WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE LONG TIME PASSING LIZARDS ATE THEM EVERY ONE LONG TIME AGO

It is not unusual to see the odd iguana feasting on the flowers that are so carefully attended to by the gardener at Whisper Cove Marina.


But we had three two males and a smaller female all busy munching on the flowers.

My red ensign which was looking a little motheaten around the edges was blown to shreds in the squalls that came through last night. 60 knots was reported by a couple of the boats on the morning VHF radio net.

The Christmas winds have arrived a week early.

It blew 30 at times last night. My red ensign looks distinctly ragged this morning.

I usually sleep well and only wake up for something unusual but something metallic rattling loudly on a neighboring boat made it hard to sleep. What is surprising is that the noisy boat is lived on. I was expecting to see bungee cords or lashings applied liberally to the offending item.

THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD

It is 45 ft long and weighs about 20 tons.

But it is getting moved from it's summer berth in the mangroves to it's new mosquito free mooring by 'the little engine that could' all 4 hp of it.

Why is one bush displaying a wealth of colorful flowers and the other is a little bare.

The answer is simple, one is home to an iguana and the other is not.

OUT FOR A SNORKEL I COME BACK TO FIND THAT MY DINGHY IS THE STAR OF A SOFT PORN SHOOT

There are a few good snorkel spots that are accessible from a beach on an uninhabited island and I thought I wood make a visit this morning timing it so as I would get there when the light was best around mid day.

I beach the dink in a sheltered cove on a sandy beach and walk over to the reef. It is still a bit stirred up but not bad. I explore the reef a little further than usual but come across nothing unusual or worth photographing.

Making my way back to the cove and my dink I can see a local dive boat beached on the cove and some curious activity going on around my dink. People are waving around giant white shields and it is all being photographed.

A few steps closer and I realize that I have returned to find my dink is starring in a PORN shoot and a lovely young girl is displaying all of her abundant assets while draped across my dink.

I recognize the guy standing by the dive boat as he is a regular on the lionfish hunts so wander over slightly bewildered by all this activity as the make up girl is working on the stars flowing locks and dressing the girl in a single blue garter.

Joel soon fills me in and asks if I mind them using my dink. The photographer chimes in and says that the red color of my dinghy chaps sets off the brides natural colors.

Bride? I am bewildered I say but is that part of the story of the PORN film.

No they say laughing at me. She is getting married at one of the local hotels and this is called " The boudoir shoot " and is all part of the wedding package. It will be part of the wedding album.Really bewildered now I say sure go ahead as long as it does not take to long. I ask about the white shields and he explains that they are used to reflect sunlight and help with natural lighting of the bride. Still wondering if my leg is being pulled I ask the photographer to explain more about this boudoir shoot thing. She tells me it is all the rage and that brides seem to be competing to be the most daring.

The photographer wanders back as the make up girl indicates she is done, she clicks off the final shots and they are done. The bride now wearing some clothes comes over to thank me and I get a kiss on the cheek. The topless photographer topless shield maidens and the make up girl all get dressed and off they go in the dive boat.

Still unconvinced about this boudoir shoot and feeling that I had been the subject of an elaborate wind up I ask Mr Google about it when I get back to the boat.

Mr Google soon comes up with the facts that these sexy undraped shots are indeed the norm for many brides and that the hotel in Grenada is offering the boudoir shoot as part of the package is just one of many. It also explains that to make the bride feel less self conscious it is not unusual to employ an all girl crew on the shoot who also get undressed.

Realizing that the world has changed while I have been lotus eating on my boat I settle down to enjoy my sundowner and reflect on a very surprising day.

Realizing that this blog post needs a picture here is one of a sargent major.

BOAT THIEVES CAUGHT ** CAT SITTER and SUNSET

There has been a number of thefts from boats mostly at the weekends and generally when the boats are unattended. Based on the sort of things stolen it was clear that it was not being done by someone with any boating interests. Generally they were in other bays and not mine but just recently most weekends there was a break in to a boat in Clarks Court bay. The Grenada police acting on a tip off from a local raided an address in the St David area.

Rondel Jones and Jayar Ross, residents of Marquis, were apprehended during a police operation which turned up a quantity of items believed to be have been stolen from a yacht that was docked at Clarke’s Court Bay. They also recovered items believed to have been stolen from other yachts.

But one of the buggers has escaped Jayar is said to be armed and dangerous.


CAT SITTER ON BOOKS

Why does Dizzy take every opportunity to settle down on my chest ON TOP of my book.

He never gets on my chest unless there is a book there.

Ah well I shall ponder the matter of the cat book sitter as I enjoy my sundowner.

Not a spectacular sunset but a subtle one with gentle pinks and purples.

The G&T with salsa based nibbles was extra tasty this evening.

