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- - - 2008 Hurricane Season - - -
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- Rainbows and Rain at last
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2009 08:17:02 -0400
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A very large wispy vague rainbow was west
of us this morning. We had a few light showers last
night
and looking forward to some rainier days to
soften the crunch of the foliage on the west end of St Thomas. The
waterman
is exhausted and we need this cool
relief.
Is there anyone on the East end of St
Thomas that can report about a possible dump fire? or any other fire on the East
end
or on St John ? one of our
writers in Culebra this morning noted a strong whiff of burning something last
night and early this morning.
As we get closer to June the pantry needs
to be recycled and restocked. The cooler ocean temperatures are on our
side this
storm season but even a small storm can hit
someone directly. Time to start to prepare for what might
come.
Jane Higgins in
Fortuna,
West End, St Thomas
USVI
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- WILD AND CRAZY
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 09:14:57 -0400
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I think of Storm Carib after a night
like the last. Wild , windy, circular winds, plants down on the deck, big
floaties in the pool, and
the seas look too big for any fun.
The shutters slammed, the cats stayed in and we slept in between bangs and
thumps. Assuming
a few coconuts came down. Still not
so cold you have to scrape ice off the windshield but not exactly a fabulous day
in paradise.
Hoping for some sunshine
today.
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- GLAD TO HEAR WE'RE ALMOST BACK
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:20:32 -0400
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Great news from St Maarten
and St Kitts, now hoping that St Croix can finally get
all it's electricity back
this week. We are having fantastic weather as
reported.
The fall veggie line up is
already getting ahead of me. Brandywine heirloom tomatoes,
green and red peppers, and
plenty of dill are well on the way. The fall blooming
orchids
that I tied to trees and
split up last spring are starting to show that they will make
their
annual November 1
opening.
It is beginning to feel
allot like high season! At last.
We are the happiest folks
on the planet when the sun is shining. The seas are being a
little
bossy on the north side but
the south side is looking good for water skiing.
No matter how bad things
may look on Wall street, everyone needs a vacation and we are
ready for you, come on
down.
Jane
Higgins
on the sunny side of life
in St Thomas, US Virgin Islands
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- pictures were from St Maarten
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:20:18 -0400
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the pictures I just sent
were from ST MAARTEN , Dutchside...FYI...
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- Whole Earth EVENT, PLEASE POST NON PROFIT
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Sat, 18 Oct 2008 07:12:44 -0400
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THIS IS A NOT FOR PROFIT EVENT >> PLEASE ATTEND, PLEASE PRINT AND POST,
PLEASE FORWARD TO MANY AND THANKS
Jane Higgins
St Thomas US Virgin Islands
jhigginswear at islands.vi
Attachment:
BBwholeearth_LASTweb.jpg
Description: JPEG image
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- Omar
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- From: Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
- Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:09:36 -0400 (EDT)
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:58:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: Smokey Pratt <smokestah at yahoo.com>
Omar went to east of the islands as you know. At 2am power went out on N
side St Thomas. It was gusty 35-40 mph but little rain during the morning
hours or since then. Still no power in Hull Bay but curfew lifted at 11am
I am at my art gallery in Yacht Haven Grande with power. Streets are
pretty clear, traffic is sane and the sun is shining. We were very lucky
with this storm. smokey
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- Sun's out!!
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- From: ronusvi at aol.com
- Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:40:55 -0400
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Now, if they only lift the curfew! A surprise visit form Governor DeJongh on 93.5 FM in St Croix right now discussing the storm.
Ronnie Lockhart
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- It's All Good on St. Thomas
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- From: "Max Henderly" <max at henderly.com>
- Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:14:24 -0400
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On the far northeast mountain top on St. Thomas, we had a few tree
limbs down with lots of leaves on the ground. Otherwise, there was absolutely
no damage by wind or water. On a side note; I guess we need to commend
WAPA for strengthening their infrastructure. We only had a couple very
brief lapses in power. Electricity was available from WAPA continuously
throughout the storm. I hope everyone else weathered as well as we did.
Max Henderly
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- Huh?
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- From: ronusvi at aol.com
- Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:47:40 -0400
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Did I sleep through Omar? Have I gone deaf? Maybe I am sleepwalking. Went out and looked to be sure and it's as calm as can be, however looking at the coordinates, Omar is here. Oh well. A Cat 3? We must be in the eye, however I have heard nothing going on to get us here! Sorry to give such a strange report.
Ronnie Lockhart
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- St. Croix and Anguilla
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:17:19 -0400
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Hoping for some reports from St.
Croix and Anguilla????
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- Omar blowing by
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:55:35 -0400
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The wind gusts just woke me
up. Coming in gusts, not much rain. You can feel the air
moving under the shutters and thru
the house.
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- found him, and Omar
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:12:47 -0400
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I found Buzz the cat on my last
walk about for the night. It is getting a little wild out there
now
and I'm in for the night. The
wind is coming up, the pool has some wave action going on,
the tops of the nearest trees are
moving in a circle and the raindrops are huge. I suspect
we are still the lucky ones when I
look at the radar and suggest that in about 3 hours I'll be
wide awake again listening to the
reminiscent sound of trains. The crickets and tree frogs
still have the louder voice at
the moment even thru the shutters but that gusty whistling sound
is beginning.
