Days 13 - 15: Moving, Miss Lucy's, & Kiddel Beach

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Sunday... Another Sunday - that means another Miss Lucy's brunch!!! YUM!! We got there before they officially start (10am) and were able to score a table right on the water. Jeff ordered something amazing - I can't remember the name but it had smoked salmon in scrambled eggs with some French sauce on top. Incredible. I got the Frenchtoast again... but next time I'm getting what Jeff got. We saw the Stainbachs at Miss Lucy's too - that was really cool. We're going to try to meet up at a beach one day this week. As we were leaving, we also saw another couple that we met during Carnival. This is the 2nd time we've run into them since, and it's so cool1 They live in Philly but have a house here. They are retired so they spend a good bit of the winter here, and right now they are here for two weeks. They said Miss Lucy's is a tradition... a must. We agree! We had planned on doing a hike after brunch (Ram's Head), but we didn't get out of Miss Lucy's until close to noon, and it was soooo hot by then. We've been pleasantly surprised by the temperatures though - it hasn't been as hot this time as last (not yet anyway). So, we decided to take advantage of our last day of the pool. We needed to wash clothes and start getting ready to transition houses. :-( We don't want to leave these amazing views, but anything is good... afterall, we're HERE. So, we swam, played farkle and uno and read some of the Dawn Treader while we worked on laundry. We ended the day with our last dinner at the cottage... delicious grilled chicken and baked potatoes and brocolli. YUM! Tonight we FINALLY got to watch the Deathly Hallows Part II. Now we're officially ready for Universal! Monday... Today was exhausting and bittersweet. We were not ready to leave Stonewood Cottage... it's a place where you feel like family to the owners and where perusing the bookshelves gives you the sense that they are kindred souls. We will miss being there (and we will miss the pool!!), but it's amazing that we were able to stay for as long as we did1 Honeymooners are coming in today, so we had a cleaning and packing day. The closer this day has come, the more it hung over my head, because I was worried about getting it cleaned and ready... but we did it1 Sheets washed and beds made, floors cleaned, furniture dusted, bathrooms cleaned, towels washed and folded... and then I realized tonight as we were watching a movie: I forgot to run the dishwasher!!! ugh. We moved into our new place, just down the hill. Sixty dollars a night. Wow. It's tiny (and I do mean tiny), but it is clean, and the family that owns it is so nice! they have two daughters, and Maddie and Matthew enjoyed exploring the yard with them - they raise ducks and had ducklings, and Matthew and Maddier were able to pet and even hold them. We're settled in... and it's a relief to have the transition behind us. We have 8 more days in paradise. We don't have the same views (or the pool), but we're HERE, and that's what counts the most. Tuesday... We feel right at home now in our new "home away from home." It's not Stonewood Cottage, but we're adjusting. It's very clean and cozy (and TINY... T-I-N-Y), but it works, and it's only $60 a night! The family we're renting from (they live in the upper level and rent out two downstairs apartments) is so nice. The husband was born and raised here and is a fire fighter, scuba instructor (part-time) and EMT (AND he was on the 1992 Virgin Islands bobsled team!!), and the wife (from Maine) is a traveling book-keeper. They have two daughters, Sela (11) and Seirra (9). Needless, to say, Maddie is thrilled. We spent some time with them yesterday evening getting the low down on the property and so forth, and even meeting the pet ducks. They raise Muscovy ducks - the only breed of quack-less ducks! Maddie and Matthew petted them and even got to hold one of the ducklings. The family also has a dog (Shadow) and two cats. Maddie NOW wants pet ducks (and a pet donkey AND a pet goat). LOL. The owners gave us some new snorkel spots to check out, and we went to one of other today after we did a hike this morning. We hiked up to Ram's Head, and it was full of breathtaking views. It was hot, but both kids had their camelbacks, so we had plenty of water. :-) It was over a two mile hike round trip, and it was well worth it. After the hike, we headed to Kiddel Beach, and it is TRULY off the beaten path. When we first got there, we realized we had the wrong goggles for Matthew, and within 5 minutes of swimming along the shore the check things out, one of my flippers tore, so we headed back to our house for equipment changes. :-) Then we headed back and arrived at the same time as another couple. It was their first time too. We geared up and hit the water. It was absolutely amazing. We saw two sea turtles and the clincher was a spotted eagle ray - a huge one! Of course my batter was dead by then, but it was beautiful. So amazing. After snorkeling, we headed into town to get groceries for our new spot. Tonight we grilled baby back ribs! They were on sale (precooked) and were not half bad! That, salad (even Matthew!) and a baked potato and we were set. We followed that by a couple hands of UNO, our family "Jesus Calling devotion, a chapter of the Dawn Treader and now, some Funniest Home Videos. :-) Fans all around, trying to stay cool... but sooooo glad to be here regardless!