British Virgin Islands Odds and Ends February 26, 2010

Post removed July 2019

The Conch Killers

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A blog that oozes cool « Chip Giles's Blog
By chipgiles
Visit Dear Miss Mermaid at http://dearmissmermaid.com/indexSTORMCARIB.html. She has a really cool site that monitors the weather in the BVIs. If you want a momentary release from the day, go to her site and browse around. ...
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News from the British Virgin Islands February 22, 2010

Oh Shucks! Horse breaks leg after feature race
BVI News Online
BY BVi Correspondent It was a sad day for Shucks fans on Sunday afternoon as the horse broke one of his legs in the feature race of the day. ...


Virgin Islands a midwinter night's dream
The Journal News | LoHud.com
Florida may have Disney World, but the US Virgin Islands are ferry distance from the stunning British Virgin Islands (Tortola is an hour from St. Thomas, ...


What Places to Visit During Your Caribbean Holidays? « antigua
By tummadamon
Tortola is the most active destination of the chain of islands. You can have big resorts, duty free shopping and the cruise ship crowds. The white sand beaches, including the Cane Garden Bay, are the fascinating attractions. ...


Class room on sea docks on Tortola
“We have really enjoyed Tortola. We have been well received by all of the community. We really enjoyed meeting some of the local students and having them ...


Salt Fish Cakes West Indian Style
http://reservationsbvi.com/roadtownrest.html. The food here is mainly west indian, with some continental style choices too. the buffet includes goat water, ...


20 bikers compete in Trellis Bay Cross Country Race
BVI News Online
BY BVI Mountain Bike Club The first race of the Mountain Bike Club Season kicked of at Trellis Bay this Sunday morning with 20 competitors taking part in ...

Why You Should Adopt A Pet From Death Row

My friend asked me to go cat shopping with him while I was visiting in the USA. He said he wanted to rescue a cat. I suggested he go to the shelter and look on death row.


"What's that?" he asked. I told him it was the cats that were about to be put down, most shelters were overwhelmed and often the older cats were passed over for adoption while folks carted off the cute kittens. I then went on the rave about the virtues of adopting an older cat:


Typically they are already house broken, they use the litter box, they don't climb the curtains like playful kittens, generally, if they've been indoor cats before, they already know about breakable things and avoid them, they know not to scratch the furniture and they tend not to dribble their food across the floor, or play hockey with it, like little kittens are wanton to do.  They tend to know they shouldn't scratch you, and drinking out of the toilet is frowned upon. While kittens are a load of fun, they can be a load of work, if you want to properly train them to take care of your house and not destroy it in search of playful pursuits.


So at the shelter, we asked for death row and were told it was a no-kill shelter. We were surprised, apparently, they had some good funding now from special bequeaths that enabled them to not kill the cats. We passed by all the cute kitties, and went on to look at the adult cats. (I found out later they pass their overflow to a shelter that does kill.)


My friend liked a cute black cat, we opened his cage, and went to pick him up, he hissed, scratched and cowered in the corner with teeth bared. Well, um, that might be more work than my friend was up to, he hadn't had a cat in decades and he worked full time. We perused the rest of the cages. 


In one cage was a big lethargic tuxedo cat.  We opened his cage, and he briefly looked hopeful. I cuddled him in my arms and he purred mightily. His head seemed awfully big and funny looking, and he smelled bad. For good measure, he sneezed on us a few times.  


I turned to my friend, "Here is a needy cat in need of a good rescue."


We left to go do the paperwork and fetch the cat carrier we had brought with us. I went back to the cage to rescue the cat. A crowd was around him, poking fingers in his cage and I was proud to say "Excuse me, this cat's been adopted!"


The crowd parted, and I opened the cage again.  He was sleeping but woke up and gave me a wary eye. I picked him up gently and held him close. He fired up his loud purr and hung on to me for dear life. 


I walked back out to reception and he put up quite a fight while I shoved him into the carrier and zipped it up, all the while talking sweetly to him.  He scowled at us, looking pretty mad. 


