Stage 1

Jean left Minneapolis with one of our cats, Delta, but could not bring the dog, Edgar, along because Miami was already too hot. Other than a long walk through the Miami terminal, her flight was uneventful, and when she arrived on St. Croix, she called Joyce Hurd at Sprat Hall and arranged to stay there until she could move into our new home in St. George. We had visited Joyce during our April scouting trip, and it was helpful to have at least a little bit of the familiar.

Two weeks later, Jim successfully trailered Ambivalence from Wisconsin to Ft. Lauderdale via Columbus, Ohio and Chapel Hill, NC. He arrived a day early despite a flat tire on the trailer only 50 miles from his destination. The information he'd been given wasn't very accurate, but the people at Crowley Logistics were helpful, and the van and boat were measured, inspected and loaded.

To read more about Jim's "Road trip" Click here

Stage 2

Jim's flight from Ft. Lauderdale to San Juan was delayed because Hurricane Charlie was in the area. Maddie was a good cat though and accepted the confinement and flight really quite well.

We could never have made it if Edgar had been along though.

San Juan

The American Eagle gates at the San Juan airport were as crowded as usual.

Stage 3: Moving in

Jean was able to hire two men to unload the container and haul our stuff up hill to our house. They also moved the extra beds and shower stall our landlord had left for us (?) out onto the East Gallery. Most of the unpacking was done by the time Jim arrived, but there were still a few boxes to unpack and the knocked down furniture to reassemble. Reminiscent of the old days when we moved more often, Jim thought hanging pictures on the walls was an important part of settling in (even if the existing hooks were all too high).

Stage 4: Adapting and networking (where we are now)

Here are some photos of the beautiful place we've come to live

(this isn't really a photo of St. Croix; it's Saba but St Croix is over the horizon)

but this is a picture of me sitting in front of the Whim museum on St. Croix

and this is Jean on the Frederiksted Pier the evening of the Queen Louise Home Centennial Ball

One of our favorite spots: the Sunset Grill at Sprat Hall Beach

but the view from our East Gallery isn't too shabby either!