Arrr, Pirates spotted in paradise!

Yo, ho, ho. The islands have been taken over by pirates. And they arrived from the chilly north by plane and ferry. Fortunately they traveled light, because our Jeep can't hold four people and a ton of
luggage. Anyone have a donkey?

Surprise! Those aren't pirates, they're our next-door neighbors from Connecticut. Joanne and Dave Rogers! What a treat for JimBob. The Rogers arrived for President's week and spent the better part of five days with us.

Right off the ferry and off we go to a beach, of course. First stop was Trunk Bay. Since it was in the afternoon most of the cruise ship tourists had left for their trip back to St. Thomas. Good riddance.

Wait a minute. Haven't Jo and Dave ever seen sand before? Maybe they picked up mosquitoes on the ferry? Maybe it's just that all that snow up north has made the warm Caribbean water go to their heads. Whatever. I think they were enjoying themselves. Those toes looked happy.


The first evening we spent at home, Tropical Manor style. Jim prepared tilapia with mango salsa and sweet potatoes. The next day was spent exploring the island and sitting on the beach. We also took the Rogers out to see the site of our new home.

In the evening we hosted a cocktail party to introduce Jo and Dave to some of our new island friends. Just a little group of eighteen. Lots of wine and amazing tidbits to eat thanks to Jim's cooking gifts. After the festivities we headed down to Coral Bay (shown on the invitation at right) and one of our favorite haunts Shipwreck Landing. We had a fun dinner and returned home exhausted! Pirates really wear you out!

Stay tuned for more adventures with the Rogers.
Hints: Hiking, sailing and more dining.

Party on de island, mon. De drinks be flowin'.

So the Winter season is well underway on St.John. And of course that brings numerous parties and events. One thing you can surely say about the island folk is that they are generous. Several of the biggest island parties are fund- raisers of some kind. Guess what? JimBob got invited to one. The place: Pat and Ronnie Lee's home near Cruz Bay. The cause: Raising funds for computers to go in the islands' two schools.
      The party was held on Election Day, or Martin Luther King Day.  So all were asked to wear red, white and blue. I'd guess there were close the eighty guests. Pat and Ronnie (a theatrical producer on Broadway) put out an amazing spread. Check out their beautiful home. Perched on a cliff above the ocean, the home has a giant 'great room'. Note the theater curtains along side a Juliet balcony. I bet there are sold-out performances here. They even have a real theater seat near the grand staircase. Of course it is labeled Row 'A', seat 1. Front row orchestra, not bad! Anyway, as the party was taking off people stopped in front of the television which had the inauguration playing. So pop out for a drink, then check in with the Obama's. Fun. It was mingle, mingle, mingle.

After some serious cocktail time, the food began to come out of the kitchen. Yum; salads, beef stew, grilled chicken, pastas, you name it, it was there. Then, it was time for a speech by our host Ronnie. Of course he stood on the grand staircase. Drama! He made the announcement about the fund raising and he also had a little surprise. Ronnie offered two orchestra seats to the show that wins best musical at this years Tony Awards. He also promised a back-stage tour following the performance. So the bidding began at $500. But quickly it jumped. In the end the lucky winner shelled out $1700. Every single dime raised go the computer project, of course.

Finally, a toast to the lucky winners. Bravo! Encore!
Whatever. Ok, let's get back to the partying. More food and drinks, then cake. I love cake. Especially carrot cake with icing. Red, white and blue icing.
This island party was a huge success. We met many new friends.

Perhaps when you come down to visit you will meet them too. You are coming, right? Remember, we have a four bedroom house with plenty of privacy for all.  Maybe there will be an island party when you arrive. Or maybe we'll throw one in your honor before you leave for home. We promise not to make it a fund-raiser. Although donations to Bob's wine bar are surely appreciated.

Cheers!

De new house be starting.

It's official, Bob has signed a contract with Rob Crane AIA to design a home on St. John. After a bit of back and forth, we reached an agreement on January 16th. So how to celebrate the big event? How about a trip out to the vacant lot to check out the view and start planning!

But no trip to the east end of St. John would be possible without breakfast at the famous landmark Donkey Dinner. Yummy full-fat food! Although Jim had an egg-white omelette, Bob went full-out scrambled eggs and sausage with tons of toast. A meal fit for a donkey king.

Now that we are fully caffeinated and happy, we hit the winding road. Hey look, one of our new neighbors has shown up to welcome us. Isn't that thoughtful? Funny, he or she (since it's hard to tell unless they are you-know-whatevering) seems to be asleep by the road. We can't figure out if donkeys sleep standing up or laying down. But they all hang by the side of the road waiting for something. Maybe Godot? All the tourists stop to have their pictures taken along side them. But I digress.



Here we are at the base of our lot. Hey look, Bob has sheared away all the bushes and has revealed where the driveway will start. If you look uphill you will see a pink marker where the actual lot begins. Doesn't look like the grade is too steep. But in reality, the distance from the parking pad to the house will most likely be three stories high. Bring your hiking shoes! The house will sit uphill to the left. We expect to have a 180 degree view towards The British Virgin Islands. Lots of boat traffic to keep Bob busy.



                                       
Here is some of the natural plant-life.

Lots of cool cactus and spikey stuff. Bob has tried to get a better idea of the view by climbing a tree. He brought along his favorite shears to open up the vista a bit. Bob up a tree? What did you expect?

