Summer

We had a GREAT time with friends last week.  We kayaked, we swam (Janet participated in her open ocean swim), we visited Jost Van Dyke, we snorkeled, and of course we ate and drank too much.  Along the way we met some interesting and new friends (some even from back home).  I would post pictures of the week but since Tom had his, I didn’t carry my camera.  I would refer you to his blog : http://r4rpt2.blogspot.com for a great set of pictures and narrative about the week!

With friends gone we are prepared to endure the summer.  In fact, a quick glance at the calendar, confirmed that we have NO one scheduled to visit until December (more than 6 months)!  Ok, summer in the islands is “different”.  Many of the tourists are gone … it is officially hurricane season … carnival is starting … and the Sahara Dust has entered.  I am not sure why the tourists stay away this time of year (the temperatures are about the same as they were in March and the water is peaceful) but I enjoy going to the beach later without having to fight for a parking space.  Hurricane season in the Caribbean officially starts on June 1^st but it is REALLY rare to see any tropical storms before mid to late July.  We went to the kick-off of Carnival last night and got to enjoy some steel drum music (just as a side note since Carnival ends on July 4^th it is really a month long celebration). 

Finally I wanted to talk about the Sahara Dust.  It seems that during the early summer the windstorms in the Sahara drive sand particles high into the atmosphere.  This “dust” actually drifts all the way across the Atlantic and affects visibility in the islands.  The result is everything in pictures has a slight haze (I don’t expect sympathy if this is the worst of the weather problems here).  Actually the dust is not all bad since while it is aloft, it prohibits the formation of hurricanes off the coast of Africa.  As you can see below, it also makes for some excellent sun sets!

Sunset Over Maho