Once upon a time...

, a photo by blakeislandblog on Flickr.

This boat was the home of 4 children on the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest....the bunks were on the top deck, the galley and living quarters were on the main deck. Outside on deck there were hammocks, swings, crab pots and fishing lines and a little launch to get ashore when a brisk walk on land was needed...

I wonder if it's for sale? The Leylon Sneed is a replica of a 1939 Chesapeake Bay Oyster Buy Boat. It was the boat the oystermen would bring their catch to and from which the oysters would be sold....down here it's has been used as a launch for cruise ships and seems to be a nusiance in the eyes of the locals since it's grounding on a local reef a few years ago.

Sunday School Walkabout

Most buildings of downtown Charlotte Amalie are pretty weather beaten. They are made of cement or stone and are in various states of disrepair. Some are freshly painted and distract your eye from the deterioration, while the grime on others adds to the character of the entire place. The Cathedral is no different. It is undergoing a restoration and parts are clearly very well redone, but the adjacent school and courtyards bear the truth of where the Cathedral was just a short while ago. On so on Sunday, while we were waiting I went on a walkabout.

ps. if you click thru on the photo you will see the other photos in the set...I am experimenting with using Flickr as a blogging tool and I can't seem to get more than one photo blogged at a time (which maybe is a good thing.)

8 Tuff Miles

DSC_0016, originally uploaded by blakeislandblog.

E was up early on Saturday morning for the 8 Tuff Miles run on St. John. A very tough race, starting at sea level there is a 1000 feet of elevation gain in the first 4 miles - a 4% grade. The remaining 4 miles are rolling and then steep downhill, back to sea level. A ton of runners, local and stateside. At the moment E is napping on the couch, sore legs, tired body, but very happy he finished. He did well despite his predictions but would like to be better prepared for next year. I think I'll also be running (walking) it next year, it seems like a race a runner should do while living down here.

edge of the world

There have been a few times while living on this 13 mile long island in the middle of the ocean that I have felt very small and vulnerable. If I put aside all the modern conveniences of electricity, internet, cars, grocery stores airport and hospitals that are here and think about the geography of our little speck of land on the planet earth, that is when I begin to feel that I am at the ends of the earth. I am sure lone-sailors in the middle of the ocean, and backwoodsmen blazing trails across the continent long ago felt that they were at the end of the earth, so far from creature comforts. I have felt this way a few times before in my life - while at sea and hiking in places like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. But it was always short lived, because I knew that'd we'd pull into port or hike back to the car within a few days. And so here on St. Thomas even though it is thousands of miles from somewhere that lost-in-the-big-blue-sea feeling is easily ignored by the simple act of turning on our four burner stovetop or drinking the icy cool water that is dispensed from our fridge. Even in paradise you must escape to feel like you are away from it all. And we did that this weekend. On St. John, our much smaller, quieter and more beautiful sister island there is an Eco-resort called Concordia. We spent the night in our spare, canvas, treehouse-like shelter; composting toilets and no-cell phone coverage and all. I think we hit the season just right. I would not want to stay there in the heat of summer with the humidity and rain (and bugs). Nor would I want to be there during the Christmas winds that blow through January. Our day there was perfect. Cool (well looks warm but cool for here) breezy, few bugs and a perfect beach. And did I mention the stars? We could see the entire Milky Way streaked across the sky - its been a long time since I have seen that.

practice and play

Who is practicing and who is playing? Or is it one and the same?

bunk bed

Oh night-time reading and bunkbed forts go hand in hand. C's reading has really taken off this year with him having his own space and a lamp near his bed so that he can stay up later than his sisters. Comic style books seem to be his favorite at the moment, and some of the sillier chapter books, but I know his desire for a really good story is there. Right now he wants one of us to read-aloud a story or poem from the Book of Virtues before he goes to bed. I borrowed it off my in-laws shelf because it was a compact collection of many familiar classic poems, short stories, and speeches arranged into chapters about courage, love, friendship, loyalty, honesty; a reliable reference in this land of hard to find books for a good read.

two sweaters

Two sweater projects completed at the end of 2011. The first was B's "Swing Thing" in Cascade 220 Super wash. Knit in the largest size (4T) it took just a month (size 10 needles help) it won't fit her next year but she loved it while she had it (Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks) She had been with me when I was shopping for the yarn and she chose the color from the few skeins I had selected would be appropriate for the task. The second sweater was knit over the course of 4 months, but I left it behind in Seattle last summer because I didn't have room to pack it. I was quite confident I could finish The LAST THREE ROWS, blocking and buttons over Christmas. Did it. It is the Redhook pattern from Brooklyn Tweed in Shelter Atlantic. Love knitting with that stuff and love the pattern. Its soft, springy, colorful and super warm. The sweater has cap sleeves and falls to the top of the thigh. I'd love to make another....but I have a few projects to finish before I start. One project that I started in November and finished in December, Brooklyn Tweed's Kerchief pattern in Shelter Smoke. I didn't get a photo of that one, but need one for the record. The kerchief looks great when bundled up or just in a oxford or turtleneck shirt. Brooklyn Tweed has a fantastic "Look Book" collection which can be downloaded onto your computer. Its fun to look at even if your aren't a knitter.

solution

See that little pile on the floor....of LEGOs? Love them, but picking them up well, not so fun for anyone. But it has to be done.

So a trip to Home Depot (yes we have one here), a borrowed drill, some helpers, lots of patience with a lack of proper tools,

and a low, rolling table appears.

it is now stored under the couch in the living area. Safe from bare feet, and soon-to-be crawling babies (we hope).

two pairs

Two pairs pants for the laddie. We are venturing out into the sun more often so he needs something lightweight on his legs. One is in lightweight quilting cotton with a fishy print and the other is chambray. Both were cut from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing book - full of fun projects. This is the 9th and 10th pair of pants (though not all for him) I have made from this pattern. Its that easy and that cute.