When Parker was here at Christmas, we explored a road that we'd been told was a suitable place to run. After 4 months of running on a treadmill, I was really happy to find that it is a quiet road frequented by both walkers and runners, and I've been running there several times a week since. My only complaint is that the road is VERY hilly, and, from my starting point, it goes uphill in both directions - literally!
Occasionally, I'd notice something that I thought was horse manure along the side of the road, and I'd also seen hoof prints in the sand in the same area. I know there are wild donkeys on St. John, but I haven't heard of any on St. Thomas, plus the prints looked like they were of shoed hooves.
On Monday of this week, I saw a couple of men with a pick-up truck and horse trailer there, then I saw another man walking a horse up the road. There was also a second horse in the trailer. When I came back by, the second horse was out, and the men were rubbing it down with towels, so I assumed that, for whatever reason, they bath the horses there.
When I saw them again on Thursday, I just had to ask. Turns out that the horses are race horses from the local race track. And they hadn't been bathing them, they'd been taking them for a swim!
I guess even horses need to do non-impact cross-training!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Animal Antics
So, one day recently, Bob & I were at the beach, reclining in our chairs and relaxing. Bob saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and realized that this young iguana:
had run out of the undergrowth nearby and was chasing and snapping at this sand crab:
Once the crab reached the water, the iguana stopped and retreated a small distance and rested a few minutes before crawling back under cover. The crab looked like he was injured and stayed in the shallows for a few minutes, then apparently regained enough strength to head on out into deeper water.
Later that same afternoon, Bob & I were standing on our balcony looking at the iguanas warming themselves on the rocks at the water's edge below us, like the ones here:
We realized that there were 2 crabs (a different type, but we don't know what type they are) crawling along the top of the rock heading right for an iguana, so we got ready to see the fight. To our surprise, the crabs crawled right over the iguana, one over his tail and the other over his mid-section near his back legs, and he barely moved! We continued to watch their journey and saw them reach a water-filled cleft in the rock. They literally jumped over the opening, landing on the far rock! Who knew crabs could leap?
The picture below shows a crab of the same type, but not too well, as they blend in very well with the rocks. It is on the large rock with the iguana (who again could apparently care less), near the left-hand side.
Bob & I laugh about how much time we spend looking for and watching animals here. From deer to iguanas to crabs to hummingbirds to infinite varieties of lizards, we certainly see lots of evidence of Gods' creativity in this place!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
** Update **
A 19-year old man was arrested around 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon for that morning's incident on Lindquist Beach. He was jailed and held on $50,000 bail.
I was glad to see this update in the paper yesterday.
I was glad to see this update in the paper yesterday.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Crime
I was going to write a fun post about animals and other cute things, but something happened yesterday that is more on my mind.
When I posted last fall about our first visit to Lindquist Beach, I noted that, at least on a Tuesday morning, there were so few people there that I thought it might not be the safest place. We have been to Lindquist numerous times since then, and, while it isn't nearly as crowded as some of the "tourist" beaches, there have been plenty of people there, and we've felt perfectly safe - it's probably our favorite beach on St. Thomas.
Bob & I drove in yesterday morning just after 11 a.m. and noticed a man running from the beach toward the trees at the end of the parking area, then saw a lifeguard running the same direction, then saw the security guard from the entrance running after them. We rolled down the window, and the first man called out for us to call 911. As Bob dialed, he asked what we should tell them. The man said, "Tell them a guy just tried to rape a woman!" Once the 911 operator was on the line, that man came over to talk to her, and said a man had come out of the trees, attacked a lady, then ran back into the trees (wearing only underwear) when he realized there were people coming after him.
It was nice to see that 2 different police cars appeared within just a few minutes, and we spoke to them, to the lifeguards, to the man we'd first seen running, and to the woman who'd been attacked - she seemed to be okay, other than being understandably shaken up.