Many many thanks to our power
company for keeping up all the way till 10 pm, so many times
on bright sunny days the power has
failed, but not this day and this is the one when we really
needed it. Hoping for
electricity to continue as we watch Omar blow by, and he is picking up
speed
now, the latest I hear is 17
mph....whoopee!!! go Omar go....away, bring back some sun .
Jane Higgins, another relieved
kitty Mom
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- where is Buzz?
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:42:28 -0400
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We are all tucked in, thought we
had the 4 cats in, the 3 dogs are walked and happy,
and now I can't find my
(favorite,don't tell anyone) kitty named Buzz Aldrin. As my
husband
is an aviator, the cats names are
Pratt and Whitney (not Whitney Houston) Amalia Earhart
and of course dear Dear Buzzy the
astronaut. I've been outside walking around in the
rain and wind for a time now and I
can't find him. He just had some shrimp cocktail with
us in the house and now he is gone.
Was it when we finished up the last shutter? We
always wait till the bitter end to
do that last shutter, as the closed up feel and stuffiness
of being locked in is so
eerie. The aviator is asleep now after a huge day of tucking
in
airplanes, running last minute
supply runs ; taking solar panels off the roof, and closing
up shutters, and I'm wide awake
missing my Buzzy kitty and deciding that I'll probably
go out again in a while and look
for him again. Kitties are weird that way, they know when
something is up and they don't like
being locked up. I have to assume he can tuck himself
in the bush deeply and get thru
this as my other wild feral kitties that I feed do everyday
in any weather.
The wind is picking up now for sure
but nothing more than Christmas winds, and the rain
continues to weep and the falls
continue over the back wall, but nothing we can't handle.
It is still such a privilege to
live in this special place and of course as long as the power is
on I'll continue to be in love with
our island life.
Take care, check in and stay
dry.
Jane Higgins, the pilot, the
3 dogs, and 3 ? kitties missing one on the wet West End of St
Thomas
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- Live from St. Thomas
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- From: "Max Henderly" <max at henderly.com>
- Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:10:20 -0400
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Winds are starting to pick up steadily, 25 knots. There is
very minimal rain at this point on the far north east side of St. Thomas.
The visibility is good now in that I can see the lights on St. John, Tortola,
and Jost Van Dyke very clearly.
Max Henderly
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- Omar? rain a plenty!
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- From: ronusvi at aol.com
- Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:49:33 -0400
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Been raining on and off all day. Those outer bands are dropping some water. Streets all covered in water. Waterfalls where they weren't before. Traffic was backed towards the country area. Grocery stores crowded. 6 o'clock curfew in affect with the promise of arrests! My guests were pulled over before 6 and told to get home before the curfew. The Governor had a phone up campaign telling everyone what to prepare for. Very ingenious. Now, we sit and wait for Omar. Will he be brutal or just a slap on the back? He has changed direction and gotten strong then weak so many times God knows what will happen. Until then, good luck!
Ronnie Lockhart
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- Omaror
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- From: PANTUSCO at aol.com
- Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:20:36 EDT
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Hi All,
I am actually in Florida right now. Glued to the weather channel, of which
I will get to in a minute.....
Anyway, my fabulous employees have secured the restaurant as well as
possible and several of them are now at my house taking care of pets and have
all of that secured as well. Just hope this thing is easy on everyone.
Now, back to the Weather Channel........
Are these reporters not required to take at least ONE course in
geology????? Every time we have ever had a storm through the years I get so
irritated with the ignorance of where we are and how they should be pronouncing
our islands. It can be very confusing for loved ones watching off island because
they are reporting incorrect island names and prediction areas.
Ok, I am sorry but that is all I can say now being stuck up here and
nervous about home but I hope you all are safe and comfortable and wish everyone
well in all of the islands, even the mis-pronounced ones :-)
I will report any news I receive as I see helpful.
Terrie Pantusco
Caribbean Saloon
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- Thanks....
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- From: "Margo Rose" <info at yachtchartersusvi.com>
- Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:55:56 -0400
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Gert,
I so appreciate all your hard work.
When
you get a breathing space, I am sorry to ask you to delete me from the correspondents
in STT.
I
have moved to St. Pete , FL. So, don’t bother with me....but I sure kept
a lot of friends/ personal and professional, and my thoughts are with them
tonite.
All
the best,
Margo Rose
Slip Aweigh Charters, Inc.
3801 Crown Bay, Ste. 203
St. Thomas VI 00802
US Toll Free Phone/Fax
1.866.297.0163
Local Cell: 1.340.513.0518
Email: info at yachtchartersusvi.com
Website: www.yachtchartersusvi.com
Member, Charter Yacht Brokers
Association and Virgin Islands Charteryacht League
 
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- Almost Dark ,Waiting for Omar
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:59:07 -0400
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Around noon, right after
the solar panels came down off the roof, the rain began
again.
With so much saturation in
past weeks it was a matter of minutes before it was
pooling
in the courtyard and
running off the back wall again. Rain tapered off this
afternoon
into a constant sprinkling
and it is an amazing amount of water that continues to
come
in the falls off the top
and thru the cracks of the retaining wall. Our local news
reports
some roads closed or
collapsed on the eastern side of the island.
