From Minnesota to St. Lucia and Maryland, Thanks to Friends

Marigot Bay

Christmas with our Minnesotan Mates, Dawn, Nora, Ian and Mike

The highlight of our time in St. Lucia has been catching up with friends. Having a week with Dawn, Mike, Nora and Ian, in Marigot Bay was a lot of fun and a very special time for us. Our friendship spans 13 years from the day we moved into our house in Minnesota, "fresh off the boat" from Australia. Dawn and I gardened and shopped together, Mike and Robert drank wine, fished and swapped stories (whoppers) together and the young ones did what they do best, messed about and had a lot of fun.

Ceiling detail, Marigot Bay home

Mike and Dawn have been the best of friends over the years. We laughed together through so many firsts in the US, like the day Mike helped us tame the dragon in the basement. We'd never experienced a basement before, let alone a roaring furnace in a basement the size of a Sydney single-fronted. Who knew you have to change a filter regularly?

The house in Marigot Bay is circular.

Then there was the snowy winter's day when we called Mike and Dawn to identify the cute little, furry creature our naturalist, Elliot caught hopping through the snow. Not a bunny, crikies, it's a vole. He didn't know they bite. We'll never forget Dino Land and the boys' arch rival Barbie Land. This is no place to tell all, you'll have to ask quietly about that episode. There are lingering nightmares that go something like this; "neighborhood boys scarred for life by invaders from Barbie Land".

Dinosaurs v's Barbie Land Bandits



The Ronningen's got to sail Bristol Rose from Marigot to Rodney Bay

We have no photographs to prove it but we know Dawn and Mike went above and beyond quite literally to help us get Miss Daisie to Maryland on their way back to Minnesota. Making the decision not to take Daisie across the Pacific was hard but necessary. Those many days at sea, the longest of which will be the leg from the Galapagos to the Marquesas, a distance of 2980 miles, (15 to 22 days) are hard on a dog who is longing to see, smell and feel the dirt under her paws.

Bristol Rose on the mooring at Marigot Bay

Daisie's next journey is from Miami to Maryland, tomorrow. There she will be met by our dear friend Donna. We hope that Donna, Rick, Daniel and Leah will enjoy the time with Daisie. There's no doubt Daisie will be very pleased to see them. She remembers the time she spent with the family when she was just a puppy. She's always excited to see Donna.

Hummingbird