Seasons and States

St. Croix experiences two seasons: wet and dry. Right now it's wet or the hurricane season. This weekend we experienced two days of rain, a rarity for the typically sunny St. Croix.

Two days of rain is the closest we get to Autumn. Rain on St. Croix is more often a passing shower, not unlike the sprayers in the produce section of the grocery.

The island gets misted and not much more. This weekend's storms rained hard, long and even thundered. I would not be surprised if in the next day or so, the islands north of us and the U.S. mainland don't have a named storm on their door step. Such was the case with Gustav, which passed here as a big rain, before gaining strength, wind and a moniker.

At our house the only thing Gustav left in his wake was tadpoles in our birdbath. A short sighted rainfrog laid them in our shallow birdbath newly filled with water. I checked this morning a few of them are still swimming having survived a night's deluge without being washed over the edge.
We shall see what chirping, globe-toed amphibians they become.
Today, at HaypennyRest, the temps are mild and the sun has reappeared.

Running on Empty

No, this isn't a blog about the high price of gasoline. I'm a fan of public transportation and wish we'd invested more in this ideal during the '70s. And I know, everyone's curious, I filled up at the Shuama on the corner of the Sunny Isles intersection and gas was $4.35 ( I think). My bill, to fill up the tank of a Jeep Wrangler was $50. For small vehicles, those darn things can drink gas. But I digress, this blog isn't about the current fuel crises.

A steady stream of bad luck, snafus, lengthy 'to do' lists at home and a work have left me worn out. I live on an island and I'd love to spend an afternoon at the shore not dwelling on unfinished tasks.

It's a great feeling, then, when you're feeling empty to hear from long distance friends. I received shout outs from a few folks last week and goodness knows I needed 'em.

These are photos of the flamboyant trees around Haypenny Rest
I snapped a photo last week while enroute to work. I needed to make sure I captured their vibrant orange flora at full peak for each day more and more blossoms have tumbled to the ground. I knew if I did not make this photo dairy a priority, their luster would slip away from me, and I would regret it.

Long Distance Well Wishes

This blog serves as a shout out and thank you to previous Haypenny Rest guests, Cindy and Barb. I received a care package of wonderful goodies, beautiful photos (that I had hoped to feature here, but am experiencing technical difficulties) and well wishes. I am greatly appreciative of the time and effort they took to send us a little joy in the mail. Last week was a tough week, a true Friday the 13th, and their gift box was more uplifting than they may know. Thanks, ladies. Much appreciated.

The trade winds are dying down, the rains more frequent and the streets of Christiansted quieter. The "season" has ended and the residents remain. The sleepiness that is St. Croix is sleepier. If warmer weather and emptier beaches sounds inviting, St. Croix may be a great place to visit this summer. Need an escape from the rat race? We might be just the right destination.

Hiatus

Hiatus both does and does not explain my absence from the blog. According to Webster's the word means 1. a break in an object, 2. a lack of continuity. Meaning 2 broadly explains the absence itself and not the reasoning behind it. Perhaps definition 1 is a better fit if the object is my reality, my sense of routine and calm and normalcy.

The last post dates about the time I suffered a loss and an even greater loss has occurred since. No matter how frequently we hear warnings in the form of platitudes, the kernel of meaning is lost amongst the din of everyday living. The message meant for our ears unheard, white noise.

One of the few people who actually read my little ramblings on a regular basis left this world too soon and I never thanked her appropriately for all her encouragement.

I wonder if we suffer more from the actions we take or the ones we do not?

Sailing the BVI--part 1

On a clear day in St Croix, one can see the islands of St Thomas and St John the other US Virgin Islands (USVI). They look like blue-gray shadows on the horizon. Most days they lie hidden behind the clouds. St Croix feels isolated that way unlike the other USVIs and the British Virgin Islands (BVI) which float in close proximity to one another.

We have learned that sailing charters and charter rental are common in the BVI because the 60 something islands and cays that make up the BVI lie so close to one another, except for Aenegada (in the far north). Sailing charters to the BVI (or the USVI for that matter) are not common on St Croix. At present only one company offers sails to the BVI. A weekend ago, we tested the waters.

On Friday evening we boarded a 45' catamaran, Kindred Spirit, for a 4 hour plus trip to the BVI with Norman Island as our first stop. About half way across the open ocean of the Caribbean Sea, the lights of St Croix dim and the lights of the other USVI and BVI are distant glows. One feels a bit alone, especially in the darkness with high black waves crashing against the boat's hull. A disquieting feeling that yields when some invisible line is crossed and the ship sails into the tranquil waters of the BVIs.

