Well, here it is. Not polished. Just finished it this afternoon. But I thought I better get it out before I didn't. Enjoy, I hope.
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<br><br>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br><br>Waaaayyyy back in November of 2002 we spent two weeks back in the British Virgin Islands only to have most of it spoiled by an infection that needed to be treated halfway through our holiday. I was more sickened emotionally by my illness and sometime later, mid winter, a couple of our friends suggested we join them back on Cooper Island during April/May 2003. Never thinking that Steve would be able to find time to fit this into his busy spring schedule, I laughed and suggested that they simply send me a ticket and I would happily serve the guys non-stop appetizers. Haha. Very funny. But I launched the idea and miraculously Steve said, "YES!" <br><br>This trip was to become all about our "finned friends." We simply wanted to spend the entire two weeks at the Evans' Pink Beach House on Cooper Island in the water with our dive masks on. And nothing else. Well, we did wear suits…….your evil minds at work here, yes? <br><br>Upon the word, I instantly made reservations for our Easter Weekend departure (had to spend 120,000 air miles for this bad timing) and the American Airlines agent was kind enough to book us into emergency row seats for our comfort. I am still an AmAir fan.<br><br><br>Detail, details, details…………..<br><br>Since we would not arrive onto Cooper Island until Easter Monday morning, we needed to book a hotel in Roadtown for our first two nights. Previously, Steve and I had enjoyed Castle Maria and lazed in and around their pool all of that one day we had so I chose the Castle, hands down. A sleepy little inn on the hillside overlooking Roadtown's harbor. Both of us relished the thought of quiet pool time. But, sadly, this was the last time we would stay there. <br><br>Our room at Castle Maria was not only unprepared by our 4pm arrival but quite minimal. Unlike the pretty little treetop room with the peek-a-boo views we had enjoyed before, this was something much less charming. Squeaky, tattered furniture. Two twinned beds simulating a double. A terrace door that I could barely slide open. The only thing that satisfied was the AC. <br><br>Once in the room, I wandered down the hall to the pool and found it sadly closed. But, had it been opened, we would have never entered the musty, dirty water. Both of us were extraordinarily disappointed. The day was hot but the pool was completely uninviting.<br><br>The hotel's well reviewed Fusions Restaurant, which we had looked forward to enjoying, was shut. Another disappointment. <br><br>That night we had dinner at C&F. I am wild for their curried conch appetizer and, of course, we both had their ribs. Steve ate all of his (!) while I could only manage half of my entree. The remainder we had for breakfast (again, Castle Maria's restaurant was not open for even a small bit of a morning meal).<br><br>Sunday (Easter Day) we knew that shops and local eateries would be shut. Steve and I lunched Pusser's (another great Caesar Salad for me and perfect Fish and Chips for Steve). I bought 21 postcards and Steve, a hat. Another hat for his Miata. He has quite a collection now. We wandered through the little artisan's village and I bought some new zori. In another little shop we found a darling not-shy lady creating Christmas ornaments from sea bass scales. I instantly spoke with her about her work and bought the little angel she had just crafted. She was quite the conversationalist. Loving what she created. <br><br>After finding nothing open for dinner we ate in the pub at Prospect Reef. Nothing remarkable.<br><br>I called Chris at Cooper Island Beach Club to confirm our ride with them to the island Monday morning and found that the 8:30am boat wasn't scheduled to leave until nearly noon. We had made previously made arrangements with Ms Penguin to meet them at the Prospect dock at 8:15am to take delivery on a few prepared frozen meals. <br><br>Right on time, the following morning, Ms Penguin (well, MR Penguin) pulled up, we paid him and returned to Castle Maria to pop them into the fridge in the room while we went out did the rest of our shopping at Bobbie's. They continue to have everything we need. Except fennel bulb. Maybe I will have to bring that in next year. <br><br>Before we knew it we were back at Prospect and on the CIBC boat, motoring across the channel. Settling in at the Beach House (with help from our friends, Don and Jerry the Hill House) took a few minutes and we sat down for Peanut Butter and Preserve sandwiches. <br><br>A few pieces of information from CIBC. Vernon and Leeze departed there late last year to return home to St. Lucia. Their absence was greatly noted. Curt is still there and Andrea and Neal have signed on for another year. Chris and Morgana got married on May 11th. Sounds like a wonderful celebration. I expressed my hope that their web site would share the wedding pictures. <br><br>So there we were again. <br><br><br><br>We are here for Sleep, Reading, Food, Flora and Fauna, and Fish. Other stuff too but we won't be going into that here.