Rain, rain go away....

and come again another day, or another day, or another day.....

Hurricane season came early to Cayman with tropical storms Alberto and Beryl looming. The rains started about 10 days ago and didn't stop much. When the rain started the pool looked like this;

 We went for a drive at the weekend and the roads were flooded. With such a low water table in Cayman it's not surprising. These were taken down our road.

Up in Seven Mile Beach the water was so high that low riding vehicles got water in the exhaust and it was game over. they had to push it down the road to higher ground. This is why we bought a 4x4!

Garden's were flooded.......

Really flooded......

 Our pool looked like this at the end of the weekend. So it's a fair bit of water.

It was so windy that they were kite surfing in South Sound - something we'd both like to try at some point soon!

The Flip Flop Tree was started by a couple who wanted to raise awareness of recycling as they were surprised to find over 300 washed up shoes while exploring the island's beaches on their first visit. So they started the process and since then people have written messages on their shoes and nailed them to the tree. There are baby crocs, flippers, wedges, high heels, wellies.....and yes if the wind is travelling the wrong way it really does smell on a hot day so go on an overcast one!

Tis also the season for land crabs. While BBQing on Sunday we found a crab family living under our friend's front door step. Meet Mum, Dad and Junior;

Barny discovered that the palm trees that were not cultivated by hand or machine grew in rather a more pleasing way and a perfect shape for hanging out on a sunny afternoon.

As we had friends over from the USA it was recommended to us to go on a Jetski tour run by Fatfish adventures. It was absolutely brilliant. We started off at one of the many canals and then went exploring in the mangroves. Bon didn't mind the slow speeds but once we got to open ocean and about 35 mph - the expletives and cries of "Holy ^%%^$" could luckily only be heard by the fish as she was so far behind the others. Meanwhile Barn lead the team and learnt how to spin, wheel and create a tidal wave..... boys huh?...... tut tut. ;-)

 Then we jetted across to a remote beach called Starfish Point, where we got to handle starfish - I'm not sure I'd ever seen or held a live one before and they are mailable but feel like a very strong muscle and a gorgeous colour.

Then we jetted off to the sandbar where we swam and fed the stingrays. Richard our guide has a favourite fishy friend called Freckles and she (having consumed 3lbs of squid) let us hold her while she lay in her protein coma.
They are beautiful creatures, as rough as sandpaper on top and as soft as silk underneath and not as dangerous as people think. It's the black coating on the barb of the tail that is poisonous not the barb itself and usually it is raised if the ray feels threatened - these rays know a good thing when they find one and just want to be fed so it's pretty easy not to be scared.

More soon on our Jubilee weekend adventures in Her Majesty's Former Colony and Commonwealth island of Jamaica...