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Terminator
Well, it’s been some time since my last post. Been busy with the complete revision of my “Vieques” book, in both English and Spanish and spending lots of time with my kid, Jacob.
After the big flood, the Westin rebuilt and renovated quickly and was back online in a matter of weeks. The beach was cleaned up, the tennis courts resurfaces, the kitchen and dining areas upgraded. Everything except the game room.
When jacob asked me about the games, I had to say that there were none, well almost none. “Why?’ he asked.
“I don’t know.”
“When will they be back?”
I don’t know.”
“Let’s go check,” he says and I am pessimistic to say the least, but to placate him we head over to the Westin to check. It turns out that that very day they’re setting up all new games. Cool ones too. Terminator with machine guns, a cool car racing game, state of the art air hockey, a retro style pin ball game that turns out to be the best pin ball game I’ve ever played and soon come X- Box, games which they say will be changed monthly and which will be using the “Connect” technology.
If you have kids or just like games, check it out!
The first step in catching fish is to get bait. In this photo a fisherman is casting a sprat net for that purpose. He holds on of the lead weights in his teeth and cast the net wide open using his two hands. As the net opens in a circular pattern, he release the last weight held in his mouth – important to remember! Today he’ll be trolling for kingfish…
St. John Music Schedule, Thursday April 28
Banana Deck – Steel Pan by Lemuel Callwood – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5055 Castaways – Mikey P Rocks the House – 8:00 – 777-3316 High Tide – Steven Sloan – 7:00 – 10:00 – 714-6169 Island Blues - T-Bird – 7:00 – 10:00 – 776-6800 Miss Lucy’s – Rich & Greg – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5244 Ocean Grill – Rascio Steel Pan – 7:00 – 9:00 – 693 3304 Skinnylegs - Lauren – Guitar & Vocal – 6:00 – 779-4982
Note: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.
Century Plants used to one of the most commonly found and easily identifiable plants on St. John. Even though they bloomed only once after about 20 years, around Easter time, the full bloom Century Plant could be seen in bloom just about anywhere there was dry forest or scrub land. Now due to the ravages of the Mexican Snout Beetle, the century plant has become a rare and endangered species.
Free Movie Night
Tuesday, May 3, 2011 7:30 pm
St. John School of the Arts, Cruz Bay
SUGAR – A feature length film by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (120 min) 2008
SUGAR follows the story of Miguel Santos, a.k.a. Sugar, a Dominican pitcher from San Pedro De Macoris, struggling to make it to the big leagues and pull himself and his family out of poverty. Playing professionally at a baseball academy in the Dominican Republic, Miguel finally gets his break at age 19 when he advances to the United States’ minor league system, but when his play falters, he begins to question the single mindedness of his life’s ambition.
St. John Music Schedule Saturday April 23
Castaways – Kenny Floyd – 8:00 – 11:00 – 777-3316 Fatty Crab – Sambacombo- 11:00 am – 4:00 pm – 693-5244 Morgan’s Mango – Luba – 6:30 – 9:30 – 693-8141 Rhumb Lines – Lauren & Bo – 7:00 – 10:00 – 776-0303 Skinny Legs – Hot Club of Coral Bay – 6:30 – 9:30 – 779-4982 Westin, Cruz Bay Prime – James Cobb – 6:30 – 10:00 – 693-8802
Note: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.
Frank Bay drew a contingent of photographers and sight-seers yesterday afternoon for another spectacular sunset. At first it was disappointing as the sun sunk behind a bank of clouds. Some people left, but those that stayed were treated to a colorful panorama as the western horizon exploded in reds and yellows.
St. John Music Schedule Friday April 22
Beach Bar – Soul Grass Rebellion – 9:00 – 777-4220 Castaways – Dusty Spoon – 8:00 – 11:00 – 777-3316 High Tide – John Lee – 7:00 – 10:00 – 714-6169 Island Blues – Big Heavy – 7:00 – 10:00 – 776-6800 Morgan’s Mango – Lauren – 6:30 – 9:30 – 693-8141 Ocean Grill – Luba – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693 3304 Westin, Cruz Bay Prime – James Cobb – 6:30 – 10:00 – 693-8802
Note: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.
St. John enjoyed a sort of mini farmers market this morning, beautiful fresh local produce for sale set up outside of Connections in downtown Cruz Bay. Those responsible for this phenomenon Anthony and friends, farmers and farmers helpers from Dorothia on St. Thomas’ north side (Nordside). Anthony will be bringing his fruits and vegetable to St. John every other Friday (This week was on a Thursday because tomorrow is a holiday.