A few minutes later, we were paid up and ready to leave. I held the carrier on my lap while my friend drove.  I unzipped it part way, talking sweetly "What a good cat you are!" and I reached in and stroked his fur to calm him down. 


Surprisingly he didn't try to escape, but settled down and went promptly to sleep. My friend thoughtfully played classical music on the stereo, as he thought the cat would enjoy that. 


A half hour later, we carried the sleeping cat and carrier into his new home. While he sat in the carrier, wide awake now and looking most unhappy, we let him watch us put out a bowl of dry food, a bowl of water and a bowl of canned cat food. Then we opened up the carrier and let him walk out on his own steam. 


He looked at us, looked at the bowls, and finally ate a little bit, then stood around looking at us expectantly while we stood there staring at him. 


So we showed him the litter box in the corner of the mud room. He looked at it and looked at us, then he toured the house and ended up in the bathroom, which he refused to leave. My friend was nervous and asked me more than once if the cat was going to poop on the carpet or what. I told him cats were smart and generally loved their litter boxes, but only if you cleaned them daily. Most cats that poop inappropriately are trying to tell you "Clean out the dang litter box!"


Finally, with the three of us crowded into the bathroom,  my friend said, "I think he wants his litter box in the bathroom!"


So we relocated the litter box.


The cat promptly hopped in and made a runny deposit. Yuck!  He also raked it 90 different ways, as if it was his Zen garden.  Then he headed for the food bowls and chowed down. When he was done he toured the house some more, and alternately coughed and sneezed. 


We called the vet and made an appointment to take him over in a few days. My friend said the cat stinks and asked me to bathe him. 


"Are you NUTS?" 


You never bathe a cat unless they are just super sick and physically can't do it themselves. Give him time, he will probably clean up his stinky self. 


For the next few days, the cat followed us around like a puppy dog, he never wanted to be left alone in a room or anywhere. Every time someone opened the fridge he ran over to look in and my friend was worried. I said "Hey, EVERYONE loves to look into a fridge, and cats are no different!"  


He ate a load of food and my friend was worried about this and I said, "Well, I think he needs to fill out and grow into that BIG head of his, once he gets back up to fighting weight, he will probably quit eating so voraciously."


"Let him check out your cabinets and closets and don't be surprised if he hides under the bed for a few weeks, until he feels safe and comfy here." As if on cue, the cat crawled under the bed and hid.  Later we found him hiding in the back of the closet.


For the next few days my friend pondered what to name him. We tried on different names.  The cat appeared indifferent. Meanwhile he ate a mountain of food and filled up the litter box with a large assortment of lumps.  He continued to sneeze and cough.  I showed my friend how to recycle that endless supply of plastic grocery bags. Just stick one in a waste basket, scoop out all the lumps from the litter box, tie the bag in a knot, and deposit it in the outside garbage can, then put a fresh grocery bag in the waste basket for the next day's use and so on. Come on, it's not that hard!


A few days later, I was cuddling with the cat and said to my friend "Do you smell THAT?"


"Smell WHAT?"  he says. 


"Exactly!  Nothing!  See?  He has cleaned himself up rather nicely, and doesn't smell at all."


Finally the vet day came and we stuffed him into the cat carrier. Oh my gosh, I felt so sorry for him!  He looked mortified and his eyes gave us that look, of extreme pleading.  With him on my lap, in his carrier,  off to the vet we went, while I talked softly too him and petted him. 


He didn't much care for the vet or having his temperature taken or the series of shots he had to endure. Finally his ordeal was over and loaded up with medicine, we took him home again. He was VERY happy. 


I hid the cat carrier, so he would know THIS IS IT, you are home now, for GOOD. 


He hopped up on the kitchen counter one day, and I loudly cleared my throat and gave him an evil eye. He promptly hopped down.  He tried to scratch the furniture one day and we ran out and bought him a scratching box and showed him he could shred that to his heart's desire, but leave the furniture alone. He quickly understood and according to my friend, hasn't clawed the furniture once since. 


