We’re now about 2 months away and it is time to start sending the balance of the money to me. The first of September I will be emailing statements to those who have a balance as a reminder. I’ll have to have this all monies in by the end of September. If you have had any thoughts of adding any of the events, please let me know now. I have prepared a schedule of the events and the attendees so that no one will have to be in 2 places at once or even have to do 2 events in one day. Plus, everyone is with the people that they have requested being with. This was not an easy task. Adding people to some events may be possible, even after we are there, but the scheduling will be easier before. There are still a couple of people who have yet to give me their flight information so they may wind up cabbing it to the hotel.

Here’s the latest information on returning to the states with liquor. As I had said earlier, you can return with up to six (6) fifths or liters of liquor per person. Prior to the new security regulations you could hand carry the bottles in 6-pack corrugated carry boxes. Now, that is verboten. When you come, allow enough space in your luggage for the bottles. These can be wrapped in clothing or seaweed or palm fronds, anything that will protect the valuable contents. Bringing bubblewrap with you would be helpful.

Here’s something to remember – Julie has asked that people using the beach for swimming or barefoot strolling and returning to take a dip in the pool to please use the outdoor shower near the pool to remove the beach sand rather than use the pool to remove the beach sand.

Another thing to remember – Suzie (our daughter) tells me that the VI Police Department is really cracking down on speeders on the island. Traffic court is an event that I had not scheduled as an option.

It looks like there is just the one boatload going fishing. Let’s hope they catch enough to feed the multitude. They will be going out on Wednesday morning, so following breakfast we will have a novena.

I had earlier promised a word about island critters. There are a few little crawly things that appear from nowhere. All but the centipedes are harmless. The centipede moves across the floor in almost a sidewinder fashion. Stomping them with your shoed foot (don’t try this barefoot!) will usually do the trick. A centipede bite can be very painful for about 10 hours. The only antidote known is rum. Millipedes (also known as crunch bugs, because they crunch when stepped on, or gungaloos) are very slow moving and do no harm. They can be swept away. Lizards appear, usually on walls, looking for a meal in the form of insects and provide entertainment as do the gekkos. When driving around the island you will occasionally see little critters about the size of a squirrel dart across the road. These are mongoose. They were brought to St. Croix many years ago to rid the island of snakes. The mongoose thrived and procreated and there are now no snakes.

Enough for this one. Til next week - - -