Finally a nice warm day here in mid Florida. Woke up to a sunny, somewhat humid day this morning, it just kept getting better as the day advanced until the temperature finally got up into the mid 70's. I enjoyed a slow and easy morning and then got going this afternoon. Odd as it might sound the first thing on my list was to go indoors and enjoy a recent movie selection. There were several to choose from in the 'Boy's Night Out at the Movies' genre, but the earliest one to play today turned out to be 'Kingsmen', so that is what I ended up seeing. Mostly a spoof on all spy movies, including James Bond and other like movies, it was still quite entertaining even if the plot was as 'dumb' as some of those filmed back in the early 70's.
   Once done there I headed over to my favorite Mexican restaurant for some late lunch. On todays menu was what has become one of my all time favorites, a huge burrito made up of beef cheek meat, beans, rice and potato. After trying all of the different types, this one, as well as the one featuring goat meat, are my favorites, but all of them are really quite good.   
   I had hoped to get my trailer hitch into a welding shop this afternoon, but had forgotten that it was a holiday today. Something I tend to forget since retiring so many years ago. So I will try to see about getting it into the place tomorrow if they think they can fix it.
    So I went over to the grocery store instead and picked up some fresh fruit, bananas and pears, as well as a whole roasted chicken for dinner later on. Just finished that up.... it was yummy, and now need to finish up some paperwork before reading a new 'chicken' magazine I found. Here are some more photo's from last weeks contra dance week on St Croix.

St Croix Contra Dance Week - February 2015

Part of the grounds at Colony Cove Resort where we were staying. George has 3 different condo resorts, right next to each other, that he has us all stay in.

This is the swimming pool for Colony Cove. Each of the resorts has one and I may of actually swam in one or two of them over the years. But mainly I like to swim in the ocean right over there just beyond the palm trees.

Looking up at the coconuts on one of the palm trees. The resort actually has guys that cut them down as they ripen so that they don't fall on your head at some time.

Over at Sugar Beach you have the remains of what was once a Dutch windmill. There were many of these on the island when it was being used to raise sugar cane, and all of them were used to power a sugar cane crusher to extract the cane syrup out of the sugar cane. The syrup was then boiled down until it thickened into a really dark brown sugar or molasses. The molasses was then used to make rum, the true money of the islands.

This is the fruiting stem on what I know as a 'Christmas Palm Tree'. Once the blossoms have come out and been pollinated they form into small round green fruits that then turn bight red as they ripen, there by giving them their everyday name.

Every year I try to capture the feeling of these two palms outside the Sugar Beach Office building... and every year I fail. But even this photo shows how beautiful they both are.

A quick trip into the town of Christiansburg one morning to meet up with my girlfriend Rima, my sister Cheryl and her partner Mary, as they came in from a morning of snorkeling off of Buck Island. This just shows some of the boats anchored in the harbor there.

That's the 3 amigos back from their snorkeling trip. Rima had gotten some of her hair braided by one of the local women the night before, and she was enjoying the new look and feel it gave her. I actually liked it too, though I hope she doesn't expect me to learn how to do that for her. I can't even do a regular braid yet.



Prowling the depths just off the dock in Christianstead are schools of large tarpon. Most are in the 3'-4' length, but I imagine there are a few 5 footers in there. Many of them are large enough that they even have their own remora fish that stick on them looking for scraps.

A closer view of my sweetie and her new look. I'm going to have to start calling her my Pirate-Viking women now..... if she doesn't mind that is.

Government House, the main office there on the island. It and a couple other nearby buildings including the fort, scale house, custom house and slave quarters and auction yard are still around and being used for various government functions.

I love chickens for some reason, I just love to watch them as they go about their chicken ways. On St. Croix many of them are semi wild in that they go where they want to and don't seem to be fed or locked up at night. There is a good flock over on the fort grounds and when Rima and I sat down about 10 of them came over to see if we had anything good to eat. This one, the rooster, really liked to strut around all the 'ladies'. I think of him as a true 'Cock of the walk'.

One last view.

brk*