Gift from a friend
03 May 2012 | Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia
Elizabeth (photo by Ed)
The other day I mentioned a man I met who just happened to be working on Brad's boat. This man, Gary, who is also called Kenyatta by his friends but who was chrisented by yet another name is a Rasta who has a heart as big as NYC, which is where he lived for several years before returning to his home on this Island. He and I made a good connection and he told me he was going to make me a gift, along with one for Brad. I knew he would follow through but I didn't know the gift would be an exquisite handmade basket made of palm leaves. It is filled with fruit and vegetables after passing a farmer with the empty basket in hand who informed him that he couldn't give a fruit basket without fruit in it. Kenyatta filled it high with cherries, apples. melon, papaya, sweetsop, apricots, and bananas. The piece of palm leaf you see under my chin is a decorative bird "flying" over the basket. We enjoyed having drinks with him and Brad, hearing entertaining stories about the Rasta beliefs, time in NYC, loves of his life and especially his fiancé Roxy who sounds pretty special.
Nancy Jo arrived this afternoon and it's hard to believe she's actually here. She is tired from getting up early for her flight this morning but the nice thing about being in the Caribeean on a sailboat is whatever needs to happen will happen and all we have is time. And of course, weather. Tonight before she headed off for bed, she looked out one of the portholes from down in the salon and said, "Oh, look, fireworks!". We looked out and saw anchor lights bobbing from other boats, the lights from shore bobbing and the moon and stars as well. We laughed hard because what she was seeing was from our boat bobbing, not fireworks. It takes a little while getting used to your home rising up and down, especially when you're down below and thus lose perspective. Photos of Nancy Jo will be posted tomorrow or the next day when she is rested and photograph-friendly. Luna, by the way, was beside herself to have her on the boat, especially when Brad arrived tonight and all her current favorite people were giving her tickles and pats.