St. John Music Schedule Thursday April 21
Banana Deck - Steel Pan by Lemuel Callwood – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5055 Castaways - Mikey P Rocks the House – 8:00 – 777-3316 High Tide - Steven Sloan – 7:00 – 10:00 – 714-6169 Island Blues – T-Bird – 7:00 – 10:00 – 776-6800 Miss Lucy’s -Rich & Greg – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5244
Ocean Grill - Rascio Steel Pan – 7:00 – 9:00 – 693 3304 Skinnylegs – Lauren – 6:00 – 779-4982 Westin, Cruz Bay Prime – James Cobb – 6:30 – 10:00 – 693-8802
Note: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.
There’s no gas on Vieques. They ran out the day before yesterday and word is that a shipment might arrive today. When word gets here that the gasoline has left Puerto Rico on the barge, the gas lines will form.
Asking friends on the island about this, I would hear, “well you know how it is living on an island. We only have two gas stations and all our gas has to come in by barge from Puerto Rico”
But no, I don’t know. We pretty much always have gas on St. John. We only have one gas station and not only does our gas have to come by barge from St. Thomas, St. Thomas needs to get gas from somewhere.
I imagine it’s a matter of efficiency, and contrary to popular opinion, we must be fairly efficient here on St. John, at least when it comes to gasoline availability.
St. John Music Schedule Wednesday April 20
Castaways – Steven Sloan – 7:00 – 777-3316 Coconut Coast Studios – St. John Flutes – 5:30 -7:00 – 776-6944 High Tide – Chris Carsel – 7:00 – 10:00 – 714-6169 Island Blues – Soulgrass Rebellion – 7:00 – 10:00 – 776-6800 Larry’s Landing – James Jams – 10:00- 693-8802 Sun Dog Cafe – Open Mic – 7:00 – 10:00 – 693 8340 Westin, Cruz Bay Prime – David Laabs – 6:30 – 10:00 – 693-8802
Note: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.
Note: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.
“The mampoo is dropping it’s sticky seeds that find there way all over my shoes, my socks, my pants and all over the house.”
Funny thing, I’ve been annoyed with the sticky mampoo seeds and decided to blog about it. I remembered writing about them in the past so I did a search to see what I wrote. It turns out that the above paragraph was written one year ago to the day.
My friend, King, once told me to cut down the big mampoo because in his words it was a “dis GUSTING tree.” I didn’t realize what he meant until it flowered in the spring and dropped its sticky seeds all over the place.
From the SeeStJohn.com:
“In the springtime the mampoo goes to seed, the female of the species, making a kind of flower that starts off green and then turns black.
The tennis-ball sizes flower looks like a miniature tree that’s branches end with little black seeds instead of leaves.
On the end of each seed is a ball of sticky hooked spikes that stick on to skin or clothing like sticky velcro. If you have a mampoo on the way to your house you will surely find the little seeds everywhere during April and May, the time that they fall from the tree.
Disgusting it may be, but I still find the mampoo to be a beautiful shade tree and I’m happy to have them near my house, except in April and May, that is.
Note: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.
Note: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.
This is undoubtedly the most photographed scene in all St. John. It’s a magnificent vista and is always beautiful no matter what the conditions. On Monday afternoon, however, the conditions were just about perfect, clear skies and white fluffy clouds.
More Monday Afternoon Photos
Cruz Bay from North Shore Road Overlook
Cruz Bay Sunset, from Taxi Parking Area, Cruz Bay Beach
Two Earthquakes Last Night
Last night we experienced two moderately strong earthquakes. I was awake for the first, a 5.3 at 12.28 am and slept through the second, a 5.1 at 4.28 am.
It was a pretty good shake that only lasted a few seconds. I thought about going outside, but it was over before I made my move. A Facebook friend wrote this: “…The cat climbed onto my chest and then the shaking started and when a pan fell over in the kitchen it scared us both pretty good…”
St. John Music Schedule Wednesday April 13
Castaways – Steven Sloan – 7:00 – 777-3316 Coconut Coast Studios – St. John Flutes – 5:30 -7:00 – 776-6944 High Tide – Chris Carsel – 7:00 – 10:00 – 714-6169 Larry’s Landing – James Jams – 10:00 – 693-8802 Sun Dog Cafe – Open Mic – 7:00 – 10:00 – 693 8340 Westin, Cruz Bay Prime – David Laabs – 6:30 – 10:00 – 693-8802
Note: I’m doing the best I can to present an accurate music schedule, but to be sure, it would be a great idea to call the restaurant or bar beforehand to confirm.
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