Tired, ocean spray splashed, and recovering from malaise and a Dramamine hangover, we are encourage to disembark and dingy over to the William Thornton, named for the self-taught architect of the U.S. Capitol Building and BVI resident, better known as Willy T's a permanently moored freighter serving as tavern. I think its somewhere before midnight, but my time line is fuzzy due to seasickness and aforementioned meds.

Willy T's is infamous for offering free tee shirts to female patrons who walk the plank topless. This publicity campaign was recently halted after many years due to liability issues. The crowd we found aboard would probably have done a group plank splash if allowed. I am only certain that the throng of wasted merry makers suffered either a group wretch later and most certainly a group hangover in the morning. Willy T's served canned beer and shots doled out in a wooden ski while Michael Jackson and AC/DC blared from the speakers. Perhaps the Thunderstruck anthems in homage to the two 20 something Aussie bartenders that seemed to be in charge of the ship. We stayed till near close, people watching, until we motored back to our boat, climbed in our berth and promptly fell asleep.

I don't have any photos of Willy T's but they do have a website which features the ski shot. I did not see the naked woman who seems to be waiting on patrons in the web photos. http://www.williamthornton.com/more.html

Long Haitus Complete (I hope) and Published Work

Long, too long absence from the blog over, I hope. One recent professional event, I'm rather proud of is the publication of a story I wrote on the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) Aquaponics Program. Aquaponics is the science of growing fish and plants together. UVI has the world's most established program. I wrote a feature article for The Growing Edge Magazine. An article intro may be found on the Growing Edge website.

My thanks to Growing Edge editor John Baur and UVI Aquaponics director Dr. James Rakocy.

I purchase some delicious lettuce from the UVI farm store and plan to get over there soon to take advantage of their tomato crop. Fresh veggies on an island with no fresh water sources are a real treat.

More STX adventures soon--

Work Weary and Goat Rescue

As with my last post, a whole week ago (gasp!) I'm still working too much and doing too little of everything else. I don't have to tell all of you that once you've sat at the computer for more than 8 hours you cringe at the thought of turning it back on---even for something you enjoy.

But enough complaining, here's a mini adventure. I rescued a goat.

Diagonally across from our driveway is a steep hill with the most beautifully bent tree. The arc created by the wind could never be duplicated by human hands. Everyday, I marvel at that little tree. The area from the tree hill back to the west is known as Martin's Farm. Sometimes, a herd of goats will trickle over the hill to graze on the green grass and scrub. The goats are not always present, but I consider them a treat when they are. No, ye naysayers, they do not smell and since I've recently been up close and personal with one of the flock, I can testify that they do no smell from long distances or from short. Goat is a West Indian menu staple, I'm sure that's where these goats wind up.

Back to the rescue. I was departing one afternoon this week and noticed a goat at the road's edge. I could not tell if it was out or inside the fence, so I stopped to investigate. The goat, a chocolate brown ewe was both out and inside--her head was stuck in the fencing. Ms. Goat strained to get a something green and leafy outside the fence. She managed to get her head through the squares in the metal fencing, but due to curved horns, could not bring her head back out.

I crossed the road and walked up to her. She began to flail. I knew that I could free her. I never doubted that I could, I just did not want to get gored in the process. Aside--I grew up on a farm and am not afraid of livestock, but fully aware that herbivores can hurt.

I placed my hand on the goat's head and, ahem, grabbed the goat by the horns. I twisted one way, then the other and managed to smash my pinkie, but freed the goat. She didn't realize it at first and stared at me for a good minute. I cheered, you can do it, go, go. And then she back up and ran over the hill to find the others.

My good deed for the day.

Lazy Weekend

Yes, I've taken a month off from posting. No excuses other than being too busy. Yesterday I was longing for a weekend where I had nothing to do and I could just relax and read a book or enjoy a beach picnic without the nagging feeling of incomplete work waiting for me at home.

My friend Lenka, her daughter Laelle, and sister/auntee Jessica visited just after Christmas. I'm going to devote another blog to their visit and attempt to upload a video of a lady grabbing Laelle and pulling her into the dancing merriment that was the tramp following Jamesie and the AllStars band up through Fredericksted to the Festival Village.

Instead I'm posting a photo of Fredericksted on our last day here with them. It was one of those sun drenched balmy days that captivates and converts visitors into residents. The photos don't do it justice, but provide only still-frame glimpses of the ideal tropical island day.

That's Laelle on the left talking to scuba divers she spotted rising to the to the surface after diving the F'sted pier. The other is just blue water and blue sky over Fredericksted.

