Freelance Adventures: Two Night Trip to Maho Bay Camps

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Two Night Trip to Maho Bay Camps

Monday, October 31, 2011

Last Thursday I got up to a day off, in fact two days off, which turned into three days off! Fish was going into Coral Bay where there was to be a cultural fair and offered to give me a ride in. The trail I was hiking over to Maho Bay Camps is called the Johnny Horn Trail and it leaves from the center of Coral Bay.

I found the beginning of the trail to the right of the church which was actually a road at the very beginning. The road went straight up and the trail sign stated “some steep hills”. I climbed straight up for about twenty five minutes taking breaks as needed. I had frozen two water bottles and took nice cold drinks to hydrate. It thaws pretty quickly! This trail/road goes through a “residential area” i.e. some folks are building or have build homes on the hillside. Just about every house is on a hillside in St John! At the very top of this steep incline was a little sign that said “Sweet Honey on the Rocks” and indeed a sweet little house perched there that I am sure had a great view. Then the trail descends at the same steepness for about twenty minutes and is a gut (definition) so very rocky. Then the trail levels out with just beautiful views of the ocean and other islands. In the middle of the woods I came upon a side that said “No hunting crabs” which made me laugh… You don’t see that in New England! The trail ends up rounding Leinster Bay which is the trail you take from Maho to go to Waterlemon Cay (the must do snorkel spot that I have mentioned earlier). You also pass a beautiful ruin of an old plantation; there are so many on this island. I expected the trail to be longer and more challenging than it was, so I was pleasantly surprised. The hardest part was walking up the also steep driveway to Maho Bay Camps at the end in the heat. I arrived and got settled into my tent cabin and grabbed some lunch at the camp store which I enjoyed in the Pavillion overlooking the ocean. Maho serves a great breakfast and dinner but no lunches. I had cheese, fruit and a Mango Beer. Then I changed and went for a brief swim and snorkel and hit the jackpot. I had been wanting to see an octopus and there were a group of people saying that they were seeing one. I swam over and everyone was pointing at it but for the life of me, I could not see it and I was not sure what I was really looking for. I must have stared for ten minutes and the others swam away… then I finally saw its two little eyes and a weird shape wrapped around some rocks at the base of a large rock. It camouflages well as many sea creatures here do. I was elated!

Later, I was trying to decide if I wanted to stay at Maho for dinner or go in to Cruz Bay and DINE for a real treat. ( Spy Glass http://spyglassvi.com/index.html). It's for sale... Want to move to the islands?I thought if I pass the shuttle area and it looks like some folks are going in… I will hop on and sure enough there was a family of four headed in to town. Sarah and her three children, Savanah, Calvin and Mateo were great company and though we parted for dinner we ended up back together looking for a cab and finally found one. Fretts shuttle was not headed back to Maho for another hour or so and we did not want to wait if another option arose. We got back and went to our respective tent cabins and agreed to meet for breakfast. They were going to do the underwater trail at Trunk Bay which is most famous but I was set on spending the day lolling around the beach right there at Maho which I did and fully enjoyed. We had fun at breakfast and off they went. I rented a yellow raft for $7/day and floated around for most of the day… did some snorkeling and saw some very large squid and a tarpin. At about 4 or so, my new family of friends came bounding on to the beach. Trunk Bay had been closed due to high waves… there was a big wind that was stirring up the ocean. In fact…there was hardly any beach at Maho for most of the day since the waves were washing up so high. They made the best of the day and were ready for some swimming. We planned to meet for dinner which we did and once again… It was Prime Rib at Maho which is one of the reasons that I chose to be there on a Friday … they really do it up. I really enjoyed dinner… it felt great to be with excited kids full of enthusiasm for this place. They also finished off half of my prime rib… it was huge and they each ate a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for dessert. I did get a bite!
During my two day stay, I also met a variety of volunteers that are my age. I had always had the impression it was kids in their twenties and I guess that is true during the summer but October and November bring those that are retired. The stay is a month which is just right. I had good conversations and was invited back for Thanksgiving dinner which I guess they really do well at Maho. They were actually having a pumpkin carving contest on Saturday for Halloween.

