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NATIONAL NOTES
ABACO TOURIST OFFICE UPDATE
ABACO'S COOKNG!
BIRDS OF ABACO
GARDENING
PUZZLE CORNER
ISLAND PLANTS
OLD GRUMPY
EDITORIAL
HOMEOWNERS' HOTLINE
MARINERS COVE
VILLA VIGNETTES
SAND BANK YACHT CLUB NOTES
TROPICAL FRUIT & GARDEN SOCIETY OF ABACO
TWO VERY SPECIAL EVENTS
PUBLISHER'S CORNER
ROYAL PALM FRONDS
WELCOME TO SANDY POINT
CUSTOMS TIPS
ABACO JOURNAL WEDDING
NOVEMBER 1996
DECEMBER 1996
Nestor Productions visited Abaco from 10th-12th November. There were here to do a video on the history of piracy in The Bahamas. The programme will be shown on 7th January in France and Germany.
Island Properties held a real estate investment seminar in Treasure Cay from 11th-14th November. The purpose of the course was to help the public better understand and learn the many real estate and investment opportunities throughout The Bahamas, the Caribbean, Central America and the rest of the world. The seminar attracted some eighty persons.
Big Tours, a group of travel agents out of Russia, visited Abaco with a party of fourteen on 13th November. Bozell Publications sent ten journalists to Abaco from 14th-20th November to do a write up on Abaco.
Catherine Denose from BTO France accompanied a group of ten German travel agents on 15th November. They had hoped to visit Green Turtle Cay but instead visited Great Abaco Beach Resort in Marsh Harbour due to weather conditions.
Paradise Golf was accompanied by Earl Miller and Lenville Johnson of BTO Miami at Treasure Cay on 15th November. They met with the management of Treasure Cay Resort to discuss rates for golfing and fishing accommodations. They were given a tour of Treasure Cay Golf Course and Marsh Harbour.
Carambolas are expensive because they need delicate handling during harvesting, packing and shipping. Supply by local growers makes Carambolas one of the few fruits that are cheaper in Abaco stores than in the US. January is the month of greatest production so give one or all of these recipes a try.
The Abaco Journal went to Abaco's most experienced Carambola Cook - Donna Kern of Parrot Point, Sugar Loaf Cay. Not only does she grow her own Carambolas in abundance, she even has one of the most delightful rental properties available in the area called, of course, Carambola Cottage.
1/2 cup ButterMelt butter in small saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, cloves and cinnamon. Spread mixture in a 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 cake pan. Arrange slices of Carambola on top of sugar mixture in an attractive design. Stir the almond extract into the prepared batter and carefully spoon into cake pan. Bake in a pre-heated 375 oven for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 Ripe Carambola, sliced with seeds removed
1 tsp Almond extract
1 Package Yellow Cake mix, prepared into batter
Maraschino cherries
Almond slices
Allow cake to cool for 5 minutes. Loosen sides with knife and place serving dish on top. Invert serving dish and cake. Decorate with cherries and almond slices. May be served either hot or cold with whipped cream.
1 stick Butter or MargarineGrease and flour tube pan. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter. Add sugar. Beat in one egg at a time. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream in four additions. Add vanilla. Stir in minced Carambola and half of walnuts. Pour into pan. Sprinkle with remaining half of walnuts. Place eight Carambola slices on cake, evenly spaced. Bake 55-60 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and remove from pan.
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 cups Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 pint Sour Cream
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
3 Carambola (Cut & reserve 8 slices. Mince remaining)Topping
3/4 cup Confectioners Sugar
2 Tsp warm water
1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence
Mix confectioners sugar, warm water and vanilla. Drizzle on cake and let flow on sides.
2 cups SugarCream sugar and oil together. Add eggs, vanilla, lime juice, flour, baking soda and salt. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour batter equally into two greased loaf pans. (You can use wax paper in pans.) Bake at 350 for one hour and a quarter hours. When cool, slice and wrap in plastic wrap. Can be frozen.