I may be busy, but you can relax at Haypenny Rest.

Pets from Paradise

I may have blogged on this topic before, but with regard to this topic, once isn't enough. St Croix has a pet overpopulation problem. Rather than launch into an animal welfare debate about proper care, spay and neutering, I'm just going to inform and maybe plead a bit during the concluding paragraph.

You as a traveler can do something. Anytime you travel to St Croix, consider making the return flight as a companion in the Pets from Paradise program. Contact the St Croix animal welfare center. They will attempt to locate a partner shelter near your return destination. Either a small dog or puppy will be brought to you at the airport. You fly with the dog as carry on and Pets from Paradise picks up the fees. A representative of the partner shelter meets you at the destination airport and picks up the dog.

Think about rescuing a puppy the next time you visit St Croix. For more information visit the St Croix Animal Welfare Center at http://www.stcroixanimals.org or http://www.CrucianCritters.com (seems like they're switching websites)or call 340-778-1650.

Vacation Versus Permanent Residence

What a tourist wants and what locals want varies, sometimes a great deal.

Take rain, for example. Tourists don't want rain--sunny days, bright and beautiful all day, every day. Locals, well, if it doesn't rain then we don't have water to bathe or do laundry. Locals depend on recycled rainwater for our household water.

Economy
Tourists want an inexpensive room rate and the conveniences of the states, namely air conditioning. Many tourists fail to notice (or calculate) the additional energy fee charged by some hotels. Tourists often pay 10 percent above their bill as an energy surcharge to offset the AC expense.

Locals want affordable WAPA bills. Our utility costs are tied to the price of oil. Note the recent spike in oil prices. Our utility company proposes a planned 22 percent increase in monthly rates. Ouch!

The difference in vacationing and actually living on island varies greatly, even if one is retired and finding a job isn't a concern.
A great vacation in the Caribbean doesn't mean that one would find living here great. Want to move to the Caribbean, consider a permanent move visit. Take an extended visit and find out if you're really cut out for island living. You may discover that life isn't always a beach.

At Haypenny Rest we're happy to share our thoughts on the ups and downs of living on the beautiful island of St Croix.

Carnival-Jump Start

Apologies to the few of you who maintain contact with us via the blog. An ongoing kitchen renovation, a nasty cold/mini flu, guests and a couple of freelance projects consumed my time. A new month is here, time more manageable and carnival looming.
Last evening a short season welcomer occurred in Christiansted. For those of you who don't know, the main Carnival on St Croix occurs Jan. 6, but the month of December is series of festivities culminating in the big event. Last evening served as a teaser.
The parade consisted of three or four beauty queens, three majorette troupes, one singer and the stars of the show the Major Minorettes. A troupe of senior citizens wearing clown costumes of St Croix madras, glitter socks, masks and top hats lit with candles, the Major Minorettes' thrilled the crowd with a low-skill, high-comedy routine. The troupe "twirlled" glow-in-the dark batons which served more as a prop for funny business. After marching in place, the group lay in the street and performed mock aerobics with the batons, made an arch with the batons, and then just danced around and drank with the batons. The "drum major" also shook a pom pom.
Following the Major Minorettes, the Caribbean Revellers truck of music rolled past inviting the crowd to join the tramp.
The big Jan 6 day is still available at Haypenny Rest. Come spend Carnival with us.

Stranded at the Veteran's Day Parade

I've been offline because I've been sick. I've also had quite a few personal and professional commitments this week and with the bad cold bug I caught have been too tired for much else. Feeling a little perkier, we trekked over to Frederiksted for the Veteran's Day Parade, arrived at the parade line up, attempted to relocate the car which didn't start. Several consultations, phone calls and a tow truck ride later, I spent the Veteran's Day parade time in the Jeep dealership lobby watching the story of Wake Island and its significance in WWII. Actually, the history channel story was quite startling and a piece of WWII history I had not heard before. A little less than 100 US civilian contractors working on Wake in construction were held by the Japanese on Wake after the military members were sent to POW camps in Japan and China. The civilians were forced to build bunkers and then, after working as forced labor for some time, lined up on the beach and executed when food supplies ran low. Their deaths remained a secret until Wake was recaptured two years later.
The Virgin Islands had a group of military members return from deployment to Iraq recently. A different group is station there now. Soon other groups will join them. Remember them and all the others beyond the parades and the day off of work. Many days abroad remain for them.

Musings of a 10 foot scale

Maybe it's too much sun. Racing--for on the bumpy, pothole-filled roads of St Croix 50 mph is racing--from one errand to the next while trying to beat my contractor to my house, a strange thought entered my mind. Do other cultures refuse to touch things with a 10 foot pole?

