A St. John mystery -- do you have one?

[hugo]

Sorry, no bay rum trees at Trunk.
Is there a certain time of year you've noted it?
What that lower parking lot has is St. John's only cigar-box cedar ...Cedrella odorata, a tree that's common in Cuba. A lot of us know what the wood smells like, if we've been around old cigar boxes. The flowers are out in summer, and they are pretty distinctive in aroma...very sweet, but a bit more edible than most sweet smells.

[Agent99]

There is a mystery to me....in the cemetary just below Lavender Hill there is a grave that has had a man's old hat propped on the cross. It did not appear to be a recent grave but with those above ground crypts it's not easy to tell. I imagined the hat belonged to the resident and thought it was a touching gesture. Anyone know the story?

[djmom]

I know this isn't a "mystery", but what is the story about the very athletic lifeguard at Trunk Bay that often jogs the beach?

Is there a story about him? For some reason it seems there should be.

[Chickadee]

I too wonder about the woman in white in Coral Bay. Usually barefoot, often carrying a plastic bag, just seems to be walking and walking and walking...

We used to see her on every trip, but have not in a number of years now.

[loria]

I too wonder about the woman in white in Coral Bay. Usually barefoot, often carrying a plastic bag, just seems to be walking and walking and walking...

We used to see her on every trip, but have not in a number of years now.

YES! that's the one ! haven't seen her in yrs

[coralbay]

I've run across the "woman in white" several times in the Coral Bay area. The last time I met her was last August on a bright moon-lit night up on Johnny Horn, where she was picking bush tea and herbs along the gut. I gave her a ride down the hill and over to John's Folley where she said her sister lived (couldn't see a house - she just slipped off into the bush).

She shared some interesting tales about her childhood up on Bordeaux. My understanding is that her husband's passing some years back hit her pretty hard, and she's been walking around the east end / Coral Bay area since.

[JohnM]

Sorry, no bay rum trees at Trunk.
Is there a certain time of year you've noted it?
What that lower parking lot has is St. John's only cigar-box cedar ...Cedrella odorata, a tree that's common in Cuba. A lot of us know what the wood smells like, if we've been around old cigar boxes. The flowers are out in summer, and they are pretty distinctive in aroma...very sweet, but a bit more edible than most sweet smells.

Hugo: Most of the time, we're in STJ in July.

I've never been able to find the specific tree/bush that the scent is coming from. Worse, I can walk around the lower lot without smelling anything, then suddenly I get a strong whiff. But I know its coming from beyond the wall bordering the taxi parking spots.

It could be the cedar tree you describe, as its very aromatic.

[hugo]

I'll go look for other possibilities next time I'm over there....smells are one of my specialties!

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[StJohnRuth]

Regarding the mysterious aroma, we've had that discussion before:
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... in&start=0

[Joshie]

...

[hugo]

Having gone back through that other thread, I can only say that people are probably talking about a bunch of different things. We've got close to 800 different wild plants, not to mention the cultivated, and probably more than 50% have aromas at various times. A lot, like 100, have volatile oils in the foliage.
As for mongoose, they do have "large anal scent sacs" (goodness!) but if this was one of the things people are noticing, they ought to be noticing it most around Caneel Bay, which now has apparently half the mongoose population of the island. I really don't think anyone would like the smell much, either.
The fruit Joshie is referring to is what is locally called painkiller, and Hawaiians call noni. West Indians use the leaves externally, Pacific islanders drink a potion of the fermented fruit, which defies credibility to me. Again, I've never heard anyone say "I kinda like that smell". Not even close. You can probably pick up a bottle at your local health food store if you want to confirm that.
Bay rum is somewhat restricted in where it grows on St. John, and it's only common where it was cultivated circa 1900 for bay oil... this would be Cinnamon Gut, Gibney Gut, Bordeaux and a few other ares high in the hills.

[djmom]

does no one know about the lifeguard? we always speculated he was an Olympic athlete or something....

come to think of it, I don't think he was there the last time we were there. we have seen him for years.

[Xislandgirl]

Maybe someone can help with this one? Every time I leave STJ, just as I get on the ferry, I notice that my wallet is lighter, my waist is wider, and my liver is heavy. Is there a jumbie that causes this?

[stjdeb]

X - I too have suffered from these very same symptoms, as well as my traveling companions. After returning home and discussing my malady with my friends - I find them to lack any and all compassion for my woes. As a matter of fact, considering that I'm not in the best of shape, they have been downright mean! Where to go for treatment? I'm fairly certain it is not back to work and the daily grind, possibly a small rock in the middle of a bright blue sea? With a small bubbling spa? Will the insurance cover treatment? This mystery plagues me too! I feel better knowing I'm not alone.