It has been hot! I received messages saying the outside temperature was 105 degrees! Fortunately I live on a hill, so I get a beautiful breeze.
I spent three days this week outside of Kingston, the capital of Jamaica, in Portland Parish, which is on the north coast of the island. I was attending the 11th Annual Maroon Festival in Charles Town, which is about 10 minutes drive from the Caribbean sea and in the countryside. So, I saw a lot of animals! The roosters woke me up every single morning by crowing outside of my window. There were lots of puppies playing everywhere: in the river, in the fields, at homes. And there were lizards everywhere, including my apartment. I don't love this, but they do eat lots of bugs!
Portland is a very rural and beautiful part of Jamaica. It has beautiful ocean views and access as well as the very famous Blue Mountains. Because the mountains almosts go into the sea, Portland has many rivers running down into the ocean.