12/09/06

Hazel rides to school with the kids Almost holidays Island Academy

Nelsons Dockyard is very empty of boats and we are anchored where the bows of the super yachts would normally be pointing . Quite a contrast to the busy season in December.

   nelsons dockyard with not a boat in sight.

  St.Peter the Pirate Ship

Camilla rode in a jumping competition the last weekend of June. The event was sponsored by Diamonds International and riders from Jamaica and Cayman Islands came to compete. Camilla and her friend Krissy were in the junior class and it was more of a fun class.Camilla managed first place with fastest time. It was a lovely event and many people helped out. Trond was on the course changing jump posts and I served food at the riders stand.

Krissy   Camilla   Prize giving 

We were hoping to sail to some of the neighbouring islands this month, but because the weather has been so bad, we opted for around Antigua instead. There has been one tropical wave after another, which means it is very rough out at sea and quite rainy.It is normal at this time of year as these waves march one after another westwards across the Atlantic. We listen every day to the weather at 9am on the vhf to hear if any tropical storms or hurricanes are developing.  We visited Dickenson bay and Jumby Bay on the North of the island,which is very different to the South part. Jumby Bay is a low lying island which has been made into and exclusive resort and private property development. Apparently the island was sold earlier for 50 000 pounds and today property sells for more than a million dollars an acre...Well, we just walked around and admired the lovely houses and beaches before returning to our humble quarters on Coconut.

Trond and the kids visited Sting Ray City and were able to swim and feed the stingrays. The stingrays are kept in an enclosure which is situated on the outer reef at Non Such Bay. A speed boat takes visitors out there, whereupon you are issued with snorkels and goggles and put in this enclosure with up to 70 stingrays. The kids said they felt like a wet mushroom. Trond was feeding one and it sucked his whole thumb into his mouth. They dont have teeth, but rather a bony suction type mouth. Colin said one had his swimming trunks in its mouthand he felt them getting pulled.They had lunch at Justins house afterwards. He is in Camillas class and its his parents who own the attraction.

       Sting Ray City 

We also looked after a friends house for awhile, and took care of her 4 dogs and cats. The  big dogs are great danes and Trond took them for walks, which scared the life out of the local people. The sheer size of these dogs is enough to scare anyone. But they are so affectionate and loyal, so we loved taking care of them. The two litttle dogs were very sweet, but cheeky. They chewed everything they could find, so Camilla was taking them walking 3 times a day to keep them occupied. We still visit Hazel, the little puppy we rescued, and take her to the beach. She lives up at Mikes house now and is getting BIG.