I did it. This Christmas I entered the modern age of smartphones. Personally, I miss the time when I could exist with a phone that only made phone calls. Living on an island helped me to exist in that world a little bit longer than I think I could in the regular universe. But at some point in the last year, the regular universe found me and group texts sent from certain smartphones began being sent as data. And suddenly my PTWJAP (phone-that-was-just-a-phone) couldn’t receive them. This meant I was regularly having to text my boss with super professional requests like, “Can you resend that? It didn’t come through for some reason.” Which is professional-ish when it happens once in awhile, perhaps. But sending it every two out of three texts? Okay, fine. I’ll get a grown-up phone with a grown-up data plan. But I get a phone case that glows in the dark. That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.

Here’s the good news that comes with my new smartphone. Pictures. All the time. Pictures of the cheese I’m eating. Pictures of my dog doing things way cuter than other people’s dogs do. Pictures of my baby nephew stolen from my sister’s Facebook page. And, here’s the one you’ll like (unless I lost you at PTWJAP), pictures of bizarre island happenings. Previously, I could only photograph them when I happened to have my camera with me and handy. Not anymore.

Here are three moments with horses that I could have captured for you if I’d upgraded to a smartphone earlier. Because at the time I only owned a PTWJAP, you get to experience the events through my hand-drawn illustrations instead:

Here is a horse being led down the road by its car-driving owner. I was fortunate enough to get stuck behind this duo in Bovoni near the race track.

And here is a horse waiting for the VITRAN bus. Or at least that’s what I assume he was doing. I’m not sure why else a horse would just be hanging out alone at a bus stop.

And here is horse traveling via truck bed. Just passing time while his chauffeur pumps some gas. You may be outraged, but remember – he’s just happy to have a ride so that he doesn’t have to wait for the bus like his lame-O horse cousin. My guess is that he’s going to reach his destination and jump out of the truck at the corner of the Tutu intersection, inconveniently causing the person behind him to miss the light. But that’s just a guess.

Of course, now that I have my new smartphone I’m sure people will start to be very responsible with their horses, leaving me with no interesting horse picture opportunities. But never fear, there will surely still be many events to document from the local iguanas, chickens, feral cats, tourists…