I showed my friend, how to with hold the good stuff, (the canned food he craved), until he took his meds. So each morning, he had to endure his medicine, then we promptly opened a can of his favorite food stuff and fed him. He quit resisting the meds, and now gulped them down because he knew the good stuff was coming next. 


He had by now developed runny eyes in addition to the sneezing and coughing, but I gently washed his face with a warm paper towel several times a day and kept up the meds. 


Speed up to a few weeks later...


You wouldn't recognize the cat now!  His body has filled out nicely and his head looks balanced on it now, instead of too big. His fur coat that used to be dull and listless,  is now soft, shiny and luxuriant to the feel. He has no odor about him at all.  His runny eyes are dry and very beautiful. He no longer sneezes or coughs. 


And he LOVES to play.  I made him some home made toys and he loves to play, play,  play.  He likes for my friend to play with him, tossing his toys for him to catch and he does exotic ballet leaps to catch it ad show off!


He rarely meows, but has this funny "Brrrrrrrrrrr" noise he makes when he wants to talk. He purrs often and  runs to the door to greet his master when he comes home. He rubs his legs and follows him everywhere, taking naps in his bed or under his bed. 

He cuddles up to watch a good movie in the easy chair with whoever is willing. Some days he goes outside and races up the trees and back down again, then romps in the woods and comes home again, devouring food like there is no tomorrow. 


He's made my friend VERY happy and they enjoy each other's company. 


This cat was a terrific rescue, and the money and time invested in him, has paid off handsomely. He's a lovely healthy pet and my friend is proud to own him.  Everyone that meets him, says;

"What a cool cat!"

Call me when it's dinner time again!

Fly the Fun Skies

Give this guy a raise! He is a hoot!

Two Lovebirds

Jacob, age 92, and Rebecca, age 89, living in Florida , are all excited about their decision to get married. They go for a stroll to discuss the wedding, and on the way they pass a drugstore. Jacob suggests they go in.

Jacob addresses the man behind the counter: "Are you the owner?" The pharmacist answers, "Yes." Jacob: "We're about to get married. Do you sell heart medication?" Pharmacist: "Of course we do." Jacob: "How about medicine for circulation?" Pharmacist: "All kinds" Jacob: "Medicine for rheumatism?" Pharmacist: "Definitely." Jacob: "How about suppositories?" Pharmacist: "You bet!" Jacob: "Medicine for memory problems, arthritis, and Alzheimer's?" Pharmacist: "Yes, a large variety. The works." Jacob: "What about vitamins, sleeping pills, Geritol, antidotes for Parkinson's disease?" Pharmacist: "Absolutely." Jacob: "Everything for heartburn and indigestion?" Pharmacist: "We sure do." Jacob: "You sell wheelchairs and walkers and canes?" Pharmacist: "All speeds and sizes.." Jacob: "Adult diapers?" Pharmacist: "Sure." Jacob: "Great!  We'd like to sign up for our Wedding Registry"

News from the British Virgin Islands February 20-21, 2010

PR Web (press release)

SailWithTerry Announces They Have Joined Island Birds Air Charter to Offer the ...
PR Web (press release)
... has teamed up with Island Bird Charters offering seamless jet connections from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Beef Island, Tortola, BVI. ...










Spicy Caribbean Gumbo — Notes from the Caribbean Sugar Apple
By abigail
I was the lucky recipient of two boxes of local produce last week, one from Virgin Gorda and one from Tortola. The boxes were full of bell peppers, scotch bonnets, eggplants (young, tender, not a trace of bitterness), cucumbers, basil, ...

SKNVibes.com

Farmers contribution recognised during Farmers' Week 2010
SKNVibes.com
Road Town, Tortola - Twenty participating farmers throughout the Territory received recognition for their work during the recently observed Farmers' Week ...






