In the tropics, the seasons have disappeared; you have never seen so much rain. Leaf-cutter ants strip trees overnight and things you always grew successfully don't seem to care much for the new climate. Things can get quite odd in the tropics and trying to adapt can cause some downright funny situations. Why even the "dirt" is different ...and slippery.

So, why move? My husband asks that question often. You move so that you can garden year 'round. You move to live in eternal spring, even if the 'spring in your step' is slowing down. You move because the roadside weeds are orchids and the air is always fragrant.

For all the misadventures, all the mistakes, the grumbling when things don't quite go as planned---and, yes, the occasional bout with cursing---life in the tropics is good. Even if you live between two volcanoes. Life is a Tropical Garden.