Journal.  Monday July 26 04.  Eleuthera. Bahamas.

So the city slicker transformation continues.  Had a wander around and found a sapadilly tree, pomegranate tree, vines with nearly ripened grapes, rosemary, basil, mint, spring onions and watercress (the dogs love lying in the watercress bed, I suppose it is very cool – I was shouting at them to get off and when they did eventually obey there were two dog shaped impressions in the watercress – oops).

Found the bins and Ian has put me some 5 gallon containers ready for Noni.  I feel a bit crappy and overwhelmed at times.  I don’t even know how to change the wick in the storm lantern.

Just gathered my herbs and veg with Marshi the cat/dog dog/cat in tow. He came the whole way with my dogs Tarpi and Rusty, running and playing with them.

God this is heaven.  Thanks.  I do need to remind myself that it is paradise on earth and I am getting better.

This morning I learnt a valuable lesson that flip-flops are not good enough on the farm. Stood on an ant’s nest whilst inspecting the pomegranates – v. painful.  What with that and my wound (which is actually a lot better albeit painful) I could get down again but won’t.  Mum rang and that cheered me up.

So my big choice of today is over whether or not to watch a movie (we don’t have TV – no reception/no cable and no TV for that matter as our last one blew up in Nassau (shoddy reconditioned thing from Robin Hood – very apt)). I thought about watching Ordinary People but my little world is so wonderful I am loathe to let another world into it.

I’ve just made passion fruit ice cubes from the fruit I collected today. Have fed the dogs after our beach walk and showered and washed myself and cleaned the wound.  I can see why animals just go to sleep at sundown and wake up with the dawn – it makes so much sense.   Am listening to Pavarotti and drinking a Becks Alcohol free beer. Nassau seems a far far memory. There was something  wrong with the energy at the house we were living in there – just thinking about the place makes me feel tired.

As I was walking on the beach today I was thanking God for bringing me here. I suppose I feel I walked my journey and it pains me to see many people who are unable to show any care or go beyond themselves.  Evolving to a higher soul will probably include overlooking these flaws.

View of the farm from my bedroom

My own private pink sand beach.

The breeze is blowing through and it is actually cool.  I may be forced into the drastic action of closing the shutters (or putting my top on as I’m letting my wound breath and there is no-one here).  Sometimes when my hand brushes across it I think I love my scar  – I must be spending too much time alone!  I do feel sorry for people who never experience solitude or the peace I have felt recently.  It is a haven here, my only selfish thoughts are how noisy it will be soon.

Well, just had a scare with Marshie cat disappearing for three hours (never normally misses feeding time, last seen at the gazebo by the beach). Even Orange was meowing pitifully for his mate and very excited when he came home. Orange meantime had one eye closed so I wrestled with him to put some eye drops in. I now have cat scratches on my arms, a huge scratch up my leg from Tarpi’s sharp claws when she jumped up when I came back from my sleep and several corkers of insect bites. Bert’s Bees insect repellent isn’t working very well!

As it’s nearly 10pm  I think I’m going to turn in.  Just noticed that my beautifully dusted tabletop is full of sand and cat hairs.  Bloody animals!  Better lock up the toilet rolls tonight from Tarpie the shredder.

There is not enough hot water for a bath but managed a quick cooling shower (it is so humid). There was a little lizard in the bath. Earlier I nearly put my shoe on as a lizard darted out of it.   I have a small lock on my outside bedroom door (we have no locks on the house!).  So am sleeping with a claxon under the bed (and a big glue trap after I caught a tarantula under the bed on the first night).  My animal protectors Tarpi, Marshie, Rusty and Orange will have to suffice.  Anthony the Haitian gardener is not too far away.  Infact I can hear his radio playing scratchy Creole songs on the wind… Nite all.

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Journal update June 2 2005

Well the Internet is certainly a fascinating thing. Whilst buying DVDs on Amazon I checked out Carmen (recommendation from Daisy last night for a flamenco DVD) and under it I found lots of Carmen Electra’s striptease plus ‘nude women’s wresting’ and ‘the mating habits of the earthbound human’ which gets a five star rating so obviously someone likes it.

Daisy and her new love are coming round. I’m off for my first sailboat trip with him from Smugglers cove to Governor’s Harbour tomorrow – I am the greenhorn crew and have to admit I’m pretty excited.

We had supper last night at their home.  Daisy told us of her three marriages: one for the children; one to learn to play golf and one for keeps.  She had a prenup agreement with no. 2 who was 25 years her senior. It included that she would agree to play golf, which she did, and discovered she had a passion and skill for it.  Sadly his children didn’t like her and after a few horrid dinners when ‘gold digger’ was hissed before pudding it all went sour.

Her fiirst husband took her child so that was very messy.

M. was married previously for 30 years and was a teacher in Yorkshire then, bam!  He came one day and his wife had served him with divorce papers.  He lost everything: the marriage; the house;  his kids. He has not seen his children for six/seven years and came here because his brother has a huge house in Tarpum Bay and took him in and let him live there.

He met Daisy through an Internet dating co.

Daisy claims she was offered a free trial and that she filled in her details whilst on a girls night in back home in Canada.

M. was looking for a tall thin cello player. Daisy convinced him he was just looking for himself and she was the one for him (she is not tall, nor thin, nor plays the cello).  M. is passionate about Bach.  He can tell you every detail about him including how Bach re-tuned the piano to be able to play any composition in any key.

As the evening drew in M.  sang me a folk song/sea shanty whilst Daisy made popadums and curry.  Their little clapper board sea side house was a magnet for mosquitoes and we sprayed the screens with OFF as the mosquitoes homed in and M played melodically into the night.  He was reminising as he played and told me of a 6 ft boa that bit him a few months earlier whilst they were sleeping at the side of the house when building it (oh yes, they built it themselves).  It made his finger bleed and swell up.  I swigged back some more rum, sprayed a little more OFF and laughed.

Life in Eleuthera

Life in Eleuthera

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