Wildlife wonder- Brown Chromis
We went swimming last week and noticed a few little friendly nibbles from some fish swimming near us. Although we were in shallow water we could see a few fish swimming just below the surface. I got my snorkelling kit on and had a look beneath the surface and found about fifty of these small fish swimming around, close to the beach. They are about 10-15 cms in length and are silvery in colour although they are called Brown Chromis.
These fish swim in shoals near the surface and look out for plankton to eat. Plankton is made from microscopic animals and plants that they can see but are invisible to the human eye. However, they must have thought their luck was in when they saw our legs and decided to take a nibble. Thankfully it was more ticklish than painful and it was wonderful to see fish swimming around us.
Grenadian gift – Mary’s Pasture
This place is a hidden gem near Levera Beach. There is a large grassy field with picnic tables that is ideal for a social event. The field slopes down to the natural rock pool featured in the photo above. It is a lovely place for a swim if you fancy a change from a sandy beach. On the road down to Mary’s Pasture are the remains of an old sugar mill, in the photo below. This would have been used to process the sugar cane when this area was a sugar plantation. If you walk down the steps to the rock pool there is a view of the town of Sauteurs to your left and if you follow the road to your right you will reach Levera Beach and on to Bathway.
Reflections from the Retreat
A few weeks ago I felt that it was a time of waiting. Recently I wrote in my blog how I had taken my car to the mechanics and discovered that it needed new brake pads which had to be shipped in from abroad. So I have been waiting for these and trying not to use the car too much. I have also been waiting for money to be transferred into our new bank account for Hummingbird HOPE. This money was made up of various donations that we had received when we did some fundraising and was being held in a UK charity account until we could set up the Grenadian charity account. However, setting up an account here had taken longer than I expected so money was getting very tight. I was also looking forward to some friends arriving who had offered to do some work on the house with me but I was concerned that I didn’t have the money needed to buy the building supplies we would need or a car that worked. However, I should have had more faith, because on the very day that they flew in, the money was finally transferred into the charity account and I also got a message to say that the brake pads had arrived. (There was still a small challenge with the brake pads though. The front ones were fitted fine but the back brake pads needed a different tool that my mechanic didn’t have and so I had to drive to the capital and back to get them fitted). The timing of the money and brake pads arriving on the same day that my friends arrived was a good reminder of trusting that things will be in place when I need them and that I just have to keep taking one day at a time.
My friends, Clive and Karen have been a great encouragement and we have started to decorate the downstairs apartment. The ceilings are lovely and high which makes the rooms cooler but it is more of a challenge to decorate them, but Clive has done a great job doing the ceiling while Karen and I have focused on the walls. However, the heat has been a real challenge. Even the Grenadian news issued heat warnings because of the high humidity. So even though the temperature is about 30C it feels more like 40C. However, we are getting up early and trying to do what we can before the heat beats us and we then have a good excuse for an afternoon swim at one of the nearby beaches!
Clive is a very experienced builder and it has been great to talk to him about the house and all the work that is needed. He has done various jobs already improving things and he has been great at finding ways to tackle challenges in the house and making suggestions for future jobs.
Karen also comes with many skills and the photo of us below shows the dresses she made for herself and me. It was lovely to wear them to church together and they are very cool which is what is needed here. It was an interesting service because the local police force attended as part of a programme to build links with the community. It was lovely to see them worshipping with us and then being prayed for in recognition of some of the challenges they face and gratitude for the work they do in the community.
