December 11 Hiking on St. John

We took a ferry over to St. John and hiked the Reef Bay Trail
Some areas reminded us of hiking in Oregon until we got to the old sugar mill, the petroglyphs, and the warm water beach at the end....oh and the gigantic termite nests....definitely not in Oregon anymore but we did get rained on as we took the ferry back. I saw a bumper sticker I want. It just said 'soggy'!

It was a 3 mile hike, pretty much all straight down. We were so happy not to have to hike back up but to hop on a boat to take us back to civilization!


Sugar cane plantations once covered the island but the emancipation of the slaves and the ease of growing sugar beets spelled the death of this industry.


Pre-Columbian petroglyphs


That big roundish thing in the middle is a termite nest. There must be millions of termites in there!

December 10 Beach and ocean day!

Relaxed by the beach most of the day!


And then went on a night time sea kayak excursion! We had flying fish jumping in and over our kayaks and saw a big turtle! And I learned that White Sea urchins don't sting!





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December 9 Simply the BEST

Today I don't want to write about Christmas or St. Thomas but about the very best soccer player in the world - Leo Messi! With the two goals he scored in the game today he broke a record set in 1972 for most goals scored in a calendar year. 40 years ago Gerd Muller scored 85. Today Messi tied the record and then went one better! 86 goals in 2012 and he has a couple more games to play! Watching him is pure JOY! It is too bad that all the photos I can find online of the game can't be copied because the looks on the Barça player's faces are priceless! This was a fun day to be a Messi & a Barća fan!


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December 8 - Sunset in the Caribbean

Sunset on the beach in St Thomas!


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December 7 - Changes

Doesn't this look cozy?  A comfortable chair, my scriptures, a cup of hot chocolate and a sleeping dog!  It's perfect for a cold, cloudy, rainy Portland day.  Tomorrow things change!  Brock, the dog, leaves us to go to his new permanent home and I'm trading the gray Portland scene for this:

George and I are off to St. Thomas for a week!

December 6 - Morning Walks

Two of the best things about moving to Lake Oswego are these two ladies.  When George and I had only been living here a couple of months, Chris and Linda invited me to join them on their morning walks by the river.  I can not begin to explain the difference they made in my adjustment to my new life here.  We have walked many a mile, often in the rain, but their friendship has been my sunshine on the darkest of mornings.  

Dec. 5 - Just how smart are these dogs?

Wednesday is one of my favorite days of the week because it is the day I walk dogs at Guide Dogs for the Blind.  Each kennel has a list of dogs on the 'approved for cruising' list.  Walking down the aisle in between the kennels reminds me of being in a kindergarten class and asking for a volunteer to help.  You remember how all the little hands go up and you hear a chorus of 'Me, me, me!!!!'  If dogs could talk they'd be doing the same thing.  Some bark, some dance, some wiggle, some whine, some just try to look especially cute but every single one of them is hoping that they are the ones going for a walk!  Today I stopped in front of this kennel with Deirdre and Elton.

 I looked at their names and said, "I'm going to walk you Deirdre."  Elton glanced up at me, then with a resigned look, turned and walked outside.  Really are they that smart???