Lots of things to talk about!

It's been a few days since I've blogged so this is going to be a longer one than usual.

I've taken this week off so I'm going to be doing some different and exciting things.

Last week, on Wednesday, I went to go welding. I've been working with the welding shop since late January on a sculpture and I haven't said much about it on the blog because I've been needing to take pictures. We made some serious progress on the sculpture. I'm building a dragonfly out of scrap metal. It's going to be almost six feet long and it's wing span is pretty huge too. It's really coming along! And, I actually got to use the welding machine this past week which was very exciting. I have so much more respect for the welders now that I've done what they do. You have to wear a flame-retardant suit, heavy boots, super thick gloves, saftey goggles, and then a big, heavy welding mask. It's all black and even the tiny piece of glass you look through is so dark that you can't see anything until you spark something. They make all sorts of beautiful things in the complete dark! That is a truly difficult job.

The eye balls are finished! I welded the left one and Etsall welded the right one. I'm the one who burned the goobie, or calabash, to a crsip. :]



Me, welding!

Etsall next to our dragonfly.



Side view of the dragonfly with the wings on.

 

Front view of the dragonfly with the wings.

This weekend was a good, but sad weekend. We said goodbye to Randy, Ella, and Matt. Randy and Ella had been with us for four months and Matt had been with us for a month. We all got very close and it was tough to see them go. I'm sure they're enjoying hot showers, and good produce though! On Friday, we all hung out at the beach together and had a good time.

All of us on the beach on Friday. In the front from left to right, little Katie, Matt, Roel, and Randy. In the back from left to right, Eve, Kyle, Jean, Bint (Kate's puppy, one we rescued from the dump!), Saph peeking her head in, Claire, Me with Lallia Hannah's baby, Nadio, Ella, and Hannah.  

Yesterday, I woke up and something told me to walk up the Quill. So, I said okay, I'll go. I ate some breakfast, put my hiking boots on, packed my backpack and went. On my way up there was a rainbow.

My favorite view on the whole island is coming down from the Quill at the trailhead. You can see town, the Northern Hills, and the sea. It's so beautiful. 

Anyway, so I walked up the Quill. It had been raining that morning so when I got to the top the rocks were getting pretty slippery. I decided it wasn't a good idea to go into the crater by myself in the rain so I just went to the lookout and relaxed for a few minutes. It started to rain more steadily so I came back down.

Me at the top. There was a self-timer involved.



...and a little bit more artistic one.




The view into the crater.



I was so amazed when I got to the top and looked inside the crater of an actual, dormant volcano. I see the volcano every day, I live at the base of it but it's hard to truly grasp the concept of living on a volcano. I have made my home on the side of a volcano! It's crazy! Looking down into the crater is something so beautiful and breath taking. It is still something I'm learning to really appreciate. I can't wait to go inside the crater. I'm hoping to do that on Friday.

Leaves growing on a fallen log on the Quill trail.



This is what my hike looked like when I got closer to the top of the crater.



Yesterday afternoon and last night was girl time. There are only four of us at the garden right now and only girls, well, Kyle got back last night. So there was only four of us girls there. But, I walked down to Statia Lodges to hang out by the pool with Eve and then Jean and Saph joined us in the evening. It was really nice, we talked and talked, and drank yummy juice.

Today, I walked down to town and visited the fort. I have been to the fort before but I didn't have my camera. I brought it along this time and took some pictures. It's such a beautiful day today and the photos turned out nicely.

The fort overlooks the whole bay.

Beautiful!

After I was done at the fort I walked down the Old Slave Trail. As I was walking I looked down, and say my very own shadow. So I took a picture. The thumb describes how I feel right now :]

Here's to another two months in the Caribbean. Missing everyone at home, but loving it here!