19 May 2006
Well, I have not been updating quite every month on the dot, but close enough!
From an email I sent April 18th:
I just read through my 28 emails from the past 5 days, as it has been an exhausting last week being
involved with the Regatta.
A week ago Sunday, my first guests arrived, for a 2 week stay. Two days after their arrival, their daughter
decided she would fly in from London for a week, so we offered the bedroom in the gym (a separate
room, of course) with the full bathroom, etc BUT also with all of the living room furniture (from where we
set up the GYM) piled in half the bedroom! They thought that would be great to have her stay at the
same place!! So, last Wednesday Jeremy, Roxanne (cleaning) and I delved in to get the room ready for
her Friday AM arrival!
Normal weekly Sailing Club commitments of t shirt selling and race committee meetings were amplified up
until last Wednesday when pre-registration, Race Committee Boat practice and crew bags preparation were
in full swing. Thursday was a brunch for writers of a Caribbean Yachting 'newspaper' (which Jeremy has
written for) which took place on an old wooden boat here (Friendship Rose). It was a beautiful morning but
I had to call a water taxi to pick me up early to get back to help with registration and skippers meeting,
etc - ended up taxiing back with the ex-Prime Minister, who also needed to get back early.
Friday bright & early put me on the Race Committee Boat to start the races with the crew while Jeremy &
his gang from St Lucia readied their J24's for their race category. After getting all four race categories off &
through the start line, the race committee headed to the beach finish line at Lower Bay to await everyone's
return and officiate their race times (40 boats registered in total). From there, we rush over to the
Race Headquarters at the Frangipani to announce day's race results & prizes and help host the sponsored
happy hour.
Saturday - a long morning on the water before heading back to the beach finish, same drill & off to that
night's Sponsor party.
Sunday was a lay day, so "tried" to sleep in but the poor puppies who had been tied out through all these
long days were in desperate need of EARLY attention! Once we got going, there was a big beach wide
"bash" on Lower Bay, where all the local sailing boats (a local style of building wood sailing craft learned
via Nantucket sailors long ago) came in after their races (separately run event); sand castle building
contest and crazy craft race (for kids to build whatever they can get to float and get from point A to point B
via wind power). Lots of fun & lots of people & lots of loud noise!
Monday morning brought another early morning start, for the final day of racing. Down to the finish line
then preparation for the final & over all prize giving. Of course Jeremy's crew, sailing a J24 named
Grayling, swept their category, winning 6 of the 7 races and coming in 2nd on the one they did not win.
So, to say the least, they won the overall in their class, as well!
Being absolutely exhausted by the time we finished dinner last night (out, of course, every night since
Wednesday!) I came home to sleep early and reopen the GYM this morning at 7:30am and have my cleaning
gal in to clean the guest apartments at 8 am. Not so easy - the puppies had me up 3 times through the
night!! I cannot blame them and have expected misbehavior with our being gone so much - but I am still
EXHAUSTED!! As tired as I am, it has been so nice to be home for the day and get caught up with property
upkeep!
I should be a bit easier to contact now that life will start to quiet down as the season winds to a close.
home: 784.458.3761
cell: 784.431.6332
Bequia is now on the same time as east coast time. I will keep you updated as to the gym schedule, as
that is a time I am always her to oversee things. Mon & Wed open from 4pm – 8pm (yoga from 9-10:30am)
Tue & Thurs from 6am – 10am (yoga from 5 – 6:30pm) Sat & Sun 8am – 12noon
OK, since then, the GYM has been doing very well (relative to Bequia!!) I am averaging (10) people per day
during the week – most people that have come to work out bring a friend the next time, and so on and so
on and so on…. I now need to make quick plans to build the new structure for the GYM, as I need to get
the “apartment” back for the rentals booked for next season as well as to provide more space for the
increasing “volume” of members!
Some great friends, Mark & Sarah, left a few weeks ago to return home to England. The week before they
left was nonstop celebration (not for their leaving, but because we all would be missing them!!) Friday
night was group dinner at Alick’s, a local rum bar, that serves a sit down ‘local dinner’ for reserved parties
of eight. The following night was a party out on an old ‘vessel’ which is being renovated for the new owner’
s personal yacht! Next night (Sunday) thank god, a night off! Then Monday & Tuesday, two more nights out
at the local watering holes. Sadly, to see them off Tuesday afternoon….Sarah is an amazingly creative
potter, from whom Jeremy & I took a few throwing lessons. Unfortunately, Sarah & Mark will not be
returning for the season next year, as they have done for several years…they will be missed! If you want
to see photos from this finally weekend, go to:
Mark & Sarah's final weekend
I hope to be booking my flight this weekend to head back to the States in late June – around the 26th, first
to Cedar Rapids, Iowa then to Clinton, Connecticut for the 4th of July. PLEASE let me know if you will be
near either place as I would LOVE to see my friends!!
More photos (just a few – really!)
a few more from Kodak Gallery
..then of course the cutest photo of Saffron to date:
The puppies continue to grow (quickly!) and now absolutely go crazy swimming at the beach – racing in the
sand then plunging out to swim with me! We hike around a beach head then go to a beautiful, calm beach!
Lots of fun having them around. They are proving to be excellent watch dogs by night, too! Rossi’s
confidence around them has grown by leaps and bounds and she now goes outside to find them, only to
taunt them (they only come as close as about two feet, as they recognize she has a good left paw with
claws! ). She maintains the upper hand since she is allowed in the house, while the puppies are not!
Myself and ‘committee’ are already starting plans for the merchandise selling for 2007 Easter Regatta,
meeting earlier today here at AQUA to get organized. I was also approached about a Board invitation for
me join the Board for a private school for children requiring special needs – the Sunshine School. Both of
these organizations (Sunshine School and Bequia Sailing Club/Easter Regatta) are considered by some to
be the ‘ex-pats’ hobby but none the less, I look forward to having these involvements to keep busy! And of
course adding my two cents to make things work the way they should!! ☺
As always, looking forward to my friends visiting!!! The cost, once here, is nominal – just keep checking for
good fares to San Juan! Let me know if you need help with flight options! I have a friend that can fly 1-2
people in his 4-seater plane from St Lucia, Martinique, Canouan – cost dependent on which island – but
very competitive with any other flight option.
Write to me with what’s going on in the ‘real’ world! And send photos of all the new babies you Hermosa
people seem to be kicking out!!
Xoxo
Lisa, Rossi, Saffron & Razmataz!
© 2006 AQUA on Bequia
