Jay

2011-12-13T09:11:00.000-08:00

She was woken early in the morning by shuffled footsteps outside, the creak of the bathroom door. The shutters were closed but she knew that outside the sky was still mainly dark, a tinge of light beginning to form over the hills. Lying in the warmth of her bed she realised one of her socks had come off as she slept. It didn’t matter now with the bed so warm.
Her bedroom door opened and a rush of irritation filled her.
“I’m awake,” she said.
“Do you want your light on?”
“No.”
The figure, one hand still resting on the door handle, retreated, pulling the door with it.
As happened most mornings, the door swung open as soon as it was released and was stopped by the shelves with a quiet bump, muffled by the coat hanging there.
She rolled over onto her side, face to the wall, pulling her knees up to her chest hoping that somehow this movement would make getting up seem a more desirable prospect.
It didn’t.
She pushed the sockless foot out from under the duvet to see how cold it was. She pulled it back into the warmth quickly. The echoing tap of footsteps going down the staircase sounded loud in the cold morning.
Deciding that was her cue for action, she slipped quickly out from under the covers, pulling her pyjama top over her head as fast as she could. The cold air was cruel, making her shudder as she pulled on her work clothes.
Leaving the shutters closed she went to the bathroom, arms folded across her body as if that would somehow stop her body heat escaping. She brushed her teeth and splashed icy water on her face. The remnants of sleep disappeared down the drain with the water.
Crossing the landing back to her room she switched on the light and found a hairpin on her desk. She pushed it into her hair at the side of her face and picked up the mug from last night.

Jane Eyre

2011-12-04T01:44:00.001-08:00

I wrote this piece after watching the new Jane Eyre film. It's a fantastic film, by the way. Anyway, it inspired me and I wrote this. It's supposed to be the scene just after Jane discovers the fire in Mr Rochester's room and they put it out. Mr Rochester tells Jane to wait in his room and leaves.

She waited in that room, the air thick with cold smoke that caught in her throat as she breathed. His heavy coat round her shoulders, she sat on a chair near the ampty hearth. The coat smelled of him.

For more than an hour she sat there, back straight, shivering, in case he should return at any moment. Eventually, though, fatigue overtook her and she pulled the coat up to her chin, leaning back a little in the chair. She told herself she would hear him coming and compose herself quickly.

As time passed, she fell asleep, thoughts of propriety lost to dreams.

Mr Rochester entered his room. She was asleep in his chair, her head to one side, her serene expression very different from the guarded one that usually commanded her features. As though sensing his presence she stirred and in that moment between sleep and wake a flicker of warmth seemed to pass through her eyes when she saw him. Then she sat up quickly, composing herself.

"You will speak of this to noone, Jane. D'you understand?" He said.

She nodded and stood up.

"Goodnight Sir," She made to leave the room. He caught her arm as she tried to pass him and held it by the wrist.

"You would leave me, after what has passed here tonight?," he sounded sad. "Jane, you saved my life."

The heat from his hand on her arm seemed to spread through her body like fire. His face was so close to hers, she could feel his breath on her cheeks.

"I...Sir, I did what anyone would."

"Jane, death by fire is a terrible way to leave this world."

"I am glad then, Sir, that it was avoided," her heart was beating so fast she was sure he must hear it.

His face was so close to hers, his eyes piercing hers....

Suddenly she remembered where she was, who she was.

"Goodnight Sir," her voice was barely a whisper.
She fled.

2011-11-09T04:39:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of book reviews I wrote for an assignment set by my Uncle who gave me the books.

The Big J; Andrew Murray Scott; Savage Publishers; £7.95
Set in a fictional Scottish village on the North East coast, this novel is full of evocative local detail. The story centres around local teenager, Robbie Strachan, and ‘the big J’, a stranger to the area. He rides a motorbike and for Robbie and his friends, soon becomes an idol.
For these frustrated adolescents, the summer is ripe with possibility and ‘J’ is soon in over his head, Robbie watching jealously from the sideline. Promptly balance is lost and things start to head downhill - fast.
Although it’s an interesting read The Big J is not as gripping as it could be. We don’t really get to know the characters because of their lack of dimension and the ending comes as no surprise to most. Its redeeming feature is the well captured essence of the place which, unlike the characters, doesn’t fall flat. Overall, a worthwhile read for anyone interested in a sense of what life is like in a tiny coastal village in Scotland.
Andrew Murray Scott was born in Aberdeen. He has written four novels including Tumulus, his first, which won the inaugural Dundee Book Prize in 1999.

White Male Heart; Ruaridh Nicoll; Black Swan; £6.99
Aaron and Hugh have grown up together in the bleak wilderness of the Scottish highlands and are bound to each other like brothers. United by a love of their natural surroundings and difficult family life they rely on each other for support. But now change comes upon them when a woman arrives in the area, forcing Hugh to think of his future and to look at his friend in a new light.
As the strain between them builds and anger ripens, they turn to the only brutal vice they know….
This shocking tale of friendship and betrayal will leave you breathless as Nicoll builds tensions into an explosive climax. He captures the brooding sense of the place and delves deep into the dark, innate psyche of his characters. Written in instinctively original prose White Male Heart is startlingly visceral and will stay with it’s readers for a long time. Some may find it too brutal and shocking but I would say that this fantastically written book is worth every penny.
An award-winning journalist, Ruaridh Nicoll has worked for the Observer and the Guardian. White Male Heart is his first novel. He grew up in the highland county of Sutherland.

2011-11-04T03:17:00.001-07:00

    The narrow street was empty, a cool wind scattering a few leaves along the cobbles.
    A man wearing a flat-cap shuffled along pushing the portugese version of the street cleaner along in front of him. A bucket on wheels - and a broom, of course. He swept a few cigarette butts into a pile, taking his time. Into the dustpan which, in turn, was emptied into the wheeled bucket.
    He paused after his exertion to take a handkerchief from his pocket and mop his brow with it.

2011-11-03T03:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a poem I wrote yesterday. I've been reading Sylvia Plath recently and she's inspired me. I still don't have a title so if you have any suggestions then leave a comment!