The lifeguard had seen the attacker near one end of the beach and recognized him as someone that other lifeguards at other beaches had reported having trouble with - and didn't think he looked quite "right". After the lifeguard established eye contact with him, the man had ducked into the trees. A few minutes later, the attacker came back out of the trees at the other end of the beach (it's a U-shaped beach) near the woman, who was at the far end of that part of the beach and not too near other beachgoers. He took off his clothes & jerked off her swim suit bottoms. She began screaming & yelling, which drew the attention of others on the beach. As they ran to her aid, the attacker pulled on his underwear (leaving his other clothing in the bushes) and ran into trees.
The police brought in dogs, who followed his scent a little way before losing it, and also brought in a forensics unit (who knew they had one of those?) but hadn't found the attacker by the time we left the beach - and that was several hours later.
Our assumption is that the attacker had to have been strung out on drugs to attack a woman in broad daylight on a public beach. As I've noted before, St. Thomas has a drug problem. There is just a sad segment of society who see no future and think they have no other options. It's depressing to observe.
Again, we do live in a safe area and do take reasonable precautions - but it's not all sunshine and beautiful beaches.
When I posted last fall about our first visit to Lindquist Beach, I noted that, at least on a Tuesday morning, there were so few people there that I thought it might not be the safest place. We have been to Lindquist numerous times since then, and, while it isn't nearly as crowded as some of the "tourist" beaches, there have been plenty of people there, and we've felt perfectly safe - it's probably our favorite beach on St. Thomas.
Bob & I drove in yesterday morning just after 11 a.m. and noticed a man running from the beach toward the trees at the end of the parking area, then saw a lifeguard running the same direction, then saw the security guard from the entrance running after them. We rolled down the window, and the first man called out for us to call 911. As Bob dialed, he asked what we should tell them. The man said, "Tell them a guy just tried to rape a woman!" Once the 911 operator was on the line, that man came over to talk to her, and said a man had come out of the trees, attacked a lady, then ran back into the trees (wearing only underwear) when he realized there were people coming after him.
It was nice to see that 2 different police cars appeared within just a few minutes, and we spoke to them, to the lifeguards, to the man we'd first seen running, and to the woman who'd been attacked - she seemed to be okay, other than being understandably shaken up.
The lifeguard had seen the attacker near one end of the beach and recognized him as someone that other lifeguards at other beaches had reported having trouble with - and didn't think he looked quite "right". After the lifeguard established eye contact with him, the man had ducked into the trees. A few minutes later, the attacker came back out of the trees at the other end of the beach (it's a U-shaped beach) near the woman, who was at the far end of that part of the beach and not too near other beachgoers. He took off his clothes & jerked off her swim suit bottoms. She began screaming & yelling, which drew the attention of others on the beach. As they ran to her aid, the attacker pulled on his underwear (leaving his other clothing in the bushes) and ran into trees.
The police brought in dogs, who followed his scent a little way before losing it, and also brought in a forensics unit (who knew they had one of those?) but hadn't found the attacker by the time we left the beach - and that was several hours later.
Our assumption is that the attacker had to have been strung out on drugs to attack a woman in broad daylight on a public beach. As I've noted before, St. Thomas has a drug problem. There is just a sad segment of society who see no future and think they have no other options. It's depressing to observe.
Again, we do live in a safe area and do take reasonable precautions - but it's not all sunshine and beautiful beaches.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
VI Vacationers
Parker had to go back to Wheaton the Monday after Christmas, so she & her dad had only a short time at the beach that morning ;)
Before we took her to the airport, we got to visit with some of the Corriveau family, friends who used to be our neighbors in McKinney. The Corriveau's live in New Jersey now, so it had been several years since we'd last been together. Scott & Vivian had just renewed their wedding vows to celebrate their 25th anniversary and stopped here on a cruise with their 3 girls and her parents. We had lunch with Vivian, her dad, and 2 of her daughters: Rachel, who is Parker's age, and Nicole, who I remember as a pre-schooler - but who is actually a (tall) freshman in high school.
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| Rachel & Vivian Corriveau with Parker & me |
As we neared the airport, we noticed several police officers standing in parking lots where we don't usually see them, then we saw a line of black suburbans and police vehicles at the end of one of the taxiways. We were discussing the probability of the arrival of some dignitary, when I remembered seeing an article on the on-line St. Thomas newspaper that VP Joe Biden was coming to St. Thomas for a vacation. So, after we escorted Parker into the airport, we drove around to the grounds of UVI, which was on the other side of the airport nearer the waiting vehicles.