1 cup Oil
3 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
1 Tsp Lime Juice
3 cups Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
2 cups Carambola, crushed
1 8 1/2 can Pineapple and juice
3/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 cup Dates, chopped
1 cup Pecans, chopped
1 cup Coconut, shredded
2 cups FlourCombine flour, baking powder, baking soda and set aside. Cream together sugar, margarine, eggs, salt and orange juice. Add this to dry ingredients in four additions. Fold in nuts and Carambola. Bake in well greased pan at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes.
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup Sugar
1 stick Margarine
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Orange Juice
1 cup Chopped Nuts
1 cup Carambola, chopped with seeds removed
6 Carambolas, choppedCombine all ingredients. Cook slowly, stirring frequently until mixture thickens (about 1 hour). Pour into sterilised jars and seal, or plastic containers and freeze.
2 1/4 cups Brown Sugar
1 1/2 cups White Raisins
3 oz Crystallised Ginger, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 clove Garlic, chopped fine
2 cups (or a little less) White Wine Vinegar
1 small bag Pickling Spices (remove after cooking)
Abaco parrots are often encountered near the highway between Crossing Rocks and the Hole in the Wall junction. Their density increases as you enter the triangle formed by the junction, Hole in the Wall and Cross Harbour.
The official name of the Abaco parrot is Amazona leucocephala bahamensis which is Latin for 'white headed Amazonian parrot from The Bahamas'. Although it's head is white, the Abaco parrot is mostly emerald green with a flash of red on the throat and blue flight feathers.
Parrots are found on only two islands of The Bahamas. The Abaco parrot is identical to the Inagua parrot in all respects except for its habit of nesting in rock crevices on the ground. The Inagua parrot nests in trees. Ground nesting leaves the young parrots prey to wild cats, snakes and (in coastal areas) land crabs. Some are drowned during summer rainstorms.
Nobody knows for sure how many Abaco parrots there are. Most estimates are close to 1000. Abaco parrots form life-long pairings and nest in spring and summer. Two to four eggs are laid and tended by the female while the male forages for her. Once the featherless (and indescribably ugly) chicks are hatched, both parents help feed them.
It is forbidden to molest Abaco parrots in any way. Severe penalties apply to anyone who tries to harm or capture them. They are very much an endangered species and their nesting grounds in south Abaco have been turned into a National Park. There are indications that their foraging regions are expanding and that is a healthy sign.
It's a wonderful experience to stand in the Abaco forest surrounded by dozens of pairs of gregarious parrots, all of them telling each other noisily that you're there. It's an experience we must preserve for our grandchildren.
Many consider January to be the best gardening month on Abaco. Your vegetable patch should be producing your favourites and there's still time to plant more. The lawn needs only an occasional trim and there should be plenty of citrus on your trees. Most flowering shrubs seem to do particularly well at this time of year.
Most of January's jobs will involve ensuring your vegetables will keep coming for many months yet. Successive sowing allows you to get the most out of your vegetable garden. A general rule of thumb is to start the next set of fruiting vegetables such as peppers and tomatoes when flowers appear on the previous set. Leaf and root vegetables should be re-sown when you judge the first crop to be about half grown.
Insect activity is at its lowest of the year this month but keep your eyes open for Giant Tomato Hornworm caterpillars. They are bright green and can grow to 5 inches long. The fierce looking spike at the tail end is for ornamental purposes only and the caterpillar is harmless to human beings. But not to tomatoes! One caterpillar can strip the leaves and fruit from a mature plant in one day. If you see evidence of your tomato plants being eaten, look hard for Giant Hornworms as their camouflage is excellent. Sometimes they dine in twos and threes so don't think you've solved the problem by finding one. The best way to deal with them is to pick them off your plants and apply the sole of your shoe.
Another problem with tomatoes involves tiny worms called Nematodes. If your plants suddenly wilt and start to die at the early fruiting stage, pull one of them up. If the roots are swollen and carbuncled you have Nematodes. There is nothing you can do about your infected crop but you can treat the soil with a nematicide to prevent further infestations. Crop rotation helps avoid Nematode problems.