<br><br><br>SLEEP<br><br>This is a dreamer's paradise. Every morning I awoke bright at 6:30 or 7. I would count the number of boats leaving the bay, pour a glass of iced tea and go back to bed to read until I would once again get up, count boats, get more tea and then repeat. Often the book reading part would take place on the porch. And often the book reading part turns into a luxurious late morning sleep.<br><br>Steve is a champion sleeper. Given the opportunity he can go non stop past lunch. And then he presents with the most bazaar tales from his dreams. I mean REALLY strange. No sci-fi writer has anything on him. <br><br>Since we need to watch our electrical power usage we often go to bed by 8:30 or 9. So, as you can see, we caught up on years and years of lost shuteye. <br><br><br>READING<br><br>- I carefully rip apart the latest Vanity Fair magazine (weeding out the zillion glossy ads) and staple together all the trashy, really FASCINATING stuff. <br><br>- The most recent New York Times magazines got tossed in the bag. I never have enough time to devote to them. But for the first time none of them got read. I just couldn't bring the Iraqi disaster to the vacation. <br><br>- Two Cruising World magazines. Somehow, since I have chartered with Moorings four times, I now have an instant subscription to it. Fun to peruse the stories and ads.<br><br>- Books. We take stacks. I took five. Two John Grisham - didn't he used to be a better writer? Seems to me his first two books <br> were excellent. Maybe I was a lot less picky then. <br><br>But the best of my stacks was Alexander McCall Smith's three books about a wonderful woman in Botzwana. The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Tears of the Giraffe, and Morality for Beautiful Girls. On vacation or not, I recommend them. Three of the most beautifully written books I have read in a very long time.<br><br><br><br><br>FOOD <br><br>Always a challenge. I find that the deeper I get into vacation the less I want to cook and eat. I would much rather sit and gaze. But we have to build our energy so I try to be creative and varied.<br><br>Each year before we depart I spend many hours creating interesting menu plans. Since we can't just dash out to the deli for a forgotten item I have to be so careful with my shopping list. But once purchased, a week's full of menus can easily by shifted around to please the moment.<br><br>First of all, as I mentioned, we took advantage of Ms Penguin's wonderful frozen meals. The only drawback was the space they took up in our refrigerator's small freezing compartment. Their menu is extensive and well selected for vegetarians; every label quite complete. I chose their meat Shepherd's Pie, Beef Stroganoff, Mushroom Lasagna and Lobster Fritters, which were perfect for appetizers. Each package states that it serves two but by adding a nice sized salad, you can easily divide it into four. If I could buy all our dinners from them, I would! We definitely had leftovers.<br><br>Last year I was certainly in no condition to cook. Between the medication I was taking and my mood, all wanted to eat was PBJ sandwiches. And you know, it worked out just fine. So this year, we from time to time had those wonderful self-contained meals for dinner again. Few dishes and very little prep! <br><br>But typically we ate as we do at home. Well.<br><br>Grilled Garlic Lamb Chops, Chicken in a Lemon Caper Sauce, Steak au Poivre a la Crème, Steak with Horseradish Sauce, Pork Kabobs (cubed and marinated at home and then frozen solid), Garlic Chicken. In addition for dinner we included an item we usually had for lunch, Chicken Waldorf Salad. Suggestion. Take wood chips for grilling. We found it added an additional well flavor.