The oceans bleed into the sky,
People passing, grey and slow,
They look through me as through smudged glass,
My body must be solid but they want to mould it like theirs,
I cannot, I will not, their death moon wants to crush me and my strength has gone.

2011-09-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

I may not be able to post for a couple of weeks due to the fact that my family and I are off to work on an organic farm on Wednesday. I may have some interesting stories to tell when I get back!

2011-09-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Long, straight, white-blonde hair, run through with lime green streaks. Rebellious eyes and a wicked smile. Dark eyes drawing you in and holding you. She walks carelessly, swinging her arms. She moves like a child, not conscious of the eyes watching her.

She walks through the county-side, through long grass that tickles her feet. Her dress flows out behind her, with her hair, blown by the wind. She tilts her face to the sun, a smile on her face which seems to tell everything - her joy and her pain.

Anne

2011-08-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

“His Majesty, the King,” announced the herald from the far end of the hall.

    Everyone hurried to the sides of the room leaving a narrow, empty passage for King Henry VIII to walk through. The people bowed as he walked past and murmurs of “Your Majesty” followed him through the hall like a wave. One person, however, was not as respectful as the rest. A young woman, new to court, glanced up as he walked past, eager to know what this great King looked like. He wasn't tall but neither was he short and he walked with a slight limp, an old wound, she thought. He wasn't handsome and he was unshaven although his clothes were fairly clean looking. His eyes met hers as he walked and quickly she dropped her gaze and sank into a low curtsey.
    “Your Majesty.”
    She thought he may have let out a scornful chuckle as he went on but it was so quiet that she doubted whether anyone but herself had heard it.
    That evening there was a celebration in court for the newborn baby boy that Queen Katherine had given birth to that day. At last, Henry had an heir. The Queen herself wasn't present but the King was. He didn't take part in the festivities but sat at a table on a raised platform overlooking the dancers.
    He recognised the young woman who had so brazenly raised her eyes to his the morning and chuckled. He watched her dance for a while and then beckoned to one of his courtiers.
    “Majesty?”
    “Who is that woman?” he asked, pointing to her.
    “Anne Boleyn. She's new to court.”

The King turned his head away from the man and looked back at Anne.

She looked up at King Henry VIII and smiled invitingly at him. Then, dropping her eyes demurely, she swept in to a low curtsey, excitement tightening in her stomach.

Seawater

2011-08-28T02:46:00.000-07:00

Mathew and Naomi were teenagers, bound together closer than any brother and sister although they were obviously not related, Mathew with his blonde hair and light complexion was so at odds with Naomi’s olive skin and black curly hair. Their parents, Sarah and Rory ran the local vetinary practice. Mathew and Naomi had gone to the same Primary school in the village and now both went to the same secondary school, catching the same bus together every morning. Mathew was a very protective older brother although the pair seemed to be best friends and confided in each other about everything. To outsiders this relationship was strange and even their parents felt left out sometimes from their children’s lives.

But recently something had changed. They had drifted apart. Their parents reasoned with each other that Mathew was simply growing up, he had new friends now, new interests and was tired of his younger sister always tagging alone. They talked about Naomi, how she too had found new friends in the Secondary school. But they knew in their hearts that these reasons weren’t reasonable - they knew something deep and mysterious had shifted between Mathew and Naomi.

    “Naomi! Come on - you’re gonna miss the bus!” Mathew yelled up the stairs. A few months earlier and he would’ve said “we’re gonna miss the bus”.
    “Mathew! Stop shouting for goodness sake”, said his mother, exasperated. “Go ahead and I’ll get her up.”
    Grumbling he stomped out, letting some tangy sea air in as he slammed the door.
    Sarah went up the stairs and into her daughter’s bedroom.
    “Naomi, my lovely, come on - time to get up.”
    No response.
    “Naomi?” Sarah was worried now. “Are you alright?”
    She knelt down by the bed. Naomi had pulled the duvet up over her head. Sarah pulled back the covers and frowned.
    Naomi wasn’t there. She’d rolled up some clothes and her pillow to make it look like she was but there was no mistaking it. Naomi wasn’t there.
    Sarah raced back downstairs and called her husband.
    “Rory? Naomi’s gone.”
    “Gone? Where?”
    “Well I don’t know, do I! She’s just gone - she didn’t get on the bus with Mathew this morning and then I found her clothes and……”
    “Ok, ok, calm down Sarah, it’s alright, I’ll be over in a minute. Alright?”
    “Okay.”
    “Maybe you could phone Matt?”
    “Ok. Love you.”
    “You too. See you in a minute.”
    Sarah put the phone down and called her son.
    Mathew was on the bus when his phone rang.
    “Mum?”
    “Yeah - listen, Naomi isn’t here.”
    “What do you mean - she isn’t in her bed?”
    “Yeah - you know. She’s probably just trying to scare us - she’s been a bit out of it recently.”
    Yeah, thought Mathew - more than you know.
    “Mathew, do you know where she is?”
    He paused, feeling sick - maybe he should tell her…..
    “Mathew?”
    “No, of course not Ma - I would’ve told you.”
    “Okay sweetheart, phone me if you think of anything.”
    “Alright Mum, I will - should I come home?”
    “No, no, you carry on - she might even be in school waiting for you!” the cheeriness in her voice fell flat.
    “Bye Ma.”
    “Bye Matt.”
    He put the phone down, his heart filling with dread. He turned to his friend, Mitch.
    “Wanna bunk off today?”
    “Sure”, Said Mitch enthusiastically.
    “Go down the crag?”
    “If you want….”, he hesitated. “It might be a bit rough….”
    Mathew knew where Naomi was - and it wasn’t school.

An hour later, looking out over the rocky promontory “a bit rough” seemed like a tremendous understatement. The sky and sea were grey and the white peaks of the waves crashed deafeningly onto the rocks below sending a spray of seawater through the air. Mathew tasted the familiar tang of sea-salt on his lips.