Blossom end rot in maturing tomatoes can be caused by mineral deficiencies but most often can be attributed to uneven watering. Fruits enlarge themselves from the blossom end which has to produce more 'skin' at a regular rate. A dry period followed by a soaking tends to stretch the skin of the fruit beyond its capabilities and allow fungus diseases to penetrate.
I am pleased to announce that the second edition of my Home Gardening in The Bahamas is now on sale in bookstores on Abaco and in Nassau at $5.95. It has been considerably expanded and has a durable cover and coated staples for long life. As a special service to Abaco Journal readers in the US and the rest of the world we will mail you a copy for $6.95 if you contact Gardener Jack, PO Box AB-20107, Marsh Harbour, Abaco or Abaco Journal at PO Box AB-20642.
These fruits are produced from the branches of a medium size tree with attractive foliage. The tree produces fruit early, certainly by its third year. Although trees can be easily grown from seed it is best to get a grafted variety from the nursery.
The Carambola likes about 60% shade so is a perfect candidate for growing in a grove of taller fruit trees. It is also very sensitive to winds so needs to be grown in a sheltered position.
One of the most attractive features of the Carambola is that it produces fruit to a certain extent all year round. There is a flush of production in August but the largest crop occurs in January when branches are laden with fruit.
The lovely pink and mauve flowers are borne in clusters along the top length of branches. As the fruits develop they hang below the branches, turning from green to yellow or orange when ripe. The taste is not really 'tropical' and is more like dessert apples than anything else, being very clean and lacking the perfumed overtones associated with most tropical fruits.
Easy to grow, easy to eat - why not join the Carambola craze.
This article contains sexually explicit material. Do not read any further if you are under 18 or are offended by frank and revealing material.
But, of course, you're still reading, aren't you? And you can bet your socks that youngsters increased their eyeballing rate and didn't give a darn for any warning.
The Internet has come to Abaco and is an uncensored medium. Dial up the World Wide Web and the Whole Nine Yards of Human Experience is available to you. And to your kids.
This worries some parents. They know a warning that the next click of a window will bring up sexually explicit material is like 'Bingo!' to kids.
I'm not here to solve your problems. Solve them yourselves. But if you are worried about what your kids will access on the Net, here's a few points.
When I first went on the Net I surfed for offensive material. I did this, of course, only to investigate what may be accidently accessed by my kids. Honest! Really! Hey! I came to the conclusion that if you have brought your little monsters up to realise that TV talk shows are not real life, there's little to worry about. They should be able to suspect it's a heavy dose of fantasy instead of the real world of mummy, daddy, school and that cute guy who sits in front them in class.
Nudity in itself can hardly be considered offensive for much of our heritage of art would be suspect if that were the case. What I found most distressing were the sophomoric written come-ons, which included several words I had never encountered before. The whole world of pornography is rather pathetic and kids are likely to recognise this. I started to doze off.
The best news is that if you don't look for offensive material you don't find it, at least in my limited experience. Whether you worry about it or not is up to you. Kids are not prurient about sex, only curious.
Try to remember back to those days when your hormonal activity was only exceeded by your ignorance of the facts of life. Very few adults can do this honestly. Those who can will feel sorry for this generaton which is being brought up with no real heroes, no real music and greater confusion about things sexual than ever before.
If you're tempted to blow your top over dubious material your kids have beamed up, beware. You will probably reveal more about yourself than you intend. Like it or not, when your kids grow up they'll be just like you. And you turned out fine, didn't you?
We're talking about store hours on our island. When is it too late to go and make a purchase or a payment? Most people who live in our Abaco communities know exactly what can be done when. They know that some stores say they close at such and such an hour but can be prevailed upon for many minutes after. Others close on the dot.
All the banks display their hours of opening, though only Barclays does it in metal. Few government departments let the visiting public know their hours of business. This is complicated by the fact that some departments remain open while unable to take in revenue.
Most Abaco businesses have their hours of business clearly displayed but, of course, it's always the one you need that's silent on the matter. One visitor waited outside a shop until almost 9.30 and then asked a local what time the store was due to be opened up.