Finally after making the
rounds in the yard and taking the dogs for another tip toe
thru
the puddles it seems we are
ready. Visual reports show Omar moving east then
north
then east again, weirdly
tracking from the wrong direction. This feels like a major
rain
event and the good news is
that Omar has decided to move along a little faster.
The dogs and cats are snug
inside and amazed at the plant life that has taken up all
the space in the
house. We live most of our life outside with walls that open up to
the view. Bringing
our outside life inside makes for a crowded little jungle hut. The
good news is that there
were enough ripe limes that needed rescuing to make
margaritas. The
starfruit tree is really loaded up so before nightfall, I'll take one more trip
outside to collect
them. Have you ever grilled a starfruit? tastes like granny smith
apple
pie.
The government has set the
curfew for 6pm and all should be settled in by now. Stay
safe and dry and keep
reporting, thanks again to Gert for this fantastic tool that
helps
us all so
much.
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- Are they crazy?
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:32:40 -0400
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Looking out to the north on
the Atlantic side I just saw a small motor yacht heading toward Puerto Rico,
hope it is just the Captain
on board, you'd have to be a lunatic to take your family along on a boat trip
today.
It is very cloudy,
sprinkling, humid, and the clouds seem to be layers on layers. It is way
too still.
I'm fretting over silly
things like the orchids I tied to the trees and the one that is finally
blooming. Oh well.
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- Ensenada Honda, Vieques
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- From: "sue russell" <sue at caribbeansoulcharters.com>
- Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:19:16 -0400
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Greetings from soggy Vieques.
We made it in last night after dark in the middle of a rain
band and I must say I burned some calories navigating around the reefs in the
dark. The boys were at the helm and we our track and rhum lines were the same.
Did this just before Marilyn too. Will we ever learn?
There are 5 boats from STT out here in the Bay and another
on the way. Can’t see the other creeks from here to know if anyone is
hidden away. Getting ready to go into the mangroves as it’s high tide.
Will try to check in later but much to do today!
Wishing all safe harbor,
Sue
Sue Wilbar Russell
Caribbean Soul Charters
340.690.1121 (Local)
877.432.6700 (Toll Free
& Fax)
P.O. Box 6382
St. Thomas, U.S.
Virgin Islands 00804
Please refer to my
informative website at www.caribbeansoulcharters.com
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- Early to Rise
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 06:19:02 -0400
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I notice my island
neighbors were up early this morning writing their reports. I've
been
up since 4am just
checking some sites, and at really slow mo speeds. All day yesterday
and
last night netted about a
half inch of sprinkles. A few shutters are in place and all will
be
finished within a few
hours. It is the waiting around and not knowing for sure what is
coming
that can drive you abit
batty, but being prepared can make the difference
between
another long day or a
mess. Please stay in touch and take great care.
Jane Higgins from the moldy
damp west end of St Thomas
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- BEWARE OF SLOW MOVING OMAR
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:10:17 -0400
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Good
Morning,
We have been the lucky ones
so far this storm season. Many Haitians are still struggling
with
the remnants
of massive rainfall events over these last few months while the
daily feat
to send a donation.
We have to remember that there are many island neighbors still in need
and at the same time we
have to pay attention to what this slow moving hazard can bring to
us in the Virgin
Islands.
The last 24 hours
show at least 9 inches of rain in gauge in our little jungle hut on
the West end
of St Thomas in Estate
Fortuna. Memories of Hortense and wrong way Lenny are clear
now.
The hillside behind our
house produced massive waterfalls over the retaining walls
and made the courtyard into
a wading pool yesterday. The rain was so heavy at times that
the view to the ocean and
neighbors was blocked by a solid wall of moisture. It cleared
up
enough in the early evening
to download the outside cistern and the overflowing pool back
into
the auxiliary
cistern. Around midnight the thundering waterfalls were back and I was up rolling
windows down, checking to
see how high the
water was along the back wall of the house
and clearly expecting
something to give. The power of the water running down
and around
our house was so loud, two
pillows over
my head helped block out the flowing noise, only
to push me into dreaming
that our house
was floating away.
This morning it has been
cloudy with no rain, enough time now to download the pool
again,
clear out the water
path in the back of the house and get some more deck clearing
done.
Do not try to second guess
this powerful blob of weather, stationary or near
stationary
storms are scarier to
me than a faster moving storm. Prepare for the worst; prepare for
flooding;
and you'll be ready for
anything. There is no reason to think this storm is going somewhere
else
but right on top of
us.
Driving in St. Thomas on a
dry day is a challenge with so many potholes and risky slopes and
poorly maintained
roads. Driving in St. Thomas yesterday near town and Havensight was
a
huge mess for many .
Schools are closed today in anticipation of more of the same, I
applaud
the authorities for taking
pre-cautions. If you don't have to drive , just don't, there are
downed
limbs, piles of mud and
rocks on our roads now.
Stay safe and dry. Be
as prepared as you can be.
Again, I implore pet owners
to think hard about leaving your animals out in these storms.
