st. croix phone photos

Here are some of my iPhone photos from our trip. I'll post photos from my bigger camera soon, but fair warning, there's a pretty repetitive theme: Caribbean island vacations are dreamy and we had a great time.

Early morning flight through the sunrise, heading south. 

St. Croix airport: tropical breezes, sunshine, heat. Waiting for our rental Jeep.

Drive on the left side of the road and look out for wandering horses.

Horses everywhere!

Our cottage at the Pyramid Point. We were the only guests on the whole property for most of our stay, which was great but also a little spooky at night for city/suburb mice like us. 

View from the pool deck, a.k.a where our worries disappeared.

Even the rain is a picture-taking occasion. Come on.

We took so many pictures, you guys. 

View from the Mermaid, a beach-side restaurant at the Buccaneer Hotel.
We ate here after an epic 6 hour hike, during which we both thought we
were going to die (not metaphorically) at various points. More on that later.
Needless to say, what a sight for sore eyes.  

I told Scott I didn't want to golf. I was wrong. 

Our caddy on the 9th hole. He didn't budge. 

I took 18-20 photos of Scott cartwheeling into the pool. 

Sunrise from Pyramid Point. Also just 1 of 40 photos I took of a single view.

The Tamarind Hotel, a short walk from our cottage. 

We went on a Sea Thru Kayak tour in Salt River National Park where there is a bioluminescent bay!!
We paddled once it got dark, and it was magic.
Bright stars above and streaming dinoflagellates below.

This little one-eyed cat got a bite of fish taco, as requested.

Thanksgiving Day: Point Udall, the eastern-most point in the US. 

I just learned this from Wikipedia: Point Udall is the name of both the eastern-most and western-most (Guam) points in the U.S, so that "America's day would begin and end at a Point Udall."
No small honor for Mr. Udall, right?

Someone's dream home, I presume. 

Rainbow Beach, also on Thanksgiving Day.
Just to counter some of this incredible scenery, there was almost no food to be
found on the island because of the holiday.
Hungry bellies but full eyes at this point in the day.

Roadside scene in the rain forest on one of our mid-island driving explorations. 

The pyramid rooftops of Pyramid Point. 

More to come in the next post! 

fall leftovers

I'm about to post a thousand vacation photos, but here are a few unrelateds from the last couple months.

Sister duet.

Backyard colors.

Tree reflections on the Rabbit.

Living room fall light.

Sister time

My sisters, Kahlil, and my parents were in and out the last few days. The occasion: Laura visiting from Utah! 

Natalie and Kahlil surprised Laura by hiding in the trunk of Scott's car when we went to pick her up at the airport. They were fresh off a million mile bike ride from Harper's Ferry through DC to Northern Virginia, and hatched up this plan to startle Laura. She jumped in the car in the arrivals zone, and then a few moments later, Natalie's leg pushed through the back seat! Then Kahlil's face! 

Laura's reaction: "What is wrong with you?" We laughed for years.

There was plenty of good food, and a batch of cupcakes.

It has been frosty and fall-like. Ice on the car windows Saturday morning when we went for bagels.

Action shot of bagel tower collapsing. Note Scott's hand speeding in to save breakfast.

Natalie really got into the backpack vac. Thanks for cleaning!

Kahlil spent a few days working on a deck. He had helpers on the weekend, who seemed happy enough to duck away from sister talk. 

Sunday we snuck a peak in Natalie and Kahlil's soon-to-be new house in Luray - what a charmer!

 

Sunday Brunch

We were lucky to have these visitors for a few hours last Sunday.

Isla has lots of interesting things to say, such as where the elephant lives (the zoo), yes, she'd like bacon with her pancakes, and she was happy to read one of my bird watching books to her father: "Birds," page turn, "birds," page turn, "birds," etc.

Moving day

We went to Harrisonburg to help Natalie and Kahlil unload their Uhaul in the dark of the night last Saturday. The next morning they treated us to breakfast at the Little Grill. 

Pancake, party of 4.

We waited for a table outside the tire shop next door. 

That velvet painting is weird! I like it.

These aren't in chronological order. Kahlil found a preying mantis the previous night. We stared at its alien face, and it boxed its preying mantis hands at us in protest.

I visited a cat and some dozing chickens while Scott and Kahlil moved heavy furniture into the barn. 

Mom and Dad visit

Mom and Dad came to visit last weekend. Dad finally got to see our new house. He made some impromptu home repairs on two faulty doors. Needless to say he can come back anytime! We went into DC for a very short visit Sunday morning, and happened to find a lucky parking spot near the Lincoln Memorial. Dad LOVES Abraham Lincoln! They share a birthday. And he's never been to the Lincoln Memorial, so it was a fine thing indeed. We passed by the Vietnam War Memorial too. So much memorializing.

Dad read the entire Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's second inaugural address. We waited for him to do so.

Perfect September day.

I just like trees.

Mom and Dad at the World War II Memorial.

Dad takes as many (if not more) pictures as I do.

See? Here we're taking pictures of each other taking pictures.

Our nation's capitol is a sight to behold.

One of the Declaration of Independence signature reproductions. And leaves. Yay, fall!

View from traffic jam.

We had a great time together - a beautiful weekend. Come back soon!