Busy day and night

One of the most talked about Saint Lucian activities that comes up in Trip Advisor is the Gros Islet Jump-up, a weekly, Friday night street party featuring music and street vendors selling everything from trinkets to food to homemade spiced rum.  

Last year, I was in Saint Lucia alone so didn't venture far off the beaten path, especially after dark.  It isn't that Saint Lucia isn't safe, because I think it is, it was simply I wasn't familiar with the area and a little self-conscious of being alone and being cautious.  So I didn't get to experience the party.

This year, however, it was on our list of must-do events.  Our housekeeper, Chantal, arranged for a friend to drive us to and from the village as she did not recommend the local bus.  It turned out, the night we went was quieter than normal as the locals were at the cricket match, and we left before the game ended.  From what we heard, it was wall-to-wall people after 11 p.m.  

The part was interesting due in large part to the cast of characters passing by.  Tourists outnumbered the locals and some people....well, let's just say I hope they don't dress that way in their every day life!  The food was good, though the prices were higher than we found later in the week, I guess they realize they have a captive audience.  The music was a disappointment, as I was hoping for a local flavor, but what we got was a American pop. I also avoided the local rum, and stuck to the Piton beer available at the little bars that lined the street.  I'm still glad we went as it was a different side of Saint Lucia, I hadn't seen previously.

On Saturday morning we took the local bus to Castries (capital city of Saint Lucia, population 60,000) for the market.  The market is HUGE, offering fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, and a staggering variety of craft items, clothing, and trinkets.  We wandered the market, then walked over to the duty free shops at Le Place Caranege.  These photos were taken from the outdoor restaurant we visited for lunch.

The ferry was taking people to and from the cruise ship docked in port.  

On Monday we visited Pigeon Island.  

We walked up to the top of the smaller peak to visit Fort Rodney - the view was spectacular!

There were a number of remnants of old buildings scattered about the island.

I had to stand and wonder how they managed to build these structures without the use of modern machinery.











We spent some time on the beach on Pigeon before having our lunch at Jambe de Bois.  Guess what I found there?

Isn't he (or maybe a she) a cutie?

From Pigeon Island we walked back to Rodney Bay...I'm not certain how far away it was, perhaps 3 miles or a little further.  Chantal's reaction when she heard of our trek was "You're stronger than I am!".

Coming tomorrow....our catamaran tour!

Vacation extraordinaire!

I'm back!  Back to -32C with windchill in excess of -40C or F, take your choice. :-(

On the other hand, I'm happily ensconced in my armchair, where I'm warm and toasty, and have the memories of an incredible vacation to see me through this ridiculous (and hopefully short-lived) cold snap.

Since we were totally disconnected for the entire vacation, I won't bore you with the details of our often humdrum days, but will limit my posts for the next few days to hit the highlights and share some of my photos.

Travelling to the island was uneventful and we arrived at Mango Cottage just after 6 p.m. on Thursday, January 17.  Alex B. the property manager arrived within a few minutes and opened the cottage for us in short order.  Mango Cottage is a dollhouse, my guess about 400 square feet all told on both levels, with a small living area and a tiny but efficient kitchen on the main level, and the bedroom, and a large combination bathroom, storage and closet on the second level.

.

The next morning I was up early to explore the gardens (in my jammies....privacy is great!)  There were numerous trees, shrubs, flowers, ferns, and even a banana (tree/shrub?)  As a result there were lots of birds, and I spotted a small gecko which we later determined lived under the washing machine.

The pool was an awesome feature, especially in the afternoon when we wanted to get out of the sun for a little while.

The two deck chairs got a daily workout, either for a snooze or a place to read!

This was our other favorite hangout at the Cottage.  K preferred the hammock, while I enjoyed the Adirondack chairs.  We started every morning here, planning our day and enjoying the weather and the wildlife around us.

Everyday I thought to myself, "I am so lucky to be here."

And now that I'm home I know for certain how true that thought was!!!

Time to go catch up on what's happening with you....

Leaving is easy

I'm sure not going to miss this!


I am, however, looking forward to this:





Mango Cottage is a sweet, secluded cottage, surrounded by beautiful mature tropical gardens and with a plunge pool. A large breezy wrap-around veranda with hammock and loungers also has outdoor dining. The crisp modern interior with original art, exposed wood beam ceilings in the bedroom and marble tiled bathroom all offer understated luxury. With Wi fi, an ipod dock and flat screen TV, modern convenience is combined with rustic charm. The whole cottage can be air conditioned, or with fans in every room, you can enjoy the tropical breezes. Located on a rise on the south side of Rodney Bay, 2 minutes walk takes you to the beautiful beach, the supermarket or malls. Dozens of restaurants and bars are only a few hundred yards away. The garden has fruit trees, orchids and beautiful flowers, and there is a fabulous view of Pigeon Island and the sea from the bedroom.

