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Judi of Croix posts a short e-mail newsletter a few times a year. We fill you in on the latest events here on St. Croix and include pictures we’ve taken of our beautiful island. It’s our version of the “coconut telegraph.”

Hello, everyone!

Our news is that we are all well, and very busy. This is good for our business, but we have little time to enjoy what the island has to offer. Since we drive around the island every day, we do get to see the lovely Caribbean Sea in all its’ many shades of blue. Not a bad work environment! Lately, it’s been a little chilly at night, getting in the 60’s. Brrrrr! So, when you come down, you may need to add a pair of long pants or light jacket.

The International Coral Reef Initiative has designated 2008 as the International Year of the Reef! It is a worldwide campaign to raise awareness about the value and importance of coral reefs and threats to their sustainability. Corals are actually tiny animals, invertebrates that come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors, and can be found in waters the world over providing food and shelter for a myriad of marine creatures. Corals take centuries to grow into the beautiful reef gardens that sprawl beneath the sea. They are generally classified as either “hard coral” or “soft coral”. Soft corals include sea fans, sea feathers, and sea whips. Hard corals extract abundant calcium from surrounding seawater and use this to create a hardened structure for protection and growth. Coral Reefs are therefore created by millions of tiny polyps forming large carbonate structures, and are the basis of a framework and home for hundreds of thousands of other species. Coral reefs are the largest living structure on the planet, and the only living structure to be visible from space. If you’d like to learn more about corals, the celebrations associated with the Year of the Reef, or what you can do to participate in their health, go to the official web site, www.iyor.org. Remember, when in the water, stand only on sand. Touch nothing while swimming, snorkeling, or diving, unless you know that it’s ok. Sometimes, just a human touch can kill.

St. Croix continues to attract international attention from the travel and leisure media. Nearby Buck Island recently was recognized as the top green destination in the world by Travelocity’s on-line community, IgoUgo. Featuring more than 700 acres of protected reefs, Buck Island is one of two underwater national monuments, and the only one occurring naturally. The November issue of Caribbean Travel and Life magazine highlighted St. Croix, calling it the Next Great Place! The September issue of Architectural Digest featured a home, Blue Vista Villa, designed and built by Paul Silverberg, with most of the furnishings conceived by Richard Harris of Designworks (downtown Christiansted). And, Island News interviewed Chris and Christie for an article about what it’s like to move here and run a business.

St. Croix is busy this time of year with tourists and long term visitors (we call “snowbirds”). The island feels alive and thriving. Lots of familiar faces and lots of new ones just discovering our gem in the ocean.

February 2nd is the Mardi Croix Parade in Cane Bay. It’s a wild wonderful wacky time! Come prepared to be delighted!

February 6th begins a series of house tours, which benefit the Landmarks Society. These are held on Wednesdays throughout the month, and give you different perspectives of life on our island – some newer homes, some historic estates.

February 8th – 10th is the 15th Annual St. Croix International Regatta! The big boats will be racing in the Buck Island Channel, and the IC-24s and Optimists will be inside Teague Bay. You can expect two days of competitive racing. Ours is the first of a series of six regattas which wrap up in Antigua in March.

February 16th – 18th is our annual AgriFest. For $5 you can attend and see locally produced agricultural products, livestock, arts and crafts, and, my favorite, local cuisine. There are also displays from other islands. We love to attend, eat great food, drink freshly crushed sugar cane juice (sweet and full of vitamins), and talk with folks from all over the Caribbean. If you enjoy your local County Fair, you’ll have a great time!

February 17th, and March 16th are Ruins Rambles with the Landmarks Society. Usually, an historian takes people on a guided tour of a historic site, and talks about what life was like on that particular location. We have been on several of these rambles, & they are always interesting and informative. Be sure to take a hat and bottle of water along.

February 24th is the St. Croix Environmental Association SEA Creatures Masquerade Ball at the Divi Carina Bay Casino. This is a great event with dinner, dancing (music by Jamesie and the Allstars), & a silent auction. Now, we love silent auctions. They are such fun! Christie always donates a freshwater pearl necklace, hand knotted on silk cord, with a sterling silver clasp. Hopefully, it will again bring this important organization some $. Costumes are optional, of course. Two years ago, Chris, Christie, & Chris’ sister, Eve all went dressed as Lion’s Mane Jellyfish. Eve had made our fabulous costumes from things she found at the Animal Shelter Thrift store, & a little gold paint. We won a prize! In past years, we have seen creative costumes made from just construction paper, or pipe cleaners. There are other very creative or intricate costumes, though. I believe the first prize winner that year was a group of people who entered the room in a large cardboard treasure chest. When the chest opened, they popped out as dead pirates! A mask can be purchased at the door for $5. Tickets for the event are $65.

March 17th is the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Christiansted. It’s surprising that there’s so much wearin’ of the green here! There will be lots of revelers, & Irish music around!

Other than that, there are many fund raisers for local charities, sunset jazz in Frederiksted, music at Whim Plantation, First Friday evenings in Christiansted, Artwalk in Christiansted, & just limin’ on the beach.

We have been watching the cold weather up north. After living here 3 years, it’s difficult for us to relate to life in the snow, ice, & fog. Not many flights have been delayed by the weather, thank goodness. We hate thinking of our customers stuck in airports, or worse, stuck on airplanes, waiting of the weather to change, or the plane to de-ice. When people disembark here, we can almost hear a sigh of relief as they are greeted by the warm air. Then, big smiles appear on their faces, & they say, “This is great!” So, it’s a good time to take a break, & come south where the water is about 83 degrees. We hope to see many of you back on our lovely island!
 

Christie & Chris Powers, Kingsley Roberts, & Dan McDaid