On Sunday, I wanted to get back to Viers to put at least a couple work hours in. Hamilton(who I know), a local well known figure, gives island tours and my new friends were going with him for an all day exclusive tour for the four of them. I was offered a ride to Salt Pond (the bus end of the line stop) that I should have taken but I was not checked out and I did not want to hold them up. I really should have hustled my buns! Instead I took the 10:15 shuttle into Cruz Bay intending to take the Vtran bus back to Salt Pond. It was about 11 and I thought the next bus would be 11:25…no show. When it did finally show about 12:15 the driver said he would be leaving town at 1:25, ugh! I was itchy to get back. I began talking to this woman named Pat who was also waiting for the bus and had just arrived on the ferry. She had been in Tortola for a week on a boat with a male traveling friend. She is from Hilton Head and she is retired and my age. She had spent the week sailing on this boat for $180 for the week! Now she was headed to a rental here on St John that she had found on Craiglist. I must say I was a little taken aback by her adventuresomeness… and wondered if she would be safe. As we talked we both thought may-be with two of us we could get a ride our way. Around the corner came this guy, Matt who I had meant a couple of times – he waits table at JJ;s right at the ferry dock. I think I mentioned him earlier in my blog. Very nice guy and he was picking up two young women (who knows how they had connected but it was the girl’s last night here and they were ready to party) I asked him where he was headed and he said he could give us a ride part way to another bus stop. Long story short – we got a couple of rides but I ended up in Coral Bay waiting for the bus anyway! It was like playing leap frog with the bus all the way home…. But before I caught the bus… I ended up reconnecting with Sarah and the kids at Skinny Legs which I knew was on their tour for lunchtime. I also saw Hamilton and told him I should definitely have taken him up on his offer for the ride! I walked back to camp and got there about 3:30.. with no energy left to work. Zoe had wanted to go to this farmers marked in St John on Sunday and I was going to go with her but we canned it because it would be a lot of time and transportation getting there. So since I was going to put in a full day on Sunday… I just relaxed for the rest of Saturday.

Tonight is Halloween. There is a big bash at Skinny Legs… the local and infamous bar in Coral Bay…

The big news from New England had been of your early snow fall this past weekend… if it makes you feel any better it has been rainy here today. I am enjoying the sound of it right now… it is comforting BUT I do hope it is not bringing in the “big rains of November” that are common here!

Happy Halloween!

Keeping you posted!

Jumbie is a type of mythological spirit or demon in the folklore of some Caribbean countries commonly believe in this creature. The belief is also held by practitioners of Obeah, a form of mystical wizardry that encompasses traditional African beliefs Different cultures have different concepts of jumbees, but the general idea is that people who have been evil are destined to become instruments of evil (jumbee) in death. For more info go to the following website:

http://repeatingislands.com/2009/10/28/moko-jumbie-stilt-dancing-rooted-in-the-ancient-traditions-of-african-slaves/

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The Transiton Evolves

The day gets closer when I will get on a plane and leave everything I know and love for three months. The timeline is forcing decisions and most likely I will do what I always do: do what is necessary and leave the rest to chance. Certainly, that is a philosophy that most folks I know may not be comfortable with but my 62 years have proven it out. My intuition leads me and I have never had an inability to deal with what “IS’.
Granted, a diagnosis of cancer in 2000 certainly was traumatic but it always comes back to “dealing with what IS”. This does not mean go recklessly forward and then pick up the pieces when they collapse on you or around you (which I just might have tried in my youth); but live each day the best that you can, be willing to take responsibility for your actions and yet don’t give energy to worrying about what might happen. You might be surprised at what does not need your energy!.... Energy will flow with or without you and so will you.
So, my airline ticket is in place for the 23rd of September. I will stay at my familiar place http://www.maho.org/ for the weekend before I begin my stay/volunteer experience at http://www.islands.org/viers/ .
As I get closer to leaving; I am having some heartfelt moments with friends, family and co-workers. I always value these moments but the idea of them being “gone missing” from my life in an immediate way magnifies how much they mean to me.
One of my dreams has always been to “backpack through Europe” and recently when I investigated that possibility, I found that it is now called “flashpacking”, meaning that you are always electronically connected to people that you care about. So, I am putting many things in place to be able to do just that when I am away, such as: Email, Facebook, Skype and this Blog.
One might then ask… if I am electronically connected, is this truly “testing my limits regarding solitude”? Debatable, I suppose, but , I would say yes, because electronic connections will never be the same as “being with another” in energy/time/space, feeling a smile, seeing depth in each other’s eyes, floating on shared laughter, being consoled in an empathetic hug or being charged by the electrical flow of intellect through vibrations of voice and tone. So, would I choose to stoically cut myself off entirely to prove that “no man , or woman, is an island”? – nope!… I am quite excited about exploring solitude while having the ability to keep in touch with “my peeps”.
xox…. I will keep you posted….

