Work, Rest and Play at Mango Lodge

Every single morning we glory in just being here. Yes we have spent too much time indoors working, but when we sit down for lunch on the deck - or stand with a cocktail in he evening or drive along the coast road or so many things - we just look around us and love what we see. Kate keeps saying she can’t believe we own this beautiful house. It is all just too wonderful.

The table

The table with hardly any carbon footprint. The wood came from a tree in the garden which was chain sawed into planks and legs. Andy designed it - Kurt and Casso cut it and put it together and Kate stained and varnished it. We think it looks fantastic, and it will probably outlive us all!

Saturday night with the Douglas Clan

We decided early-on that it would be lovely to invite the whole Douglas family for drinks and to thank the workers for all they had done for us and Mango Lodge. Well Saturday 21st Feb 09 was the day. We squeezed the fresh fruit juice, made Mango cakes, bought in the nibbles, ginger wine and ’of course’ a case of Kubuli . We really wanted the whole family to see the result of Son, Kurt, Casso and Mik’s hard work and to say goodbye to all the family before we leave on Thursday. Everyone came including the 2 tiny babies - all dressed up. They arrive in Caribbean time - invited for an hour or two from 3pm the first was here just after 4 and the last drifted in at 5pm.

All the workers were presented with Mango Lodge T-shirts and proudly put them on for a photo. Then came the silly gifts - Casso’s hammers, Miks first tape measure (bigger than his Dad’s!!) Kurts knife and Son’s Mosquito bat. A long story behind each one !! Everyone had a good time and we played pass the parcel with the kids and musical chairs. Andy blew up balloons and formed intricate animals with them - but the kids just wanted long snakes and swords - Oh well!!

It was a great opportunity to get a whole Douglas family photo so at the end of the day we positioned everyone in the lounge and set to with the camera. We’ll get prints done in UK and send them back or bring them next trip.

A quick list of some of the language you hear in Dominica:

Transport - any form of vehicle
Partner - friend
Mister - any male, used in place of he in a sentence
Fou Fou - Humming bird
Fig - Banana
Of course = I agree
Not little - big
Strong - rum
Crump - Cramp
Sea bath - swim
Provision - local root vegetables
Pretty - anything that looks good
Top - to cut top branches off trees
Taken - when a plant has survived replanting
Wha’ Boy - an exclamation “I can’t believe it”
I myself - I
A-one Dominica - very good
Yeah mon - yes
Ay Lah! - Exclamation
That is a partner… - the start of many of Son’s stories meaning there was a bloke…

---

Part of trip: Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies

---