    “Jesus! It’s a proper gale now, eh!?” shouted Mitch over the roaring waves and howling winds. “Come on - let’s get back up to the road!”
    Matthew seemed not hear or take any notice of him. Mitch frowned - his friend had been acting pretty weird all morning and now he was getting worried.
    “Matt? Come on man - it’s howling!”
    Matthew turned to Mitch. “I’m going down there.”
    Mitch looked down at the waves breaking on deadly rocks below. “Are off your nut? You can’t go down there!”
    “It’s Naomi - she’s in trouble,” Mitch stared into his best friend’s eyes as he spoke. “Mitch - I’ve got to go down there.”
    “What are you talking about? There’s no way Naomi’s down there in this weather!” Mitch yelled over the wind which seemed to have picked up a notch.
    “I have to go now! There’s no time to explain - don’t wait any longer,” Matthew’s eyes were desperate. “Just wait up here - don‘t come down”
    “What? What’s going on Matt?! Come on, let‘s just get out of here.”
    “Trust me - please - just trust me.”
    With that he turned and started off, climbing down the rocks, keeping low - out of the wind.
    “Matt!”
    Mitch watched helplessly, torn between following his friend and doing what Matt had so urgently bid him. ‘This is insane’, he thought, his hands on his head, wondering what the hell was going on.

    As her brother started to climb down the treacherous rocks, Naomi was waking up. She felt warm and deeply rested……she opened her eyes. Strange, she thought - she seemed to be underwater although she was breathing quite normally. The thought of being underwater didn’t worry her at all, she felt quite calm, almost wanted to drift back to sleep. It was quiet. She sat up slowly and realised that she’d been lying on sand - the bottom of the sea perhaps? Still not fully awake, her senses numbed, she felt no urgency to understand why she had ended up in this peculiar situation after falling asleep in her bed just like every other night. Gazing down at the sand she was lying on, she realised that her feet were tied - tethered to the ocean floor. This worried her and she immediately tried to free herself, kicking and tearing at the ropes with her fingers. She became more and more upset as the ropes stayed firmly in place and was almost crying when she heard something - a voice.
    “Naomi! Naomi!” The voice was urgent - desperate. Naomi? Something stirred in her memories…….Matthew! Her brother - of course! How had she come to forget him? It wasn’t possible surely - she suddenly felt worried and any remnants of her calmness disappeared. Where was she? Why? How?
    “Naomi!”
    “Matt! I’m here! I’m here Matt! Can you hear me? I’m tied up - can you hear me?! Matt! I’m here - down here!!”
    She tugged desperately at the ropes imprisoning her, to no avail. She became conscious of a sound - a single note, eerily drifting through the thick silent water around her. Gazing around, she tried to find the source of the noise. It built in pitch, becoming stronger, louder………then, suddenly, it faded away to nothing again. Naomi shivered. A cold shiver of fear. Suddenly she felt tired again. Why was she scared? That was silly - she should feel safe, warm, happy. There was nothing to worry about……..
    “Naomi!”
    Her eyelids almost closed, her mind already drifting off to oblivious sleep, something fluttered inside her - who was calling? Who was he calling? Instinctively she knew the person was male…..how did she know that?
    “Naomi!”
    Leave me alone, she thought. Leave me to sleep. But wait! What was she doing! Adrenaline pumped through her veins - come on she said to herself, get it together girl. She felt as though she were in a thick fog and couldn’t find her way out. The temptation to sink into the fog and into oblivion was strong, and she was so…..so tired. Her eyelids fluttered closed and her body sagged onto the ocean floor. Her face relaxed into an expression of pure serenity.

    Above the surface, Matt was battered and soaked through to the skin, salt stining his eyes as he tried to make out the next foothold on the slimy rocks.
    “Naomi!”
    He was shouting at the top of his lungs but the wind was throwing his words back in his face as soon as he forced them out.
    “Naomi! Naomi - where are you?!!”
    He struggled on, slipped and cut his leg, bright blood over his ankle.
    “Come back Naomi - please!”

To be continued………

Oakbank

2011-08-27T07:37:00.000-07:00

It was on the third floor, the top floor of an old Victorian house. Originally a servant’s room it was small with thin wooden walls. It was lovely to lie there and imagine who slept there before me - a maid perhaps? I could look out of the window and see along the street, almost to the river. If I sat up on the high ledge and leaned out, I could even see my Dad crossing the road back from work. I remember in one corner there was a cot which my brother and I had both slept in as babies. A nightlight sat at the end of my bed to keep the ankle-grabbing monster that lived under my bed at bay. It had a red shade that cast a lovely warm glow in which I could imagine fairies dancing in once I fell asleep.

I loved my room but it had one great flaw. There were too many stairs for my Nana to climb to read my bedtime story to me. And so, my little brother who’s room was on the ground floor, got her there instead and after the story I would have to climb all the stairs myself……….

The White-Haired Boy

2011-08-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

A boy stood, head tilted back, mouth wide. He sang with the voice of a hundred angels. The sky opened and mystical beings poured out to sing with him. He sang and sang, his white hair flowing over his shoulders. He sang until his voice could continue no more and then sank to his knees in the grass and wept. He wept for the songs he would never sing until he had not one tear left.

Those who had sang with him returned to where they belonged leaving the white-haired boy alone. He looked up and saw they were gone and wept again until his tears caused a great ocean to flood the land. He was drowned but his legend lived on.
The boy with the white hair was never forgotten as those below heard whispers from heaven of his great song.

The Back Shore......

2011-08-25T03:11:00.000-07:00

    The back shore in late afternoon, a vast stretch of stones and pebbles, the tide right out leaving metres of sand exposed. Dead jellyfish dot the wet beach. Clear with purple rings - the harmless ones. They lie there, dead and still but somehow no more alive than when you see them pulsing through the water in the bay.
    A dog barks n the distance, the owner throws something into the water for it. The dog bounds into the sea, no hesitation, and retrieves the object. Back to his master for another throw, an unending circle of throwing and retrieving begins.
    I walk along the sand, up to the stones and sit down. The sea is calm before me, the sky reflected on it’s surface, orange from the sunset. My headphones round my neck, I put R.E.M on and turn the volume up to full blast. Sadness swells in my chest as I listen to it, the familiar sounds reminding me of Dad.

Dog and man have moved off now, leaving the beach empty and me alone. The music’s actually quite good although I am ,of course, obligated to hate it since Dad likes it. Funny, the politics of families. I’d love to just chat to him right now - tell him what I’ve been up to.

