Dave-a-roni's trip report, part 5
Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:03 am
*Sorry to who ever is reading these that these are taking so long. What can I say, I'm a bust guy 
.
It turned out that the family members from yesterday that "didn't get along" with everyone else took off and went to St. Thomas yesterday. We already kinda knew they were going, which was only part of the reason for all of the fuss. It turns out, that family (one of my wife's 2 sisters, her husband and their daughter) actually like Thomas better... I thought: Uh-oh, don't tell me we have people on our hands that "don't get it" This fact alone has nothing to do with the big argument, but my sister in-law claims that there is "more to do" on St. Thomas, and by that she meant shopping and eating, and it's "nice", what ever that meant
. I was a little speechless, my wife and I just chalked it off as "they don't get it"
Day 8
Problems from yesterday were of course smoothed over and everyone was getting along again, no more trouble in Paradise.
I thought I would actually start this day off with a Pearly Eyed Thrasher eating a pineapple that was meant for my little bananaquit buddies. This fella was much too heavy for the bowl shaped fruit and was rocking back and forth. Eventually it fell over the side.
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... lehalf.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... lehalf.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Mission today? Go find donkey's, which meant a drive out to East end. A smattering of us still hasn't seen them while the rest of us has. Then... go to the Annaberg ruins for as long as that will take, then hit a northshore beach.
Donkey's we indeed found, 2 of them. We spotted them down someone's driveway off in the brush. One was young and healthy, the other was older and injured in many spots (you can actually see the injuries in the picture, the donkey to the left). After hanging out for about 15 minutes and feeding them a little bit, the younger one seemed agitated at the older one-injured one and started kicking it
. That lasted for only a few seconds and while I was posing for a picture 
What bad timing eh?
This made me wonder if it's injuries were from this younger one. Who knows, both were individually friendly.
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... onky-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... onky-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
I have been to Annaberg before, but it was neat to see it again.
My father in law and shared a moment as we looked down into Leinster bay, off in the direction of Mary Creek. This is one of my favorite bay views on STJ, I think it rivals the Trunk overlook.
I looked back at my father-in-laws face looking down onto the bay, his face was the same as it looked when he saw the Trunk overlook for the 1st time. He had a look that if I had to describe it in words it would be like this:
I can't believe how beautiful that is, I'll never be able to describe this to anyone when I get home, I'll try... and back up my explanation with photo's, but that still won't cut it. You just can't describe that to someone who has never seen that.
I confirmed that that was exactly what was running through his head. I said:
"Now you see why I brought you here
? Do you get it ??"
I knew my father in law would "get it". I think he spent more time looking out from on top of the windmill lookout than looking at the Annaberg Ruins.
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... ryhalf.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... ryhalf.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
The group photo at Annaberg
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... family.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... family.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
So now back to Hawksnest bay beach. Our 3rd trip, a popular one amongst my wife and her newbie family. Before I can say "lets try SO-AND-SO beach" they've already cheered and declared Hawksnest. I can't complain, it is a beautiful beach, and they have been more than accommodating with my solo hiking schedule.
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... snest1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... snest1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... fronds.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... fronds.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... snest2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... snest2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Tonight my wife and I spent the evening in Mongoose Junction shopping, but 1st ate at Satyamuna again for another amazing vegan meal.
I took some more pics of my favorite St. John cat, Socks! ( I LOVE Socks) I wanna snatch her up and take her home with me.
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... nddown.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... nddown.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Day-9
Ya know what, I didn't take any bananaquit pictures today. I was too busy getting up earlier than usual, along with my wife and her neice, we were going to do the Reefbay Trail today. It took some doing, but I managed to get them going nice and early to hit the trail head at 9am. The rest of the Family was going to meet us at Trunk.
These are my usual hiking companions back at home, my neice Abby likes hiking but say's it's too hot to hike here on island, that's why we decided to go early. It was a nice easy going hike and saw very little in the way of wildlife. After we took a long break a the Petroglyphs, we decided to not to go all the way down. and go back up from here. A spotted a few Hermit crabs, and heard a few frogs, and saw a millopeed, but that's about it.
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... ngcrab.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... ngcrab.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
On the way back up the Park Service tour group was coming down and I saw a guy with his daughter on his backpack with a bug screen net overtop,
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... nt=kid.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... er/kid.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
I commended him for his effort and headed back up to the van to get to Trunk.
My snorkel at Trunk was quite a successful one, I almost immediately saw a small ray, and followed it for a while. Then I went off to the right side between Trunk and Peter bay and found the fish hanging low because of the strong wind blowing in, so I circled back around the cay to get back to the beach. Almost back at the beach, near the beginning of the cay I saw a snorkeler look as if he was following something. Now, that's not unusual because everyone looks like they're doing that, but for some reason I decided to look underwater to see what this guy was looking at... then I saw an Octopus! I said: "Holy S@*#! " to my self in my snorkel, the guy knew I seen it, and said it just ate a small lobster, and claimed it was like watching National Geographic. I dove down to see it up close and personal and followed it for a minute or two. It was brown-black and white striped while swimming,
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... ctopus.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... ctopus.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
It then "melted" down into a nook in the coral and wouldn't come out. Amazing
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... ctopus.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... ctopus.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
What a day, I finally got to see a real live Octopus. I remember RickG telling me there was Octopus in Trunk. Thanks Rick! How much did you pay the Octopus to show up and make an appearance!