Chef Pugliese Partners with Certified Angus Beef ® Brand at Food Network South ...
Platinum News Online
17, 2010 - Davide Pugliese, owner and executive chef of Brandywine Bay in Tortola, BVI, will join culinary forces with the Certified Angus Beef ® brand at ...


How to get to the BVI
By Deanna Keahey
The largest island in the British Virgin Islands is Tortola, and the capital, Roadtown, is on this island. If you're doing a sailing vacation in the BVI, chances are that it starts somewhere on Tortola. The largest island in the USVI is ...


BVI. Your Travelguide for British Virgin Islands
Christopher Columbus is said to have named Tortola after a bird he saw upon arriving, the turtledove. We don't want to quibble, but it probably wasn't a turtledove he saw, but a relative of the mourning dove.


Fantastic BVI pictures on this blog!
Champagne Vacation on a Beer Budget – British Virgin Islands | The ...
By Matt
With 3 other couples, we were able to charter a 42 foot sailing catamaran from Conch Charters in Road Town, Tortola, BVI. I figured this would be a fun vacation, but I had no idea how much fun sailing would be. I can't imagine a better ...

Caribbean Net News

BVI disaster management department expands emergency warning system
Caribbean Net News
TORTOLA, BVI -- The Department of Disaster Management (DDM) is expanding the British Virgin Islands' early warning system by installing warning devices ...




Road Traffic Regulations to be enforced on March 1
BVI News Online
BY Admin-BVI The Ministry of Communications and Works is informing the public that beginning March 1, 2010 the Road Traffic Regulation 2009 will be enforced ...


Special report: Could Haiti happen here? – BVI Beacon | The ...
By disaster preparation - Google News
Special report: Could Haiti happen here?BVI BeaconThe governor has responsibility for disaster preparation and response while the premier deals with disaster mitigation and recovery, she added. ...and more »


Super Yacht Blogger: Go Faster around the British Virgin Islands
By Super Yacht Blogger
Go Faster around the British Virgin Islands. The British Virgin Islands from Peter Island. War Horse is a super speedy charter yacht based in the BVI. One of the more unusual ways of seeing the British Virgin Islands is from the cockpit ...


Round the islands race, in the sunshine
Cowes Online
Nanny Cay marina in the British Virgin Islands is inviting yachts to take on the challenge of breaking the Round Tortola Record. It's an all-comer, ...


Donald E. Welsh, a Creator of Magazines, Dies at 66
New York Times
6 in Tortola, the British Virgin Islands. He was 66 and lived in Boston Corner, NY The cause was drowning, his wife, Bourne F. Welsh, said. ...


"No stones were unturned" - Fraser regarding BiWater contract
BVI News Online
Government signed a contract with Bi-Water SA to improve the water situation on Tortola and to rehabilitate the Road Town and Long Look sewerage systems ...


Wind and Sail: San Juan, Puerto Rico
By j-bone
I know it only takes two seconds but the team and myself are travelling to St. Croix this weekend and it is a logistical nightmare trying to get 6 kids, and 6 boats with all the rigging, and myself over from Tortola, via private yachts. ...


US marketing firm sues Tourist Board
BVI Beacon
The territory's former United States marketing and press relations firm has sued the BVI Tourist Board for breach of contract, claiming more than $1.2 ...


New Peebles Hospital will meet international standards - officials
BVI News Online
As a result, Inter-Health Canada is expected to collaborate with the BVI Health Services and key health stakeholders. In addition, Inter-Health Canada where ...


Virgin Islands, Virgin Islands Newspaper, A Pulitzer Prize Winning ...
DeJongh wants BVI to modify strict new charter boat law ... 3 letter to BVI Premier Ralph O'Neal, deJongh asked the BVI government to delay the ...


Funny tales of the Virgin Islands: Introducing Country Bumpkin the farmer
BVI News Online
Ballast Bay is a rural hamlet on the idyllic Caribbean Island of Tortola; it is another heavenly morning: the calm blue seas of the Bay teem with marine ...


