Flowers at Grotto Bay

  

Go ahead...click on the photo to enlarge it. There -- all the details. Isn't this lovely? Grotto Bay has beautiful grounds, lovely beach, interesting caves to explore, good rum drinks, and tennis courts. Who could ask for anything more?

Hibiscus in Blue Bowl

  

Chinese Rooster Painting

  

I love my Friday morning art group! Sometimes there are only two of us, sometimes there are a dozen ladies painting. Sometimes we paint outside in the ocean breezes, sometimes we paint inside. Sometimes we have cheesecake as part of our refreshments, sometimes we have fruit. Always we have fun, the shared enjoyment of painting, interesting conversations, and good company.

The Peppercorn Ceremony

  

  

  

Peppercorn History

Once upon a time (1816)in the Town of St. George's, a ceremony was performed which signified the move of the government from the State House in St. George's to the City of Hamilton. The State House in St. George's was granted to the town in trust for the Freemason Lodge St. George Number 200 in exchange for the annual rent of one peppercorn. Since 1816, the event has grown considerably.

Well, any reason will do as an excuse for a show of pomp and circumstance, I guess. The Governor of Bermuda, the Premier, the Mayor of St. George's, the Army band, a bagpiper, the City Council of St. George's, a show of regimental forces, along with any stray visiting dignitaries who can be snagged, all attend the event where a peppercorn is passed from one hand to another. Well, hey, it's tourist season now...a large cruise ship has just docked at St. George's, so why not put on a show?

All this strikes me as rather ironic since Bermuda used to have a flourishing salt trade going with the Caribbean islands to the south But, a peppercorn is easier to handle than a grain of salt, I suppose.

Good Friday at Horseshoe Bay

  

First Attempt with the Star Kite

  

The Result...

  

Successful Dragonfly Kite

  

Happy Kite Flyers

  

Good Friday Traditions in Bermuda

Kite flying has been a Good Friday tradition in Bermuda for many years. I have heard several variations on the story of how the kite tradition started, as follows:

(1) The British Army in Bermuda used kites to plan telephone pole routes. Then, a Sunday school teacher, who had connections to the Army, used a kite to help explain Jesus' ascension to Heaven after the crucifixion.
(2) The cross pieces of wood used to make a kite represent the Cross and serve as a reminder of the Christian tradition around Easter.
(3) It's a reason for families to get outside together, do something fun, and welcome springtime.

Eric, Abby, and I bought a kite and went to Horseshoe Bay which is Kite Central on Good Friday. We soon discovered that a star-shaped kite is NOT the best shape for successful kite flying. Try as they might, Eric and Abby could not keep the thing in the air. So, we walked around the beach and admired other folks' successfully flying kites. Several people were eating fish cakes sandwiched between hot cross buns, another Bermuda Good Friday tradition.

When we came home from the beach, our next door neighbors gave us both a homemade kite and a dragonfly kite so Abby could be part of the fun in our neighborhood. (Their kite was so high that Eric joked that they should have attached an aircraft navigational warning light on it.) The wind was a bit strong for the homemade kite which was made of tissue paper and soon ripped, but the dragonfly kite was splendid. Our next door neighbors also thoughtfully shared some of their traditional Easter rum punch with us.

MUCH later that night, some people who live across the street from us on Ramgoat Hill hosted a Reggae party, complete with loud speakers, that went on well into the morning. Yet another Good Friday tradition?? Jesus must have been a Reggae fan. Who knew?

"I think I can, I think I can..."

  

I discovered this tiny, tiny flower persevering against all odds to make its way toward the sun between the paving stones on our backyard patio. Isn't life like that sometimes? We just have to do it and keep going toward the sun.

"Yes, we have no bananas..."

  

Ever wonder how bananas grow? I hadn't given it much thought either, but on the road where we walk the dogs is a banana tree that we observe going through its cycles. Right now a new banana "blossom" is hanging down like an alien lifeform and a bunch of bananas is ripening above it.

Doodle Do

  

Bird Flu

Ramgoat Hill, where we live, is also home to several dozen wild chickens who reside in the underbrush and raid the trash bags on Tuesdays and Fridays. The roosters are quite sure that they own the road and move ONLY because the car is somewhat larger than they are...and then only at the last minute. The roosters strut their stuff and seem to be saying, "The chicks really dig me!" Well, OK, Abby laughed...

And, yes, we do think about bird flu, certainly. Eric's brother, Mark, drew a funny cartoon showing a chicken at the doctor's office saying, "Of course it's the bird flu, you idiot!" The Bermuda government says that it has an emergency plan for dealing with any bird flu outbreaks, but I suspect the plan may be mostly concerned with getting government officials OFF the island! Yes, I of little faith...

  

"Michael, row the boat...

  

ashore...". Well, maybe not THAT far!

One of the things that bugs me about Bermuda is that there is very little recycling: only metal and glass. All the rest -- plastic and paper -- gets destroyed. So, if you have something big, let's say, like a BOAT, you just park it somewhere on a dirt road and leave it there...forever.

In St. George's: the Globe Hotel

  

The Globe Hotel

Recently my friend, Michelle, and I visited the Globe Hotel, also known as the Bermuda National Trust Museum. The Globe Hotel has seen 300 years of history in its location in St. George's, across the street from St. Peter's Church. In the late 1600s, the area where the building now stands was called "Governor's Garden," and contained a cabin for 24 slaves, kitchen buildings, milkhouses, a buttery and a cornhouse. Governor Day arrived from England in 1698 and began contruction of a residence in 1699. This was supposed to be the Governor's residence since it was built with government funds, but after his term in office, Day claimed the house for his own. Day died in prison on Castle Island in 1703.

The house that Governor Day built contains four fireplaces, eight rooms, and is framed with large Bermuda cedar beams from trees at Tucker's Town.

Early in the 1800s, the structure became the Globe Hotel. During the American Civil War, however, the house served as an office for an agent of the Confederancy who managed the movement of European goods through the Union blockage to the Southern states. Bermuda was a keen supporter of the Confederancy during this time.

Iris 1

  

Iris 2

  

Lazy Hibiscus (really!)

  

Bird of Paradise

  

Easter Lilies

  

Abby in Rubber Tree

  

Botanical Gardens

During Abby's school vacation, we visited Bermuda's Botanical Gardens and here are some photos of the trees and flowers that we enjoyed. The Lazy Hibiscus are called that because the blossoms never fully open. Easter Lilies were once an important export crop for Bermuda. There are still large fields of them, but most of the blossoms are sold locally. Hope you enjoyed this, Charlie. Lee: beautiful irises!

The Turquoise Sea

  

The drive along South Shore Road has many beautiful "scenic vistas" like this one.

Heydon Trust Chapel, Somerset