The Heat is On

The lizards crawl under their rocks, the hermit crabs shimmy across the beach in search of a trickle of water, the goats bound up the cliffs to find an overhanging ledge to duck under and Madeline and I sit in our house and wonder, "is it too soon to get back into the air conditioned car to drive around the island?" It's a cruel geo-meteorological trick to be surrounded by beaches and still oceans, and yet, be unable to go into them. For the warm blooded Motes girls, the short walk to the beach this week was like walking through the rain forest, only no forest, just intense sun beating down on you through the thick humid air.

In the morning you wake up and you think, ahhh, this is pleasant. A cool breeze is blowing through the window, the fan above you wafts away any burgeoning stickiness trying to break through, and you think, today will be nice. Of course, it's only 6:30, so you go and make your coffee, you sit on the porch sipping, thinking, still hoping, that perhaps this will be a nice day. And then suddenly it seizes you, like an all encompassing body vice that humidity coats you like a scuba suit and you skin screams, no, no, no not again….

Have no fear… May is apparently the worst month on island –the high season of cooler (still warm) temps and breezes is over and yet the summer trade winds have not yet arrived to blow all that humidity back up to DC. But you already knew that, right? It's no coincidence that suddenly our guest rooms are empty.

The retirees we met here from DC, Harry and Louise (Not of HIAA fame), swear that they'd pick a Caribbean summer over a DC summer in a heartbeat. But I just remembered, I forgot to ask them if they have air conditioning. Of course they do. What fool would move to the Caribbean without air conditioning.

Anyway, what was I talking about? It's hard to remember because the heat saps all your energy and concentration. So we've learned to adapt. You think siesta is a Spanish word? Well, who named Antigua? Columbus, that's right. And as he sailed by in the Nina, he instilled in the island a carefree sense of sleep anywhere, anyhow you can in the midday to escape the heat. So a daily toddler nap for Madeline is now matched by an afternoon siesta for Amanda, and Amanda and Preston on weekends. Yesterday we napped till three in the afternoon.

We've also learned to cram lots of outdoor activity into the bearable hours of the day – before 8 a.m. and after 5 p.m. At those times we walk from our house, down into the village and around a little peninsula for a 5 mile walk. It's a tradition we started when Armani arrived on the island – he walks the same path and so we woke up early trying to catch him. We never caught him but learned to love the walk.

The long walk through the Caribbean summer has begun. We can handle it, we're sure. Just don't call to wake up during our naps…

Guest Blog: Katie and Margeaux Drucker

A Tale of Two Vacations

It was the earliest of bedtimes
It was the latest of bedtimes

It’s Margeaux here. Giving a shout out to all of you “tinkin about cyomin down to de island.” I can’t recommend it enough – with every fiber of my being. Some of you might ask “is it the 365 beaches, one for every day of the year that you love?” Others may ask “Is it the Wadadli beer so fresh and so crisp?” And others yet will insist “Oh it must be the crystal blue waters.” To all of you I say “No Way!” you are overlooking the coolest thing about the island – MA-DE-LINE!!!!!!!! She is the reason to get up (from naps or nights sleep). She brings meaning to my day. She has the coolest toys, she knows how to walk, and perhaps the most enticing reason – she barely acknowledges me which makes me want to be with her even more! For these reasons and many more, I squeal with delight if she is even within 3 yards of me.

We’ve done a lot together down here. We went disco dancing with our friend, Elmo (see picture), we dined on fancy French food, we ate sand, and we hung out by the pools and by the beach (see picture) and we tolerated our boring parents while they tried desperately to catch a view of Georgio Armani – whoever that is. Next year, Madeline and I will have to go out without them.

It’s Katie here. We’ve just returned home from a most fantastic vacation at Casa Motes – a Lifestyles-of-the-Rich-and-Famous experience. I would recommend it for all. Margeaux and I had a great visit and Amanda, Preston, and Madeline were the very best hosts anyone could ask for. It is true – Preston cooked these fantastic meals each night, while Amanda and I were left to figure out the big issues of the day like “was Armani on island or not?” “Who exactly has rented Jumby bay for the week?” and most importantly “do you want a lime in your cocktail or not?” Other less debated questions were “Should we go down to the beach in bathing suits next to the Swedish models or not?” and “Should we take turns riding Annie’s moped?”

The days were filled with all sorts of fun outings but some of the week’s highlights that come to mind are:

Having quality time with Amanda, Preston and Madeline and seeing how great their life is right now - evening family swims in the pool are just the beginning.
Dancing at the top of Shirley Heights to the reggae band. Wish Grandma had been there!
Swimming every day in the private pool two yards outside the door or the secluded beach 200 yards at the base of the hill.
Lunch at Carlisle Bay with a huge tolerance for messy kids and a gorgeous beach to boot.
And last, but certainly not least, dinner at the retirement home, I mean Curtain Bluff, where the men play golf, the women wear Lilly, and the staff giggle all the way home.

Thank you for a great week! We miss you and the island.