HOBIE CAT RACING ABANDONED YACHT MILTON KEYNES MAYHEM and BLOWFISH

The Petit Calivigny yacht club were match racing with Hobie cats.

Fun for all ages.

While over at Le Phare Bleu I snapped the rudder of this little yacht.

It has not moved for at least 3 years and to add to the mystery it has no visible name or numbers.

It does have at least 3 inches of growth on the rudder and hull.

DHL delivered well almost.
I had a boat bit sent down from Canada to Carriacou. I was expecting to get it by post but for some reason the sender used DHL.

Now that would not be a problem except that DHL route all customs processing through St Georges in Grenada. The notification was delivered by a smart young man and I had to sign off on a modern LCD screen that I had received it. But in Grenada after completing all the customs folderol and registering it electronically the last step involved a smart young woman filling in the information in a giant old fashioned ledger.

Has LA gang violence come to blight Milton Keynes?

The police look for evidence in a shooting in Osprey Close, Eaglestone.

An old friend from the Open University in Milton Keynes retired this summer and part of her retirement plans are to spend some time in the Caribbean on Elephants Child after selling her houses. But she has the misfortune to own properties in Milton Keynes that are close to unsaleable in part because insurance companies just laugh when they see the postcode. Her own car has been stolen and her house has been broken into 3 times in the last 3 years. She says at times she thinks it is a third world war zone outside her door. She says it is no longer safe to go out after dark or to walk around anywhere at any time.

Make my recent concerns about theft and violence in the Caribbean pale into insignificance.

I was snorkeling on the reef at the South end of Tyrell Bay when I was monstered by an aggressive blowfish. I guess he/she might have been defending eggs but it is the first time I have seen a blow fish do it. The pic is not mine every time I point the camera at him he butted it

Charter cat on the reef My only in America story of the day AND a good sunset

OOPS

Someones Dream Yacht Charter turned into a nightmare when they stuck it hard on the reef between Hog Island and Secret harbor yesterday. They were entering a reef strewn entrance late in the day with the sun in their eyes so they could not see the obvious change in color that indicated very shallow water.


They missed the buoy that marks the edge of the reef too.



To make maters worse they hit not long after high water.

The dinghy rescue squad passed on this one and the charter company had to find some serious horsepower to pull it off 23 hours later.

ONLY IN AMERICA

YUP THE 7 YEAR OLD IS DRIVING


Now many a proud parent has allowed their child to hold the wheel on a bit of private ground. This proud mum got her seven year old to drive through the streets while she captured his achievements on her phone.


She was so proud she posted the clip on social media, a candidate for Americas dumbest I think.


I am loosing a couple of old friends Jerry on the Poco Loco is by all reports back in the US attending to some medical issues and it seems his cruising days are done. I saw the boatyard boys towing his boat into the dock and getting it ready for storage.

Trudi and Dave on Manureva are swallowing the anchor and returning to the UK having sold their boat.

SUNDOWNER TIME

I raised a glass for Gerry and remembered the times I had heard him belting out some great musical songs at the Jam sessions. I think he is 85.

BUS STRIKE SPREADS

There were reports of a number of drivers and conductors being arrested by police for obstruction. One lawyer complained that one of is client was being held overnight and not offered bail.

The association's president said when drivers appear before Magistrate Seales, he has been imposing fines to be paid at the very moment – or else they have had to face jail time.

“It went from that to sending guys in prison; six months; three months; one month; 14 days and it has not gotten better. Last week he took away five guys’ license,”

It seems that there is one magistrate who is dealing out these jail sentences and disqualifications.

The strikes are good news for the taxi drivers

DEFCON 1 BUS STRIKE AND SHERIFF JOE IS IN HOT FEDERAL WATER

All is quiet on the weather front in Grenada. Hurricane Nichole will brush by Bermuda probably as a Cat 1.

I went to catch a bus to town this morning only to find a bus strike in progress and a very good natured slow procession of empty buses.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio king of Maricopa County Arizona.

We visited this jail and both Carol and I felt that Sheriff Joe was doing a good job. His electorate does as well as he keeps getting reelected with big majorities.

However the US Federal government keep finding his practices unacceptable. No prisoner can be made to wear pink underwear. Pink tops are OK.

The latest battle has the Feds launching a criminal contempt case against Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio for stopping people who look as if they may be illegal immigrants and asking them to produce some identification. If they can not they are on a bus to Mexico that day.

If I lived in Maricopa County and looked like I could be an illegal immigrant I am damned sure I would carry my ID with me at all times.

BACK TO DEFCON 3 AND HOLDING

No worries for me here in Grenada relating to Hurricane Mathew or the storm Nichole that has just formed well to the North.

My sailing friend Jan needs to prepare for Mathew as it looks like it will hit Roanoke where she lives.

But I am concerned about the strong Tropical wave that is fast approaching Grenada.

