A Caribbean Christening

The sun rises at 5:35 here and a pitch black night explodes with brilliant beams shinning through the window. Climbing out of bed, I stumble across a lush Tropical landscape of Palm Trees with coconuts, Papaya and flowers of every color. They dance in the ocean breeze. My feet hit the powder white sand of the beach and I wade into the Bay up to my knees. I fall straight forward into the acqua blue water and just float face down. This is how I wake up every morning when I'm here. It's a glorious start to the day! After making my way back, I pour a cup of coffee and sit outside marveling at the beauty of a Caribbean morning. Pouring my second cup, I flip on the radio that I brought down here years ago to OASIS 96.3. It's a campy station that plays a little bit of everything. Each morning there is an editional, "Good Morning Mr. Governor" that tries to persade the elected here to do something or another. Most often it is a plea to bring in more cruise ships. The fact is there are far fewer arriving this year than there were last year or the year before. One is in today and they're always exciting. Signs will be placed on Orient Beach proclaiming "Beads for clothes" or "Free Beer for Clothes" in attempts to persuade tourists to strip. A lot do. Yesterday Sarah and I were recruited to participate in a Beach Ball competition. After blowing up our Beach Ball we had to name it. Then we'd line up and throw them into the ocean. Last one in was the winner. The winner got beads. Being here is kind of like Adult Day Camp. I stumble back to the beach with our towels and lay them in our chairs. We will be surrounded by people we now know on a first name basis. I couldn't tell you their last names if my life depended on it but by the time this trip ends we will all have exchanged names and emails to stay in touch. That's the way it is here. Over the years, I've collected dear friends who live scattered around the world. The best of them are arriving in a few days. There's also friends here who I haven't seen in a while. Later today we're having lunch with Jan and Dick in a beach front French restaurant. We keep up with each other's life's on Face Book which is one of God's greatest gifts. It sure beats email in terms of keeping up with those you love. Tonight there is a Manager's Wine and Cheese party and most everyone staying here will attend. My friend Carlos, the manager of Papagayo, the restaurant, will pour wine will the Managers pretend to host. Everyone else will drink as much free wine as they can in a hour. Most will hang around for dinner and dancing. It also gets darker here earlier than on the eastern shore of the United States. Nights are brilliant displays where the Milky Way puts on a show for free. I love walking the beach back to the Chalet we're staying in. There are mountains that surround Orient Bay, thick and green, and the lights from the houses sprinkled on them look like a blanket of stars at night. There are no television here and the phone only connects you to the other rooms. While a lot of people don't like that, I do. The campy songs of the radio are enough. There is Internet connection so those dying to keep up with the news, or the baseball scores, can do so. Not me. I've spent a career doing that. This is the christening of a new life. Sarah and I were baptized in the Caribbean Sea yesterday. Today the sun will shine on us and the Trade Winds will blow us cool kisses. Tonight we'll toast it all and celebrate with old friends and new ones. Then we'll dance under the stars. Afterwards, we'll stumble home and ... tomorrow, we'll do it all again.