It rained for the first week that Mum was here so we got lots of reading done and a few swims in between showers. We had a good pre- Christmas party at Maggi’s house, where a few of us hosted an evening for all the community. It set the scene for the rest of the week in Chateau Mygo restaurant, where it was crowded each evening with sail crews passing through having finished the ARC.
The guys finished work on 20th December and are not expected back until the 2nd January. They had a big tidy up before they downed tools and the house looks ready for the final onslaught in the New Year. We even got 9 windows delivered on the last day.
We got invited to Doreen’s brothers place in the country where the slaughtering of cows takes place 2 days before Christmas. As we drove there we saw shacks being set up to receive the meat and animals being killed every few hundred yards. At our destination we thought the cow would have met its maker but there were several others lined up for the chop, as well as a few pigs and a goat. After the killings we were treated to a beef stew, a fillet starter and some liver stew as well as the making of blood sausage. It was a bit gory but fascinating and at times seemed a little surreal as we sat amongst the carcasses having a beer and chewing the fat. This killing of livestock happens all over the Island and often the meat is salted and used for the rest of the year. They don’t hang their meat so it was tough as old boots with not much taste. A real butcher could make a killing out here if he had a cold storage to hang meat and knew how to butcher an animal to get the best cuts. Here they just roughly chop up the carcass and weigh it regardless of the cut.
It was our first Christmas without the children, which was a bit daunting for us but we managed to have a good Christmas day with Maggi. It has to be said Christmas in the sunshine doesn’t feel right and there isn’t the feeling of any traditions that we recognise. I did get a huge surprise on Christmas morning; Jeff presented me with the newest Bullen family member, an 11-week-old white fluffy puppy, now known as Flossie but this could change, as we are not sure if she looks like a Flossie. She is adorable, quite feisty but intelligent. She walks well on her lead and lets us know if she needs to go to the loo (she gets excited and walks around in circles!) She is a typical puppy, eats, plays, and sleeps all at a moments notice. Today we took her to the vets to get her second lot of injections and she didn’t react at all, we also got her a collar and some toys, hoping to prevent the inevitable chewing. She has slept out in the cockpit for the last two nights with Jeff keeping her company but as she gets more used to the boat she will come below. She won’t be much of a guard dog but may make a noise if something was up.
On Boxing Day we sailed to the Pitons for an over night stop and had another meal at Bennies, on the beach. Fortunately we had fantastic weather and all picked up a good tan. We swam and snorkelled and snoozed, it was a lovely few days. Mum goes back today, which is a shame, as she will miss the wedding of friends of ours who are tying the knot tomorrow on board a boat followed by a BBQ at Chateau Mygo. One last day of fun to be had before Jeff returns to work on Wednesday is a planned trip on a friend’s motorboat to the Pitons again. Just checking out how the other half live!
A Happy New Year To You All.
The guys finished work on 20th December and are not expected back until the 2nd January. They had a big tidy up before they downed tools and the house looks ready for the final onslaught in the New Year. We even got 9 windows delivered on the last day.
We got invited to Doreen’s brothers place in the country where the slaughtering of cows takes place 2 days before Christmas. As we drove there we saw shacks being set up to receive the meat and animals being killed every few hundred yards. At our destination we thought the cow would have met its maker but there were several others lined up for the chop, as well as a few pigs and a goat. After the killings we were treated to a beef stew, a fillet starter and some liver stew as well as the making of blood sausage. It was a bit gory but fascinating and at times seemed a little surreal as we sat amongst the carcasses having a beer and chewing the fat. This killing of livestock happens all over the Island and often the meat is salted and used for the rest of the year. They don’t hang their meat so it was tough as old boots with not much taste. A real butcher could make a killing out here if he had a cold storage to hang meat and knew how to butcher an animal to get the best cuts. Here they just roughly chop up the carcass and weigh it regardless of the cut.
It was our first Christmas without the children, which was a bit daunting for us but we managed to have a good Christmas day with Maggi. It has to be said Christmas in the sunshine doesn’t feel right and there isn’t the feeling of any traditions that we recognise. I did get a huge surprise on Christmas morning; Jeff presented me with the newest Bullen family member, an 11-week-old white fluffy puppy, now known as Flossie but this could change, as we are not sure if she looks like a Flossie. She is adorable, quite feisty but intelligent. She walks well on her lead and lets us know if she needs to go to the loo (she gets excited and walks around in circles!) She is a typical puppy, eats, plays, and sleeps all at a moments notice. Today we took her to the vets to get her second lot of injections and she didn’t react at all, we also got her a collar and some toys, hoping to prevent the inevitable chewing. She has slept out in the cockpit for the last two nights with Jeff keeping her company but as she gets more used to the boat she will come below. She won’t be much of a guard dog but may make a noise if something was up.
On Boxing Day we sailed to the Pitons for an over night stop and had another meal at Bennies, on the beach. Fortunately we had fantastic weather and all picked up a good tan. We swam and snorkelled and snoozed, it was a lovely few days. Mum goes back today, which is a shame, as she will miss the wedding of friends of ours who are tying the knot tomorrow on board a boat followed by a BBQ at Chateau Mygo. One last day of fun to be had before Jeff returns to work on Wednesday is a planned trip on a friend’s motorboat to the Pitons again. Just checking out how the other half live!A Happy New Year To You All.
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