By the time this posts I should be on my flight heading for Toronto where we'll overnight before travelling onto Saint Lucia on Thursday.  As I write this, I'm getting anxious to get on our way. to get away from the never ending winter, and enjoy the sun, sand, and surf!  Hopefully by the time I return at the end of the month, the worst will be over.  A girl can hope, can't she?

Hope everyone has a wonderful January!

Getting ready

Four more sleeps....four more sleeps....omg my vacation is almost here!!!!

And it can't come soon enough, this morning's temp was -26C.  Do you want the temperature was in Castries, St. Lucia?  It was +27C.  Is it any wonder I'm ready to leave this godforsaken part of the world, if only for a brief period of time?

I started packing today - Saku and Sasha have already shared that bit of news.  In my defense, I thought I might be able to use the smaller suitcase...but no...it wasn't going to work.

Much of the day was spent pampering myself.  I had my first pedicure this morning - I thought I might be ticklish but it was good - wow are my feet soft for now.  It won't last I'm sure.

When Lisa asked me to choose a nail polish color, I chose the base coat because it was clear!  In the end I chose a shade of pink, it was least dark color I could find, but even it looks odd to me.  It's the first time in my life I've had polish on my toes...I guess that makes me a little odd myself!

I've been wearing my sandals around the house to break them in, and get used to being barefoot.  I'm so looking forward to NOT wearing socks and shoes!

I also had my hair cut, and went for a tan - then came home and had a nap.  Tough day, right?

Not sure how much I'll post before I get away, and I don't expect to have access to the internet while I'm gone.  So if I'm not heard from until late January, don't be surprised!  

Where ever you are, stay warm, be safe and I'll see you soon!

F'Ugly

It's truly f''ugly out there!

We're currently under a winter storm warning, with heavy snow and blowing expected this evening and tonight.  The forecast is for 10-20 cm. (4-8 inches) of snow before the storm blows over.  AND not only is it snowing, but the temperatures are dropping rapidly.  At 7 a.m. today it was 0C (32F), now we're at -9C (16F) and by tomorrow evening we're expecting temps of -19C (2F).

I'd only been home about 15 minutes when I took this photo...if it keeps up at this rate the car will be buried by morning!  I've already informed my kids to set their alarms for 6:30 tomorrow so they can get up and clean the driveway before my daughter and I go to work.  Did you know I only own two shovels?  Darn...
 

Note to self....why didn't I start my vacation a week earlier?  I'd already be in Saint Lucia :(

Converted

So remember when I was bitching complaining about my e-reader?  And how I thought I'd never be happy with it because it wasn't a real book?

I have eleven books already loaded on my Kobo.  Many are authors I would likely have never read if it weren't for the e-reader (and the fact they were priced below $5...I know, I'm a cheapskate!)

They include:
A Stranger in Paradise - Eileen Goudge (I've read her novels before and while a bit fluffy, they're a great vacation read
Above All Things - Tanis Rideout (new to me - ntm)
A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows - Diana Gabaldon (a favorite of mine)
A Single Thread - Marie Bostwick (ntm)
The Next Better Place - Michael Keith (ntm)
Clover  - Dori Sanders (ntm)
Gap Creek - Robert Morgan (ntm)
The Choice - Robert Whitlow (ntm)
Spinning Forward - Terri Dulong (ntm)
Any Known Blood - Lawrence Hill (Author of the Book of Negros  - great book if you haven't read it)
Tigers in Red Weather  - Lisa Klausmann (ntm)

I've already finished the first book in the list, and starting on the fourth.  I've loving the fact, that when I go on holidays I can take a dozen books with me and it weighs less than a single book.  Plus I love, love, love my Kobo Glo and cover, as it has the back light and feels like a light book with the cover on it.

Okay....I'm truly converted!  Next time I complain about technology...remind me to quit being such a Luddite!

Incapable

Once upon a time, I was capable of a doing things on my own. If memory serves, it was that time between giving birth to my children, and when they both moved back home a couple of years ago.

When the kids were small, I did pretty much everything around the house.  I hung wallpaper, tore up carpet (though it did result in stitches to my lip - long story), painted walls, and built furniture.  NOT the homemade stuff you need a table saw, but the stuff you buy ready to put together, with an allen key, a screwdriver, and the occasional hammer.\

I could reprogram a VCR, hook up the cable for the television, and ....well, that was about the extend of my technical capabilities.

Today I discovered those skills are gone!  Not sure where they went, perhaps they've disappeared into the fog of menopause memory.  Or rather, and this is what I hope, is things have become more complicated.