"Nine o' clock!" was the cheerful rejoinder.
"But it's almost nine-thirty now."
"Yes, but it's Monday. She don't open on Mondays!"
In more ways than this we must put ourselves into the shoes of our visitors and realise how much we know about our own communities that visitors cannot be expected to guess. Did you see tourists wanting to shop on Boxing Day? The day after Christmas is one of the biggest shopping days of the year in the US.
Our customs and rules are often considered quaint by foreign visitors and that's part of our charm as a tourist destination. All business owners and heads of government departments should, however, stand for a while outside their premises and see if things are as informative to the public as they could be.
November and early December have witnessed much movement among our transient homeowner population. Among those who had a short stay and have now left us are Tom and Helen Bourne, Nancy Darnell, Barry and Wendy Holmes, Nelson and Patty Radwan, Bill and Dorothy Rodgers, Gerry and Helen Shelly, Peter and Vivienne Van der Weil, Don and Shirley Wilson, and John and Margaret Bahen. The last three couples are now somewhere in the Caribbean between Treasure Cay and the Virgin Islands on the Bahen's new 105' boat, the Mimi.
Some left us only to return during that time. They included Jerry Beck, who was almost stranded in the heavy Ohio snows of mid-November; Bruce and Doreen Barth, who spent Thanksgiving with their family in Florida; Cynthia Vernall; my husband John, who was grounded in Boston with airplane mechanical trouble; and Jackie Wilson, who spent a couple of weeks enjoying her grandchildren in Florida. Chris Fowler returned to New Jersey for a few weeks on 27th November but will be back in time to share Christmas with Joy and their houseguest, Jo Caines. Ten years ago Jo, along with her daughter, sailed her 40' ketch Wemoon from Treasure Cay to Australia via the Panama Canal and the South Pacific Ocean.
Among those who arrived since my last report and are still in Treasure Cay are Bill Bulger, Bill and Betty Richardson (who intend to spend Christmas here with sixteen family members), Phil and Jean English, Buddy Gerald and Linda, Warren Steiner, Jerry and Rose Mary Roberts (who took a well-earned rest on the mainland for six weeks), George and Carolyn Stern (whose priorities this winter will be golf, tennis, boating and their garden, in that order) and Charlie and Peggy Morgan. Bill and Clair Regan are back too, and Bill looks wonderfully fit and well after his surgery.
The Melzers, Sheehes, Snapps and Laceys spent the Holiday Season with their families away from Treasure Cay but intend to be back here early in January.
We have neither heard nor seen anything of Ida Conklin or Alex and Helen Svoboda yet, but we hope we will see them in Treasure Cay very soon.
Our best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery go out to Ella Pinder, who is about to have her third eye surgery in rapid succession. Our prayers are with you, Ella.
[Editor's note: In last month's Homeowners' Hotline Molly and Peter Plumb's successful cataract surgery inadvertently appeared as 'heart surgery'. The Abaco Journal regrets any embarrassment (or bewilderment) this may have caused the Plumbs and their many friends. Apologies also to Edna.]
It seems unusually quiet this month at Treasure Cay. I'm reminded of a poem that started: 'Spring is sprung, the grass is riz. I wonder where the birdies iz?' Is it my imagination or are there fewer birds here? Could the storms and hurricanes this season have interferred with the migrations from the north?
I remember being told in 1971 that Hurricane Betsy in 1965, a breeze of 154-170 mph, did extensive damage to the new Inn and some houses. But a lasting effect was from the lack of birds that had been blown away. It was still apparent when we first came to TC. It seems the variety and number of birds have been increasing ever since.
Relief from the stillness came on our Paula Thompson's birthday when everybody turned out for a celebration by the pool. Paula's husband, Reg Knowles, and son Rosio were the guests of honour. Swelling the ranks were part of the Haags family, Phil and Dianna Goulding. Katie (3) sang the birthday song to Paula, solo and a capella, while Megan (1) took it all in.