Hey look, another of our new neighbors has left a welcoming gift. Look closely in this bromeliad, a local goat has been around these parts. Hmmm. What are those lovely brown round things? We plan on putting up an animal barrier fence asap. The goats will eat anything you plant, and just about anything else. So the saying 'good fences make good neighbors' will apply here in spades.

Finally, a photo from up on the lot looking back down on what will be the driveway. We think it's great to be at the end of the road. No tourists expected because there will be no place to turn around. Ah, sweet privacy!













Time to head home and jump in the hot (now cold) outdoor spa. Bob, put those clippers down you're getting dangerous and the goats are looking at you funny.

Twas the night before Xmas and all through the Villa...

 

         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.

It's official, I'm a homeowner. Well, lot owner.

    December 5, 2012. The first annual Dreeket's Bay Homeowners Association has its first meeting. Here we are in all our glory. Actually there are many lot owners, but only four showed up at the meeting. Seated at the right is the developer David Prevo, at the extreme left his wife Donna.
Guess who those dashing guys in the back row are?

So now that it's official, what next? Let's go to our private beach and start a little clean up! Jim opens the gate at our rental home, Tropical Manor, and off we go. Next stop Coral Bay.






We pass the turn-off for Coral Bay where there is a small village...which means many bars and a mini-mart.







Then it's past Sputnick's Bar and The Donkey Dinner. Fine dining anyone? Napkins are optional. Use your fingers.






Watch out Bob, there's a curve up ahead. Jim, stop back-seat driving. Wonder how many people have hit this barrier? Is a steep downhill ride! Really steeeep!






Into The St. John National Park we go. Up on the top of a ridge you can see straight up The Sir Francis Drake Channel. That's Tortola on the left. Sailing anyone?




Finally, we arrive at the beach parking area. This spot is directly below our new lot. Again, that's Tortola over there.

Get out the beach combing equipment guys. Also, lunch and lots of sun block. Wine? What do you think?

My, my, the work is never done. Work? Where is everyone? Oh yeh, it's a private beach. This could become addicting.

Time for a break. Let's see, maybe I raked for ten minutes. That's it: work ten minutes, rest two hours. Where's the wine?

Does this look familiar? Jim knits while Bob rakes. OK, he made the lunch. Nice legs Jim!

Back home, Bob has started to put together a newsletter for the Dreeket's Bay Association. Can anyone say, "Liz Sweeney"? More about this project in another blog.

Happy Holidays from Paradise.
JimBob

        Lest anyone think that we haven't adapted well to our new environment, here's a brief description of JimBob's Thanksgiving dinner. Oops, dinner? We spent all day at the beach below our new lot. We had the place completely to ourselves. Jim knitted, Bob drank wine. Anyway, it was a wonderful day and we did not watch football games. Since Thanksgiving dinner is usually in the afternoon, we extended afternoon to be six o'clock. Remember, island time! So we get home (which is now a temporary Condo in Cruz Bay) about seven. Here we are at the kitchen table. Hey, where's dinner? Oh yes, we need to cook something. Where's the turkey? No turkey, Jim?
         Ok, Jim begins to prepare the official Thanksgiving feast. Let's see. Oh yes it's about eight o'clock. Bob, get your hands off that wine glass! Save some to go with the meal. As for the said meal, we have bought two lobsters and sundry fixings to accompany them. The lobsters get plunged into boiling water for one minute, then rushed out to the grill for a few minutes on each side. They are filled with herbed butter. Yum.
          Now it's about 9:30 PM. Still cooking. Jim has made a beautiful citrus, nut, spinach salad. There is wild rice on the stove and asparagus steaming away.
Off we go to the dinner table. Salad, lobster right off the grill. What more could you ask for?

Here's the completed dinner plate as presented by master chef Jim. Everything was fantastic.
Hey, what's for desert? Well, it was a lovely pecan pie with ice cream. Where's it's picture?
Come on, it was almost midnight. I ate it and went to bed. No picture!

Three thousand miles, three thousand dollars.

The Jeep be in de islands, mon. It got de coloful plates with de fish and flowers. Apparently the Jeep had a nice, safe trip south while Jim and Bob had to deal with hurricane Sandy. Then there is the story of picking up the Jeep and getting it to St. John.

     Bob took an early morning ferry from St. John to St. Thomas to pick up said vehicle. The ride over was beautiful. (what did you expect, we're in de islands) Bob hops into a cab for the short ride to the transporters office. But the cab driver can't find it. So Bob gets left off by the side of the road and heads for the waterfront on foot. Finding a bar, Bob borrows a cell phone from a friendly (drinking in de morning) native and calls the office. Can barely understand, but it sounds like a short stroll to the office. An hour later, and less ten pounds of sweat, Bob arrives. The friendly transport agent takes Bob to the bank to get money to pay for the 'road' tax. Then off they go to the DMV. The lady at the payment window is out for lunch, but she "will be back in ten minutes". An hour later the payments are made and we have license plates! Now back to the waterfront where our happy Jeep is sitting in a holding area. Wait half an hour to find someone to open the gate. Whatever. On go the plates, and off goes Bob with the Jeep. Finally!
     Once onboard the car barge Bob orders a rum punch to celebrate. Yum. Bob meets a nice young fellow traveling over to St. John and they pass the trip with conversation and rum drinks. Here's a photo of the Jeep on the ferry. Cool huh?
     The best news is that the Jeep looks great. No scratches, no dents, nothing. And the car cover hidden beneath the back seats is still there. By the time Bob gets back home it's after six in the evening. Where is Jim to make dinner? Oh yes, Jim is in Boston.
     Hey, look. The Jeep has a garage. What more could you ask?