Crabs with Attitude

Hi everyone - good to hear that you are enjoying reading these posts. I am enjoying writing them and I have lots to tell today.

Friday night the "7 Wonders of the World" as we were called in the invitation to Claudia's going away dinner went to Pagua Bay for dinner. It is on the other side of the island - near the airport - about an hour drive each way. We hired a van to drive us. These 7 were the people Claudia wanted to share her dinner with - kind of like my lunch at Katana. I felt honoured to be included in the group.
We had a blast and a great dinner. This is a very nice restaurant - we started with sauteed calamari and seared Ahi tuna and then had lovely tenderloins (I am told best you'll get on the island), caesar salad and cheesecake for dessert. Very full!! We laughed and told stories about Claudia, said what we would miss most about her and then she made us all cry by talking about what wonderful women and friends we were. Another reminder that you need your girlfriends.
It was great fun. On the way home there were lots of crabs on the road - big ones - and as you approach they rear up and brandish their claws at the car to scare you. It is really funny to see them - like we're going to be scared. We just howled. They don't even move sometimes- they just challenge you. Others scurry away and you have to try not to run them over. It's not crab season right now so it is illegal to hunt them - as tempting as they are to just pick up. That is a skill too because they are pretty aggressive and pinch pretty hard. The locals know how to get them and I have met a lady up the hill who will get them for me when it is the season.

Also on Friday night I was invited to play poker - it seems the usual boy's game was going to allow women because they were bringing food -figures!! Carol and I decided that we will get
euchre going as well as an alternative to poker. That will be a blast. I told Harold and Francisco
that I will teach them how to play but they will have to swear in French. They thought that was good. I am looking forward to some pretty wild games happening.

I went in to Roseau again yesterday with Harold - he plays squash every Saturday and dropped me off to shop again. It's really great to be able to go in with him as he is very comfortable driving. I went to the big market this time and boy did I have fun. I checked everything out and chatted with a lot of the ladies at the stalls. I bought stuff to cook again - I invited Claudia for dinner since she gave me grief about cooking last Sunday and not inviting her. I told her I needed to see how it would turn out before subjecting somebody else to it - she didn't care. Today I am going to make a chicken dish with tomato and coconut curry sauce, an avocado and watercress salad and lentils with pumpkin as a side - all recipes in The Spice Necklace (the book I have talked about) - oh and peanut ice cream - yummmmm!!!! It's in the freezer now - really easy to make. I can't wait. Geez, just think what I'll be doing when I actually have my stuff. It is a challenge to cook with not much stuff.

I am doing laundry again this morning (how exciting huh?) - as I am out hanging stuff on the back deck clothesline I strung I am watching sailboats and a ferry on the water - it is so pretty.
It is HOT but there is a gorgeous breeze today - it is sunny too - a nice change from all the rain we've been having lately.

Well, I guess that's it for now -

stay tuned and love to all