The Sneads and Geddons came in from Royal Palm. We are always glad to see them continue to join the parties at their old neighbourhood. Puffing with pride, the Quincys just learned that their home town pf Medford, Oregon, made the national news on radio. It seems a young boy there found a five-legged frog. End of story.
Marge Kotsch and Jane Dixon are packing in the bridge games while Billy K is spending as much time as he can on the tennis courts. Jane is enjoying a brief respite from caring for the ailing family members.
Bearing good tidings from some of our North Carolina friends, Harold and Renee Smith from Virginia Beach reported that most of them suffered little or no damage during Hurricanes Bertha and Fran. One favourite Mariner's Cove couple, Bill and Jill Cox didn't fare as well. They lost their very new home at Topsail Island. We hope they'll return here this winter for some nourishing love and support from their TC neighbourhood.
Thanksgiving was observed with a pot luck dinner outside. The menu was pretty close to traditional, as was the pleasure of sharing it with good friends.
Assuming that the game of horseshoes would be popular when it was too windy for anything else. Jerry Moore was sought out for an explanation for this lack of activity in the pits. Apparently, the wind has a very difinite effect on the flight of the heavy shoes. It will be good to see the games go on when the wind settles down. They are a source of much fun and hilarity - especially when certain beginners try their skill, threatening everyone in sight. Meanwhile, Marvel and Jerry are using their boundless energy on the golf course.
We can't close without mentioning how pleasant it is to see Joe Sewall and Meredith Hashey surveying their priceless view from the balcony overlooking the marina. It's a panorama of pure contentment.
We hope our pages will be filled with many stories reflecting good news and happiness in 1997. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The month of December is blowing past because everyone here and at home is preparing for the festive season.
The villas have been nearly deserted so there is little to report. Tenders to re-pave the parking lots will soon be accepted and some garden improvements are about to begin on the island turn-about in front of the pool. It is hoped the island will become a bower of beautiful plants to enhance the villa area. Once the flowering bushes are in place it is hoped that one of our members, or several, will offer to make signs letting newcomers to The Bahamas know what is growing there.
What one end of ther beach loses, the other gains. Sometimes it's not fun. The stone walled pathway to the beach was completely drifted in just as firmly as if we had had a blizzard. Thanks to Israel's many hours labour and the use of a large machine it is now open.
This is the time to wish all a bountiful and healthy 1997.
The fall programme of the Sand Bank Yacht Club concluded on 25th November, the night of the full moon, with a Full Moon Madness cocktail party at the Royal Palm Deck in Treasure Cay. The Club provided and served the cocktails. Members brought hors d'oeuvres of their choice and shared them with the other participants.
Sixty-five members and their houseguests attended the event, many having recently arrived in Treasure Cay to spend the US Thanksgiving Holiday, Christmas and New Year here, while others were about to leave to celebrate the Holiday Season with relatives and friends in other parts of the world. The air was filled with cries of "Haste Ye Back" from those who were staying to those who were about to leave.
The next Sand Bank Yacht Club event will be the Annual Change of Watch Dinner at the Treasure Cay Spinnaker Restaurant on Friday 24th January. That evening, the Club will observe the twenty-fifth anniversary of its founding in 1972 and a truly gala evening is in store for all members who can be there to celebrate this landmark event in the Club's history.
Speaker for the evening was Marsh Harbour's Reg Patterson who discussed Bush Medicine in The Bahamas. He told how his father, Jack Patterson, had brought him up with an extensive knowledge of local trees and this had led to an interest in Bush Medicine.
Mr Patterson delineated the history of Bush Medicine and how it gained importance in the Out Islands where doctors were rarely available. He mentioned a host of attributes given to local plants and trees to cure such ailments as indigestion, leukemia, cancer, colds, backache, diarrhoea, skin rashes, hypertension and sexual dysfunction. He then served members with a sample of Fever Grass tea.
The next meeting of the Society will be held on Thursday 23rd January when Bonsai expert Charles Gamble will return to demonstrate his Bahamian Bonsai techniques. We look forward to seeing all our winter resident members out in force for this most interesting presentation.