Shortly after we found a good viewing spot, the Coast Guard helicopter that had been on the runway lifted off and began circling, and I got ready to take some pictures (sorry about the spot on the lens):
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| Yes, the end of the runway really is that close to the water |
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| Touchdown |
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| Passengers deplaning |
I took numerous additional pictures, from landing to the convey of vehicles driving away, but I won't subject you to all of those :) We all thought it was pretty cool to see the entire process - and felt more than just a little American pride!
Oh, and Parker's flight was delayed only a short time, due to the ground crew not being allowed outside until the group had left the airport.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Annaberg Sugar Mill Ruins
On the day after Christmas, the 5 of us boarded the ferry to St. John. The first thing we did was try to find a place to have some lunch. We went to a restaurant Bob & I have eaten at before, and observed that there were 2 large tables and a few more small tables filled, and, while there was no food on any of the tables, there were unhappy-looking people sitting at them. So, we moved on to another place we've eaten at, but it was closed for a private party. Starting to feel some pressure from time constraints, we walked down the block, and the next place we came to was a Mexican food restaurant. Since we are all pretty much experts on Tex-Mex, we entered it with more than a little apprehension. The first sign that our concern was well-founded was that they charged for chips and salsa! The food wasn't awful :) but I don't think we'll go out of our way to eat there again.
Next, we drove along the north coast, stopping along the way for photo ops and scenic views, most of which I've posted before. We then visited one of St. John's historic parks, the Annaberg Sugar Mill Ruins. They are on a beautiful point of land, and we discovered just how close to the British Virgin Islands we were:
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| Tortola, BVI - about 1 1/2 miles across the Leinster Bay |
There isn't much left of the slaves' quarters:
The mill had both a windmill and a horsemill. While the wooden parts of the windmill are long gone, the stone base remains intact:
The hills above the mill, which appear to have returned to their native state, were terraced and planted with the sugar cane while the mill was in operation:
This is the outside of the sugar factory, and fuel was fed through each of the arches to keep the fires burning under the boiling pots:
There are signs around the area that describe both the structures and what life was like when the mill was in operation (approx. 1796-1867). I understand that they also have demonstrations and discussions of some of the local culture of the time, but a sign near the entrance announced that these had been suspended until further notice because of the mosquitos. We didn't notice any mosquitos :) but guess we'll have to go again!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Our Christmas
We are a family that tends to cling to tradition. So, our Christmas in St. Thomas wasn't all that different from our usual celebration - other than the scenery and weather, of course!
I decorated our condo, and it didn't take nearly as long as it has the last few years in Plano!
I also wrapped some lighted garland around the balcony railing. The garland had colored bulb covers. More than once, I saw a hummingbird pecking at the red light bulbs!
My parents flew in on December 19th, and I spent a couple of days showing them all the "high spots": KMart, CostULess, PriceSmart, and the shopping areas of Havensight and Yacht Haven Grande. Interestingly, my mom enjoyed all that a little more than my dad :) He did enjoy seeing all the yachts that were moored at Yacht Haven and also the cruise ship passengers with their "white legs and brand new sneakers." They both enjoyed sitting on our balcony and watching all the boats. In fact, they completely understand why I sometimes feel I don't get anything done in a day - there's just so much to watch between the hummingbirds and iguanas and the boats of all shapes, types, and capacities!
Parker joined us on the 22nd, and the sight-seeing continued. (Unfortunately, Bob had to work long hours through the 23rd.) We went to two different scenic overlooks which were near each other, but which faced opposite directions. First, we looked over the downtown & harbor area:
My dad had recently read a book on Sir Frances Drake, and he kept telling us things he'd read, so it was only natural that we got a picture of him sitting at Drake's Seat:
Drake's Seat overlooks Magen's Bay, and a local fellow hangs around there with his goat, Madonna. He offers to let the tourists, who arrive in droves in the safari taxies, take pictures with her - and hopes for a tip.
