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Date: 06 Dec 2003 19:38:22
Title: Tropical storms and white whales
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I would not have dreamed of calling my sister a white whale but that is how she described herself as she stepped baggageless from the Twin Otter on which she had flown from Barbados.  Her baggage had got stuck there and was delivered next morning.  Liz has been broken in gently as for three days we have seen little sun as the first ever December tropical storm has been traversing the Caribbean from south to north.  This has caused quite a stir and we have been listening carefully to the weather gurus. Only a week ago they were congratulating themselves that this year there had been no tropical storms in the Caribbean. Odette is just about to drop twelve inches of rain on Haiti and the Dominican Republic and so far we have escaped relatively unscathed although this storm has been likened to Hurricane Lenny whose swells caused havoc along the west coasts if the island chain in 1999.  We think we are likely to escape those too, but Liz is now having to protect herself from the ravages of the tropical sun which has reappeared.  The only fallout from Odette for us has been vicious wind/rain squalls, heavy overcast and spectacular lightening displays. From Clifton, Union Island where we met Liz we went to Petit St Vincent well known as an exclusive (mainly for financial reasons) resort. Our wallets remained firmly closed. We then returned to Chatham Bay where we had another of Shark Attack's beach barbequed lobsters. In fact he delivered at least three and a great feast was had and we were rather the worse for wear next morning.  The snorkling around the bay is excellent and under one rock there is a lobster nursery with hoards of the spiny creatures waiting to mature to an appropriate size for Shark Attack's barbeque.
                           Female Stoplight Parrotfish
 
We have also seen a scorpion fish, only diagnosed retrospectively, and we would not have been so closely inquisitive had we known its about its lethal sting.  In spite of all these potential dangers we think it likely that Granny will return next week to resume her duties in Edinburgh which will no doubt be to the great relief  the Department of Neurology.   Tonight's supper, a tuna, was delivered freshly caught and gutted by request.  We are sharing this with the crew of Moon Song RCC  who are anchored close by.  
  
                                        Supper delivery
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