Two people are coming along the beach from the village. Hand in hand, they are obviously a couple. The woman’s scarf drifts lazily over her shoulder. They pass and carry on along the beach until their voices fade out of earshot. I’m left alone again but I’m not really alone am I? No. Two seagulls land on the beach, squabbling, eyeing each other, beady eyes staring. They flap their and off they go, chattering and swooping, the currents holding them high in the air.

I shiver, pulling my jacket closer around me - it’s getting cold - time to go home.

Some Interesting Quotes........

2011-08-25T03:00:00.001-07:00

I just write what I wanted to write. I write what amuses me. It's totally for myself.

J. K. Rowling

Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say 'infinitely' when you mean 'very'; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.

C. S. Lewis (1898 - 1963)

If writers stopped writing about what happened to them, then there would be a lot of empty pages.

Elaine Liner, We Got Naked, Now What, SXSW 2006

I don't know which is more discouraging, literature or chickens.

E. B. White

I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.

Mark Twain (1835-1910)

The covers of this book are too far apart.

Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914)

I keep six honest serving men. (They taught me all I know); Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who.

- Rudyard Kipling

This morning I took out a comma and this afternoon I put it back again.

- Oscar Wilde

There is one last thing to remember: writers are always selling somebody out.

- Joan Didion

Merry Christmas

2010-12-21T07:57:00.000-08:00

2010-12-19T04:15:00.000-08:00

To cut a long story short we did make it although only just due to not changing the clocks on the boat when we got to Portugal which is an hour different to the Azores! The happy reunion was emotional and, of course, as soon as we got back to the boat Mum took over the cleaning which felt a bit strange to me, after all, I had been doing it for the last month and a half! I was so happy to be back with Mum again and even put up with all her stories about what they'd done back in Scotland (with a very green face, mind you!), who they'd seen, how big all my cousins had got, etc. Anyway since then we've been in Portugal and still are. We got a dog, Osfaldo (Oz for short) for Mum's birthday - he's a rescued dog and we're all so attached to him now, he's so cute and he gets really worried when anyone gets off the boat - he likes everyone to be together.

It's almost Christmas now and everyone’s doing lots of 'secret' things, well, as secret as you can be on a 48ft boat!! Mum was very disappointed to find out that she couldn't get a ham here for Christmas dinner but I think we're having duck instead. I am, of course, making the cake which I guarantee will be magnificent!! The Portugese definitely love christmas - they have a live donkey in the nativity scene outside a church in Olhao and speakers all through the streets playing carols!

Merry Christmas!

2010-09-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

Hi again!! I know - it's amazing, eh - two posts in almost as many days! So, where were we? Oh yeah - the horrible weather on the way to Portugal .... well, we got to Lagos in the Algarve in the late afternoon of the 8th July - the day before Mum and Sam were supposed to fly in!! The boat was a mess - the hatches had been leaking and everything was damp and smelly. We had until noon the next day to clean it up, hire a car and drive to Faro to pick them up from the airport! Oh yeah - and we were both absolutely EXHAUSTED after the horrible trip. So will we make it or not? That is the question .... and you are going to have to wait and see until my next post!! Bye! Xx

2010-09-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

So ... yes people - yet again I have unforgivably neglected you all and deprived you of all the amazingly magnificent details of my life! I suppose I should give you some basic details of the last few months. Well - After my last post on this blog Mum and Sam flew home to Scotland and Dad and I left a couple of days after to cross the atlantic to the Azores. We went staraight across to Flores - the most eastern of the islands. Our passage was 22 days...I think! We had pretty good weather all the way and we were in SSB contact with some other boats around us, particularly a catamaran called Katar which has a family on board with a 10 year old boy, Eric who was friends with Sam when we were in St Martin. When we got to Flores we squeezed into the tiny and already packed anchorage and drank rum and coke until we fell asleep -- that didn't take long!! Flores was beautiful - the people were lovely and extremely friendly - I can honestly say that it was one of the best places I have ever been in my whole life. Sam, Mum and my grandparents were supposed to fly out here but to cut a long story (very) short -- they didn't! So ... Dad and I had to take the boat alll the way to Portugal. Unlike the previous trip we had horrible weather -- 30 knots against for about 5 days! More of this story later......

Drawing!

2010-05-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, I actually drew these!! Thanks to a cartoon drawing book that Devi from sy Arctic Tern gave me!!

St Martin

2010-05-09T05:54:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't posted for so long - you know how bad I am at it! Sams blog is very good - you should have a look at it. If you don't know the address then here it is : www.sam-at-sea.blogspot.com

Sea Warrior is in St Martin, anchored in the lagoon. We are getting the boat ready to cross the atlantic,or at least for Dad and I to cross. Mum and Sam are going to fly. It'll be while before we cross yet though because they haven't got tickets and because of the Iceland eruptions. The good thing is that there's a cinema not far from the boat!! Last night I went to see Avatar in 3D - it's a really weird but fantastic film. There are a few kids around but as ussual none my age - the closest is about 13. I'll probably end up having my birthday on the boat somwhere in the atlantic which is annoying because it's my 16th and I was hoping for a BIG party!! Devi and Hunter (sy Arctic Tern) gave me a package to open on my birthday - Thankyou!!

St Martin is half Dutch, half French which is unusual for such a small island and at first the different currencies were confusing but we just use US dollars on both sides. Strangely they speak mostly english on the dutch side and although I've only been to the french side once they seemed to speak english and french there too!? I don't know, its pretty confusing.

Yesterday I baked 145 cookies (no mean feat in our little oven) and sam went round the boats to sell them. We made $21 each and 1 euro! Yippee!

Lots of love to everyone! J. xxx.

Mount Pelee

2010-03-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

This post is about our adventure up Mount Pelee, the (active) volcano at the south end of Martinique!