The rest of the day was spend eating, drinking, and being merry around the pool at the villa.
.It turned out that the family members from yesterday that "didn't get along" with everyone else took off and went to St. Thomas yesterday. We already kinda knew they were going, which was only part of the reason for all of the fuss. It turns out, that family (one of my wife's 2 sisters, her husband and their daughter) actually like Thomas better... I thought: Uh-oh, don't tell me we have people on our hands that "don't get it" This fact alone has nothing to do with the big argument, but my sister in-law claims that there is "more to do" on St. Thomas, and by that she meant shopping and eating, and it's "nice", what ever that meant
. I was a little speechless, my wife and I just chalked it off as "they don't get it" Day 8
Problems from yesterday were of course smoothed over and everyone was getting along again, no more trouble in Paradise.
I thought I would actually start this day off with a Pearly Eyed Thrasher eating a pineapple that was meant for my little bananaquit buddies. This fella was much too heavy for the bowl shaped fruit and was rocking back and forth. Eventually it fell over the side.
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... lehalf.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... lehalf.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Mission today? Go find donkey's, which meant a drive out to East end. A smattering of us still hasn't seen them while the rest of us has. Then... go to the Annaberg ruins for as long as that will take, then hit a northshore beach.
Donkey's we indeed found, 2 of them. We spotted them down someone's driveway off in the brush. One was young and healthy, the other was older and injured in many spots (you can actually see the injuries in the picture, the donkey to the left). After hanging out for about 15 minutes and feeding them a little bit, the younger one seemed agitated at the older one-injured one and started kicking it
. That lasted for only a few seconds and while I was posing for a picture What bad timing eh?This made me wonder if it's injuries were from this younger one. Who knows, both were individually friendly.
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... onky-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... onky-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
I have been to Annaberg before, but it was neat to see it again.
My father in law and shared a moment as we looked down into Leinster bay, off in the direction of Mary Creek. This is one of my favorite bay views on STJ, I think it rivals the Trunk overlook.
I looked back at my father-in-laws face looking down onto the bay, his face was the same as it looked when he saw the Trunk overlook for the 1st time. He had a look that if I had to describe it in words it would be like this:
I can't believe how beautiful that is, I'll never be able to describe this to anyone when I get home, I'll try... and back up my explanation with photo's, but that still won't cut it. You just can't describe that to someone who has never seen that.
I confirmed that that was exactly what was running through his head. I said:
"Now you see why I brought you here
? Do you get it ??" I knew my father in law would "get it". I think he spent more time looking out from on top of the windmill lookout than looking at the Annaberg Ruins.
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... ryhalf.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... ryhalf.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
The group photo at Annaberg
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... family.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... family.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
So now back to Hawksnest bay beach. Our 3rd trip, a popular one amongst my wife and her newbie family. Before I can say "lets try SO-AND-SO beach" they've already cheered and declared Hawksnest. I can't complain, it is a beautiful beach, and they have been more than accommodating with my solo hiking schedule.
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... snest1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... snest1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... fronds.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... fronds.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... snest2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... snest2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Tonight my wife and I spent the evening in Mongoose Junction shopping, but 1st ate at Satyamuna again for another amazing vegan meal.
I took some more pics of my favorite St. John cat, Socks! (
I LOVE Socks) I wanna snatch her up and take her home with me.<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... nddown.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... nddown.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Day-9
Ya know what, I didn't take any bananaquit pictures today. I was too busy getting up earlier than usual, along with my wife and her neice, we were going to do the Reefbay Trail today. It took some doing, but I managed to get them going nice and early to hit the trail head at 9am. The rest of the Family was going to meet us at Trunk.
These are my usual hiking companions back at home, my neice Abby likes hiking but say's it's too hot to hike here on island, that's why we decided to go early. It was a nice easy going hike and saw very little in the way of wildlife. After we took a long break a the Petroglyphs, we decided to not to go all the way down. and go back up from here. A spotted a few Hermit crabs, and heard a few frogs, and saw a millopeed, but that's about it.
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... ngcrab.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... ngcrab.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
On the way back up the Park Service tour group was coming down and I saw a guy with his daughter on his backpack with a bug screen net overtop,
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... nt=kid.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... er/kid.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
I commended him for his effort and headed back up to the van to get to Trunk.
My snorkel at Trunk was quite a successful one, I almost immediately saw a small ray, and followed it for a while. Then I went off to the right side between Trunk and Peter bay and found the fish hanging low because of the strong wind blowing in, so I circled back around the cay to get back to the beach. Almost back at the beach, near the beginning of the cay I saw a snorkeler look as if he was following something. Now, that's not unusual because everyone looks like they're doing that, but for some reason I decided to look underwater to see what this guy was looking at... then I saw an Octopus! I said: "Holy S@*#!
" to my self in my snorkel, the guy knew I seen it, and said it just ate a small lobster, and claimed it was like watching National Geographic. I dove down to see it up close and personal and followed it for a minute or two. It was brown-black and white striped while swimming,<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... ctopus.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... ctopus.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
It then "melted" down into a nook in the coral and wouldn't come out. Amazing
<a href="http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... ctopus.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w41/ ... ctopus.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
What a day, I finally got to see a real live Octopus. I remember RickG telling me there was Octopus in Trunk. Thanks Rick! How much did you pay the Octopus to show up and make an appearance!
The rest of the day was spend eating, drinking, and being merry around the pool at the villa.