<br><br>Lunches were simple as well. Roasted Potato Salad, Farfalle Salad, Couscous and Pork/Roasted Veggie salad (made from leftovers of the Pork kabobs, chopped up and mixed well - this was a BIG hit!) and PBJ and Meat and Cheese sandwiches. Partial to CIBC's lunches, we ate there three times. Favorites there are their Cheese Burger, Manchioneel Sandwich (unfortunately this is only a special now) and Roti. <br><br>We found that Monday was the best day for the freshest veggies at Bobbie's. A red bell pepper that never got used was delivered to CIBC upon our departure, a week after we bought it. Unfortunately we did buy a box of rancid Check Mix. Bummer. I suggest you purchase more munchies than you think you will need. This was not the first time we have had this problem. Not just with Bobbie's. Riteway as well. <br><br><br><br>FLORA AND FAUNA<br><br>After so much rain, the cottage was surrounded by color. <br><br>Pink and white Oleander typically accents the Beach House but, this year, the blooms and their fragrance were overwhelming. And Oleander doesn't have a powerful aroma! Yet we would step outside and were continually "whafted" by perfume. Years and years ago on our honeymoon in Bermuda I bought a bottle of the light scent. I have treasured it since. But this year I never had to produce the tiny bottle. I was surrounded by it!<br><br>All around the steps to the house were cute wild "Stinky Toes." The soft magenta colors supported by their wiry stems seemed to have survived the drought of rain and flourished in the torrents. We were thrilled to see their survival. They have always been so fragile. <br><br>Tracing, and nearly covering, the path from the Pink House to the beach club is pencil cactus. Last November we were barely able to make our way through it. During the Evans' visit in March the bushes were hacked back. The pencil cactus seems to be the one thing that survived hurricane Lenny. The temperatures inside the grove must be increased by 20 degrees since no air can permeate their wall. <br><br>The goats have demolished much of the meaty succulents that Ginny has planted. As often as we scurried them away, they returned to do their damage. I think we have all given up.<br><br>Ahhhhh………the goats. Some fauna. The overwhelming fauna on the island.<br><br>The goats are a very real presence of life on the island. This year we learned that the goats had been deposited on Cooper by the pirates of the 1700s as their own stock of food. Those pirates as well built a stone cistern for water conservation and THAT is where Cistern Rock got its name! So much to learn on vacation.<br><br>One morning I was awoken early by a baby's cry. I went outside and searched for its source but returned at a loss. Still the baby cried. Finally I took our binoculars and returned to scan the hillside. There, halfway up the hill, was a medium sized goat whose leg was pinned between two small trunks of a tree. He was scared and hurt and suddenly stopped crying. His brother/sister was nearby completely confused. I went inside and sat at the foot of the bed where Steve laid snoozing. Snoozing.<br><br>It was his vacation to sleep as long as he wished and it was now 8am. I thought about the goat that would never be able to escape by himself. So awoke Steve and explained the situation and after some long heartfelt conversation he dressed and we collected some water, hiking stick and we climbed the path, uphill.<br><br>Steve wouldn't allow me to follow him and I was unable to see much through the thick brush and young trees. I could hear him though. <br><br>Steve carefully maneuvered through the hillside and finally found the silent goat. He was exhausted and hurt. Ultimately Steve was able to pry the trunks apart and push the animal out. The poor soul collapsed and Steve retreated.<br><br>We watched from the cottage for about an hour as the goat regained its energy and strength and hobbled off with his brother/sister. A wild animal saved. I made Steve breakfast and tall glass of cold iced tea.<br><br>Hermit crabs.<br><br>Hermit crabs? Yes. Our most popular entertainment besides anchoring boats. These critters hang out in the dense bushed right below the porch. They come out and scavenge the soil for food. There is rarely much. But when we are there it's Thanksgiving! We toss them chicken bones and the juices, leftover meat scraps, and even used coffee grounds. This time, after many years of enjoying their company, we brought them presents. <br><br>Shells! <br><br>Steve bought shells from a shell store in Key Largo this year while we were on a trip to Key West. He actually wanted to pack these things down to Cooper for "The Boys" as we fondly call them. <br><br>As hermit crabs eat, they grow. And as they grow they need new homes. If there are no shells big enough for them to move into, they become dinner for birds, lizards, or the wild cats that live on the island. We were there to rescue.