We got up at about 6:00 am (it was still dark!!!!) to leave. I have told Dad over and over that teenagers are NOT supposed to get up early but I don't think the message has got through yet! Anyway, we got up at an unearthly hour of the morning and went ashore. Then we waited in the bus stop for ages for a guy who had assured us he would be on time with his bus to take us to the walk. He eventually arrived and Dad and I lugged our heavy packs into the bus and sat down with mum and sam. He took us up to a village called Mont Rouge and dropped us off on the outskirts of town, about 6 km from the walk!! So, we began to walk........and walk..............and walk........until a friendly farmer in a pickup truck gave us a lift with his vegetables on the back of the truck!! At the start of the walk the fog was very thick and by this time it was quarter to eight so we set off again. The start of the trail was almost vertical!! AND I had this enormous heavy rucksack on my back and NO leg muscles! Eventually we got to a little bothy at the bottom of 'the chinese peak' which is the highest part. The fog was a real peasouper and we couldn't see the magnificent view of the valley. We left our packs there (phew!) and climbed up the peak, hoping for a better view but the fog was just as thick there and mum and I had loads of water in our hair from it! Disappointed, we walked back down to the bothy and used our camping stove to make some tea and ate some food. Afterwards, Mum and Sam left to go back to the boat and Dad and I set up camp, pitching our tent. We spent the rest of the sfternoon playing card games and climbing back up the peak around 4:30 when the fog cleared a bit and we had an AMAZING view of the north of the island. When we got back to camp we found that some other people had camped right on the other side of the bothy! Can you imagine how many people camp up there through the year and then on the day we go someone else does too!

The next morning we were up and off down the other side of the volcano early and it was a steep descent with aching muscles from the day before although our packs were much lighter. We hitched a lift back St. Pierre only to discover that Sea Warrior wasn't quite in the same place we left her! Luckily Mum said she had only just started dragging so we arrived just in time.!!

Wow!

2010-02-25T10:27:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! 'Sea Warrior' and crew is in Martinique at the moment and carnival has just finished. We were in Fort de France (the capital) last Sunday for the opening parade where the dress code was 'multicoloured'. In the morning there was a dance display and then in the afternoon the real fun began.... The music was mainly from live bands marching through the streets behind costumed dancers and paraders. Some though, had cars or trucks with enormous speakers on the back booming out over the dancing crowds. My friend Aluna (another liveaboard teenage girl) and I boogied away to the music, ate far too much candyfloss and generally enjoyed ourselves! When the parade came to an end we headed back out to our boats although ashore the music carried on, drifting across the water until the wee hours of the morning.

The next day my friend Aluna and her family left the rolly anchorage of Fort de France to head south down the Caribbean islands. Today everyone had to dress up as someone of the opposite sex so I cajoled Dad and Heiner (our friend from the boat 'La Buena Vida') into dressing up as women. Dad was particularly enthusiastic - even demanding makeup!! I organized their oufits and transformed them into beautiful damsels!! Mum,me and Marleyne (Heiner's wife) drew moustaches and goatees on each others faces and practiced our manly poses together!! The parade wasn't as big as the day before but we all had fun and it was a laugh to see Heiner and Dad dressed up!!

The next day Sea Warrior left Fort de France to go to St. Pierre, a bay further north in Martinique. Our friends Marleyne and Heiner knew I wanted to stay for some more carnival and invited me to stay with them on 'La Buena Vida'. So, Mum, Dad and Sam left me behind and sailed off into the sunset!! So that afternoon we went ashore to the carnival again. It was the busiest day yet and the streets were packed with lots of costumed paraders! We watched the parade and then joined in, dancing along with everyone else.

The next day, Wednesday, was the last day of the celebrations and they would burn the 'King of Carnival' and 'grieve' for him. Unfortuneatly the anchorage was getting rather rolly so we had to leave and go up to St. Pierre where 'Sea Warrior' was.

We spent the next few days in St Pierre enjoying the town and visiting the distillary and going on a walk along the canal walk. The canal was built by slaves to irrogate the plantation in the surrounding area. Unfortuneatly for me there were some scary heights and cliffs because the canal is built along the hillside!!

I was in the newspaper!!

2009-10-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

Ok - so I wasn't looking at the camera but hey, it was pointing in my direction! Here's a photo of the article:

So you've probably guessed which one I am - yeah that one - the white one - the only white one. The photograph was taken when we were on stage performing. I was in the newspaper for causing scandal! And I wore school uniform for the first time in years! Even the president was watching. It was at the opening of a new school and the drama group that I'm in was asked to do a short skit at the opening ceremony. So we did. And we caused a 'scandal'. Hee hee!

Number 9

2009-09-17T17:13:00.000-07:00

I called this post 'Number Nine' because that is the number of our house! The work on the boat is going slowly but surely and Dad is down in the boat yard every day! He had his first day off for ages yesterday and spent half the day sleeping!

My schoolwork is fine and I am cramming lots into each day. I am very busy! I've got football practice, squash practice and I'm a member of the Urban Expression Drama group! The drama group is great fun and there are 4 practices a week. Last Thursday we did a short skit at the opening of a new school. I didn't have any lines which was a bit disappointing but I suppose it was only my first performance. However, in November we are doing a play and if we are still here then I am going to be in it! The part is a youth and I have six lines! All the skits and plays are in the local dialect which Mum, Dad and Sam mostly can't understand at all! I am definitely getting the hang of it though. I sound more Jamaican the Vincentian though which makes the rest of the cast laugh!!

The football is fun. I practice at one of the schools in Kingstown and I am the only girl! All of the boys firmly believe that girls cannot play football and never pass me the ball. One day I got really fed up with them and tackled a boy on the opposite team, got the ball and scored two goals! Then they started passing me the ball! Unfortunately by the time the next practice came around they had reverted back to ignoring me. It is very exasperating!

Here are some random photographs:

Our gate and the road on the other side.

The view from our front door.

The Prime Minister at the opening of the new school. He shook my hand!!

The police band at the opening of the school.

Jet and her puppies!

2009-09-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

Thesenare some photos of Jet and her puppies. Jet belongs to the owners of the house we are staying in. I am giving them a hand in looking after them! They are 3 weeks old and VERY cute!!

Thanks for looking!!

Our visit to Scotland!

2009-08-31T06:38:00.000-07:00

Our visit to Scotland was fantastic and thank you to everyone who made it so. I had a great time entering Findhorn week for the first time and coming 2nd with Dad in Papa's old Graduate. It was great to see all of my Cousins, Aunties, Uncles, Grandparents and friends. I hope we will come back next summer and be able to do it all again. I can almost here the groans! Here are some pictures from our stay:

Daisy in a tent!