Scary days.

SUNNY DAYS IN GRENADA

Things are back to normal here in Grenada, the sun is shining and we have puffy little trade wind clouds as normal.

It is much busier in my little corner of paradise, the big swells are making many other anchorages uncomfortable so they pile in here.


The first of the cruise ships are appearing. If I am waiting for a bus into town the tour taxis often stop there too because it has a good view of the Southern anchorages.

I suppose if you have lived your whole life in middle America the question is reasonable.

Dizzy has decided that my new chair is his and gets quite upset when I move him.

CAT 4 STORM TO HIT JAMAICA ?

Who knows what Mathew will do. This storm has not been following the rules. It was only supposed to struggle up to a cat 2 then fall apart. Instead it is now a cat 4.

THREAT HAS GONE NORTH

Back down to DEFCON 1 and getting ready to give the decks and bimini a scrub down as we should get some serious rain.

Despite it being clear that Grenada was going to be on the Southern edge of the storm should it finally develop the Grenadian crisis management team have shut the schools, cut off piped water supplies and may cut off electricity. I suppose they might be worried about flooding and landslips but it seems like an over reaction to me.

DEFCON 3 AND HOLDING

All the spaghetti models are now showing it trending further North and all Grenada will get is some heavy rain showers and the usual veering wind pattern.

Trini bugout on hold for the moment.

DECLARING DEVCON 3 AND LIKELY GOING TO 4 ON MONDAY

Invest 97 L is developing and will blow through Grenada on Wednesday afternoon and overnight. it looks like it will be a rotating storm of some description when it hits Grenada.

My current thinking is to go South to Trinidad on Monday night.

But some of the spaghetti models are showing it hitting Trinidad.

DEFCON 2

There is a large disturbed area heading for Grenada. If it develops rotation it will swing North but there is some suggestion that it will be slow to develop and may hit somewhere around Carriacou as a developing storm on Wednesday.

CURSE YOU LISA AND KARL

The last month has seen a procession of tropical depressions, storms and hurricanes firing across the Atlantic from the Cape Verdes. The good news is they have all gone well North of Grenada. The bad news is the large swells they produce has kept a high surf running most of the time.

In part I like this as I find the sound of the surf on the reef to be restful and helps me sleep.

But it really reduces the visibility when snorkeling. It was down to 6 ft or less when I last gave my prop a scrape.

I usually like traditional boats and a 3 masted barquantine qualifies as traditional

but this is not pretty.

WEEKLY SHOPPING TRIP

The flame trees are still in blossom.

Pretty little cat of a fellow cruisers boat.

Speaking of cats mine has found a new ambush spot

WE BLOW A GASKET

My pressure cooker gets a fair bit of use and has been with me for 10 years now.

I was surprised to see the gasket blow but was not too worried as I had a spare. But on close examination I decided to retire the pot and buy another.

Back from shopping Dizzy greets me

and as I open the hatch by removing the washboards he heads down below to carry on playing with the paper and poly bags he rescues from the trash.

After rearranging it to his satisfaction he does his ' Mr Elegance ' impression and has a cat nap.

Some cruisers march to the beat of a different drum. No average white plastic boat with it's easily handled cutter rig and roller furlers. No a traditional gaffer with a wooden hull and tanbark sails. Even his tender is wood and powered by sail.

Still we share the same sunset at sundowner time.

BACK TO DEFCON 1

My bottom is clean and the prop well scraped but scare 1 has fizzled out in the middle of the Atlantic.

Scare two is keeping it's powder dry while wetting the Northern islands and may be a threat to the Bahamas.

Scare three is frightening fish in the mid Atlantic.

AUGUST 20TH First credible scare of the hurricane season.

The Cape Verde hurricane factory has finally woken up and we have three systems in the Atlantic. One just might brush by.

I have had to switch the VHF off as I am fed up with the Chicken Little disaster mongers. Instead I will clean the bottom tomorrow and if it does look like being a serious threat will leave for Trini on Monday.

CARNIVAL IN GRENADA

Well another year of carnival is over.

The light sticks have been discarded.

The motor oil [ used ] has been scrubbed off

The sore heads have gone home and in 9 months Grenada will have a mini baby boom as usual.

I liked the kids carnival best and as there is a big contingent of boat kids around this year they had a ball.

CATS ARE AMBUSH PREDATORS

Dizzy is an ambush predator. Well sort of.

So when I bought a new chair for the salon he saw this as an ideal opportunity to hone his predatory skills

Here he is ready to ambush the cardboard wrapping from my chair.

He has yet to work out what is going to go wrong when he pounces.

I was laughing to much to take a picture.

Once I had finished the ' some assembly required 'he took up residence under the chair and launched sneak attacks against my feet.

But he was always alert for the big kill and any time I got up,

He would pounce.