Listening
to the whining and barking
of dogs left on chains or outside in the mud and rain, terrified
of
the thunder and lightening
is the cruelest sound of all. You shouldn't have pets at all if
you
cannot treat them with the
care and safety that you would treat your children. Your children
will
learn your habits and more
generations of ignored and abused animals will
follow.
Best of luck and many
thoughts to my friends in Anguilla, the BVI, and the A,B,C islands, send
us
Jane Higgins in
rainy St. Thomas
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- From the good ship Verity
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- From: "sue russell" <sue at caribbeansoulcharters.com>
- Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:08:19 -0400
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Hi All ,
It was a hell of a day at sea today!
We left Culebrita at 11:00 Am just after some fierce squalls
had passed through and had a (no lie) 15 foot breaking wave among the mostly
8-12 foot swells just outside the entrance. Our friends lost their water pump
soon after and put up all their sheets and sailed as best they could to leeward
of us toward Sail Rock. Just as we became a bit complaisant and turned on the
tunes, a huge cloud bank formed to our south closer to our friends. It did not
move to the south and west as expected but came at us from the south to the north.
Our friends got it first and they blasted past us doing 6+ knots over the
ground (we were motoring with reefed main).
We had 25+ knots as we closed in on the west end of St Thomas (Savannah
Island with all her nasty
pointy rocks) and the vis went to zero. Just moments (literally before this) our
friend Lenny called to tell us that a TS was forming to our west and was due over
STT on Wed!!! We had plenty to deal with at the time and bashed blindly into
the rain and spiky wind. After several hours, out of nowhere the storm went
from blasting to a cleared view and we spotted our friends with the bad pump. We’d
trashed our hand held radio and they called by cell phone to say they were
becalmed next to the airport jettee and were drifting toward it.
We went to them and took them under tow and it’s a
happy ending with cocktails on the foredeck and a dram for the “above”.
Then we turned on the internet. Our respite seems short….
What we had was the first rainband from TD 15 and we will
make our decision to head to Vieques tomorrow at 5:30 AM before we send the
kids to school.
Late. Hope everyone stays well.
Sue
Sue Wilbar Russell
Caribbean Soul Charters
340.690.1121 (Local)
877.432.6700 (Toll Free
& Fax)
P.O. Box 6382
St. Thomas, U.S.
Virgin Islands 00804
Please refer to my
informative website at www.caribbeansoulcharters.com
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- TS Storm watch
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- From: ronusvi at aol.com
- Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:52:05 -0400
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We are now under Tropical Storm watch. It been raining like crazy yesterday and today. Doubt it's going to let up until the weekend!
Ronnie Lockhart
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- Deoesn't look good.
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- From: ronusvi at aol.com
- Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:38:34 -0400
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Looks like TD 15 will become Omar and be here as a Cat 1 on Wednesday. Vitema just let out and getting ready to make their announcements I suspect. Stay tumed
Ronnie Lockhart
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- About Last Night
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2008 04:42:37 -0400
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I was stuck in a
major traffic jam last night right before sundown and had plenty of time to
witness the weather going into
manic mode along the
waterfront in downtown St. Thomas. The sea was wildly choppy and coming over the
sea wall. Wondering
if the salt spray
was going to hit the car was a small issue, but the wind picked up and
table umbrellas, and what wasn't tied
down blew circular
and then smack into the other stuff flying around. The sky turned charcoal
and puffed up with attitude.
What started
out to be an easy 20 minute drive turned into a sluggish 75 minute jam
up. The skies, the wind, the sea turned
me in the
opposite direction; back home and just as I pulled into
my little country path one of the many stormy clouds
above
let loose.
Now this morning at
4am the feel of more weather coming has me up checking the radar
maps. Looks like more of the same
for today.
Ike is well formed
and hot to get to Hanna and staying north. Let's just hope Ike decides to
go fishing in the mid Atlantic
and not hurt
anyone.
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- Hanna
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- From: PANTUSCO at aol.com
- Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 19:16:03 EDT
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Taken Just after 6pm today above Secret Harbor Beach on the East End. We
got a "big" splash of heavy rains and winds this morning for several
hours. Has been just very overcast all day and now the bands are coming
back through. The dark circling clouds almost looked like what you see
before a tornado. I welcome the rain but hope all of these storms avoid as much
direct impact on land as possible!
Terrie Pantusco
It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel deal here. |
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- circular wind, low ceiling
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 11:22:38 -0400
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It has been a long
morning .. Now it is getting very windy, I'm seeing some treetops move
that I haven't seen
move in a
while. So I'm going to go back out there and start moving deck things in
closer. Just watched a tiny boat fully
loaded with folks
take off to Cricket Island, then the island itself disappeared in the
cloud. Anyone flying or boating
right now without a
really valid reason may be loco. Please stay in touch P.R., D.R. , Vieques
and Culebra, we need to
know what is
coming.
Times like these you
wish for the coconut man to come take the coconuts.
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- HANNA COMES BACK?
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 08:34:48 -0400
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About 10 minutes ago we went from grey to
black, very low hanging clouds, winds rounding
the house from all directions, plenty of
thunder , and huge drops of rain. The temperature
just dropped by 5 degrees, it appears
that Hanna is sliding eastward......very rare .
Signing off and closing down computer as
this thing passes. Take care and be safe today.
Wishing Hanna would just get over herself
and get out of here!
