Sunny morning - what’s new? Breakfast on our porch with the incredible Caribbean Sea at our footsteps. It just doesn’t get any better.

We had a huge debate as to where to go or what to do today and we ultimately decided to stay right here and enjoy our home for this trip. We went out to the pool for a while where we dodged a full three minute sprinkle of rain, until my tradesman husband announced it was lunchtime - his built-in alarm clock goes off for lunch right at noon - so we returned to our villa and dined on sandwiches and whatever else we could find to graze on. It is so nice to have the convenience of a full kitchen just footsteps away from both the pool and the ocean. It’s still hazy today and those near islands are becoming less distinct on the horizon.

We rested up from our exhausting morning - read some, napped some. This vacationing is tiring......

Four o’clock was cocktail hour and we enjoyed our PCs out on the deck. They were so good and I finally had all the trimmings - maraschino cherries, pineapple chunks and orange slices. They almost looked too pretty to drink but please note, I said ALMOST - so down them we did.

Caught up with some island friends and made dinner plans with them. The drunken ribs at The Palms were excellent and the company even better. Thank you for the suggestion and for joining us, Elaine and Bill. We asked around as to what the traffic congestion leading to the Simpson Bay area was all about but so far no one has had an answer. It took us a full forty minutes to get there from BSV - no congestion through Maho and none at all till we reached the end of the runway beyond the airport. Back to the villa with a piece of carrot cake to share. Am I the only person who’s never had it before? We will solve that problem shortly, I’m sure!

You NEVER had Carrot Cake before??????
Oh Patty. We MUST take care of you.
MWAH!
i

Great to see you yesterday! Our carrot cake lasted exactly 5 minutes once we got home!

Thanks for another installment, sounds like things are going very well. Hope it continues.

Elaine,

We actually stayed up till almost 11:00 and shared it right before bedtime. It was delicious and I’m usually NOT a sweet eater, and my DH doesn’t usually like carrot cake.

Ruralcarrier,

The trip has been lovely so far in just about every way imaginable but still wishing some that would have come could have come.

Thanks Pat, we wish it would have worked out as well.

Ha ha, we shared it in bed while reading! Bill doesn't like carrot cake either, but loves this one because it is NOT real sweet. Glad you enjoyed it. What's for lunch today?

Since we just finished our coffee I’m not thinking that far ahead. Maybe left-over drunk ribs? There’s enough of them....

Lasagna for me! Bill will go hungry.

That’s what he gets for finishing his dinner in one sitting. Is that tuna fish still in the fridge? Go for it, Bill!!

Pat--I LOVE carrot cake---SWEET carrot cake. I did not care for the Palms carrot cake at all.

The traffic situation is bizarre, considering how few people are on island. If you ever find out the cause, it would be interesting to know.

Carry on!!

The Palm's carrot cake is wonderful. My favorite meal in SXM is Grouper Fingers at SMYC and The Palm's Carrot cake. Glad you have enjoyed it. I've always theorized that the 4-6 pm traffic is caused by people getting off work then driving along Airport/Welfare Rds and stopping for a drink or picking up something. When they stop they stop or slow down traffic while they pull into a parking place and of course when they have to back out onto the road that really stops traffic. Just my thought. Perhaps a "study group" could meet on the Palm's deck with a Captain and Coke and "study" the problem.

Strangely, it's only been the last two evenings. Traffic, for the most part has been minimal if you can avoid the road work mostly French side.

Dear Pat,
I am totally enjoying your posts and am happy you and John were able to make the trip down to beautiful SXM!

I can’t understand the long commute from Beachside Villas to Simpson Bay though. Sounds like traffic in high season.

Looking forward to your next installment!

The traffic was very heavy the night we were heading to the Palms and we were told it was the night before, too. Planning on dinner at Lee’s last night so we headed out very early to allow for the traffic and of course, we were alone most of the way with little or no traffic at all. So much for responsible planning..........