A garden party at Moravia.

Daisy, Jack, Ben and Tara enjoying the sun and the excellent cuisine!

Four nervous contestants for the international Heath House Lego Competition.

Grandparents and Grandchildren.

The motley Cowie clan.

Mozart relaxing and watching his favourite TV program!

Dad and I racing......and winning of course.

Nana, Auntie Hilary and I chatting.

Hermistons and Cowies meeting in the caravan.

Anna and I (note the wet hair: we've just been swimming in River Tay!)

Not quite so nice close up!!

Scot Hermiston and his well trained crew.

Oops! Looks like someone's been left behind!

Strandbo in a lock on the Caledonian Canal.

Loch Oich.

Strandbo in Loch Oich.

Amy and I keeping a lookout for pirates.

Sam helping the lock-keeper to manage the locks.

Sam relaxing.

Happy Birthday Auntie Hilary!

Hilary's birthday party - on top of a hill!

Cutting the cake. Not sure why she's wearing a helmet?

Ben and Jack.

This is in the house we're staying in on St. Vincent. Me playing the guitar looking slightly dazed.

FILM

Our plane on the way to Scotland.

Dad and I sailing in the Graduate.

Aunte Hilary's Birthday!

Thanks for reading!

The last few weeks!!

2009-06-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I haven't written on this blog for such a long time! There has been a lot of stuff going on – that's why. I suppose I should start from Bequia and the turtle sanctuary, it seems such a long time ago!
Well, I got in touch with Brother King, the owner of the sanctuary, and he said I could go along any time I wanted but if I wanted to help with the feeding I would have to get there very early in the morning! Anyway, I got Mum's bike out and got up at 6 am, took the bike ashore and cycled the 4 miles to the sanctuary. When I arrived Randolph had already started the feeding. Randolph is Brother King's right hand man who has been with him since day one of the turtle sanctuary (14 years ago). He is very nice but he has an extremely strong Caribbean accent which makes him very difficult to understand and the fact that he has only 2 or 3 teeth in his mouth doesn't help either! Anyway, he had already started feeding the turtles with their usual fishy breakfast. After feeding we had to scrub the insides of the tanks and wash out the turtle poo. Hmm, definitely my least favourite job! Brother King himself wasn't helping us because he had recently damaged a nerve in his leg. A clever scheme to get out of scrubbing poop I think? Anyway for the next few weeks I got up early (I'm a teenager so that wasn't easy!) and cycled along to help out in the mornings.
In the sanctuary there are mainly only Hawks bill turtles although there are a few Greens as well. Brother King used to be a skin diving fisherman and when he retired he built the turtle sanctuary and now, 14 years later, he is still running it. He has saved hundreds of turtles. The main predator of the turtles is humans. The locals take the eggs from the nests and eat them and the fishermen catch the turtles from the sea and sell them at the market for meat and their beautiful shells. Brother King patrols the beaches during the nesting season and takes any nests that he finds to the beach in front of the sanctuary where he waits for the eggs to hatch (3 months). When they hatch he takes them into the sanctuary and raises them until they are about 5 years old when he releases them back into the wild. The babies usually eat jellyfish but since he cannot provide this he feeds them tinned tuna-fish. The older turtles are fed fish. One of the reasons that these turtles are endangered is that they are not fully matured and ready to mate until they are 22 years old. Hawks bill turtles can live up to 200 years of age.
After staying in Bequia for a couple of weeks it was time to move on. We went back to St. Vincent to Ottley Haul, a boat yard, where we were hauled out and we have been here since then doing work on the boat. Both of the masts are off and we are oiling them. We have done all the varnish on the gunnel and the banister and now we are getting ready to go home to Scotland for two months! Our flight is on the 21st – this Sunday! Our return flight is on the 23rd August. During the last few weeks I have been helping out at the canteen for the workers from the boat yard. The cook there is a lady called Lu and she is very nice. She has had 8 children. Four girl and four boys. They have all grown up and flown away now and she is 53 years old and still working. She is not married and never has been but she is very friendly and has been lovely to us while we have been here.
My birthday was last Friday and I turned 15. Mum and Dad gave me a beginners dive course which I did in the morning. It was great! Sam gave me a skirt which he made himself! We went out for lunch and I had lovely day. Thanks to everyone who sent birthday greetings!
Anyway, now the tension is building and we are all very excited about coming home! 5 days to go!

whats going on

2009-04-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Yes, the author of this blog does still exist!! We are still in St Vincent but are hopfully off to Beqia in the next few days. We were there a while ago and went to visit the turtle sanctuary run by a local guy who said if we came back in May I could go and help him out. I'm so excited!!
For the last 2 weeks or so we have been in Cumberland bay with our french friends Manu, Hugo and Solen. There is a river that flows into the bay where we did our laundry like gypsies and walked up with a picnic twice. It was a lovely bay and we made friends with some of the fishermen including Joseph who has a son called Jay and 'Cricket' who took sam fishing.
Apart from that we havn't been doing much. Sam and Dad have been given some fishing pointers fom the fishermen in Cumberland Bay and have suddenly gone into a fishing frenzy and have so far caught..........1 fish!! I have entered a writing competition in the 'Young Writers Competition' with the help of my Grandfather who is an author. Here is my entry:

Alone
It wasn't that he didn't have a good nature – it was his appearance. He knew that – had always known it. Being six metres tall, naked apart from dirty, ragged loincloth and very hairy is not good when trying to communicate with a village of humans. His enormous matted beard and long hair was particularly terrifying because it obscured a large part of his face. The giant was trying to talk to the humans, not because he wanted to buy anything from them (where would he get anything to pay them with anyway?) - it was because he was lonely.
Yes, lonely. He had been by himself for years – ever since he could remember. Where had he come from? He didn't know. Where were his parents? He didn't know. Were there any more giants like him anywhere? He didn't know. So he lived by himself, travelling constantly, trying to find other giants. He killed animals to eat and carried on his search, living on hope which was rapidly disappearing as each day of searching proved fruitless. On and on, through desert, mountains and forest. Now and then he would come across humans as he had today and sometimes he would try to talk to them. He had never been successful but he was desperately lonely and would try anything. Twice he had been shot at with arrows but other than that people tended to gather their children inside and lock the doors. Peering out, terrified of this thing that had come to steal and kill in their village (or so they thought).
Today he had approached a small village and some children playing by the river had seen him and run off to tell the people as fast as their legs could carry them. Before he was even close they had barred their doors and locked themselves inside. Feeling defeated and not even trying to tell the villagers that he came in peace, he left and walked on through the night until he came to the edge of a vast lake which in the still night reflected the stars in then night sky. Then he stopped and sat down at the edge of the water and wept, great tears rolling down his large face. The sobs that shook his body shook the earth too until he stopped crying and looked around at the big unfriendly world.
He was alone.

