auction items. We had some really great items from local establishments as well as local artisans so there was a nice ecclectic mix. It was a lot of work preparing and the day of, but turned out to be one of our most successful events in ARF's  11 year history. We made over $10,000 which was fantastic! Now we can use this money for spay/neutering of local animals at a discount or free, medical care to get animals healthy for adoption as well as help support sending adopted animals off the island.

I am always so surprised and thrilled when people come to visit and decide they want to take a "sato" with them. ARF helps organize the paperwork, medical visit and flight to make sure the dog or cat are ready to go! We are in the process of sending one of the sweet dogs (Willow) to Boulder, CO. I had emailed our old dogsitter/trainer in Lyons to see if she could help get the word out and low and behold two people from the Humane Society in Boulder contacted me to let me know they would take Willow - how amazing! They are a no kill shelter and have a high adoption rate. So, we are in the process of planning her flight to Colorado. I am hoping Marcus can coordinate with his next trip, but she may have to go without an escort. Continental Airlines does a great job with transporting animals, but the cost is rather high. It all depends on weight - Hopkins cost around $280 to send down - one way. So, not cheap. I believe there are some other airlines that are less expensive but we haven't used any other airlines. I know if you can fit you animal under the seat there is only a minimal charge for that ticket.

So, I have really enjoyed spending a few hours a week volunteering and in the process have met some really great people most of whom have been coming to Rincon during the winter for years and years. However, most are now going back to the States for the Spring/Summer so our volunteer pool will go way down. Marcus and I decided to have a Thank You ARF party as well as a farewell to our group of volunteers last night. I was really nice - about 25 people came. It was the first time we have had a party here and we realized what a great house we live in and that it is a great house for entertaining. My mother in-law was so happy when we told her because this house was empty for so long because she couldn't get down her very often. So, she is really happy that the house is being used and that it has come to life again.

I am excited for her to see the changes we have made - finally got a new couch and chair last weekend!!!! I found it in the Sears in Ponce and they delivered for $65 - cheap! I have been working on getting the house to feel more like our home so we have made some nice improvements - mostly decorative and cosmetic nothing structural. The office looks really nice and the living room is very cozy now with the new couch and chair.  We still haven't figured out our plan. We are still working on some ideas, but we have a tendency to always look toward the 'next thing' and we are trying not to do that as much. Simply enjoy here and now and each day as opposed to what is coming. So, we are taking our time with the business plans, but will have a ideas on paper in the next couple of months to see if it really makes sense.

In the meantime we are getting very excited for our trip to Italy next month! We spoke to Marcus's relative (Maria) in Gradoli the other day just to give her our itinerary and Marcus asked her how many Andronici's there were in Gradoli. Maria laughed and said she didn't know the number off the top of her head, but said there are quite a few. I am guessing about 30 people in a town of 100. So, we are really interested and excited to meet his relatives and get to experience the really local culture there.