Welcome... call me Nim

If you have not seen the movie, Nim's Island, with Jodie Foster, you should! This will give you and idea of what I will be up to for a few months this fall.

The first time I stepped foot on an island, it was Barbados and I was hooked. I then went to St John, USVI, on vacation and knew immediately that I someday wanted to spend more than a vacation in this beautiful place.

Now, my wish is about to be fulfilled as I leave on 9/23/2011 to spend about three months at VIERS, an environmental education center.

During this time, I hope to explore the island culture, not as a visitor so much, as an islander. I want to try my hand at cooking, island style. I would like to deepen my understanding about living simply in a self sustained environment and test my limits regarding solitude, reflextion, self discovery and life's journey with all its twists and turns.

As I go "off the beaten" track in the USVI, I hope you will join me! "This blog's for you" and me.

My Caribbean Thanksgiving

My Caribbean Thanksgiving

Through the years of my teaching career, I would often tell students that “if you had ever told me, when I was in my early twenties, that I would be in the same job for twenty three years, I would have said you were crazy… that will never happen.” Now, if you could have ever told me that I would be having a Caribbean Thanksgiving… I probably would have said the very same thing! And yet, it happened.

To find myself here on Thanksgiving is truly a wonder. I have said many times in this blog that this experience from beginning to end has shed light on what I value most. So, yesterday was no different. I started at the beginning of the week and either, emailed, face-booked or phoned family and friends just to be in touch and it has been a great week, full of voices, full of humor, full of love.

Many of us live a bountiful life, shelter, food, warmth, belonging, and even with touches of luxury. Even those who are experiencing real hardship have, perhaps, more in this country than in other places around the globe. One of my reasons for taking on this volunteer position was because Viers is an environmental education center in an island culture. Sustainable living is very much a part of this place. Sun, Septic, Cisterns and Stuff all play a noticeably different role in sustaining life here.

So, on this Thanksgiving Day, in the tropics, I am thankful for the natural resources that we have been given to meet our needs. I am hopeful that before we completely use up these resources we will understand their value and both conserve and create differently. Mostly, I am hoping that I have been influenced enough by this experience to take some behaviors home with me as life lasting souvenirs… gifts from the island and gifts from Viers...

What follows is a look everyday life at Viers and the effort to live conservatively, naturally, sustainably.

STUFF

Someone once said to me “if we all had to keep everything we ever purchased..Things would be a lot different.” Think about it. Living on an island you get very close to this notion. Refuge does not travel far from where you are. It may even stay with you forever. There is definitely junk around camp but in my first few days I was given the scoop that everything is used until you just cannot figure out another use for it. Folks here are true to this. Every food that is not cooked is composted. There is a particular bin for food that the turtles will eat. All food containers have turned into to grow pots for the organic gardening that is happening all over camp. Oddly, there is no place to recycle glass and that gets thrown in the trash that does have a pick up once a week but it is truly minimal compared to what I see in my home town. What stuff is purchased is expensive on an island and in a way this keeps the stuff amount smaller too. You do without but it does not seem to matter much which makes you wonder if you needed whatever you were thinking about getting at all?

Cisterns

There are three cisterns in camp and right now they are very full. December begins the dryer season in this tropic environment and essentially one lives off the water they have collected in the rainy season. The cistern you see in the picture is topped off with a gazebo. Randy Brown told me the story of building the gazebo here at Viers when regulations specifed that no further building could be done on the premises. Randy cleverly requested, instead of a building, could he just put a top on the cistern? And, the answer was, Yes! So, cisterns can be pretty.

On an island…there is only so much water available. Here, water is actually shipped in and you can purchase water that will be delivered if you run out but this too has a limit. Most water in camp goes through a filtration system that enables it to be used for just about everything and can actually be consumed. However, there are a few sources that are filtered several times and this is deemed the best sources of drinking water. Water is used as minimally as possible to conserve. Dishes are washed in water that actually is only changed a few times a day but then all dishes are rinsed in bleach and water for disinfecting. I had a verbal skirmish with Fish one night about the first wash pan… He proposed that it was not needed at all, that it was only done to make everyone feel good. I thought the idea extreme but it made me think about it. The only real reason you use the soapy first water is to cut grease from animal fat. If you don’t eat in a way that you have animal fat to deal with; then in fact you probably don’t need the soapy water at all. Now, this is true but most people here are willing to conserve but find it hard to go the next several steps. Water is one of our crucial resources and it some areas of the world not having it or having very little is a huge issue. Living on an island gives you a keen sense of the value of water and oddly, you are right smack in the middle of endless water!