<br><br>A bit about the "Waltz of the Shells." Once a crab discovers an empty shell he examines it and rolls it over to check its weight. If it is the right size but too heavy the crab won't be able to move "quickly" around in it and he crawls away, disappointed. If the shell is too small, he won't fit in. If it is too light and too thin it might be picked away by the birds and he would be devoured. A shell has to be perfect. <br><br>Should "Fred" (a common name for a hermit crab) decide the shell suitable, he then manipulates it properly for a move in. In doing that every little crab in the region identifies the activity and joins the dance. One by one, in graduated sizes, crabs circle in a conga line. Around and around and around until Fred quickly squiggles of out the old shell and tucks into the new. Just as quickly, each crabs moves into the next shell as it is vacated. Before you now it, the two inch shell you put on the sand becomes a minuscule quarter inch shell. You have just provided new homes for 8 crabs. Magic!<br><br>So obsessed were we about shells that every time we snorkeled we succeeded in bringing more empty FUTURE homes! Just another day in paradise. <br><br><br>FISH<br><br>Well, ok, the main point of spending two weeks on Cooper is seeing how many fish you can identify. This year was absolutely no disappointment. There are few places in the BVI where you will find such a rich collection of sea life. Right down to the twelve inch sea slug that was in 15 feet of water just off the shore of the beach house. Ewwwww……….<br><br>My primary suggestion is simply lie in the water and look. No need to paddle around quickly. Many people make that mistake and so much is passed by. Of course when you do that, be sure you put on plenty of sunscreen on the backs of your legs. Made that mistake twice and had to spend two days out of the sun. I was sloppy and much too excited about getting in the water. Another suggestion is to take an underwater note board and pencil so you can sketch what you see for later bookwork. <br><br>I have done a basic list here. Nothing flowery about my descriptions. Just the facts. Our books were heavily notated this year. <br><br><br>All over Manchioneel Bay:<br><br>Sand Divers <br>Ballyhoo <br>Barracuda <br>Longspine Squirrelfish <br>Rainbow Runners <br>Yellow Jacks <br>Yellowtail Snapper <br>Spotted Goatfish <br>Foureyed Butterflyfsh <br>Juvenile Beaugregories <br>All ages of Yellowtail Damsel Fish <br>Dusky Damsel Fish - adults and juveniles <br>Sharknose gobys <br>Bluehead wrasse <br>All ages of Tangs <br>Doctor fish <br>Ocean Surgeon<br>All Parrot fish<br>Rock Beauties - juveniles and intermediates <br> <br><br>Down at Cistern Rock: <br><br>Houndfish <br>Banded Butterfly Fish<br>Dark Phase Sergeant Major <br>Cocoa Damselfish <br>Puddingwife <br>All ages Spanish Hogfish <br>Parrot Fish supermales<br>Hawksbill turtle <br><br><br>Nearby Cistern Rock just below the houses: <br><br>Trumpet Fish <br>Smallmouth Grunts <br>French Grunts <br>Yellowhead wrasse <br>Something like an Orange Filefish but brown and grey stripes with <br> white spot between the tail and body <br>Scrawled Cowfish <br>Spotted Trunkfish <br>Balloon Fish<br>27 Squid<br> <br><br>Quart o'Nancy Point:<br><br> <br>Southern Stingray jumping and flying in harbor and at Qo'N <br>Banded Butterfly Fish <br>Intermidiate French Angel<br>Damsel fish - juvenile and intermediate<br>Starfish crawling across a major boulder<br><br><br>The rocky out cropping between the beach house and the club that we call Little Rocks:<br><br>Sand Tilefish <br>A feeding Barracuda (swam away from HIM!)<br>Graysby Grouper <br>Juvenile and intermediate Spotted Drums<br>Peacock Flounder <br>Juvenile Queen Angel Fish (That was sensation! Looked just like blown <br> glass) <br>Smooth Trunk Fish<br>Octopus <br><br><br>So, that was Cooper Island, 2003. Lots of great weather, some rain (well enjoyed!) and terrific friends who entertained us for dinner at the Hill House one night (Duck!) and who we fed Steak to on another. Their last night on the island I served them Lobster Fritters while they enjoyed their last dip, Rum Punch in hand, in the bay. <br><br>We had a restful time, got lots of sleep and read until we closed our eyes.<br><br>Cooper Island. Paradise. <br>