My dogs are drooling and shaking while
the cats just snooze. Oh to be feline in nature, what
a gift that would be .
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- Hanna Splashes Back
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2008 15:05:16 -0400
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Good Afternoon
Islanders,
We've had plenty of rain now, up to about
4 '' in the wine bucket in the last few days, steely
skies and a coolness in the air make it
seem almost like winter. As other island dwellers
have
written; we do get a little blue when the
skies are grey. We are just too used
to sunshine.
Our hearts go out again to those under
the deluge of Hanna, looks like way too much moisture for
parts of Haiti and the D.R. and of course
the Bahamas. Very slow forward movement in Hanna
has created the splash back that we are
getting here in St. Thomas. We are in for a rainy
week,
looks like Ike and Josephine may go north
of us; hoping for all to stay safe and dry.
Haitians please stay in touch, let us
know what we can do to help. Are there any
organizations
taking donations of dry goods and
food? Please post any sites that you think would help us help
you.
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- Ike
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- From: RonUSVI at aol.com
- Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 22:52:56 EDT
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Seems like he is in a hurry! Still tracking North of us. Hope
it stays that way.
It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel deal here. |
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- TD 9
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- From: RonUSVI at aol.com
- Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 16:10:22 EDT
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Not getting excited but, with all the hurricane buzz going on,
I just wanted to say that as far as I see, TD 9 will pass to the north of us. We
have spawned two storms so far that both gave us much needed rain before
becoming a TD. Faye and Gustav. Hopefully our season will continue this way.
Sorry for those in the Gulf today and maybe the South where Hanna is heading?
It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel deal here. |
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- Read and Heed, Dave is Right
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:58:46 -0400
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As islanders looking on while our fellow
Caribbean's cleanup or face Gustav's gouging
we can only say again, if you have a chance to
drive away from a storm DO IT NOW....don't wait
to be trapped in a huge traffic jam. Go ,
Go , Go.....don't wait for a government to order you
to
use common sense. Unlike mainlanders,
most of us in the islands have to ride out these
storms,
if you have a choice to be safe, dry and out
of harm's way don't question if you should or not,
you are responsible for making the right
choice.
It's been a night of off and on thunder
boomers and flashes of electricity to remind us of
what
the islands west of us are going thru.
Shame on my neighbors that leave their dogs tied to
trees outside without shelter. The
steady barking that turns to whimpering cries during the
worst
of the thunder is harder to listen to
then the hurricane updates. Why do you have pets?
To leave them to
the terror of storm season? Do
you think your children are learning good
life lessons by how you treat your captive
dogs and goats. If you cannot provide safe ,dry
shelters for your animals then let your local
Humane Society find caring homes . Don't muddy
your own karma by caring so little for other
living things. We remember how desperately
missed
and loved pets were left behind in Katrina,
let's hope provisions are made in advance for them
this time.
We have had inches of rain off and on in the
last two days and plenty of humidity along with the
survivor's guilt that stays with us all during
stormy times. Worrying about what is ahead
and
how many of our fellow humans are left in the
path of what has and what is coming.
Looking
to Africa it is hard to imagine that we won't
board up at least once in the next few weeks.
Everyday
brings a review of the preparedness
list. Dave reminded us this week that our dangerous
window
historically is coming up. How can we forget
past Septembers?
Please let us know what you need and how you
are doing sweet Jamaica. My Cayman's report
does not seem to come up this morning, please
update us and let us hope that the western tip
of Cuba is ready.
There is a huge sense of relief in being
prepared and then having a storm veer away or not be
as bad as we thought, it is a giddy feeling.
Let's hope for giddy and be prepared for the worst,
let's have that relief roll off of us and look
forward to this stormy season being over soon .
Read and heed Dave's report, we have
activity all over the map and more soon come.
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- GUSTAV AIN'T FOOLIN AROUND
|
- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:27:11 -0400
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There is guilt in being relieved that we don't
have to face GUSTAV.
PLEASE PAY ATTENTION ....all of you in or near the
guessed paths...it seems that the tracks are changing
by the half hour. Gustav is the wake up call
for the entire Caribbean and Gulf regions. Fay continues
to
break trail for Gustav and history tells us that
storms follow each other thru warmed up water.
Please pay attention now; the components are
right for Gustav to create big problems for
allot of folks in different terrains. The
ground saturated by Fay will be a tough receiver if visited
again.
Our hearts go out to those without decent
shelter from the storms. Help your neighbors by being
prepared and having enough on hand to
share.
If you live in an area where you can drive away
from a storm, take the trip now; if you plan on visiting
anywhere in Gustav's path ; think
twice.
Those of you that choose to visit the Caribbean
during storm season should not be surprised by
leaden skies; heavy humidity ; high seas and tense
locals. There is a reason for "off" season; or
an entire alphabet of reasons. We love
having you visit but come
prepared for anything.
This is the hardest time of the year for us to be
the bright and cheery hosts we try to
be. Understand
that many small hotels and restaurants are closed
down during late August till early October.
Stay safe and informed. Make sure those
around you without communication tools
understand
what could be coming. Be over prepared . Let
us know how you are doing and if we can help.