We went to the Christmas Eve Festival of Lessons & Carols at the St. Thomas Reformed Church. The music began at 6:30, and the church was full long before the service officially started at 7. We all enjoyed the service, which alternated between choir and solo pieces, short messages or meditations, and congregational caroling. Of course, it included a candle-lit "Silent Night" and ended with "Joy to the World".
We didn't have any tamales, but that was the only item missing from our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of chili and pinto beans, accompanied by chili con queso & chips. We even watched "It's a Wonderful Life"!
And, Parker got to open her traditional Christmas Eve gift of new pj's. Still don't know when we'll be ending this one ...
We chose not to attend the Challenge of the Carols on Christmas morning, but only because it started at 6:00 a.m. Instead, we slept in just a bit later than that, then dug into our stockings & opened our gifts.
After enjoying breakfast casserole and fruit salad, Bob & Parker went to the beach, and the rest of us relaxed a bit before starting dinner. Again, we had our usual: turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes & gravy, peas, fruit salad and rolls - followed by apple and cherry pies. There was no going hungry!
We did more sight-seeing, shopping, and even reuniting with old friends before Parker left on the 27th and my parents left on the 29th, so I'll be posting more soon.
Hope everyone reading had a wonderful Christmas, too!
I decorated our condo, and it didn't take nearly as long as it has the last few years in Plano!
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| Our tabletop tree |
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| No mantel, so we had to hang the stockings somewhere |
I also wrapped some lighted garland around the balcony railing. The garland had colored bulb covers. More than once, I saw a hummingbird pecking at the red light bulbs!
My parents flew in on December 19th, and I spent a couple of days showing them all the "high spots": KMart, CostULess, PriceSmart, and the shopping areas of Havensight and Yacht Haven Grande. Interestingly, my mom enjoyed all that a little more than my dad :) He did enjoy seeing all the yachts that were moored at Yacht Haven and also the cruise ship passengers with their "white legs and brand new sneakers." They both enjoyed sitting on our balcony and watching all the boats. In fact, they completely understand why I sometimes feel I don't get anything done in a day - there's just so much to watch between the hummingbirds and iguanas and the boats of all shapes, types, and capacities!
Parker joined us on the 22nd, and the sight-seeing continued. (Unfortunately, Bob had to work long hours through the 23rd.) We went to two different scenic overlooks which were near each other, but which faced opposite directions. First, we looked over the downtown & harbor area:
My dad had recently read a book on Sir Frances Drake, and he kept telling us things he'd read, so it was only natural that we got a picture of him sitting at Drake's Seat:
Drake's Seat overlooks Magen's Bay, and a local fellow hangs around there with his goat, Madonna. He offers to let the tourists, who arrive in droves in the safari taxies, take pictures with her - and hopes for a tip.
We went to the Christmas Eve Festival of Lessons & Carols at the St. Thomas Reformed Church. The music began at 6:30, and the church was full long before the service officially started at 7. We all enjoyed the service, which alternated between choir and solo pieces, short messages or meditations, and congregational caroling. Of course, it included a candle-lit "Silent Night" and ended with "Joy to the World".
We didn't have any tamales, but that was the only item missing from our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of chili and pinto beans, accompanied by chili con queso & chips. We even watched "It's a Wonderful Life"!
And, Parker got to open her traditional Christmas Eve gift of new pj's. Still don't know when we'll be ending this one ...
We chose not to attend the Challenge of the Carols on Christmas morning, but only because it started at 6:00 a.m. Instead, we slept in just a bit later than that, then dug into our stockings & opened our gifts.
After enjoying breakfast casserole and fruit salad, Bob & Parker went to the beach, and the rest of us relaxed a bit before starting dinner. Again, we had our usual: turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes & gravy, peas, fruit salad and rolls - followed by apple and cherry pies. There was no going hungry!
We did more sight-seeing, shopping, and even reuniting with old friends before Parker left on the 27th and my parents left on the 29th, so I'll be posting more soon.
Hope everyone reading had a wonderful Christmas, too!
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