SEPTIC

Ahhh, a reality of life. A percentage of what goes in our body, comes out as a waste product. Liquid is easy… solids more of a challenge. When I first arrived and was shown to “the hermitage” I was instructed that I was not to put any paper down the toilet. At Silver Lake we throw tp that is used when urinating in a waste bucket but that is as far as I have gone with that concept and so the idea of taking it one step further was pretty revolting at first. The receptacles here have a solid top on them, which is something I plan to institute at the lake! One quickly develops a technique that is neat and effective for putting all tp in the receptacle. It gets sealed and thrown in the trash which is picked up. Randy gave me the grand tour of the septic system at Viers which consists of large heavy blue fiber glass containers. These are above ground. Septic pipes flow in and a vent pipe is integrated. It is topped off by plate glass which in most cases is a recycled sliding door. There are four or five, I think, of these. There is a lot vegetation around them intentionally. Septic tanks can be pretty. Between the hot sun, the glass that intensifies it and the black container; break down happens rapidly. It works like a charm. You know how complicated septic designs have become and how difficult it is to get a permit AND how expensive they are? Someone once said to me… “if someone could just invent the black box…” Well, I think the Viers system is as close as it gets! Now, colder climates do present more of a challenge but there are many designs out there for systems that do work, and yet, the norm is not to use them and regulations do not easily allow alternatives anymore. Hmmmm…. follow the money.

SUN

Glorious sun. I love it so. In so many ways it is the giver of life and yet, it could lead to our demise unchecked. It can fry you and vegetation and dry up the last source of water. What would we do without the energy we reap from sun?

Half the camp is solar powered. My wonderful, outside hot shower is solar powered. Many of the cabins have lights and fans that are solar powered. (There is also growing interest in wind power for energy and there is a large scale project that has been funded for the islands) Wonderful fresh fruits like bananas and mangos and coconuts (Coconuts are classified as a fibrous one-seeded drupe. A drupe is a fruit with a hard stony covering enclosing the seed) are plentiful here. There is a rejuvenated interest in camp for growing organic vegetables. The challenge is the soil. The environment, with frequent heavy rains, washes the minerals out of soil and it is difficult to compost fast enough to create good new soil but an attempt is being made. Mulching does help and we have been raking to create piles for mulching. The entire process of growing things is speeded up by the climate, which you would think is great. But the process of growing and “going by” happens fast so it creates a challenge for sustainable gardening. Rains are drenching sometimes, heavy and short other times and non-existent for weeks on end all of which is not the best for watering crops and the moisture on the leaves attracts unwanted pests that destroy plants. Many times you have to create an irrigation system that prevents the hard rainfalls from getting to plants and create an underground watering method through irrigation systems. In the dry season; when water is a precious commodity it may be scarce for gardening. Even the deer that roam freely around camp pose a hazard to successful growing. Therefore there are plants housed in wooden frames with screening methods to try and save them from the enemies. There is a lot of enthusiasm for this right now and hopefully efforts will be successful. The sun, however, does shine, almost all the time! And right now we have the following growing all around camp: lots of basil, rosemary, parsley, tomatoes, squash of all kinds, potatoes, okra, green beans, pumpkin, papaya. Before I came here, I thought this place would be prime for gardening…but now I understand the challenge of the task. There is a project on St Croix that is being very successful. And there are other organizations making a concerted effort to figure this out. There is a real interest growing in these islands in organic gardening. Many of the “players” were at the ag fair that we attended at University of Virgin Islands.

Happy Birthday Brendon... A famous pirate story!

