New Visitors

Tues.
June 24 - Wrote Doris & Bud [Hamilton].

Met Mr. Pete Van Den Heuvel [sp?]. He stopped by the Hotel for a rest and a lunch - he is on 2 weeks sick leave (points to his head), is Dutch from Holland but has lived in the Dutch islands for 20 years. We went down to the Sea for our customary swim. Mr. Van Den Heuvel was still here but just getting ready to leave. He plans to sail awhile. We went to pick up Vince after having a short swim. Talked with an Englishman. He had been to St. Martin - says prices are double for an American tourist. (He also says Anguilla's prices have gone up since the British came - and the outlying villages are more expensive than the Valley.

Arik floated.


Arik enjoying a swim. Photo credit: Vince Williams.

New tire put on.

Took box to airport this a.m. Will go out tomorrow.

Wed.
June 25 - Got letters from Mom [Agnes Blakey] and Spence [Williams].

Kept the car again so took the kids swimming this morning. I got burned again. Was talking to a couple who motorboated in from a sailing yacht. They had to have their passports stamped by military. (The Beacon said the passport requirement for American, Canadian & British tourists was lifted June 12.)

Picked up Vince & girls. He was too tired to go for a dip, but I took kids plus Pat, Lorna, & Pearl.


Pat (far left), Lorna (far right), and friends having fun at the beach. Photo credit: Vince Williams.

Vince said the Drs. - owner of the yacht - had stopped in to see him. They seem to be young to be retired. He-surgeon, she-anesthesiologist, have been sailing since Nov.

Some Council members met here. I think the British are moving too slowly with the improvements.

Vince told me the British military had arrested a Dutch man. I'm curious.

Cloudy & Cool

Wed.
July 2 - Vince wrote Lyle [his brother].

Cloudy & cool again – the kids are getting a little tired of sitting around. Most of their reading material has been read. Maybe activity will increase when school is out. Had a good heavy shower!

Took the kids swimming in the afternoon before picking Vince up. While waiting for Vince, the manager of the Bank of America invited us to his house on Friday for a Fourth of July party. He is from St. Paul.

Washed clothes! Pd on July 14.

Thurs.
July 3 - Wrote Barbers [friends] & Mom [Agnes Blakey].

Rained a good one during the night. Saw a big ship in the harbor when I took Vince to work.

Went swimming a short while at noon. Picked Vince up – cool & rainy.

W. Fleming came by & was telling of his work in construction. 

Dawn Helps Out

Fri.
July 4 - Dawn went along with Vince this a.m. Vince took the p.m. off. We went swimming in Meade's Bay with Pat & Lorna. More rain today.

Went to party at Jerry Seifert's – must have been 50-60 people there. Mr. Cumber, Mr. Heman [?] - Mr. Gumbs, Jodge, Harrigan; Vanier.

Vince asked if Vaniers wanted to go swimming with us tomorrow if it quits raining.

Got home at 1:00 a.m.

Sat.
July 5 - Pat wasn't feeling good so Dawn went along with Vince to the Clinic to help. Vince didn't get home until 1:30 – a busy morning.

Got 2 letters from Mom [Agnes Blakey] and 1 from Pastor Ness. Mom wrote that Averland [Verla's brother] has a tumor on his lung – getting radiation treatments.

Took the kids to Sandy Ground – a big crowd today. These fair-haired kids sure attract company.

Had showers & shampoos before bed. (Had some good tasting apples today).

Vaniers decided to postpone our swimming date a week. Claudia had a toothache most of the night.

Long Sunday Mornings

Sun.
July 6 - Vince wrote his mom and Mr. Lutz this morning. We have such a long Sunday morning – church is a 11, and we are usually up by 6 or 6:30.

Vince played hears with Dawn & Mark this morning afternoon, and then I took the 4 down to the Sea for awhile.

We had oranges this a.m. plus, cabbage, stewed tomatoes & fruit cocktail for supper.

Good!

Mon.
July 7 - Wrote Ella [Verla's aunt].

Took the kids swimming from 10 to 12 in the morning. Manny & Eddy were there. Wrote Mom – Went swimming again from about 3-4 before picking up Vince.

Took Pat, Lorna & Pearl down for a few minutes after work. Found out to rent a boat to take us to Sandy Island would cost about $15.00.

Dawn went with Pat & Lorna to practice – but ended up going to Dina's birthday party – Simon gave them a ride home.

Shoal Bay and Island Harbor

Sat.
July 12 - Dawn went with Pat & Vince to work. Guess they had a busy morning – had 18 extractions. Vanier's came over but went ahead of us to Sandy Ground. We finally got together for a swim. Go home after seven six which was too late to get ready for a party – farewell to Michele. I had to shampoo my hair. Claudia loaned me her hair dryer but it was 220v.

Heard from Mom [Agnes Blakey].

Wrote Heruth's & Menzies.

Sun.
July 13 - We went to church and then had dinner. We went up to Shoal Bay for swimming, snorkeling, & shell hunting. Vince really liked it though the road was pretty bad. He found a beautiful conch shell which we are going to keep for a souvenir. We drove up through Island Harbor on our way home. Saw Pastor Gootch's (sp?) house, also his church and Ronald Webster's home.

Shopping in St. Martin

Mon.
July 14 - Wrote Mom.

Went swimming in the forenoon.

Arik fell asleep after lunch so didn't go in the p.m. Picked up Vince - Claudia had invited me along shopping in St. Martin tomorrow so we drove out to their place to let her know I'd go.

Took Mark & Dawn down to the beach for a short swim before supper.

Washed clothes Pd.