When I opened the box and started reading the instructions, I was a little overwhelmed.  There are benefits however to having a son who worked in a furniture store.  While I put the glass in and the handles onto the doors, and wandered aimlessly, he whipped that thing together in no time.

After he finished I decided I would take the television and the components apart to move them onto the new stand.  The first thing I did was unplug the connections to the PVR.  I was excited because they were color coded!  This was going to be easy...I thought.  Next I took apart the Wii, and unplugged the DVD player.

So I've got everything off the end table I used for the components and started putting them together on the new stand.  Uh oh...apparently the color coding wasn't quite right.  What to do?  I know, I called C to come help me.  Less than ten minutes later he had the television up and running, while I finished clearing the old stand.

And finally, here it is.. lousy picture notwithstanding....and we all lived happily ever after!

Funny Friday

If you haven't seen the cats playing patty cake, you should check this link out.  It's hilarious!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Back to work & worry

Well, maybe not so much worry...it's simply an old saying my Dad used.  After some brief research I conclude it comes from a quote of Henry Ward Beecher (brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe)
"It is not work that kills men, it is worry. Work is healthy; you can hardly put more on a man than he can bear. But worry is rust upon the blade. It is not movement that destroys the machinery, but friction."

In any event, it was back to work today after a short night.  I guess sleeping in yesterday wasn't a particular good idea. :-(

There were a couple of major announcements today, the first was our big boss' announcement of his upcoming retirement. He's been talking retirement for at least a year, but with the major changes that occurred over the summer and fall he held off.  Though today's announcement wasn't unexpected, he's be leaving very soon as he plans to leave at the end of January and use up some of his earned vacation he hasn't taken over the past several years.

The next announcement, received within an hour of the first, let us know who his replacement (at least temporarily) will be.  This was definitely a more interesting message and evoked a number of conversation.  CB will be returning to our office after several years working in our regional office.  She transferred because the opportunities within our office were few and far between.  Since then she's steadily been promoted and as a result, she'll now be our boss - if she'd stayed I suspect she might be a supervisor as I am.

Before she left our office, she and I worked together on the same team and at the time we were both going through issues with our parents.  When either of us needed to be away, the other would cover the workload that needed to be done, so neither of us came back to a pile of uncompleted work.

So I'm thrilled for her, and excited to have to the opportunity to work with (for) her again.  There are those, however, that are not feeling as I do.  Most of those are individuals who are, for lack of a better term, jealous of her success. They cannot see her as anything but the entry level employee she was before she moved on.

When I  became a supervisor I had some difficulty gaining the acceptance of those I had worked with previously who now reported to me.   I suspect CB is going to have similar, but bigger problems, as those who will report directly to her were once her superiors.  The old boys club is still alive and well in our office, more the shame.

I think she'll have to make a bold move, perhaps  by addressing some of the residual issues left from the recent changes, or better still dealing with some of the problem employees whose behaviour has been left unchecked for far too long.

All I know for certain, is there are interesting times ahead!  No worries....

Happy New Year!

It's a new year... a new day....a new life ...for me?  Probably not, but beginning a new year always makes me feel as though there are possibilities yet unexplored in my life.  I have high hopes for 2013!

A chance conversation at last night's open house provided one such opportunity.  As most of you know I purchased a new camera this year.  I've had some success with it, but frankly my knowledge is very limited, and there have been times when I've messed things up to the point where I need to reset the darned thing!   Anyway, one of the women at the party was telling us about the photography classes she recently took at the arts center in the city.  I asked her a few questioned and learned that the first two classes (of a possible 10) start with the basics - how to turn your camera on - and students learn using their own cameras.  

I'm excited and plan to look into taking at least the initial two classes.  I've checked on the online catalogue and the first class starts the day after I return from Hawaii.  Maybe not the best timing but definitely do-able!

On another, somewhat related note, I've about given up trying to figure out how to get additional photos on this blog.  The cats have been pestering me to start their own blog ;-) and I've finally given in.  You'll find Kitty Korner here.  The cats are currently sleeping off the affects of the night before - I wasn't home so I have no idea what they were up to - but I'm sure they'll be blogging soon!

I've also decided to start another blog, specifically for my trips, but that one has yet to be set up.  I'll share the link when I finally get around to putting it together.  This is my way of getting around the photo limit for the time being until I do enough research to find another way to manage.

I'm starting the year with two new challenges opportunities.  I'm not sure how well I'll manage with either.  I suspect one of the blogs will take a back seat because of the time involved.  And I'm a bit of techno Luddite so learning to use the camera better is a little intimidating.  But I'm still excited to try!

I won't be setting any resolutions because I'm certain I've have broken them by tomorrow anyway.  Instead I'll look for new opportunities this year, to learn and challenge myself.

How about you?  What possibilities exist for 2013 for you?