IT WAS A REIGN OF FEAR that lasted two long years. Blackbeard and his crew of pirates terrorized sailors on the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea from 1716 through 1718. They ambushed ships carrying passengers and cargo in the dim light of dawn and dusk when the pirates' ship was hard to see.
The pirates often determined a ship's nationality first. Then they raised that country's flag on the pirate ship so they appeared to be friendly. Now able to draw close to the unsuspecting ship, the pirates hoisted Blackbeard's flag only at the last moment.
Merchant crews often surrendered without a fight the moment they saw Blackbeard's flag. If the ship didn't surrender after warnings, the pirates moved in. Frequently their first target: the sailor at the ship's wheel. Then, as the pilotless ship drifted aimlessly, the pirates snared it with grappling hooks, pulled it closer, and leaped aboard. When the attack ended, the pirates took the passengers and crew hostage and ransacked cabins looking for coins, gold, silver, and jewelry. Blackbeard repeated this scene over and over again.
BLACKBEARD WAS BRITISH, probably born before 1690. His real name was thought to be Edward Teach. As a young seaman, he had served on a British privateer that was based in Jamaica, an island in the Caribbean. Privateers were privately owned, armed ships hired by governments during time of war. Teach became an experienced sea robber. He then joined a group of fierce Caribbean pirates.
Soon the cunning, fearless Teach became captain of his own ship—one he had stolen! He added cannons and reinforced the ship's sides. His ship was swift, easy to handle, and able to carry a large crew of as many as 250 pirates…….
For more of this story, go to: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pirates/bbeard.html

szq's Caribbean Poem

Oh Lord, please don’t be lettin the coconut fall on me head
and too please, don’t let the gecko be jumpin in me bed

Do let blue carib waters wash its beauty on me
and the soft evenin breezes remind me I’m free

Oh Lord, please don’t be lettin the spiny sea urchin be stingin my feets
or a moko jumbie be stirrin up my heart beats

Do let me climb on de mountain trails that be reachin for the sky
and let de music of waves rollin’ lull me to sleep by and by

Oh lord don’t let be comin on a 14’ shark in de sea
or havin mongoose be steelin’ me lunch from me

Do let me be makin tea from Bay Rum
and eatin fresh bananas… I been gettin me some

Oh Lord don’ let the sand fleas be eatin me up
or make me miss my folk so I cry tears in me cup

D0 let me thank you by raisin me glass full a rum
for givin’ me a fresh start under the Caribbean sun

Reflections

Friday, October 07, 2011

Well this week saw the passing of Steve Jobs and much recognition for the outstanding individual he was. Deanna posted a video on Facebook of Steve giving a commencement speech. I watched it ,amazingly, as it seems like I cannot even upload a picture here but the video of this speech played uninterrupted.

I was struck by the power of the message: Follow your passion even if you have to be a non conformist to do so , find humility and opportunity to grow in your failures and recognize the inevitability of death each moment so that it motivates you to live to the fullest.

Even though I think I have lived my life by the three lessons that Steve Jobs described. I want to take an opportunity in this new part of my life to be sure that that is what I am doing.

In the past several months I have experienced some major life changes. During this time I have been putting one foot in front of the other just to get through the changes. I have not had too much time to reflect on what these changes mean to me. And now, I find myself with time and space that allows for plenty of reflection. Each day I set about a physical task that requires very little concentration. My mind wanders a lot but now that I have cut a groove I am giving myself to thinking about life.

I left a lifestyle that had become second nature to me. I have jumped into something that is truly a test of who I really am. The thought that I have most frequently is that I am glad I am not experiencing the separation from my workplace at home because I think it would actually be more of a challenge. This experience seems to require my full attention in many ways.

Today I spent some time on this very large dock down by the marine research station that is part of Viers. The dock is is nestled in this beautiful Caribbean bay, Great Lameshur Bay. It has become my place to go in the afternoons to rest, relax, read, swim and enjoy the splendor of the nature of the Caribbean. In the distance I saw a pretty big boat that looked like it might be entering the bay. I found myself getting excited to see people. It did not come in but just chugged on by. I actually felt disappointed. And suddenly I laughed at myself, thinking I was acting like someone stranded on a deserted island looking for a rescue ship.

Interestingly, there are some significant similarities between this experience and being stranded on a deserted island. I have been dropped in this camp with no easy access to anywhere else. As on an island I must be creative about finding ways to get to other places on the island and/or off the island. There are other people here but I don’t really know them so in a way it is like not having anyone here. My first attempts at communication to those back home failed repeatedly and the idea that I might not have any real contact was a little daunting. Now some daily emails and occasional phone calls fill a very real need to be connected. I find it interesting that people want me to tell them about my adventure and seem to feel that the day to day happenings of their lives are not interesting comparatively. I, on the other hand yearn to hear about those day to day lives. I notice how busy everyone is back home is and that their pace is so fast compared to the very slow pace here. The heat really slows everything down in a big way, not to mention there is a missing sense of urgency about everything.

