Day Three....

Day Three.

Today we played.  The cloud cover finally evaporated enough to let the sun work its magic.  A rainbow welcomed us from our sleep.  New vegetation glowed green as the jungle here reclaimed its dominance.  Our iguanas warmed up enough to crawl out of their trees.  Donkeys paraded around their newest kin and she nibbled happily on the low leaves. Waterfalls burst from the rocks as the recent flooding worked its way down the hillsides. The bays glowed an iridescent array of blues and greens and beckoned us from our home high above it all to come play.  So we did. 

Let the island come to you, I advise our friends and family when they visit.  It will call you.  With its history it will call you.  With its people it will call you.  With its beauty it will call you.  The phrase "island soon come" encourages patience while you wait for the call and promises a spiritual connection when you do.

We head to one of the top ten beaches in the world to say hello again to Trunk Bay, afraid to see firsthand the damage to it from the storms. There were only eight people on the beach including me and Toni and we tentatively explore the destruction.  I hold my breath as we follow the familiar path to the white sands and with relief we see the beautiful colors of the water erupt before us.  A fish jumps. Two frigates glide overhead while a couple of pelicans speed past.  The mesmerizing panoramic vistas of distant islands are unchanged but looking down the beach the damage to the vegetation is obvious.  Palm trees down.  Sand shifted.  Seagrapes ruined by the storm surge.  But these will come back and are already showing signs of rebirth.  I exhale.  Grin.  And run to jump in.  

The warm cerulean water is renewing.  Its healing powers massage my soul.  Its waves buoy my spirit.  Relieved to see the clear bottom below, I swim out and see more signs of life.  A sea fan waves.  A school of fish plays along the stressed reef, still covered with a thin layer of sediment but improving with each passing month.  As I soak it all in, I reflect on the beauty of the paradise that has been here for millennia and am reminded that we are just passing through, caretakers of this playground and guardians of its spirit.  

With our love the island of Saint John will call us again. 

For you.  For all of us.  Island soon come.