Random Things I Didn’t Know About Island Life

After visiting this island for 25 years, sometimes for long stretches, I really thought I had a pretty good handle on the ins and outs of island living. Silly, I suppose, given that there is ALWAYS something new to learn in any venture. Also, I thought I knew how tough the ever-present elements of salt, sun, sand and humidity were on materials. Nope. I’ve had plenty of surprises, small and large, or simply things I hadn’t considered before. Such as:

• “Stainless Steel” means what is says. It will stain LESS, but it is not rustproof in the way I took for granted in the States. Even my best kitchen knives bear rust spots here and there. And I had to put away the cute silver soap caddies I brought with me because they were leaving rust spots on the kitchen and bathroom counters.

• Elastic just doesn’t last. Waistbands of underwear seem to suffer the worst, followed by cute little bikinis that I probably paid too much for. They just stretch and stretch and become unusable.

This elastic hanging in there – so far.

• A bottle of conditioner in the shower alongside the shampoo is simply not enough. I also keep a bottle of heavy duty detangler conditioner on hand to battle the wind snarls after a day on the boat.

• You know how your mother may have told you always to wear clean underwear before you leave the house in case you’re in a car accident or whatever? Consider having to purge the dresser drawers so that only decent-looking underwear remains – because it will be strung out on a laundry line every week for all of the neighbors to see.

• Golf carts don’t have gas gauges. As a teenager, my father drilled into me that there is no excuse to run out of gas in the car. As soon as that gas gauge even approached dipping below a quarter tank, I’d fill up. Apparently, I didn’t realize how reliant I was on the gas gauge. Although I know my golf cart needs gas refills, it just doesn’t occur to me very often. For the first time in 40 years, I’ve run out of gas. Sorry, Dad.

• Rainbows happen more often than I’ve seen in the States. I suppose it’s the vast expanse of reflective water, bright sunshine and frequent little rain squalls. No matter the reason, I love them!

So much more breath-taking in person, but you get the idea.

• Men (generalizing, sorry) pee in the bush far more than I would have imagined, even when a proper toilet is not that far away.

• Although I will always and forever be a strong proponent of education, book learning pales in comparison to the value of mechanical/electrical/carpenter and all ’round handy-man skills.

• I don’t get tired of eating fish.

• Forget steel wool – scrubbing a scorched pan with sand in the salty sea works far better.

• Even when the power goes out (with unfortunate frequency), I can still cook dinner since my stove/oven uses propane gas. Cooking by flashlight and candles!

• With one notable exception, it is almost impossible to make bubbles with soap in saltwater. On those occasions when I take my bath in the sea out back because the fresh water supply isn’t working, I lather up with the one and only Joy.

• I float pretty well (part of my problem with diving), but I am a GREAT floater in the summer. The combination of warm water and more salt in the sea in those months increases buoyancy.

• Telephones go out with great frequency (not a surprise to me), but phone service actually stayed on during Hurricane Irene when we were hours and hours without electricity and in winds of 70+mph!

• Beautiful sunsets are not a rare treat. They happen spectacularly almost every single day – and I appreciate every one of them.

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