Betty Barracuda and Selma at the old gin house

Enjoying a chicken shoewarmer and discussing last nights events!

Lily

This Gloriosa Lily is so amazing. Not sure on the species yet. Its a climber and has tendrils on the end of its leaf. You can see the tip of the leaf curls round. The plant uses this to pull itself up something.

Baby Mangoes

Another month and these are gonna be good! This tree is in the taste arbour in the sensory garden. Mangoes grow all over the island though. The benefit of driving the pick-up is that someone can be stood in the back ready to swipe a few leaning over the road.

Lizard Love

This male and female overcome with the romance of the garden couldnt wait until they got home....

Sweaty mess

Weed whacking is probably what I do most in the garden. A big petrol strimmer, a hat, safety goggles, ear protectors, my headphones (usually with some motivational 90’s dance music), long sleeves, jeans, walking shoes and 35 degree heat. This is the perfect recipe for a sweaty mess. The thing that makes it worse is the vegetation that gets thrown at you from the strimmer sticks to your skin. By the end I look like a walking lawn.

Seeing the neat garden when you have finished though is very satisfying. Sadly a week later it needs doing again. Everything grows so fast!

My Humble bedroom

You only feel safe when inside your mozzy dome. Tucked firmly under the mattress, it keeps out the creepy crawlies and things that go bump in the night. I often wake up to banana spiders and cockroaches sat on the net above my face. It’s all good fun!

The date is set for my return!

I will be heading home and leaving Statia on the 28^th of July. I’ve decided to take the option of 3 months instead of 6 for several reasons. The cost of my visa and extended insurance and flight arrangements is enough to put anyone off. But mainly I’m hoping to apply for work within research on my return. If I wait until after the academic year starts up I could be reducing my chances at finding a job back home. Before I left I wasn’t aware that this was an option when I was here hence I was telling everyone it was for 6 months. Sorry folks, it looks like the red carpet is gonna have to be rolled out a little sooner than expected!