Amazon.com: Epistolary Books for Fun Reading
A Listmania! list by Dear Miss Mermaid "Dear Miss Mermaid" (Virgin Islands, Caribbean). The list author says: "Epistolary: written in the form of or carried ...

Ker Boom! Satellite Picture of Montserrat Volcano

At 12:35 p.m. local time on February 11, 2010, Soufrière Hills Volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat experienced a partial dome collapse. Lasting nearly an hour, the event sent a plume 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) skyward, and sent pyroclastic flows—avalanches of hot gas and debris—some 300 to 400 meters (980 to 1,200 feet) out to sea. The pyroclastic flows destroyed many buildings in the village of Harris north of Sourfrière Hills, and the Montserrat Volcano Observatory described the dome collapse as the most severe incident since May 2006.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image on February 11, 2010, the same afternoon that the dome collapsed. An east-west volcanic plume completely obscures the island of Montserrat, casting a shadow toward the northeast. Two smaller, fainter plumes also extend from the island, one to the north and the other to the south. The northern plume lies in the shadow of the east-west plume and consequently must occur at a lower altitude.
Lava domes form fairly slowly as magma moves through a vent and accumulates around it. These steep-sided structures can reach a height of hundreds of meters and may become unstable, especially given underlying seismic activity. When a lava dome collapses, the results can be dramatic, including pyroclastic flows and columns of volcanic ash. The Soufrière Hills dome collapse on February 11, 2010, was no exception, forcing a small evacuation and disrupting local air traffic. A photo series records the events from the ground.
Reaching an altitude of 915 meters (3,002 feet) above sea level, Soufrière Hills is a stratovolcano composed of alternating layers of hardened lava, solidified ash, and rocks ejected by previous eruptions. No eruptions were recorded at the volcano until 1995, when the volcano began a cycle of ash eruptions and pyroclastic flows.

Doggone Funny!

Pics of Soufriere Hills Volcano on the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean

Volcano-chaser braves some of Earth's most dangerous situations to capture amazing photos of violent eruptions

News From the British Virgin Islands

 

It seems to me the only way to reduce the foreign work permits, is to cancel the BVI belonger passports and refuse to let BVI belongers work anywhere  but the BVI.

Smith Questions Aspects of Proposed New Work Permit Policy
Platinum News Online
Speaking on what he called the proposed one rule work permit policy, Smith said that he is concerned about it because in the BVI, "many of our small ...

 

Soufriere Hills explosion disrupts flight in Eastern Caribbean
Jamaica Observer
Residents have become accustomed to a heightened volcano alert level, which has been in place for the past two months, since activity at Soufriere Hills ...

 

Vocanic ash going everywhere...
Caribbean Hurricane Network
Above a satellite image from MODIS/Terra showing the volcanic ash from the recent dome collapse of Soufriere Hills on Montsersat. ...

 

LIAT Suspends Services to Dominica and Guadeloupe
Platinum News Online
... that it has been forced to suspend services to Dominica and Guadeloupe because of airborne ash clouds from the Soufriere Hills Volcano in Montserrat. ...

 

Work to begin shortly on improvements to the Virgin Gorda Airport
BVI News Online
BY PRESS RELEASE Friday February 12th, 2010 - Road Town, Tortola – A contract for the geotechnical survey at the Taddy Bay Airport on Virgin Gorda could be ...

 

Life in the British Virgin Islands...
Caribbean Hurricane Network
After spending millions on the Roundabout traffic lights in Road Town Tortola, they are being taken down again. Talk about a waste of money! ...

 

Tortola & Virgin Gorda (BVI) - Local Reports (Caribbean Hurricane ...
By stormCARIB
The Volcano Blew! By DearMissMermaid at aol.com; Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:30:45 EST ...... Reading Hurricanes & Hangovers: and other tall tales and loose lies. By DearMissMermaid at aol.com; Date: Sat, 30 Jan 2010 12:04:00 EST ...

