ATHENA!

ATHENA!

 Its not a long trip out the East End but it may as well be on another planet. From Coral Bay its a 15 minute drive on narrow, pot-holed, roller coaster roads  until you feel like you've fallen off the end of the world. You wouldn't know you were on a tropical island. This is the harsh, unproductive land that was given to the slaves when the Danish plantation owners left. You will see cacti and scrubby, thorny plants. The ground is baked dry and you can feel the heat hanging over the rocks. People who decide to go to the Caribbean don't think of the East End, they see the photos of Trunk Bay and the North Shore, green plants and lush canopies. They might never get out to the East End.

Our good friends, Athena and Jay, live there in a house they have been building for the last 10 years. Originally from the Phila. area (small world), they sold up and took the plunge. Jay is a contractor, and a rare one for STJ in that he's dependable and does good work. Athena keeps bees and manages rental properties. They are THE people to ask about shipping anything down here, she's the Wizard of the Internet - she can get anything and at a bargain. They don't settle for what the islands can offer them, they order from wherever they want and have it to shipped to them. Dammit! This is quality stuff, their house is stunning! Athena doesn't let anything stand in her way, if she wants it, it happens. She's my Island Crush! There isnt anyone who doesnt like Athena. Athena is also the Treasurer of the St John Land Conservancy, so I'm biased! Athena makes it all come together as the organization's local liaison.

Their home, Rebecca's Fancy, started out as a one room Caribbean cottage built on the site  of an 1800's post slave era bungalow. The graves of the African family - the Benjamins - are on the property. and the stone foundation work is still visible.  When Athena gardens she finds pottery shards, glass, metal, horseshoes.... artifacts from the sustenance farming era on STJ.

Today she was actually wearing the same glasses she wore in this photo even thought it was a year later. I would have lost them.

Athena makes MEAD from honey. It was pretty bad but after a couple sips you get used to it. After a whole glass you'd forget how bad it was. George gave me his, slipping it across the counter like I wouldnt notice. Wimp. Mead couldnt have been like this or no one would have survived the Medieval Age. Maybe it actually was the cause of the plague?

This morning I got to watch when George washed black mold from the bricks. Its satisfying to watch other people work, isnt it? Black mold is dangerous on many levels - it gets into your nose, its slippery when wet on stairs and it spreads everywhere. It's also ugly. A little bleach, water and some scrubbing  gets rid of it. 

Another beautiful day of color. The biggest difference between being up North and here this time of year is you go from gray to color. The gods are smiling on this Winter Lover for sure, since its been in the 70's, dry and windy.  Avoiding the sun is hard work. Its much easier to say the hell with it and just go out winding up looking like a leathery cowhand than to slather daily sunscreen, long sleeves and a hat. For someone who doesn't like Summer and heat, I sure wind up spending a lot of time in it.

Sunny and 85 repeat as needed....