Thursday, April 30. 2009
When dear old friends come to visit us in the islands, it is always nice!
I had heard many sirens this AM and wondered if it was just part of J'ouvert for Carnival, which started at some ungodly hour like 430 this morning on the waterfront, but apparently not, as they shut down J'ouvert early because there had been a couple stabbings and a shooting! Also heard about one of the charter boats, just anchored near us who had their dinghy stolen last night in the harbor, and another one of the charter boats had their dinghy stolen in St John a few days ago, so LOCK THEM UP!
Our Laughing Gulls were joined by Pelicans this morning! at least they are quieter...
I saw a great idea for the next time our expensive awning needs replacing on the boat! Palm fronds!! Might have a few rats living in them but we can replace them often!
Simeon and Bazza went to look at a boat this morning, one that Simeon is interested in buying and he bought it!! No, he is not leaving Promenade, but it is an important day in his life, you know the saying that goes the two most important days in a captains life, the day he buys a boat and the day he sells it! It is 27 feet long as in good shape, now when we come off charter he can hop over to his home in between charters! I cannot wait to see it! Probably won't have too much time to even bring it back to the BVI before our next break in early june! I will put up pictures when I get them..Can't you just picture Simeon with long pure white hair, deeply tanned, sailing around the Caribbean??? I can!
We have old old friends on the boat that came in this afternoon...We are so glad to see them all! They tried to sneak on the boat before I took pictures, but I caught them!
Not sure how the charter boats who pick up down here stand it, it is a very convoluted process to get over here, get into the Marina, and indeed, then walk forever to get down the locked gates!
We had not seen some since September and others since last May, so it was a great reunion!
The count by dinner time is about 8-9 bottles of wine, a couple pitchers of painkillers, some gin and tonics, and some beer! Yes, it is 846 and every last one is in bed and Simeon and Brent have gone out for a drink...Very unusual!
Last time we had our old folks down we rented a fishing boat that we fondly called the Bingo Bus....This year we said we would get one again, and look! Here it is being towed into view! Have to ration nowadays you know and cut expenses, even for friends!
We enjoyed Baked chicken, mashed potatoes, cauliflower and carrots and a few other dishes for tonight's dinner, and it is time to listen to the Laughing Gulls squack some more now!
We have had some REALLY REALLY bad news in the last week, that we have been praying would turn into much better news. Everyone knows Richie, you know, Richie and Lisa who are coming on Promenade to take over charters for 6 months for us soon...
You know, when Bazza and I have finally started to get excited about our summer plans and are starting to count down...?? Everyone knows that Richard and Lisa spent a couple months in New Zealand before going to England for a short bit before returning here towards the beginning of June. 3 days before they are supposed to leave New Zealand, Richie decides to go kite boarding (did I mention that i now hate kite boarding?)
The last gust picked him up and somehow put him down the wrong way, so he broke his knee, pushed his cartilage into his shin bone, and has been in the hospital in Auckland for the last week! He was operated on a couple days ago and they actually had to put in a fake bone for part of it, instead of doing a bone graft from his hip. Yes, this is a very sad sack face on Richie!
He had a hard time coming out of anesthetia with the swirly whirlys that they would not let him lay down on the bathroom floor to make go away, and now it looks like a potential infection...
Although I have been hoping against all hope that it will be a quick fix, all indications are that it will not be. Sigh. Poor Lisa is hanging around a hostel going to the hospital daily watching some new chinese nurses practically torturing him while changing the bandages, and has decided that former nurses don't make very good visitors in the hospital...
So, Rich is still in hospital, and then they will have to stay in New Zealand for a bit and everything is kind of all up in the air. We were devastated when we first found out, as we have well and truly done our share of charters this year, but we will see. No firm plans, other then if Richard and Lisa cannot work, well, Bazza and i will be working until they can...We have already discussed propping him up on the helm with a chair!
It is kind of a blow for all four of us, not least of all, Richard, who is the one injured and his love of "extreme" sports may be in future danger!
I will keep you updated as I know more...
Our Laughing Gulls were joined by Pelicans this morning! at least they are quieter...
I saw a great idea for the next time our expensive awning needs replacing on the boat! Palm fronds!! Might have a few rats living in them but we can replace them often!
Simeon and Bazza went to look at a boat this morning, one that Simeon is interested in buying and he bought it!! No, he is not leaving Promenade, but it is an important day in his life, you know the saying that goes the two most important days in a captains life, the day he buys a boat and the day he sells it! It is 27 feet long as in good shape, now when we come off charter he can hop over to his home in between charters! I cannot wait to see it! Probably won't have too much time to even bring it back to the BVI before our next break in early june! I will put up pictures when I get them..Can't you just picture Simeon with long pure white hair, deeply tanned, sailing around the Caribbean??? I can!