Warm humid sticky tropical
regards,
Jane Higgins , in the drippy rainforest
called FORTUNA in West End St Thomas
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- About Last Night
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:36:41 -0400
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We watched all the cable
network weather reports, waiting to hear Fay named, expecting a wild
night,
and wondering why a certain weather man in
the states protests so much about NOT having a hurricane to
chase.
He literally compared this "failed" storm
to receiving a much anticipated Christmas gift that disappointed. Can
you believe it? The whole concept of
being frustrated with NOT having a named storm is so inhuman,
can't
we say we really got
lucky?
Around 11:20 last night it all really
started, the pressure must have dropped abit as my ears were hurting,
then
the lightening and thunder followed.
It was way out there to the Northeast, and not reminiscent of other
times
when storms have literally hatched over our
heads. Thanks for the rain, at least 5 inches in the gauge this
morning,
it is quite sticky and overcast now,
we'll take it and the plants are happy now. Hoping that the
mountains
to the West of us break this storm up,
there was little wind here.
Stay safe and dry. The weedeater will
get a major workout soon.
Jane Higgins
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- Here it is!
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- From: RonUSVI at aol.com
- Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:54:47 EDT
|
Rained a little bit this afternoon. Thunder and lightning as I
type. Guess we are in for a rainy night!
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- Blue Sky is not a friend today
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:13:42 -0400
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Good
Morning,
As you can see from Dave's report the
dust is leaving us ; the blue sky proves the dust is gone and
now
we are vulnerable to what will pass
over, hoping for JUST RAIN please. It is hot hot hot, and the
Atlantic
has picked up abit. The ten huge
drops of rain we had this morning around 5:30am came in
sideways.
The wind is picking up and coming from
several directions, the plants are arching up for moisture
.
Stay in touch down islanders and let us
know how it is going.
I cleaned out the hurricane room
yesterday and just that bit of organization makes looking forward in
this
season a little
easier.
The sugar birds are loading up, a good
sign we'll have a stormy day.
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- It's hot!
|
- From: RonUSVI at aol.com
- Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:32:38 EDT
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It's been really hot these past three days. Something is
sucking our breezes away. Hopefully this Invest93 will just pass us by with some
rain! Keeping my eyes open.
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- CLEARING THE DECKS WILL LOWER THE STRESS
|
- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:50:53 -0400
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Good Morning Island
Dwellers,
Looking at the map this morning
gives some relief from worries this week, but it is time to clear
the decks;
fill the pantry, test the batteries,
and continue ticking off those projects on our storm watch lists. Looking
at mid
August as spring cleaning time will
lower the stress and rush when the real scare comes down the road. This
train from Africa is not going to go
away and we all know our odds. We continue to prepare for losing
our
electricity in any weather; as the
dependence on fossil fuels in our antiquated power systems in the
Caribbean
become a daily challenge.
Harvesting the sun and wind is our answer; we all know it.
Why haven't our
power companies figured it out?
Look to the East and be ready.
Happiness can be measured by readiness.
We had some good rains last week, and
are ready for more. It has been really hot in the wake of what is
coming
to visit; and a breeze has picked up
this morning. You can begin to see the protective layer of Sahara
dust
thin out; there is some horizon out
there.
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- A PERFECT WINDOW OF WEATHER
|
- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:40:30 -0400
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Sometimes we just get lucky; sometimes it is
serendipity; and yesterday was a miracle window of
weather and geological events between
Tuesday's ash fall from Montserrat and today's rapidly
moving power showers, Wednesday was as good as
it can get in the middle of sultry summer.
In the works
for a while was a fashion
photography shoot for one of the companies I represent;
the first
time taking photos
in the Virgin Islands for this resortwear line. We had one
day to do it in; the
right photographer, a great director and fabulous models; even the USPO
cooperated and the show samples
were received via
Express Mail on time!! How lucky can you get?
There were enough showers on Tuesday to bring
the ash down and clear the foliage off.
The frangipani , flamboyant and bougainvillea
were in competition ; the bright colors
of
summer flowers astounding against the
newly greened up bush.
Thanks to the weather gods for today's
rain and for holding off for the one day when a clear
day
was really needed. In the last few hours
we have received about 3/4" of rain, the sky is
heather
gray, there is no horizon and I'm glad to not
be sailing or flying today.
We are all so lucky to live in the place where
so many can only visit for such short times in their
lives; looking forward to more rain, the
steady drip into the cistern is one of the most
cherished
tunes in this
house.
Warm tropical regards......Jane
Higgins
Northwest St Thomas overlooking islands
called Cockroach and Cricket (more about
those creatures soon
come)
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- email addiction and lots of rain
|
- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:01:39 -0400
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Good Afternoon,
AND MANY THANKS TO THE RAINMAKERS!!!! We just had
2 good steady downpours,
the rain gauge was dry this morning when I watered
all the plants, now it is showing 2 inches.
This is glorious news; as the thought of buying
anymore water made me crazy. The wild
parakeets were very close in this morning,
drinking from the pool in low fly over formation;
screaming and whining about the very small drought
dry genip fruits.
