One of those really good days

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Today was blustery and breezy. That is so not a problem on an island where the temperature stil gets to the low 80s. Sam actually got up before I did (although to be fair I was awake, just relaxing) and so we started our day just after 7 am today. That meant plenty of time to update blogs, download videos and photos, and get breakfast'ed.

Sam and I went down to the pool for some morning tanning time even though the clouds were rolling in. He actually thought he'd go swimming, but our pool is colder than the sea...so he worked on his tan while I worked on mine sans sunblock for thirty minutes. I am so serious about going home bronzed! And for me it's a labor of love (I am naturally about one shade away from Casper so a tan is a big deal).

After having a leisurely breakfast and some balcony time with Mom, we decided to go out to Conch Point for some shellin'. On the way we stopped briefly at the Tortuga tasting place next to the turtle farm and very quickly decided to run, run away...it was packed with cruise passengers, as in sardines have elbow room by comparison. Not to denigrate that mode of travel, but I don't think I care much for the cruise trade. I've been on one (2005, Disney Magic, Mexican Riviera with my kid and my grandmother) but honestly what is a cruise but a chance to indulge in gluttony? And I can do that anytime, trust me. So packing in six hours of island in the midst does not appeal. So we continued on to Barkers, or Conch Point, or the nature preserve where I went horseback riding the last time for a moonlight ride with Pampered Ponies. On that ride, I could see the conch shells reflecting in the moonlight and I so very much wanted to bring some home...so this time I made it a priority to collect some. And we got many, in fact we'll have to pick through the ones we collected to bring home just a few!

We stopped at Cemetary Beach on the way back into town to have lunch, and check in with Ketty and Tommy. I don't know yet who they were, but we found their graves in 2006 and ever since then it's become important to pay my respects. Part of it is because they are my age...well, they would be if they hadn't died together July 3 1989. One of the things I want to do on this trip is find out why/how. So I've included a photo of their joint headstone here to share.

Then we did imore sland exploring. Found some interesting West Bay places, including the house on the cliff with pond where we found the iguanas the first time in 2006. No iggy's today however, not the nicest day to be an endothermic lizard. Found a discount liquor store...affiliated with Tortuga, thank goodness, so got two bottles of my rum with a 15% discount! Yay! And saw the Conch House, a structure actually built with conch shells. I would have been more excited about this house if I hadn't read about the collection of the shells involving harvesting them alive and setting them out on the beach for four days to die first.

When we got back to the condo, I was ready to just chill again. Spent time online while Mom and Sam went to the pool...then I decided to go watch the sunset on the beach. Got some lovely photos of that. Cooked dinner when I got back, steak and fries, and then the three of us went for a walk on the beach.

It's almost bedtime, on Christmas Eve Eve. I am starting to show my tan, I have rum, and tomorrow is yet another wonderful Carribean day!

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