Tues.
July 15 - Left for St. Martin about 8:30. What a voyage – for me the waves were big – Claudia said she'd been on seas a lot rougher. The boat was crowded both ways. We go home at close to 2. And shortly after I got back to the hotel, a squall hit the channel. I'm glad we weren't on it then. We shopped in many stores in Marigot.

This is the first day the kids didn't get to go swimming and they weren't too happy over it.

The weather stayed cloudy & rainy st till supper.

A Rainy Day

July 18 – Vince wrote his mother. A rainy day – I kept the car but we didn't use it. The second day we didn't go swimming. Mark & Dawn made up treasure hunts for Pat. She found both of them when she got home.

The lights went out with only a second's warning so we went to bed by lantern light.

Spells fat.

• Breakfast – 8:00
• Orange – 9:30
• Porridge – 10:15
• Lunch – 12:00
• Taste of watermelon
• Cookies & Milk – 2:00
• Supper – 5:15

Sat.
July 19 –  Mark went to the clinic with Vince & Pat. Such a night we had – it poured! A couple of loud thunder cracks. Jené fell out of bed twice. Dawn came in to see if I heard the thunder.

Arik "messed" his pants in hallway.

Mark came in with a pain in his right hip.

The ceiling leaked – dripped on Vince's pillow. As I said, such a night!

Took Lorna & Pat down to Sandy Ground with us for a swim. Vince found starfish but no conch shells. So far we've had no luck preserving starfish.

Got lotsa mail – Sharon, Mom, Groteguts, Stroms, Hoxeng [?], Lippman, Spence, Lillie, Sita, Tim,  Elaine.

One Small Step – One Giant Leap

July 20 – Went to church this a.m. I took the kids to Sandy Ground this p.m. Dena, Eddie, Mannie, several were there. Took a short ride after supper to deliver a letter to Clayton to deliver to Miss Babette.

Listened with interest to Apollo 11. They landed safely on the moon. Vince stayed up till 11 to hear that they had stepped out on the moon.


"Restored Apollo 11 Moonwalk." Image courtesy NASA Youtube Channel.

July 21 – Washed clothes Pd. Took Vince to work. Mark rode along. Got kerosene – Vince forgot his pipe so I had to go back to the hotel for it. The kids got dressed for swimming – Dawn bought a hat – We went to Sandy Ground.

First had porridge & then soup. Heard the astronauts lift off from the moon.

Copied some Anguilla history which I got from Library this p.m.

Picked up Vince again – have been listening to radio to hear the news of Apollo 11.

Wrote to Mom tonight before going to bed.

Hurricanes and Barricudas

Mon.
July 28 – Washed clothes - Pd. Took Vince to work but didn't use the car except to pick him up again. The clouds looked threatening in the morning and it rained in the afternoon – really rained. Mrs. Connor says, "Lovely day."

Tonight on news we hear the broadcast of the first tropical storm of the season, so we will listen to its progress the next few days – 1800 mi. ESE of Puerto Rico now.

Vince said Mr. Cumber had dropped by to say Good-by and introduced Mr. Thompson, the new commissioner.

7 weeks
Tues.
July 29 – Wrote Mom. Kept the car so went swimming forenoon and afternoon. Picked up Vince – he wasn't ready but sent me on an errand to airport. Home for a delicious lobster supper.

Had sweet apples today.

Hurricane Anna is continuing her progress WNW at about 15 mi. per hour and is 1500 miles from Puerto Rico. We may feel it by Friday.

Saw what we were told was a barracuda (first identified as a shark) so it didn't take us long to get out of the water – but no harm done.

Eddie gave Jené a really pretty small conch shell, plus some other pretty shells.

Jeff came by in the evening to record radio tapes. Couldn't find a "dead" enough room. But taped Mark & Dawn singing. Those hams!


Mark and Dawn sitting in the lobby. Photo credit: Vince Williams.

Hurricane Anna No Big Deal

Wed.
July 30 – Wrote Aver. Heard from Mom, Pam, Lyle & Eastern [?]
Kept the car – went swimming in the afternoon. The hurricane is continuing moving in this direction. People are preparing for it as we are in the Hurricane Watch – getting doors ^& windows ready to bar, etc.

Wrote Eastern Air. & Babette asking for booking on flight from St. Thomas to San Juan on Aug. 11.

Thurs.
July 31 – Didn't go down to the Sea today in anticipation of Hurricane Anna. Vince went to the patient clinic to prepare it so it wouldn't get wet.

The hurricane which was never only more than a tropical storm continued to weaken thru out the day. And the most we got out of it was a few rain showers, in the evening and early night.

The local people were very happy – they don't like gales.

The last report we heard on the radio was the storm had passed 100 mi. north of Anguilla.

Counting the Days

Tues.
Aug. 5 – Wash clothes - Pd.
We are beginning to count the days – this is our last Tuesday.

Went for a short swim this morning. Vince had an app't with Mr. Heman so was late getting home. Got gas & stamps.

Picked up Vince, then went down for a dip – cloudy and cool. Lorna & Pat were going to go, but decided it was too cool.

Folded clothes – good stiff breeze so they dried nicely.

Vince wrote his report to Dr. Mahoud, who will be coming soon after we leave.

Wrote to Helene today.

Wed.
Aug. 6 – Tired today – didn't sleep good. Took Vince to work. Mailed Dawn's letter to Sherri. Wrote to Doris, then the mail came. I heard from Mom & Pam, Dawn from Mrs. T. & Sita, Mark from Mrs. D., and Vince from Elaine W. – (Wow! She's mad about something)

So I wrote to Mom & to Pam. Went swimming in the p.m. then picked up Vince. Mrs. Connor isn't feeling good – so Dawn's been helping set and clear the table. Mr. Connor has been doing the cooking.