We have old old friends on the boat that came in this afternoon...We are so glad to see them all! They tried to sneak on the boat before I took pictures, but I caught them!
Not sure how the charter boats who pick up down here stand it, it is a very convoluted process to get over here, get into the Marina, and indeed, then walk forever to get down the locked gates!
We had not seen some since September and others since last May, so it was a great reunion!
The count by dinner time is about 8-9 bottles of wine, a couple pitchers of painkillers, some gin and tonics, and some beer! Yes, it is 846 and every last one is in bed and Simeon and Brent have gone out for a drink...Very unusual!
Last time we had our old folks down we rented a fishing boat that we fondly called the Bingo Bus....This year we said we would get one again, and look! Here it is being towed into view! Have to ration nowadays you know and cut expenses, even for friends!
We enjoyed Baked chicken, mashed potatoes, cauliflower and carrots and a few other dishes for tonight's dinner, and it is time to listen to the Laughing Gulls squack some more now!
We have had some REALLY REALLY bad news in the last week, that we have been praying would turn into much better news. Everyone knows Richie, you know, Richie and Lisa who are coming on Promenade to take over charters for 6 months for us soon...
You know, when Bazza and I have finally started to get excited about our summer plans and are starting to count down...?? Everyone knows that Richard and Lisa spent a couple months in New Zealand before going to England for a short bit before returning here towards the beginning of June. 3 days before they are supposed to leave New Zealand, Richie decides to go kite boarding (did I mention that i now hate kite boarding?)
The last gust picked him up and somehow put him down the wrong way, so he broke his knee, pushed his cartilage into his shin bone, and has been in the hospital in Auckland for the last week! He was operated on a couple days ago and they actually had to put in a fake bone for part of it, instead of doing a bone graft from his hip. Yes, this is a very sad sack face on Richie!
He had a hard time coming out of anesthetia with the swirly whirlys that they would not let him lay down on the bathroom floor to make go away, and now it looks like a potential infection...
Although I have been hoping against all hope that it will be a quick fix, all indications are that it will not be. Sigh. Poor Lisa is hanging around a hostel going to the hospital daily watching some new chinese nurses practically torturing him while changing the bandages, and has decided that former nurses don't make very good visitors in the hospital...
So, Rich is still in hospital, and then they will have to stay in New Zealand for a bit and everything is kind of all up in the air. We were devastated when we first found out, as we have well and truly done our share of charters this year, but we will see. No firm plans, other then if Richard and Lisa cannot work, well, Bazza and i will be working until they can...We have already discussed propping him up on the helm with a chair!
It is kind of a blow for all four of us, not least of all, Richard, who is the one injured and his love of "extreme" sports may be in future danger!
I will keep you updated as I know more...
Wednesday, April 29. 2009
It's a shopping day in St Thomas...
A shopping day in St thomas, my aren't we lucky! Yep, it was a pretty typical horrible day shopping, topped off by the fact it is Carnival and there was not a rental car to be found anywhere! Finally just hired a cab to take us around for the day..We are at Yacht Haven Marina, and boy, do they have a problem with Laughing Gulls shitting and squacking on the docks here! It reminds me of the docks in San Francisco with the Sea Lions on them! There are literally many hundreds of them on the ends of the dock....They REALLY scream at you if you go out on your deck...
Still a Carnival Ship in tonight...
AND, yes, we know EXACTLY what the decks are going to look like in the morning!
I tried to walk around to Wendy's to get some hamburgers tonight, my gosh it is like a maze in here (a long one at that) trying to get out! No direct route, I could see it on the other side of the fence but I had to walk a long way to get out and around and back in. Worse then the last time I was here, in fact, for the birds! (Literally!) When bringing our provisions back they had some useless little golf carts with useless little places to stow your provisions that flew off and meant that Simeon then had to get out a net and do another long walk to get near the spot in the water in between docks and culverts to fish out the rolls of fishing line that flew off on the drive down the dock! Sigh...Kmart was its usual busy mess, the restaurant supply place and Home Depot had a lousy selection...oh well, it is done one more time!
A couple things that came around today, in my inbox...First from the tourist board on MUSEUM DAY
"The BVI Tourist Board in collaboration with the Department of Culture will be celebrating INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY on Monday 18th May, 2009. The theme for this years’ event is “Museums in Tourism”. On this day, visitors and residents are being encouraged to take the opportunity to see and learn some of the BVI’s culture at our the following museums:
· VI FolkMuseum
· VI Maritime Museum
· 1780 Lower Estate Sugar Works Museum
· Old Government House Museum
The various resorts, hotels, villas, and other Tourist related establishments are encouraged to recommend these attractions to their guests prior to their arrival and during their stay in the BVI. Brochures will become available for distribution to the properties and I am hereby requesting that this literature be showcased at your concierge’s desk, front desk area or in the individual rooms, suites or villas.
