The Red Dress Run

The last time I hashed was about 3 years ago.  I've done about 6 before this and liked 2 of them.

So I gave it up.  I like to hike not crawl around on my hands and knees in the rain forest!

So Jim was surprised, no let's say shocked when I told him that I thought I'd like to hash on Saturday.

I was a little surprised myself.

Why does a person go back to do something they said they'd never do again?

Does time heal the wounds, numb the pain?  It must or women would never have more than one baby.

Maybe I wanted to prove to myself that I could still handle it.

Or maybe I am becoming an absent-minded, old fart who can't remember what she had for breakfast much less remember that she is in no shape for a Grenada Hash!

Well, never mind all that.  The important thing is that I did it.  It was the Valentine's Day Red Dress Run.  Everyone was encouraged to wear a red dress.  Yes, everyone.

It was also a charity event that raised over 1000 EC dollars.  On On!

The hash started at Mocha Spoke, a coffee house/bike rental shop and then cut across the St. George's University campus.  This was one of the reasons I chose this hash.  

It was close to home and not in the rain forest.

The trail took us past the airport and up over a hill toward an area called Calliste 

before returning to True Blue.

To say that everyone got into the spirit of the event would be an understatement.

There were a few raised eyebrows from Grenadians as the hashers wound their way through the neighborhoods.  Here are just a few of the red dress participants.

In case you were wondering, yes, Jim did get into the spirit!

Here he is with our friend Rikky.

Hope and Wendy in the only red clothes we own!

These are the "Virgin" Hashers being initiated into the fold.

So back to the question I raised earlier.  Why did I go to another Hash?

 

Grenada Celebrates

Happy Independence Day

Grenada

Knots and Tortillas and Books and Stuff!

What do Knots, Tortillas, Books and Regattas have in common?

Absolutely nothing that I can think of.

It's just that it's been busy lately with a lot of very different things, making for an interesting time.

Our friend Steve wanted to learn how to make tortillas so he set up a cooking class with another cruiser, Angelica.  She taught Steve, Jim and several other friends how to make tortillas and enchilada sauce and how to put it all together to make wonderful enchiladas.

I wish I had been there to help with the eating!  While they were cooking, Hope and I went to St. Paul to catalog books for the Mount Airy Young Readers Program.  This Saturday morning tutoring program is primarily made possible by the cruisers who volunteer their time each week to help kids ages 6-16 improve their math and reading skills.  I'm not one of the tutors so I try to help with other projects that support this worthwhile endeavor.

Hope with Jan, who runs the Mount Airy program.

Ernie (S/V Stonecutter II) held a knot tying seminar at Clark's Court Bay marina.  I have been wanting to tie a Turks' Head knot to mark the center of our ships' wheel but the written instructions confuse me.  With Ernie's help, I made it past the tricky second step and from there it was easy.  Of course don't ask me if I could do it again!

I wasn't alone.  There were lots of confused faces!

Ta da!  My Turks' Head.

I know, it doesn't look like much.  Seems like it should be easier!

Grenada Sailing Week is going on right now with big boat racing, a work boat regatta and lots of parties.

We spent a beautiful day at the beach Saturday watching the work boat regatta and another beautiful afternoon Sunday watching a great dinghy concert before heading back to Prickly Bay Marina to watch the Super Bowl.  When the game started, a British man walked past Steve and Jim and said "Do you really like watching this rubbish?"  Hey, do we make nasty remarks when you're trying to watch cricket!

The regatta moves to Prickly Bay today so we'll probably attend some of tonight's festivities.

Then tomorrow morning I teach swimming to preschool kids and we have to go to St. George's Immigration office to renew our visa, Wednesday is the monthly book exchange at Island Water World followed by errands I need to run in town, Thursday we'll do our weekly grocery shopping and then make a dessert to take to a dinner on our friends boat and Friday is Grenada's Independence Day.  Busy week!  And you wondered what we did with all our free time!

Author! Author!

 

Check out "The Sky at Night" column (page 35) in the January issue of

Caribbean Compass magazine.  www.caribbeancompass.com.

Better yet, bookmark it so you can read it every month as Jim is the new author of this monthly column on Astronomy.



 

There is much to see in the night sky.  Just the other night, Jim had me up on deck at 2 a.m. to look for the Quadrantids meteor shower.  2 a.m.!  I must love him a lot!  Anyway, I'm very proud of him and I'm sure you'll enjoy reading about the sky at night.

 

 

Storm Strikes St. Vincent and St. Lucia

Were were awakened very early Christmas morning to thunder, lightening and heavy rain that continued for hours.  But luckily Grenada was spared the worst of the storm.  On the islands of St. Vincent, St. Lucia and Dominica, a storm that one news report called a low-level trough or hurricane swept through the area causing flooding, washing out bridges, and destroying roads and banana plantations.  At least 23 people are confirmed dead and several are still missing.

Any cruising boats traveling through the area are encouraged to drop off bottled water, old sails or tarps that can be used to cover damaged roofs, gas or diesel fuel and any other donations.

We have spent a lot of time in St. Lucia, Dominica and the Grenadines.  They are beautiful islands with wonderful people. 

Our heart goes out to those affected.  

*photos courtesy of The Epoch Times

Packet Party

It looked like a mini Island Packet rendezvous in Grenada over the Christmas holiday. 

Here are the crew from IP-460 Cutter Loose, IP-37 Dragon's Toy, IP-37 Starshine and IP-27 Merengue at the Boxing Day Cruiser's Pot-Luck and music jam at De Big Fish Restaurant.

Maybe IP stands for "Island Party"!

Party-on Packeteers!

A Cruisers' Christmas

 

How do Cruisers spend Christmas?

Usually we gather for a pot luck on some one's boat.  A big boat!

For Christmas Eve this year we decided to do something a little different and held a lobster barbecue on the beach.

 



Hope on S/V Starshine placed an order with some of the local fisherman who brought us about 60 lbs of lobster tails.  That's Hope with a lap full of lobster as she and Phyllis prep the tails.  Everyone brought a starter or side-dish to complete the feast.

 

Who's that cruising across Prickly Bay?  I told you Santa loves the Caribbean.

 

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.