The phrase is commonplace in my native south Georgia and can refer to either a person or a situation or any animal, vegetable, mineral now that I come to thing of it. e.g. "that dog has mange, I wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole" (animal) or "those collards set out in the boiler overnight, I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole" (vegetable) or "Marsha can keep that big diamond ring because she had to sleep with Ted Thomas to get it and I wouldn't touch either one of them with a ten foot pole (person, situation, mineral). Marsha and Ted are fictional, as far as I know.

I just began to wonder today. . .do people in the UK use this phrase and if so does it have a metric equivalent?

The short answer I found, 'cause I know y'all are just dying to know, is no because the Brits invented the original 10 foot pole. Apparently river barges were steered with 10 foot poles and the slang phrase is first documented in print in 1758, Dictionary of Cliches.

When I googled "10 foot pole" I found: a band, sexual innuendo, fantasy football and someone who thought it was a racist slang directed at people of Polish descent (?).

I know what you're thinking--I have too much time on my hands. No, actually, I don't. I'm waiting for an editor and an interview subject to get back to me. I have two gentlemen grinding countertops right outside my window. I have b&b guests whose flight was delayed in Charlotte, NC. I'm fearful my plumber's not coming today which leaves me with a nonfunctioning kitchen sink and (totally unrelated) clogged master bath shower drain. I'm not going to make it today to the tailor and the two stores where I need to exchange merchandise. I have to make the third trip to the dump today (only so much trash fits in a Jeep wrangler), pick up my husband from work and walk the dog.

The 10 foot pole thing just invaded my brain and sometimes, no matter how busy you are, you just have to get it out of your system.

Caribbean Halloween

Halloween and trick o' treating is not exceptionally popular on St Croix. Yes, some festivities exist: a few costume parties, and trick o' treating at Sunny Isles shopping center/K-mart. This year the few events scheduled to take place last weekend were postponed due to Tropical Storm Noel. I've heard grumbling about Halloween and some locals adamantly opposed to the holiday. I'm not sure exactly why because St Croix heralds a ghost tradition: the jumby.
Jumbies (pronounced Joombie) are spirits. On some islands they can be good as well as evil spirits. Jumbies are found in the traditional scary place, the cemetery, but also in trees. Some island trees, especially those on the west end, certainly look dark and spooky. The lack of property development yields a lack of artificial light and with our position closer to the equator than the continental US, the dark comes much more quickly and year round. By 7 p.m. night arrives. High trade winds on a inky black night create a howl combined with insects and rain frogs make for eerie sounds. Jumbies dont' seem so far fetched.
I have a couple of obligatory bags of candy, though I doubt I receive any trick o' treaters. I may leave a mini candy bar or two for any wayward Jumbies.

TD Sixteen

The last photograph I posted of the "bad cloud" actually was a bad cloud, the precursor to what has become Tropical Depression 16. For the past two days, we've experience torrential rains, higher than average winds and eerily cool temperatures. As of this morning the winds have subsided but the skies remain grey, the winds up and the temps down.
I receive email alerts from the National Hurricane Center and learned via email that this odd weather was a storm in formation. Since passing St Croix, the now dubbed TD 16 is forecast to dump up to 15 inches of rain over parts of Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. It is a very odd feeling to have experienced the birth of potential hurricane and had no idea what was happening. All I can say is, get set Atlantic Florida. The hurricane center projects TD 16 crossing over the land mass of Cuba to the east, up north through the Bahamas, the straight for you.

Elation! Great guests

A quick note in praise of my most recent guests. I am relatively new to the bed and breakfast business. I love to travel and stay in b&bs, guest houses, zimmers rather than a traditional hotel. I like to experience the local culture rather than sequester myself in a 5 star resort. I had hoped for guests of that share the same philosophy and am grateful to have received this week's patrons.

I'm continuing to learn and trying not to beat myself up for forgetting things like refilling the sugar bowl. Both guests, the great ones and the problematic ones, have taught me lessons. This business adventure is a work in progress and probably always will be.

An unusual two-day rain has descended on St Croix, but my spirits are hardly dampened. I welcome next week and new guests and improving my game.

At HaypennyRest.com all is dry and cozy.

