PMV II

Frenchtown for restaurants, Hull Bay for beach and dinner, Njelteberg Bay for off the path beach, Latitude 18 for music nights, Sibs for late night, Brewers Bay for sunset, Water Island for daytrip, STJ car ferry for a day off STT.

Since it is a PMV -- hit a lot of grocery stores, find the Post Offices or mail centers, look into the banking, find the DMV, LT. Gov. office , IRB offices, laundromats, WAPA office, Innovative office, cellular,ATT office, hospital and Doctors offices, car lots, Kmart, Walgreens, Home depot, movie theater, look at Apts for rent with a map to learn the areas you might like, visit a few prospective employers?

You might want to speak to the guy at UVI who is in charge of horticulture, Carlos Robles? Stop by ABC Nursery. Network about tree stuff. Ask everyone you meet for other names.

Carlos Robles is the Commissioner of Dept of Agriculture

Yes.
UVI is on my list of places to visit.

Carlos Robles is the Commissioner of Dept of Agriculture

He used to be with the extension service? I believe he is the one who IDed a critter that was killing our ficus hedge. (tu) I don't know who is at the extension service now, but that is a great contact.

Yes - he was at UVI for years and did very good work - also hosted the PBS show on local gardens - Home Grown.

Wish he would tackle Ag Hill in Dorothea.
The majority of those farms, with just a couple exception, are deplorable and in dilapidated condition. Especially, those that house animals. Completely different from the lush, well terraced, well producing and cared for farms of the past.

Well, we are back stateside after our recent visit.
Some observations:

Spoke to a lot of different people: shop owners, rest. owners and employees, UVI faculty, tour guides, etc.

Shopped often for food and found the prices for our regular fare was comparable to SC. We don't eat much meat but found it to be 2x the price in the states. Veggies were priced well but we were warned that they won't store well due their time in transit.

Asked some people why they don't grow some of their own stuff. Conversation would be another thread.

People did use their grey water for irrigation BUT many did not use non-phosphate soaps.

Local animosity for fellow STTers.
East is the best. Sure, it's great if you have a boat (our hosts had one!) easy to get to all of the other islands and such. Many grocery stores, fuel, HD, etc.
North is the best. Great views, cooler, less traffic. Except on the main roads when cruise ships are in and the Safaris like to use the entire road.
West is best. Less populated, more reasonable real estate. Not many houses to choose from and we won't be building.

STTers commented about the crime on STX even bringing up the shooting 40+ yrs ago. Even though I pointed out that there was a shooting in Bovoni the previous night.

STJers wish that they didn't have to associate with either islands.

A lot of people don't like the gov't especially king mapp.

yep, my observations have been the same on the "us vs them " mentality . didnt know it was in island also, just thought it was inter island

Of course we recvd a lot of "wait till it gets hot down here, it's unbearable"

I have lived in SC for the last 18 yrs. Aug and Sep it is 95F and 90% humidity. Then it rains just in time for the afternoon commute. Traffic snarls and the air gets "greasy". Sweating through your clothes is every day fun.

When tree climbing, we start at 7am and are cleaning up by1-2pm.

We don't have the humidity that SC does, for sure.
I've visited SC in the summer. I thought I'd get away from the heat of summertime VI but the humidity just dropped me in my tracks. I was happy to get home.

Of course we recvd a lot of "wait till it gets hot down here, it's unbearable"

Location, location, location! Where I've lived now on STT for 4 years, I sleep under a comforter year-round except off and on for maybe two weeks total around September; the ceiling fans do light duty likewise; and in the winter I wear heavy socks around the house as my feet get REALLY cold morning and night! No need for A/C of course. Heavenly. When I go down the mountain to do errands there's a difference of about 10 degrees at sea level.

I've lived South side, East end and "country" and it can get really hot in the summer doldrums but even there, if you're up high and catch the cross breezes, it's not unbearable at all.