Ferries captained by Nigel, Larry, and Troy Lowe started leaving the mainland at five p.m. to enable those who wished to make a full evening of it. One can dine at either Laura's Kitchen where the food is scrumptious or take in the ambience of Toulouse Lautrec at New Plymouth Inn. There are other restaurants but these are the ones we chose for the two concerts. Restaurant reservations were part of the prior planning. Despite the descending crowd everyone was seated and served promptly.
The Sand Dollar Shop had a jewellery and clothing show to fill in free time before or after dinner. The displays were beautiful and some left town for the concerts adorned with early Christmas gifts.
One can reach the theatre on Shank's pony though it is a bit dark along the way unless lit by the moon. It takes about fifteen minutes. The good ships Bolo were ready at the New Plymouth Landing to ferry those wishing a ride through Black Sound, which is a picturesque way to arrive.
The garden area behind the Lowe house has been transformed into an outdoor amphitheatre. Hillside seating in large garden chairs offered everyone present a clear and comfortable view on the newly constructed wooden stage. The lighting for the area was as soft and gentle as the surroundings. The stage lighting was also soft and highly professional. The sound system was excellent.
At concert number one, multi-talented James Mastin was the Master of Ceremonies and also one of the singers who graced us with a potpourri of melodies from several Broadway plays. The attentive gathering of over 300 guests were held spellbound to beautifully sung songs from The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misˇrables, Evita and Cats, among others. The piano accompaniment was perfect.
On the evening of the second concert we all were in festive spirits as this was the true kick-off of the Christmas season. All attending were a bit weather conscious as a natural pyrotechnic display was very evident before the show began.
A co-ordinated team from the USA presented a thought provoking concert. TL Brown may be a banker but he came across as an evocative vocalist who seemed to truly soul search as he sang, thus making the whole show more credible. Ellen Haynes was a perfect foil for him. A young idealistic glamour girl who right before our eyes literally became a modern bag lady with a jazzed up shopping cart full of incredible things. Whoever wrote her lines has a fantastic insight into the peculiarities and foibles of modern man and it was with considerable talent and charm that Ellen presented them to us and to her companions from outer space.
The pyrotechnics increased, the numerous bats were very restless and darted to and fro, adding a seemingly planned addition to the theatrics. The timing was perfect. Wind roared through the palms and swirling leaves resembling hail floated down into the footlights. No curtain call. The audience made a wild scramble for boats, golf carts and ferry. Some of us nearly took off like Mary Poppins but we made it to the ferry. A special thanks to the ferry captains who for both concerts had to come out for our benefit in very inclement weather.
All those who took part in the preparation, staging and entertainment did so on a voluntary basis. Monies collected for the evening's entertainment were donated to the Cultural Society.
Given the effort and support by civic minded persons like Alton Lowe, James Mastin, Dr Sandra Riley, Veronica Saunders and Pat Robertshaw, to name but a few, it is no wonder that this relatively new group has enjoyed such success in its commitment to bring a new dimension of the arts to the island of Green Turtle.
As a result of the positive response to the performances already held, two more evenings of entertainment are scheduled for May 2nd and 3rd.
Our neighbour Ellen Bird had hardly said hello after Francine and my return the island when she complained of two errors in her article. The December issue hadn't even been distributed. Then Bob Bird let us know of some concrete blocks he had purchased from Abaco Trucking & Machinery as a result of an ad he had seen in the Journal. I felt good again. When Bob gave a negative reply to my question "Did you tell the storekeeper that you made the purchase as a result of seeing our ad?", I felt a little bad again.
"You gotta be thick skinned to be in the rag business." ex-publisher Bill Glasgow had uninvitedly advised me shortly after we purchased the paper from Marilyn Irr. Thick-skinned we have become. The admonishment I received in front of the Mini Market last Saturday was perhaps one of the best.
Hank Albury was "gabbing" with the guys when I passed the group of men standing in front of the store. "Hey, Bill," Hank called. "You got an error in your paper." "What's that?" I replied. "Fran Wooley never put that stuff you talked about in the paper in her conch fritter sauce. I ought to know," he added with emphasis. "I used to fish out her conchs."