Bad Cloud Coming

A snap shot of this afternoon's weather. Had we viewed a scene like this outside our window in South Georgia someone would have remarked, "there's a bad cloud coming up."
As ominous as this cloud appears, the weather here is quite calm, slightly breezy, slightly cooler than usual. Perhaps not perfect tourist weather, but a relaxing change for a local. Then again, I'm indoors not on the beach or heaven forbid in a small fishing vessel.
Light and clouds can be deceptive here. One can see rain miles before it arrives. Certain areas of the island tend to glow at sunrise and sunset. I am astounded at the number of rainbows I see here. I started this morning off with a large double rainbow off to the west behind our pool. St Croix is not a flat sandy strip, but slightly mountainous. I guess the reflective qualities of the ocean and the angles of the mountains yield these startling vistas. I can't explain the physics, I merely revel in the views. Golden clouds or dark ones, both demand one stop and take notice, if not a photograph to share as I did.

Beautiful views at HaypennyRest.com

Bush Men

As I stated a couple of posts ago, I'm enduring home renovations. In addition to the dust, mess and drain on my personal time, I've discovered another unforeseen issue. No it's not hidden costs or faulty work, it's contractors and subcontractors who refuse to use indoor plumbing. That's right, they'd rather pee in the bush.

The first workman I spied walking 20 feet across the road to relieve himself in the undeveloped lot between my neighbor and myself, I dismissed as slightly odd. I was just glad my neighbor was not at home at the time. However, more workman from other firms continued his trek. The countertop installers spoke with me about their preference for the "bush" the local term for woods/vegetation. I was not interviewing them, mind you, they just waxed philosophic when asking me to show them the bathroom. They said they'd prefer to use the bush rather than the toilet. One man said he liked it better because urinating in the wild is "more free and breezy." Well the trade winds have picked up, so I guess a break to relieve one's self and cool one's business after a hot day of work is refreshing.

This isn't the first time I've encountered this preference. I once had a college biology professor who informed the class that he situated potted plants and a large ficus tree in his toilet to mimic the outdoors. That was in Georgia. Since I last lived in Washington, DC one had few opportunities for "bush breaks" and it would be a ticketed offense, besides.

Oh well, the repairs are nearly done and for the remaining few days, I'll simply avert my eyes.

At HaypennyRest.com our plumbing works just fine.

A.M. no Water

My cistern transfer valves. The booger on the left gave us all the trouble this morning.

Guests arrived yesterday and they are everything one could hope for in guests: pleasant, personable, here to explore St Croix. I thanked my lucky stars. These same stars must be slightly out of line because we all arose this morning to discover air not water in the plumbing pipes.

I raced downstairs to transfer the cistern settings. We have a double tank cistern: when one tank goes low, transfer to the other tank. We have plenty of water right now thanks to ample rain and a back up water delivery made last month. I entered the pump room expecting to solve this problem in 30 seconds and my guests would never be inconvenienced. But my lucky stars had other ideas.

Immobile valves. The cistern valve, that looks something like a garden hose faucet, refused to budge. I begged, I pleaded, I employed a wrench and WD-40. Nothing. Frantic, I called for my husband who was attempting to dress for work. He plodded downstairs, requested larger wrenches, strained and cursed. Nothing.

I phoned our plumber at 6:30 a.m. who answered, arrived an hour later, employed a very big wrench, loosened the valve and only departed once all the pipes were tested. A big relief that arrived only after our guests had departed for an early morning scuba dive at Salt River. I can only hope they showered last night. I can only hope they are forgiving.

I'm offering them a discount on today, but this doesn't make up for the inconvenience or make me any less embarrassed. Word to those seeking to operate a bed and breakfast: be prepared, be meticulous, be obsessive about the details or you may wake up with your stars out of line.

Blessing of the Pets

*Gus and Chuck's certificates. Note Saint Francis is petting a 'possum.

This past weekend sandwiched between veterinary visits, SEC football and kitchen renovation prep, our best received a special blessing in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Holy Cross Catholic Church in historic downtown Christiansted, St Croix USVI hosted the blessing in part as a fund raising event for their school, St Mary's.
In the church courtyard under tents animals a variety of animals awaited their blessing. In addition to dogs, cats (in carriers), I notice hamsters, turtles and a donkey.
The deacon gave a brief biography of Saint Francis of Assisi then lead a special prayer for the pets. We then processed to the outdoor altar on the church steps where the deacon sprinkled holy water on the pets. My cat and dog were blessed together. Both behaved well, however my dog, not a typical drooler, due to the hot day approached the deacon with a full muzzle of slobber. He got blessed anyway.
I don't know what the official party line is on pet blessing. I'm sure many people find it frivolous. In my humble opinion, though, if the tenets of Christianity are to refrain from judging others and to love unconditionally--our pets are more forgiving and forgetting than we are. They abide each day by the golden rule. Surely they warrant one day of blessing.

Enjoy a beautiful day at HaypennyRest.com