I find it interesting that I needed to establish some pattern of communication first and foremost and then some kind of routine. I struggle with what I always struggle with… I want a routine but then I don’t want to be hemmed in by the routine. In other words… “everywhere you go, there you are” I have created goals for myself i.e. building a bank of a week’s vacation time so that I can go play and getting each job on my list completed. I am pretty driven to achieve these goals. Within this new routine I make sure there is always time to enjoy the magnificent beauty that is all around me. Not a day goes by that I do not appreciate this magic place. Not a day goes by that I don’t find some humor with the new people that I am with and appreciate something about them. This is the essence of the life as I seem to live it. My passion is the great outdoors and the exploring the nature of human nature. So everywhere I go there it is!

The experience of being in a different eco system and a different culture is invigorating and seems emphasize how much I love all my favorite places in New England as well: Hiking in the Whites, biking and eating lobsta in Acadia (the Caribbean North) and my humble abode in Norwich, Vermont.

I have not spokenof failures; but I have certainly had my share and I guess I would say they have changed my direction and moved me forward to better places and sometimes even bigger challenges. I believe I have learned from most of them, anyway. Though death is inevitable, at this moment life is just as inevitable and living it is oh so sweet.

What an adventure!

Hello everybody...

Cannot believe that this is all real yet. Arrived in St Thomas and stayed the night there on Friday at a B&B called the Galleon House. Very convienient, inexpensive and fits the bill for crashing after a day of travel. Then on to Maho Bay Camps for two night just for a little break before meeting Randy Brown to go out to Viers. Nice few days and I seemd to really ward off the cold that was flirting with me.

Monday afternoon met Randy Brown (the Viers adminstrator who I will call Randy in this blog) and Randy Fish (the assistant manager who I will call Fish in this blog) and Zoe a researcher from California. We all met and drove out to Viers in a toyota truck along roads that became much like the Kemp silver lake driveway as we got closer to Viers!

Upon arrival and with the tropical rainy season here now... it seemed daunting to say the least. The first twenty four hours gave me some pause mainly because of the remote location and feeling a bit like I was trapped in this place. This has completely changed!

I will do my best to give a brief description and then will figure out a way to organize this blog a bit so it flows in an interesting way.

Viers was fashioned after a Mash unit in Vietam! It is several buildings (not tent/cabins like Maho) some with small kitchens and baths and outdoor showers. There is a large dining hall/kitchen, an office building, a small museum and a large tent structure for big groups. There is also a large classroom. It is 40% solar powered and YES, there is hot water showers. I expected not to have another one until December. Big bonus. The solar project here is ongoing and really interesting. The water source is cisterns that are pretty abundant at this time of year and water is seriously filtered and really tastes good. Water is used very conservatively always. Everything that can be composted is composted. Everything that can be recycled is recycled. It is truly a self sustained environment as much as possible.

The folks that are here now are Randy, Fish, Zoe and a volunteer couple, Lori and Roy. There are also two other women researchers who no one ever sees believeit or not because they do there data collection all night! I was a little concerned about meeting new people in this kind of a situation and just how that would be. It is just fine. These people are all so very nice. There are three large turtles, Rabbit, Bunny and Lady! There is a cat named Emma.

It is a wonderfully peaceful setting in a tropical forest. There is a grassy area with picnic tables, a campfire pit and boardwalks that connect everything because the grounds are wet, especially now. Yet, the days have been beautiful, hot, humid and sunny so far. In the "lawn area" deer wander around frequently. Lots of big snail/crabs around on the ground. Occasional mongoose around. However, I have been assured that there are no creatures that will hurt you here.

The two nice beaches with great snorkeling are a five minute walk. I miss not being able to see the ocean from camp but that is a minor issue at this point. There are several other beaches that you can walk to as well. There is lots of hiking in the immediate area also. The camp has kyacks which at some point I will get to doing. The ocean has been very placid the past few days and the bays that we are near are usually very calm.

I ate Barbados cherris from a tree yesterday and Zoe made guava berry jam which I had with peanut butter for lunch yesterday. Zoe is into edible plants. There are lots of interesting plants that I will get into another time but there is one massive tree near the museum that is called a rain tree. Robin Saunders, it is the most perfect tree for the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse that I have ever seen!

Lori and Roy love to camp in the woods and just love this place. There daughter has worked here for several years. Lori and Roy go hiking in the woods at night and there big find were these mushrooms that glow green in the night. They are very cool... though Randy was quick to say "I wouldn't eat those"! Don't worry folks, I won't be eating anything that I am not absolutely sure won't kill me or make me deathly sick.