I went right home and checked the Journal article against Fran's recipe for Conch Fritters in the Abaco Cook Book. It was printed word for word except for the last paragraph which described "The traditional conch fritter dip..." The Journal's text, which included such ingredients as bottled Parmesan or Blue Cheese, was nowhere to be found in her book. Hank was quite right and there was no indication in the article that this recipe for sauce was indeed not Fran's. Thanks, Hank. Glad you read the Journal.
Each and every year during January we on the staff take a fresh look at what direction we wish to pursue for future publications. This is an invitation from us for you to let us know your thoughts on how the Abaco Journal can better serve its reading public. If you wish, please write and let us know your thoughts on the matter. There is no guarantee your input will be utilized. You can be assured, however, that your thoughts and ideas will be welcome.
After spending more than fifteen Thanksgiving Days in Treasure Cay over a twenty-five year span, I can promise that the weather is wonderful during late November. Never yet had a cold or rainy day and turkey tastes just as scrumptious as in northern climes. This year is was roasted goose with all the German traditional accompaniments including a marvellous crisp wine, all served to twelve hungry and grateful guests.
We didn't have as many Royal Palm owners here as we hoped but a few regulars kept activities alive on the golf course and tennis courts. Kay and Mort Kaplan were here along with Isik Erim, although Erica flew north to cook dinner for the college age Erims. 'Pete' and Peggy Peters enjoyed a lovely, relaxed vacation reading, sewing and doing a bit of gardening. Director Michael Meyer popped in shortly after Turkey Day to immerse himself in a condo fix up project. And we were delighted to see Erika and Timmy Parker back for a week of fishing and beach time. Michele and Florence Gillet arrived from Switzerland and Spain respectively to share a ten day sun bath with two of Florence's friends. They all left many shades darker, looking fit. Brenda and Joe Calihan flew over for a short week with promises to soon return while Ginny and Bob Snead arrived for a nice long stay with lots of tennis planned. Had a phone call from Pete Rockwell who says he bought a boat and both will appear in a few weeks.
Early December brought Jack Arkney over from Florida with some fishing buddies and we understand the bonefishing is excellent. Several owners have put up their Christmas decorations and the sparkling lights look so inviting in the evenings. Christmas trees arrived in Marsh Harbour creating a mad scramble before the last of the shipment was scooped. Mind you, Christmas trees are a very scarce item on Abaco! We understand that many of our condos are rented for the season and we look forward to a very special island holiday.
May your 1997 be full of joy and peace with the fulfilment of many wonderful expectations.
The lovely sign was painted by Marsh Harbour's Don Barnes as a gift to the people of Sandy Point. It was the second sign he has painted for the community. The sign hangs in a frame which is covered by a plait roof. A beautiful sign for a beautiful settlement.
Whenever importing goods from the US, please follow the following guidelines:
1. All invoices or receipts must have suppliers name, address and telephone number.
2. All invoices must show unit price, extended price and total.
3. Inland freight will be accessed by Customs at ten cents per lb on all shipments not listed as POB or CIF delivered or showing cost of delivery charges to foreign port.
4. If goods are picked up and delivered to port by importers, please present receipt showing purchase of gas as cost of delivery.
5. Short shipments and damaged goods must be verified at the Bahamian port before home delivery of goods.
6. Used items or personal items must show a value for customs purpose. Value must be based on open market value of present condition.
7. A false declaration of value and items can lead to confiscation of goods, resulting in a fine and payment of duty on the true value of items.
Ollie turns a packet of confusion into our readable Journal every month, while Sally ensures that all our hundreds of subscribers receive their copies on time - and pay up!
What does this mean for Abaco Journal readers? Will subscription rates be slashed? Will monthly issues appear in our outlets two weeks early? And will Ollie be the only Durrell to get hitched this season? Stay tuned for further developments....
Meantime, direct e-mail subscription enquiries to the newlyweds at ollied@sunline.net and continue to shovel the rest to the Editor at Fax (242) 367-2580.