The sugar and hummingbirds have been draining the
feeders at a break neck speed in the
last few days, getting in my face if I don't keep
them full; the most obnoxious one is the tiniest
hummingbird with his crest up, I named him helmet
head and he seems to be a permanent
fixture here even when the others go on
vacation. We have an open house plan, large shutters
that we close at night, but otherwise all day any
critters come visiting; including helmet head
if he doesn't get his feeder filled up in a timely
fashion.
My email has been intermittent since
Saturday.....I am totally internet addicted and can't
believe
how much it effects my mood; as I wait for the
phone company to fix the other line the changing
of the cables in the spaghetti mess behind my desk
reveals what hoops I'll go thru to keep the
addiction going. I'm so glad we have nothing
huge on the horizon as trying to really get a good
grip on the weather now absolutely involves a
computer and www.stormcarib.
I heard a report on public radio last night about
the blizzard of 1888 and how many died when
2 huge weather systems collided, now I remember
why my Grandfather always referred to himself
as a blizzard baby, and it seems impossible to
believe that Granddad could be born so long
ago.
With so much information available about the
weather and our environment there is no excuse
for being completely prepared. Best of luck
to those near DOLLY.....the rain will be welcome;
and hopefully the flooding won't be as bad as
predicted. Please let us know how you are doing.
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- 7 second downour
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:01:02 -0400
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Good Morning Islanders,
We had one of those (I timed it) 7 second huge
downpours early this morning, leaving about
1/8" in the rain gauge (wine bucket), so thanks
again to the rain gods, it was enough to keep
the veggies and herbs happy for the day.
It is cooler and crisper after the rain, and
the Sahara dust seems to be moving out. Bluer
skies, puffy clouds and whispering palm trees
are creating the Pissaro effect
today.
I wonder how Bermuda is doing? , and hoping that
the blob in the Caribbean behaves and
just brings needed
rain.
The July moon has brought out the big fishing
boats; a few have raced by the north-side this
morning. Wishing them all the best of
luck.
A seahorse was spotted in the sea grass this week
by one of our local diveshops; always a thrill to hear
news about the little ones. I saw seahorses
in Dominica once while snorkeling above barrel
sponges that were big enough to crawl into, the
seahorse's bouncing rhythm seems an odd
gait for an ocean bound
critter.
Stay safe and pay attention; I'm going to top
off the hurricane pantry today.
Jane Higgins from the gorgeous
west end of St Thomas
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- AT LAST RAIN! AND GOING SOLAR
|
- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:31:30 -0400
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It is a great morning on the west end of St
Thomas, at last we have rain. For about the
last 1/2 hr it has been sprinkle to downpour and
back to sprinkle, about 1/4 inch in the
rain gauge (wine bucket that had cobwebs in it!!!)
The green life around us is curling up
to catch every drop and sighing with relief. The sugar and hummingbirds are rolling
in
the leaves ; catching a bath, and I will be
hanging the just cleaned clothes in the rain.
With energy bills quadrupling in the last year
here in the USVI, the dryer stays unplugged
and the hot water heater is allowed to labor only
3 hours a day and still the power bill
is a shock every month. A big chunk of money
was forwarded yesterday to our solar
guy and a solar pool pump will be installed within
the next few weeks. Piecing apart
our energy consumption into different systems in
our house will make this transition
to get off the grid affordable over time and the
liberation factor will be priceless. Please
write about your experiences with alternative
energy in the Caribbean; this is part of
a larger weather picture; being completely
prepared before and after the storms of nature
and the storms created by humans not willing to
recognize deteriorating infrastructures.
It is hard to conceive that our power company
is 100% dependent on fossil fuels and has
not had improved infrastructure for over a
decade. Sunshine is free and in huge supply
where I live.....how about where you
live?
Great to hear that Bermuda is back in the
business of sun and fun today . Looking
at the next system; let's hope for more rain
and little wind.
Stay safe and prepared.
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- A WALK ON THE WEST END OF ST THOMAS
|
- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2008 09:50:41 -0400
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Good Morning,
We are having some slight showers; very warm and humid, and the Sahara dust
comes and goes. The photo attached
depicts a view from the very western end of St Thomas, a preserve called
BOTANY BAY, it is incredible; historic,
and being developed. We hope the developers follow their promises and keep
it as astoundingly beautiful as
it was on Sunday when this picture was taken. Literally hundreds of hermit
crabs were on a march of some kind;
gathering in groups, rolling over as we neared. We found golden Julie
mangoes scattered on the ground and the big
purple grafted mangoes were hanging low in the trees waiting for the perfect
ripening. There was soursop, breadfruit,
limes and genips everywhere among the old coconut palms resting in their
lazy attitudes slung along the beachfront.
The old sugar mill ruin is all facade and surface; the end result of so much
human labor so long ago. Botany Bay is magic.
Everyday that passes during storm season without a threat is another great
day. Stay safe, get to a beach, read that book;
chill out; high season and busy-ness soon come mon.
Jane Higgins
Fortuna, West End , St Thomas
jhigginswear at islands.vi
Attachment:
Botany Bay 6-7-08 004.jpg
Description: JPEG image
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- another Bertha
|
- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2008 15:02:53 -0400
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Good Afternoon,
We are feeling a little "Bertha-ish",
very windy gusts up to about 23mph, and the Atlantic
from our deck looks like rough seas 5 to
7 ft. We remember Bertha from 1996; we were
camping in St John at Cinnamon Bay and
some taxi-men told us to be prepared for a storm!
