LOVING THE GINGER BEER HERE

In the past, I have always liked the occasional ginger beer, but here on the island it has become my staple request at pubs and restaurants.  Gosling's Ginger beer is an island made beverage that has been brewed to perfection.  It is just the right amount of spicyness and sweetness that tastes great, and is a welcome relief from my usual and boring diet coke.  Now if only the pubs would go for the diet ginger beer too.  Never mind - I now have my own stock of Gosling's diet ginger beer in our fridge.    

Apparently Gosling's - our famous distiller of Black Seal Rum - brewed the ginger beer especially for the island's national drink - the Dark 'N Stormy  - a highball cocktail made with dark rum and ginger beer, served over ice and a slice of lime.  A nice drink and something I would order on special occasions - but prefer the pure ginger beer, which goes down easily every time.

Ginger beer's origins date from the colonial spice trade in the Orient, and the sugar producing islands of the Carribbean and it has stayed popular in Bermuda ever since then. 

And why, may you ask, is it called ginger beer?  Well, according to my sources it is a beverage made from extracts of roots and plants - just like all the other beers!

Cheers everyone.

SNORKELLING IN THE BAYS

What a great adventure we are on.  I am so grateful for the opportunities that have presented themselves to us.  Living in Bermuda has been such a wonderful experience.  We have managed to make the most that the island has to offer - long walks along the beaches and coastlines, exploring nature reserves, participating in community events, to name but a few highlights.

A really special highlight has been the snorkeling - we have become carefree snorkelers quite adept at underwater breathing.  We have seen some spectacular ocean life - beautiful coral formations, ranks of sergeant-majors and always the awesome parrot fish. 

Bermuda is surrounded by reefs teeming with myriads of fish.  For me, the thousands of 'fry' that congregate together looking so much like mobile, ever-changing black or silver spheres are the most thrilling - almost like watching a choreographed dance - fish in perfect rhythm with the flow of water.  

The other awesome phenomenon is being in the ocean and watching shoals of silver fish jump out of the water like dolphins - they shimmer in the sunlight, and sound like seeds being shaken as they hit the water.  They look like they are having fun.

We have certainly enjoyed the snorkeling here.  

KAYAK ESCAPADES

We have started our kayak adventure - it now resides at the condominium beach, providing easy access to the water.   I think it's still a bit hot for long trips - the sun  blazes down in 35 degree Celsius heat.  So it was a quick paddle around our bay and we experienced the water in a whole different way.  We hugged the shoreline for the most part - I am still quite the chicken - I don't like windy days that produce too much choppiness and high waves, and I don't like being bounced around in some huge boat's wake.  It's a sea kayak so there is little danger of ending up in the water, but for some reason logic doesn't help.    

It was fun paddling along.  We were able to view some of the cliff edge homes and their private docks and yachts.  We inspected a shipwreck up close - a rusted skeleton that provides a haven for all sorts of tropical fish.   We waved to passing yachts and ducks bobbing along with us.

Altogether a fun afternoon.  Will have to do that again sometime soon.

NEW BEGINNINGS

Today, our youngest daughter started a new journey.  A journey that now encompasses a lifemate.  She is engaged to be married  with Jeff. 

To my mind, engagements are very much like new beginnings - filled with possibilities and potential. It is also a union - two separate souls holding hands and coming together to face a joined future. 

It will take energy, patience, flexibility, and compromise to forge a strong path.  It will also require kindness, selflessness and empathy.  The path is never going to be easy.  It may include a few wrong turns, reversals, and unknown precipices.   But it is possible.

We are very proud of her ,and very pleased for her.  We know she will make a success of this new adventure.

Looking forward to many years of fun and laughter.
Welcome to the family Jeff!

"Love

does not consist of

gazing at each other,

but in looking together

in the same direction." 

Antoine de Saint-Exupery
 

GRACEFUL LONGTAILS

On our walks around the shores of Bermuda, Patrick and I have had the pleasure of encountering the beautiful Bermuda Longtail. Also known as the White-Tailed Tropicbird.  They are to be seen gliding in graceful circles along the cliff edges and rocky shores.  They  are distinctive for their long white tail feathers and black and white marking on their bodies. 

In Bermuda, they are thought to be the harbingers of spring.  They fly in from about April and nest on the island until October.  Their nests are found in crevices and holes in the cliff edges, and rock face around the island.  They apparently mate for life, laying a single egg at a time.  They feed on fish and squid.  Something I never knew: they sleep on the wing - how incredible is that!

