Christmas 2012. The sun is up but the reindeer are still sleeping in their bed. Hey, wake up!
Santa may have missed the chimney, but he came down in the stone shower instead. Smart Santa!
His visit to Tropical Manor Villa was his last stop, because two of his reindeer have rented the place for the winter (rumor has it they're planning to stay). Look, one of the reindeer is up and has made breakfast. Opps, he's missing his antlers. Whatever. So, Dancer and Prancer, a.k.a. Jim and Bob, started their holiday with cups of java and tea overlooking Coral Bay and feeling sooo grateful for all their friends and wonderful families. Then they opened the presents their boss, Mr. Claus, left on the coffee table. There are no Christmas trees here. Well, actually one can buy a tree on the next island—a tree that has been flown in from some place where snow actually falls out of the sky. Instead Jim made a white light adorned wreath out of palm fronds (truthfully, it looks more like a horse collar). Jim got what he really wanted for Christmas, a floaty for lounging in the turquoise bays surrounding this piece of Paradise. Bob got a watch, so now when he asks "What time is it?" (one of his favorite questions) he can look at his left wrist and find the answer. You may wonder how do off-the-clock reindeer spend their time. Easy. Cooking and eating. Wouldn't you after circumnavigating the globe hauling a sleigh loaded down with an extremely over weight gentleman and enough presents for almost every child on earth. You may now wonder what do reindeer eat? 
Certainly not hay! Their holiday culinary indulgence started with French toast with carmelized bananas and cayenne spiced almonds, accompanied by fresh papaya (which buy the way are growing everywhere on this island...they can be picked while leaning over the railing of the Villa's deck). 
Then Dancer/Jim baked a cast iron skillet full of cornbread and pureed red pepper soup. After a few hours of lounging and contemplating absolutely nothing, the reindeer returned to the kitchen to prepare appetizers for the approaching cocktail hour(s): marjoram seasoned dry roasted almonds which were served warm with apricot seasoned chevre and British water crackers (a nod to the British Virgin Islands across the way).
After another break for Dancer, resting in the rattan chairs on the deck reading the spectacular French Country Cookbook—a gift from his favorite reindeer—while Prancer entertained himself with a bit of gardening, it was time to tackle a leg of lamb. The seasoned entree went on the grill, while potatoes gratin were slide into the oven and eggplant slices prepped for a bit of grilling as well. Oh yes, the reindeer had busy little hooves for a while. 
The cook books were consulted frequently...these reindeer are not Cordon Blue grads!
The holiday table was set along with the mood for reflecting on the past year and wondering what the *!??>{^8&?!!#! will happen next year. End up on a mountain top? Fall off a cliff? Wait a minute, do I smell something burning? The leg of lamb. Get it off the grill? Plate up the dinner!!! 
So, the rather fatigued reindeer enjoyed their Chrsitmas dinner and retired to the sofa for a warm tropical dessert—pineapple, mango and papaya with a hot rum and cinnamon glaze complimented with butter cookies (Dancer was channeling Alice Waters while he baked these morsels)
So, now it's the day after Christmas and where are the reindeer? Guess.
