We’ve had quite a drought but I’ve managed to keep the banana trees alive. Your father had a brilliant idea with the hose hooked up to the washing machine drain. It has a lot of leaks but I fixed it and use the washer water for the fruit trees. 

We finally got the light fixtures changed out and what a difference it makes!! It really feels like we are in a normal house from the inside (unless we look up at the ceiling fan sans blades) 

Before and after. Yay!! We love it so much!! Have been living with lamps and a cool string of lights we hung between the kitchen and living room but it always felt dim. 

I’ve chosen a ceiling fan and some solar pathway lights and pool lights and will order them before the weekend. 


With many of the leaves falling due to the drought we could see what appeared to be a fallen down (blown down by Irma) storage building between the house and the west Side of the property. I had Lee, the Jamaican with a machete, to chop a pathway to it. Here is what we found:

Did your father access this from the west end of the property? There appears to be a road from that end but they have widened the turn around which created a bit of a drop off. I’m trying to figure how to access it to clean it up. It doesn’t seem practical from the house side. The path he cut is a bit treacherous as it goes to an incline that is not very stable. It’s ok for hiking but not for dragging things out to clean up. 

That is Auriga’s second lot. The original requirement to purchase was to dig an access road and any type of structure. At one time we used to park our VW Thing (see next post) on the dug-out flat part next to the shed at the base of the driveway down. A flat, level but narrow access path was made at the top of the west side steps to the shed. (JTH)

While Lee was here, we cleaned up around the pool getting all the loose dirt and leaves cleaned up before the pool is recommissioned. Valentin, the only plaster man I trust, has been busy on another job. I’m really hoping he can make it out soon to patch the crack in the pool. It would feel so nice to take a dip or three during these incredibly hot days.


The water pump went out last week and I took it in and got it rebuilt. The bearings had gone on it. I reinstalled it myself because the plumber wasn’t available that night and we wanted/ needed showers. 


Summer Solstice

I just watched the solstice  sunset. The sun will now start trekking back towards Sophers Hole. This is as North as it gets. From this angle, the sun shines in through the North side arches in the afternoon. Much of the living room is exposed to the sun this time of year. We look forward to less intrusion of the sun in the upcoming months. 

The sun is setting in the drivers position of what we always called ‘The Race Car Island’ (JTH)


I hope to start on the doors on the next week or so to at least get them where they can be secured easily in event of a storm. 


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