Hope you enjoyed that!! Wish me luck in the competition!!

a few pictures!

2009-04-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

a beautiful Carribean sunset
a lizaard (there are lots round here)

a tortoise (also plentiful round here)

picnicing with our friends

Solen (9 year old girl), Hugo (her brother, 15 years old) and Manu (their father).

a 4 month old turtle

Sam racing against another wee boy in the 'ducky'

Me jumping from the spreaders on Hugo's boat

an iguana

my family and I

doing a litter pickup with our friends in the Tobago Cays

dad windsurfing Sea Warrior sailing!

St Vincent

2009-04-09T13:55:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Sorry i haven't written on this blog for so long. I have trouble writing factual things like this so that they sound interesting and I always avoid doing it like a chore!

Anyway we are now in the island of St Vincent which is a lot different from other islands that we have been to recently. It is rugged and mountainous with lots of rivers and very few beaches. We hired a car for 4 days over the weekend which was great. We visited the Montreal gardens run by a welsh man in the Montreal valley which is very lush and green and has a spectacular view. The gardens were great and Sam and I swam in the river which was good too.

On Saturday evening we went to a gospel concert (what else would you do on a Saturday night in down town Kingstown?). It was unusual let's say. We were a bit late so they had already started singing by the time we got there. The first women was even worse than I am at singing although the audience seemed to love it, waving there arms and singing along. After that the singers got steadily better until a large group from Barbados came. There was a main man who stood out in front and then a long line of 12 or 14 ladies behind him. They were excellent and Mum particularly enjoyed it.

On Sunday we got up at 5.30 am and drove to the beginning of the trail that goes up the Soufriere volcano. We arrived at the path at about 8.30 and Dad and I got our packs out of the car (we were going to camp at the top). The four of us walked up. It was very steep but we got up there at about 11 am. We hiked around the rim of the crater until we found a good camping spot where we pitched the tent. After lunch we went down into the crater. There was a little loch that Sam and Dad went skinny-dipping in. I didn't! Mum and Sam went back down to the car at about 3 pm while I got the tent shipshape and Dad went off to try and find some water. He didn't find any so we rationed what we already had. For tea we had spaghetti with mushroom soup as a sauce and a tin of 'Vienna' sausages (it said made in Barbados on the tin!). Needless to say it was disgusting. I think people associate camping with disgusting food because it always seems to come out o9f a tin! The next morning at 5.26 am (I checked the time exactly!) we were woken by someone outside our tent panting.

“Hey man. You camping?” Said the man.

How did you guess? Was it the tent that gave it away? That's what we felt like saying.

“Yeah,” said Dad.

“Good man, good.” said the man outside.

Yes it was good – until you woke us up!

“I'm mountain charting,” he told us.

Great, can we go back to sleep now?

Perhaps sensing that he was not welcome this early in the morning he said,”OK see you man” and ran off.

We got up around 7 and had breakfast and packed up our stuff. On the way down the hill we met a lot of rastafarien guys who we talked to. They told us they were 'going in de mountain to grow some weed man'. Hmmm. Interesting. Obviously they were not to bright – we could have been anyone! We met Mum and Sam at the car and went to a little river to swim and have our picnic.

It was great!

Cycling, walking, sailing and much, much more!

2009-02-09T07:27:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!Have a good week? I did! On Monday we hired two bikes (we already have two on board) and cycled around the island (Carriacou) which was good if you could ignore Sam's moaning! First of all we went to the bakers which is very close to the bay where the boat is and w had some coconut buns (mmmm!). Then after all that strenuous chewing we made our way north up the west coast and stopped on the way at Hillsborough, the main village, where we posted some letters and stuff. Then we carried on north and went to the round house which has some really unusual architecture (and delicious lunch!). After that we proceeded to a track that goes round the north end of the island. That was the most scenic part of the cycle I think! On the way we passed thee HQ of 'Kido', a place that I got in touch with because they have set up a volunteer program for helping the turtles that the fishermen catch to eat. During the egg laying season they patrol the beaches but at the moment it isn't the season so the only thing they do is if a fisherman catches a turtle they buy it from him and tag it and set it free again 3 or 4 miles out to sea. Anyway, we passed that but it was closed so we carried on down the east coast and then discovered that the road that we were going to go on was closed so we had to cycle up an extremely steep hill (pant, pant!) and then back to the boat. We slept well that night I can tell you!

On Wednesday we sailed to an island called Petite Martinique (PM) and I was in charge so of course - the yankee ripped. We stayed there until Sunday and during the time we were there we walked around the island (there was no road for two thirds of the way so we got very scratched by the thorns!! I also got thorns in my mouth by accident whilst eating a prickly pear! We went snorkeling at a little sand island . We made sand castles and mine had a lovely little bridge on the moat and an arch way. Mum built a road between my castle and the one that sam and Dad built!! The snorkeling was greet and there was loads of live coral and fish.

On Sunday we sailed back to Carriacou to get the sail fixed. I was the Captain again and the fishermans stay sail rrrrrrripped. Just my luck!

Carriacou

2009-02-03T09:16:00.000-08:00

Now we are in carriacou, an island just north of grenada. We have been here for about 2 weeksand yesterday we went on a bike ride round the island. It was great fun but tommorow we are leaaving to go north. We will probably go to aan issland called Petite Martinique first which is just to the north of the island. I will tell you about it in my next post!!