They are also  emblematic of Bermuda - their images are seen on house fronts, on coins, clothing, and a proliferation of souvenir items.  Photographs of the bird abound - there are some excellent photos at the airport by Dr. Reg Grundy - a famous Australian media mogul who spent 30 years in Bermuda, devoting his time to professional photography concentrating on the Longtail.  There is also a permanent exhibition of his Longtail photographs at Masterworks Bermuda Art Museum.  He said of the Longtails:  "The birds to me are the most beautiful in the world.....they're real life fairytales."  Sadly, Dr. Grundy died in May of this year. 

Unfortunately, due to hurricane damage and the continuing encroachment of development along the coastline, their habitat has been seriously eroded and the species is now under some threat, with their numbers declining steadily.   Good news though - the Bermuda Maritime Museum is building 'igloos' to help them nest safely. 

It has been said that the Longtail represents everything that is beautiful and tranquil about Bermuda.  I have to agree that they are amongst the most graceful and elegant of natural attractions on the island.

MOMENTS OF JOY

Recently we watched a movie called "Hector and the Search for Happiness" - a surprisingly good movie given that most of what we choose to watch usually ends up being a disappointment.  The movie served to remind me that we need to make the most of all of those positive, happy moments that come our way.  To appreciate all the good times that go to make up good memories.

If we allow it to, surely happiness can ultimately shape us: who we become, what we think is important, and build our morality and integrity highway?  Our tendency is to dwell on the negative, the sad moments, the mistakes, the blights in our life.  We need to practice not to be so quick to dismiss the positive, relegating it to some dusty corner of the spare room in our memory house.  Instead, those happy memories should be displayed in the comfort of the living room, near the front door, so that we can pass them by and acknowledge them every day.  

It's as if we devalue happiness, take it for granted, or dismiss it.  And then when we most need it, we have to search for it again.  Like a needle in a haystack, it is difficult to find once lost.    Shouldn't we guide our life course by concentrating on the happiness that comes our way?  Curveballs and obstacles will always surface, wouldn't it be easier to handle the negative stress, and problem-solve successfully if we relied on our stores of happiness? 

Children seem to revel in happiness.  They expect it, they accept it, and they make the most of it.  We seem to lose that innocent talent once we reach adulthood after taking on the mantle of responsibilities, and engaging in the serious business of upward climbs to goals that satisfy our ambitions or views of ourselves. 

Just recently I had a brief window in time when I allowed happiness to wrap itself around me - no holds barred, no other thoughts or goals interfering, no worrying about what others are thinking, or what I should be doing instead. 

My grandson invited me to be the monster chasing him in his parents king size bed.  It was the best of pleasures to hear his uninhibited cries of delight, and his hoots and chortles of laughter as we bounced away on the bed, diving under covers, and throwing pillows in wild abandon. Listening to his pleas for 'More, Nana' and "Do it again, Nana" - his happiness fed mine and I was replenished.

Those are the moments that count, as fleeting as they may be. What a wonderful feeling - unabridged happiness just flowing like warm sunshine into your heart. 

Oh, for more of those moments of joy!

FAMILY DELIGHTS

The only downside to a nomadic lifestyle is the loss of close connections with our family.  We miss the spontaneity of climbing in a car and driving off to see our girls and the grandbabies on a whim.  We miss the summer weekend fun of chats alongside the pool, coffee times in the gazebo, or watching babies run as if there is no 'off button'.   We miss the dinners round the round table - I even miss the cooking and cleaning up afterwards.  "Come and watch me" and "come and play with me" are now orchestrated with flight schedules, allowable vacation days, and availability of vacant bedroom space. 

So it was with great delight and excited anticipation that we counted down the days to the two visits from family - Tiffany and her family came down at the end of June and Courtney and her friend arrived in the first week of July.

We had so much fun!  The grandbabies experienced their first swims in the ocean - thoroughly enjoyed it despite the salty taste of seawater.  They were like dolphins every day - dipping and splashing in the water.  No fear on the kayak, or even when taken further out into deeper water - there was always a smile on their faces.

They tumbled into bed each night, exhausted and happy.  And woke the next morning ready to start it all over again.  When Courtney came, we experienced a somewhat more sedate tempo, with much sun tanning on beaches, and sunset cocktails on the dock.

Loved every minute of their visits and felt an empty space in my heart when they left.  Hoping to do this again soon!  And of course, continue the trips up north on a regular basis.  FaceTime just isn't enough!