Yesterday morning, Randy gave me a grand tour for about two and a half hours with lots of details about the history of Viers, St John and some identification of flaura and fauna. I had lunch and then waited for Zoe to take me to the reaserach station down by the water. After that I went for a swim/snorkel in water that is truly as warm as bath water right now - though this changes by the day/hour. Back to camp for a quick shower and then dinner with the group. We had "cheeseburgers in paradise" on the grill and talked for awhile.

I went back to my cabin and you are never going to believe this.... I watched the new version of Bewitched (with Nicole Kidman and Will Farrell) on my laptop before going to sleep. The night before I watched Huckleberry Finn! There is quite a collection of old movies in the classroom and also books. At the moment it is nice to watch a movie or part of one before I try and sleep. There is so much to process in this transiton that my mind is busy and it quiets it down a little.

I will post some picture soon and will try and get this blog going. I miss everyone very much and the transition is surely a big one for me. So far so good!

Wild Things... You make my hear sing

A Tribute to Jamie
Jamie is leaving VIERS this week after four years of service as manager. He first visited Viers years ago as a volunteer. During his college career, Jamie did an intership as part of his graduate work. This began Jamie's relationhip with Viers which continued as the manager. He refers to Randy Brown as a mentor. Jamie recently posted on facebook that he had just purchased a "one way plane ticket" leaving St Thomas and commenented "wierd". After the time and energy that Jamie has invested in Viers; it must be wierd, indeed. The position as manager is one of real emmersion. It requires you to be on in a way other employment does not. You live on the premises and are always subject to the needs of all others who are in camp. This is not easy and requires a particular type of individual. The position also requires that you know how to do "just about everything", including all kinds of construction labor (building, plumbing, electrical, septic and here cistern maintenance). It requires profound interpersonal skills. All kinds of people come to Viers (I am but one example) with different skill sets and more imporatantly, differenet personalities. Interacting requires patience, compassion and humor; traits which Jamie demonstrates continually. Jamie is one of the best conversationalists I have ever met. He is intelligent, with a great command of language and his interests spark good conversation anywhere, in any setting, with anyone.
Jamie has been the caretaker for three turtles, Bunny, Rabbit and Lady. He is having pangs about setting them free but this is now the plan.
Jamie grew up in New Hampshire and actually attended River Valley Community College (formerly New Hampshire Technical College) my long time place of employment. We shared a semester there in 2004ish and did not ever meet each other. He now has plans to become a certified dive instructor through the Community College system in Key West. He is also interested in teaching in environmental sciences. He attended Antioch in New Hampshire for graduate work. Jamie will be successful in whatever he selects for his future.
It has been a pleasure to get to know Jamie for a short time and I wish him the very best!
Yes, and when I refer to "wild things" here... I do mean, Jamie and the turtles and.....all that the environment gives to us.

Wild Things...You make my heart sing

Sea Turtles
Two species, the green turtle and the hawksbill turtle are
commonly found around the Virgin Islands.Green turtles are vegetarians and can usually be found grazing the seagrass beds in bays such as Maho, Francis, and Leinster.
The giant leatherback turtle also inhabits our waters, but
is almost extinct and rarely seen. The leatherback can grow to as much as eight feet in length and weigh over 1000 pounds. Sea turtles have been in existence for about 150 million years, inhabiting the tropical and subtropical seas of the world.
Even though these large reptiles spend almost all their
life in the sea, they are air breathers. They hold their breath just like we do when we dive without tanks. Sea turtles have no ears, They can still hear, though, accomplishing this through the use of eardrums that are conveniently
covered with skin. Sea turtles have a keen sense of sight an excellent sense of smell, both function best while they are submerged.
The hawksbill, green and leatherback turtles are al listed as federally endangered species. Sea turtles also face other serious problems. More and more beaches are being developed rendering them unsuitable for turtle nesting.
To the spiritually evolved Taino people of the Caribbean, the
turtle symbolized the ancestral mother and was a prominent feature in their religious art. This majestic and peaceful being cannot be allowed to become extinct. We must remember that we share our environment with all of God's creatures, and it is our responsibility to preserve and protect our unique
heritage.

Wild Things...You make my heart sing...

Pelicans are social and like to hangout with other pelicans and other birds. Depending on the species, the body length can range from 4 to 6 feet and the weight can range from 10 to 30 pounds. Pelicans have a large body, short legs, and large webbed feet. They are strong fliers despite their unusual build and they are excellent swimmers because of their feet (which help with propulsion and steering).Since the surface feathers of such birds soak up water readily, the birds are less buoyant and therefore better able to dive and maneuver beneath the surface. Some can plunge dive from heights of up to 150 ft and at speeds of up to 60 mph. They spot their prey before they dive using sharp vision and then tuck their wings back as the plummet in for the kill..Pelicans have a pouch on their lower bill which enables them to scoop up fish. They also have streamlined bodies and narrow nostrils (to prevent water from rushing in during a dive).Some can store 3 gallons of water in throat pouch!

