22 July 2011

Last night was a short night - I watched the Tour de France until about 11:00 pm and awoke at 3:30 AM. It does seem a little strange to be escaping the oppressive heat by traveling to the tropics in July, but there are stranger things in this world. I have spent the last week building a 12' x 20' shed in my backyard with the consistent help of my 88-year old father and a few hours of assistance from my dear friend Julian Fleron. The first four hours nailing facia boards and shingles on my new shed were not too bad, but the second four hours were brutal. The stiff breeze combined with gallons of cold water were not sufficient to persuade me to give up academia for a a job hammering nails (or using a pneumatic nailer in todays world). Although there is a certain satisfaction in humping plywood up a ladder, there is also the concomitant back pain that offsets the temporary euphoria and it lasts a helluva a lot longer.

The flight from Bradley to Miami was uneventful aside from my aching back and the fact that I hate to sit in the middle seat. The sacrifices we make for our children (Jonathan loves to sit by the window). The flight from Miami was a little more interesting because I sat next to a gentleman who owns a house in Judith's Fancy and behind another gentleman who also lives in Judith's Fancy and owns a solar company on the island. He also owns a home in Tampa and has three sons who will be on island next week. We exchanged contact information because I suggested that two of his sons (11 and 8) might be interested in chasing mongoose dem with me and he agreed.

It rained upon arrival and has apparently been raining more than usual because the island is a lush-green. The air is substantially cooler here than in Massachusetts and of course the Caribbean is refreshing anytime. After a quick trip to l Extra for the essentials (Elephant and pretzels), Jonathan and I arrived at Cottages at around 5:00 pm and were in the water at 5:05. It was cloudy, but the water was perfect (so what do you expect in paradise?). After soul-rejuvenation and the requisite Pearly-eyed Thrasher serenade at dusk we headed off to the Lost Dog for our traditional arrival pizza dinner. While Jonathan played video games, I chatted with a local who currently works at UMass-Amherst and has returned to paradise for his vacation.

It always feels good to come back to this little corner of the Caribbean where the "everyday stuff" doesn't seem to matter as much.