We were shocked
by how early in the season it was and were caught very
un-prepared. My
airplane mechanic husband was on call
with a beeper at that time and was in charge of
6 airplanes; so the rush to pack up and
get to the car ferry showed how frantic he really
was. We made it back in time to St
Thomas for him to secure and send off the planes; but
very late in the game to help secure our
dwelling. While I struggled with the plywood
shutters
as the wind was starting to pick up, he
was driving home thru our back farm country on the
steep
cement road now littered with hundreds of
very ripe mangoes....needless to say; but fun to
report in the aftermath; he literally
drove on mango jam all the way home.
I still kiss the ground, the sunrise, the
sunset and the sea everyday; we are the lucky ones; and
we are prepared for what nature
brings.
We are working on going all solar; a
long-term dream that must become reality soon with rising
power bills. First step for us is
the solar pool pump; so if any of you out there have any
experience
or advise about going solar ; please
include some information in your reports. Looking
forward
to being prepared and energy independence
can be a central theme to our readers. Now
that
Gert has some sponsors I hope some solar
and alternative energy sources will join them in supporting
stormcarib.
Thanks again Gert for this valuable site;
it keeps us informed and sane thru the storm season.
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- a little bit
|
- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2008 08:01:12 -0400
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We had about 1/8" rain last night (wine bucket) in
the rain
gauge, enough to cool things off ......hoping for
more....thinking
about the last Bertha in July of 96....she
was quite a surprise.
Take care and let us know what kind of weather you
are getting down island.
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- Water Truck Comes Twice in One Day
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 22:25:12 -0400
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We are dry dry dry in western St Thomas, our water
truck mon came to our rescue early this morning, winding his
way down our tiny dirt road and was interrupted
from proceeding by an ill parked car in the road. No one
responded
to the banging on the doors and he turned around
and left us behind high and dry; he made the second trip up the
steepest
hill in St Thomas to hydrate us after
some calls and maneuvering of vehicles. When it doesn't come from the
sky
we welcome the water truck on the roughest
tightest turn arounds on our small pitted roads. Many thanks
again
to our exhausted water truck driver. I can't
imagine the stress he is under, and the extra cost of fuel now hurting his
bottom line every
mile.
All of you down south please let us know
if rain soon come, buying water is against our grain!
St John Carnival is this weekend, tomorrow is
Emancipation Day; the most important day in our island's history;
and
Friday the other important day in our nation's
history. Happy Independence Day, let's cherish it; and hope for a
safe
storm season to come. Independence is the
word for what we need to do to be completely prepared for whatever
comes.
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- WINDY & RAINY , WOW WEE
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- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:36:40 -0400
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Good Morning,
After waiting all weekend for the needed
forecasted rain, a few gusty car wash
blasts of showers moved thru and left us with
about 1/4 ", plants blew over on the deck,
and there were probably a few iffy landings
at the airport. Finally last night it all let loose,
including the drool from our Audrey dog as the
thunder and lightening went wild. We
had loads of rain and heavy enough to make it to
the cistern, about another inch and
1/2 out here in Fortuna. The foliage has
uncurled and brightened up, and you can feel
the relief. We were COLD last night when the
first big blasts of thunder were booming;
the temperature crashed suddenly and the Gods were
bowling strikes. Hopefully the
water mon can relax now for a while. It is
still gusting like crazy, it will be interesting to see
the arrangement on the deck after this wind dies
down.
Jane Higgins on the Northwest side of St
Thomas,
facing the Atlantic at about 600 ft up the
hill....
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- Lightning and Thunder!!
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- From: RonUSVI at aol.com
- Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:57:49 EDT
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And rain happening now! Hope it fills my cisterns tonight!
Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. |
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- That time again
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- From: RonUSVI at aol.com
- Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2008 09:32:44 EDT
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Well, I guess it's time to start giving some reports. Been
hearing about a system going by. It's been windy the past few days with a little
rain in between. On Friday, a quick wind storm passed trough in less than ten
minutes blowing down a tree or two and ripping the giant tent my brother's team
had just erected the day before for the Relay for Life cancer walk last night.
Then last night, what promised to be a nice night for walking the relay, was
nice with gentle breezes until the skies opened up a little after midnight! That
went on for half hour or so, then no more. It didn't dampen the spirit of
some of the walkers and runners as they trudged along in the
downpour.
This morning is bright and sunny with some gust of wind still
going on.
Enjoy the weekend!
Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. |
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- WATER MON NEEDS A REST
|
- From: "Jane Higgins" <jhigginswear at islands.vi>
- Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:34:32 -0400
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GOOD MORNING ISLAND
PEOPLE,
Here on the Northwest side of St
Thomas in Fortuna, facing the Atlantic, skies are very
grey,
seas are up and choppy, and the wind
is kicking. We can only wish that the water
trucks
can stay home and rest; we have been
so very dry this year. The fruits and veggies are
begging
for some rain, and the cistern sounds
hollow. Let's hope for the best....looking forward
to
this blob on the map today.
Sorry to hear of Ms.Mermaid's fever, are you better
now?
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