Wild things... you make my heart sing

These are all around camp in all sizes but many of them are as big as a good size orange. They crawl all around and tend to congregrate in big groups at different times of the day. Oringinally (as in the first picture) they have no shell. They find a shell. Usually it is a conch shell but they can find all sorts of shells. I read something about one making a jar on the beach its shell! And once a year they all travel from wherever they are (even if it is a mountain top like here) to the sea to drop there eggs in the ocean. They all do it on the same day. There are thousands of eggs dropped and only a percentage survive. Amazing creatures!

Wild Things... you make my heart sing..

Octopus have a soft body and are very intelligent due to a highly developed brain. They are completely deaf. They communicate by changing colors (when it is scared it turns white). It has eight arms called tentacles. Each tentacle has 214 suction cups to catch its prey… so that is 1920 suction cups in all! It releases ink to distract enemies so it can swim away. They eat crabs, crayfish, clams and fish. So people will tell you to look for a pile of shells and then see if you can find the octopus. The more preferred way an octopus avoids being eaten is by not being seen. Octopuses have specialized skin cells that change their coloring to perfectly match their surroundings. This is why I had such a hard time finding the one that I saw! They can appear to change their skin's texture as well. They can reach speeds of up to 25mph for short periods of time. Scientific experiments have proven that they possess a long term and short term memory and can negotiate mazes and solve puzzles. They are very clever about escaping. They do not live very long; only about two years… Just think the sea urchin lives ten times longer!

Wild things... You make my heart sing

Rough Beginnings
Mother never meets baby: iguana mothers lay the eggs underground and leave them. Babies hatch, dig themselves out, and are on their own to survive.
The Iguana is a type of lizard found in the Caribbean and in tropical Central and South America. The name “iguana” comes from the Taino language. They live in trees and can grow to be as much as six feet long. They have spines on their backs and tails that they use for defense by whipping their tails. Their tails will break off if grabbed allowing the iguana to escape, whereupon it will grow a new tail. Iguanas can stay under water for 28 minutes. Iguanas can drop 40 feet from a tree onto solid ground without getting hurt.

Wild Things... You make my heart sing!

Saw one of these on Friday! The second time I have ever seen one. So cool!

Sting rays are flattened, diamond shaped, cartilaginous fish with a short, thick tails and wide "wings". The mouth and gills are located on the underside of the ray. Rays spend most of their time resting on the bottom of sea in shallow waters covered partly with sand. They are harmless unless stepped on. Sting rays have one or two venomous spines at the base of their tail which they will stab with if stepped on. And they are just beautiful to sea as they swim gracefully, almost like they are flying!

Wild Things... You make my heart sing

Sea Turtles
I see them often. They gracefully and gently swim through the waters below you.
Two species, the green turtle and the hawksbill turtle are commonly found around the Virgin Islands.Green turtles are vegetarians and can usually be found grazing the seagrass beds in bays such as Maho, Francis, and Leinster.
The giant leatherback turtle also inhabits our waters, but is almost extinct and rarely seen. The leatherback can grow to as much as eight feet in length and weigh over 1000 pounds. Sea turtles have been in existence for about 150 million years, inhabiting the tropical and subtropical seas of the world.
Even though these large reptiles spend almost all their life in the sea, they are air breathers. They hold their breath just like we do when we dive without tanks. Sea turtles have no ears, They can still hear, though, accomplishing this through the use of eardrums that are conveniently covered with skin. Sea turtles have a keen sense of sight an excellent sense of smell, both function best while they are submerged.
The hawksbill, green and leatherback turtles are all listed as federally endangered species.
Sea turtles also face other serious problems. More and more beaches are being developed rendering them unsuitable for turtle nesting.
To the spiritually evolved Taino people of the Caribbean, the turtle symbolized the ancestral mother and was a prominent feature in their religious art. This majestic and peaceful being cannot be allowed to become extinct. We must remember that we share our environment with all of God's creatures, and it is our responsibility to preserve and protect our unique heritage.

Freelance Adventures

Hiking and....

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Two Night Trip to Maho Bay Camps

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