Goats!

2009-02-03T07:36:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right, goats!

When we were travelling around the island with Nana and Grandad we went to an estate called Belmont where there was a tour for tourists and after we had had lunch in the restaurant we went to see the animals. There were a lot of goats in their stalls there and an American lady who we got talking to . It turned out that she was trying to get a goat dairy up and running. Her main problem was getting people to work there and to work hard enough.

Anyway, after we talked to her fora while we asked if I could come and help for a few days so she gave us her phone-number and a few days later I gave her a call and went up to stay with her for the weekend. It was great. We got up really early in the morning (not so great!) and drove to Belmont which was only a 15 minute drive away from Christine's house. We would milk the goats and then put them out to graze but the kids stayed in a pen together. Then we would clean out the stalls and wash everything down. My least favourite job was scooping the poop! After that we would go

and have lunch by which time some of the goats would have started wandering back. In the afternoon's we fed the goats and the kids got the evening milk. Christine is hoping that the dairy will be fully running, making milk and cheese, in 6 months.

In the end I was up there again for one night when two kids called Rosy and Spider had just been born! They were very cute! That's them in picture number three!

Nana and Grandad's stay.

2009-02-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

Nana and Grandad came to visit us on the island of Grenada for Christmas and New Year! We had a fantastic time with them and were distraught to see them go!

This is a photo of them arriving at the airport!

Liming at a beach bar!

Christmas morning and what has Santa brought?A windsurfer Sam and I (and Dad) are thrilled!

Dad modelling a pair of shorts that Sam designed and made for him for Christmas and a t-shirt that I tastefully decorated (he hasn't worn them since!).
Dad and I in our kilts at the Christmas party.

The Christmas party on board our Irish friend Jimmy's catamaran.

Trying out the board and rig!

We had a great time with Nana and Grandad and saw most of the island in our hire car. We sailed round to a little bay called Hog island and stayed there for a night during their stay as well which was fun. We spent christmas on afriendsboaaat and hadaparty onourboatinNewYeaarssoitwa

Sunday

2008-11-10T08:37:00.000-08:00

Sunday was a really cool day. Cool as in good not as in not hot. In the morning I went to the museum just along the road from the yacht club with a group of american yachties. The museum was excellent but there was just too much stuff for one visit.
Outside the museum in the garden there was lots of vehicles and aeroplanes from the1900's. There was also a huge passenger plane which the museum had bought from the airport. They had had to cut it into pieces and transport it on the back of 13 trucks! Awesome!! Inside the museum was really hot and there was no air conditioning!! Aaaaargh!
It started with the Indians and finished with people going into space so there was loads of information. My favourite part was about Anne Bonny the notorious women pirate and I also thought the pretend trench was very realistic too.
In the afternoon I swam and played with my brother. I also watched Robin Hood but it was with real actors not animation and it was really cheesy!!

some photos!

2008-11-07T14:32:00.000-08:00

This is my family! From left to right: Sam (my brother), Jim (irish friend), Dad and Mum.

Halloween with some of our friends! From left to right: Jack, William, me!, Alistair, Monica, Sam (my brother) and Katie!

Stopping for a nibble while hiking!

trinidad

2008-11-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

So.....where did I get too? Ah, yes. So here we are in Trinidad. We have been here for about two and a half months now although it doesn't feel like that much! We are in an area called Chaguramas, or to be more precise we are in a yacht club called TTSA. There is a massive community of live-a-boards here and up until about a week ago a lot of families as well which was great for Sam and I. I especially have got involved with a lot of things here such as becoming a Net controller . The Net is something that happens every morning at 8 o'clock which informs cruisers of events coming up or helps them with maintenance problems and so on. I have also started helping in a yacht upholsterers which is fun and I am learning a lot. One of my favourite things is on Tuesday and Thursday morning and it is a class at7 am for learning Hapkido which is really cool. We are probably going to be here until December because my Grandparents are coming out to Grenada on the15th for Christmas and new year! I am very exited!

brazil to trinidad....

2008-11-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

When we got back to Brazil and to the capital (Sao Paulo) we sold the caravan and drove back to Salvador where we sold the car and got back to Sea Warrior. We stayed in Aratu Iate Clube (yacht club) and cleaned the boat out and did various little bits of maintenance. Once we were ready my Dad (Scot) and I sailed the boat from Salvador to Trinidad. It took 24 days and it was roughly 2500 nautical miles.
It was my first LONG trip apart from a week long trip but that was with Mum and my brother Sam (now 11). I really did not enjoy it. It was searing hot all the time and very uncomfortable what with being tired all the time with 3 hour watches every night and I also did all the cooking which was not fun.
Anyway I'll fill you in on the rest of the trip so far on my next post.
Byeee!

South America

2008-10-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
I've just realized that I haven't told you that I am girl and since Jay can be a boy or a girls name I shouldprobably mentionit. Anywaywhere had I got to?
So Mum and Dad bought our boat 'Sea Warrior' and we sailed down the coast of europe then to the Canaries and Africa. Africa was amazing. We went right up thee Gambia river and then Dad sailed single handeedly across the atlantic to Brazil where we met him. We then flew to Sao Paulo from Salvador where we left the boat. In Salvador we bought a car and caravan and travelled through Argentina to Tierra ddel Fuego and then back up through Chile until we reached a town called Chaiten where a volcano erupted so we had to drive across South America to Argentina and then back up to Brazil. Got to go!

Hey Dudes!

2008-10-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

Hmm. Maybe I should've written 'Yo Dudes' instead. That's a private joke for a couple of my pals, Skyler and Noah.
Anyway, my name is Jay or Jazzaroo and before you ask - my real name IS Jay. I'm 14 years old and I am from Scotland - you know.... the place where men wear skirts and drink whisky and we're all tight-fisted. Remember? Good.
Well, that's where I'm from but not where I live.I lived there until I was 10 years old and went to public school till then too. My parents ran a business called Dunolly Adventure Outdoors for 12 years as well which wore them out completely which was part of the reason the they bought the boat and decided to home school my brother Sam and I while travelling.
That's all for just now because I can only type with two fingers. Ciao, ciao!