As a special courtesy, guided tours will be available during the day ( 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm ) by appointment basis. Please note that persons who are unable to attend the museums on the 18th May, 2009, are still encouraged to attend at their convenience."
And the second one from Conservation and Fisheries reminding us of the open and closed season for various fish...
Time to go to bed and listen to the Birds.....
Almost forgot, here is the correct link for the BVI Influenza plan which I had uploaded incorrectly yesterday...
Still a Carnival Ship in tonight...
AND, yes, we know EXACTLY what the decks are going to look like in the morning!
I tried to walk around to Wendy's to get some hamburgers tonight, my gosh it is like a maze in here (a long one at that) trying to get out! No direct route, I could see it on the other side of the fence but I had to walk a long way to get out and around and back in. Worse then the last time I was here, in fact, for the birds! (Literally!) When bringing our provisions back they had some useless little golf carts with useless little places to stow your provisions that flew off and meant that Simeon then had to get out a net and do another long walk to get near the spot in the water in between docks and culverts to fish out the rolls of fishing line that flew off on the drive down the dock! Sigh...Kmart was its usual busy mess, the restaurant supply place and Home Depot had a lousy selection...oh well, it is done one more time!
A couple things that came around today, in my inbox...First from the tourist board on MUSEUM DAY
"The BVI Tourist Board in collaboration with the Department of Culture will be celebrating INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY on Monday 18th May, 2009. The theme for this years’ event is “Museums in Tourism”. On this day, visitors and residents are being encouraged to take the opportunity to see and learn some of the BVI’s culture at our the following museums:
· VI FolkMuseum
· VI Maritime Museum
· 1780 Lower Estate Sugar Works Museum
· Old Government House Museum
The various resorts, hotels, villas, and other Tourist related establishments are encouraged to recommend these attractions to their guests prior to their arrival and during their stay in the BVI. Brochures will become available for distribution to the properties and I am hereby requesting that this literature be showcased at your concierge’s desk, front desk area or in the individual rooms, suites or villas.
As a special courtesy, guided tours will be available during the day ( 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm ) by appointment basis. Please note that persons who are unable to attend the museums on the 18th May, 2009, are still encouraged to attend at their convenience."
And the second one from Conservation and Fisheries reminding us of the open and closed season for various fish...
Time to go to bed and listen to the Birds.....
Almost forgot, here is the correct link for the BVI Influenza plan which I had uploaded incorrectly yesterday...
Monday, April 27. 2009
Our girls made it to St John, we made it to bed with food!
Our girls made it safe and sound to St John, they are staying at a lovely villa called Tango Mare (website here) and I think in this order they were going to spend all day in the shower, all day on the flush toilets, use their curling irons, and put up their feet on the couch and watch TV.
They discovered that grocery shopping on the islands was not that cheap, with $8.00 blueberries and $16.00 watermelon! There dinner looks better then mine. Ours is a grilled plastic cheese and bacon sandwich with fried macaroni and cheese! Actually, it is perfect...
One of our first time visitors to the BVI last week ALMOST caught a tarpon, so he has been emailing to get hints for next years trip, he wants a Tarpon, John does! He sent me two pictures of fish he caught last week...This large remora, (quite large)
And a nice Horse eyed jack!
Good work! Our internet has been up and down all day (mostly down!) but the boat is clean and mostly provisioned.....so their is probably not much to add to tonights entry but kid pictures of mine. Our grandbaby Ella is starting to look fat and sassy and oh so adorable!
And the oldest ones, well, what can I say. Chad and Kevin are two peas in a pod and I think they are acting about Ella's age here tonight!
One more thing, the BVI goverment sent around our INFLUENZA plan here in the Islands. I have not waded through it all yet,but have started. (Document here)
They discovered that grocery shopping on the islands was not that cheap, with $8.00 blueberries and $16.00 watermelon! There dinner looks better then mine. Ours is a grilled plastic cheese and bacon sandwich with fried macaroni and cheese! Actually, it is perfect...
One of our first time visitors to the BVI last week ALMOST caught a tarpon, so he has been emailing to get hints for next years trip, he wants a Tarpon, John does! He sent me two pictures of fish he caught last week...This large remora, (quite large)
And a nice Horse eyed jack!
Good work! Our internet has been up and down all day (mostly down!) but the boat is clean and mostly provisioned.....so their is probably not much to add to tonights entry but kid pictures of mine. Our grandbaby Ella is starting to look fat and sassy and oh so adorable!
And the oldest ones, well, what can I say. Chad and Kevin are two peas in a pod and I think they are acting about Ella's age here tonight!
One more thing, the BVI goverment sent around our INFLUENZA plan here in the Islands. I have not waded through it all yet,but have started. (Document here)
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