 

AFP Ash from Monserrat volcano disrupts Caribbean flights AFP Montserrat's Soufriere Hills volcano erupted Thursday, sending a plume of ash 10 kilometers (six miles) high into the sky, the Montserrat Volcano ...

Newspapers From Around the World

NEWSPAPER FRONT PAGES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/flash/

1. Put your mouse on a city anywhere in the world and the
local newspaper headlines pop-up.

2. Drag the cursor across the orange dots and the local
newspapers will start to pop-up. Double click the dot and
the selected front page appears. Click "Readable PDF" in the
bar across the top and the image goes to full screen. On
some sites, you can read the entire paper if you click on
the right place.

3. If you look at the European papers, the far left side of
Germany will pop up as "The Stars & Stripes" (European
edition, of course). These sites change every day with the
publication of new editions of the newspaper.

4. If you click on the "Galley" (across the middle of a
newspaper, it will give you alphabetically newspapers front
pages).

Hungry Bears, Ingenuity and Duct Tape!

During a private "fly-in" fishing excursion in the Alaskan wilderness, the chartered pilot and fishermen foolishly left a cooler with extra bait in it, in the plane.

A bear smelled it.

The bear was hungry.

Very hungry.

The bear didn't much care for noisy airplanes.

So he flattened both the tires, beyond repair.

Still no fish, but he had effectively disabled his quarry.

Next he attacked the tail, for good measure.

Then he tore into the starboard fuslage.

Still no fish. 

He lumbered around the plane and tore into the port fuselage. 


Still no fish.

Finally he ripped his way into the cockpit.


And got access to the cooler and the bait.


Yum!


Bear had a nice luncheon.

But the bear forgot to disable the radio.  

When the pilot and his charter guest returned, needless to say, they were aghast.

The pilot radioed another pilot friend to make an emergency run and bring him a supply of plastic sheeting, 2 new tires and three cases of duct tape. 

Diligently he began putting his plane back together.  

When the pilot was finished, he flew it home!



Maybe next time, he will leave the plane bare...

Tootin' My Horn!

Fantastic Magic or is it Effing Magic?
Caribbean Hurricane Network
By DearMissMermaid at aol.com In the islands we like COLORFUL t'ings mon! It's reflected in Farmer's Week, from the wonderful mural to the bounties from ...

Tortola & Virgin Gorda (BVI) - Local Reports (Caribbean Hurricane ... By stormCARIB I think all in all, I sailed aboard about five historical tall ships. Something I should write more about, one day soon. Warm and Sunny Regards, DearMissMermaid.com · Author of Hurricanes and Hangovers ... Caribbean Hurricane Network Tall Ships, Elegant Ladies Caribbean Hurricane Network By DearMissMermaid at aol.com I spent my time sailing and crewing aboard a lovely old tall ship, "The Sir Francis Drake". Whether she was named after the ...

It's Complicated (Movie with Meryl Streep, Alec Bladwin, Steve Martin)

It's Complicated

Meryl Streep carries the show with Alec Baldwin playing a close second. This delightful comedy-drama is a fantastic movie, that makes you laugh yet seriously sympathize with the characters and the dilemmas they face. There's really nothing to cry about and thank goodness someone has finally figured out how to make an engaging movie without blood, guts, violence and profanity.

But there's sex, and we all like sex! The movie is adult themes, I couldn't imagine having to explain to a child some of the questions they might ask, while watching it,  so don't expect to have the little ones around when you view it.

Steve Martin plays an uncharacteristically serious role and of course he is a top notch actor that seems to be in true awe of Meryl Streep, both as her character and as an actress. Alec Baldwin is downright funny and not at all shy about showing us his middle-aged spread.  It's refreshing to see a real body instead of a pumped-up-on steroids action figure.

Meryl Streep can put such incredible realistic  life into any character that she plays, as if you might run into her and get drawn up into her role and totally forget she is an actress.

If you want some seriously fun entertainment, a movie that you'll be tempted to watch again and share with others, then by all means, dive into this wonderful film and have a blast.

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