A New Jersey Bean

Shelley had a little boy! Oscar; he arrived early Wednesday morning and were lucky to get to go see him in hospital that afternoon. Lucky, because he's been in the Special Care Unit since then and the only other family besides parents allowed to visit is grandparents! He should be out of the unit tomorrow (he has some kind of infection); but he and Shelley have to stay in hospital until Monday.

Papa D (James's dad) went mad with his camera (are we surprised?!) and took a good stack of photos yesterday morning and got them printed immediately... Granny Moira bought Mothercare out of all blue newborn clothes just a few hours after Oscar entered the world, and Uncles Lew and Jamesy conferred on how long it'll be before Baby Bean joins the 'men' at the rugby on Saturdays.

And in other news... A beautiful, sunny day; we went for a quick walk when we got home from work this evening and realised again how happy we are that we're only moving up the road.

Welcome Baaaaaaby

No, not ours.

James's sister, Shelley, is in labour as I type! In fact, she might be a mum by now... She went into labour at 6am this morning, but didn't go to hospital until about 7 this evening as they'd been hoping for a home birth. Unfortunately she had to change the plan -- everything's fine though -- and we're waiting to hear the news! Any minute! Today is her actual due date, so it might just be a very punctual baby. Expecting to get a text/phone call any time but could be in the early hours of tomorrow morning of course...

Other news? We've been busy; thank goodness the days are much longer now so it feels like we've got a bit more time. We move the weekend after next -- can't wait to leave 'the cave' (this place was fine in the winter but now that the weather's getting better we've really noticed how cold and dark it is! Ugh!).

For anyone interested in Google-Earthing our new abode, try La Rue Voisin, Portelet. Not far from where we are at present -- and just happens to be right next to yet another lovely old pub... Not quite as close as we are now though.

I've started running (or 'trotting' as my colleague calls it... because we run like pigs -- very inelegantly) with a friend from work during our lunch hours; only half an hour or so but that's enough to get me warmed up! Hooray -- it must be good for us because I've lost half a stone (don't convert it, it'll be far less impressive) and we've only been doing it a few weeks. She's adamant that we'll be fit enough to run a half marathon at the end of the summer... watch this space.

We've been invited to help 'plant' a church with a colleague of James's and his wife! Never thought that would happen in Jersey... We met with them and a few other people last weekend and it was great -- they (James's colleague and his wife) have started four churches in the past, all of which I believe are still going strong -- all in Africa. They're from Zimbabwe but most recently lived in South Africa and moved here at exactly the same time we did! Weirdly, so did the three other people (two Zimbabweans and a girl from the Bahamas)! The new church is already somewhat underway; just looking for a semi-permanent venue and a band! Really we'd be happy if we could bring Christ Community here of course, but this is also pretty exciting. And so way beyond anything we'd ever imagined being part of so we'll see what happens... Last week James and I went to a lunchtime session called 'Business Connect' at a church in town; it was great and so interesting. There's a different speaker and lesson every week and it's a chance to network a bit over lunch (provided) and some pretty deep questions!

Work is going well; my job just seems to get better and better -- I am so grateful for it! It seems like that was the one thing missing when we lived in the US and so I'm really making the most of it now. It's such a great learning opportunity and I'm taking advantage of every course, seminar and training opportunity I possibly can! I'm even learning a tiny bit of HTML... emphasis on tiny... (Obviously not enough to fix the layout and formatting of this blog, grrr).

James and I are both off to Edinburgh, Scotland, in the first weekend of June. It's my Granny's 96th birthday, our good friends' Rob and Raphi's wedding (James is organising Rob's stag do...), and my folks arrive the same weekend, too. Can't wait!

So a busy few weeks ahead -- and in the meantime we still don't know if we're aunty and uncle yet!

Checkin' In

Still here...

An update in less than twenty words: James started new job (enjoying); moving again (yay!); weather improving (yee-HA); Liberation Day this weekend -- should be interesting.

Funny story...? We've been bargain hunting for furniture for the new place and have been using the Jersey version of Craigslist a bit. For some reason I've landed the job of Chief Coordinator (i.e. call, arrange viewing time, schedule pickup...).

So.

The funny story? There is a funny story, but I can hardly keep my eyes open... I'm going to have to post a Part Two.

... To Be Continued ...

Spring Weekend

We both took off early from work on Friday -- yay for flexi-time! -- so that we could enjoy the late afternoon sun. Our beach down at Ouaisne was busy; the tide was out and plenty of people were out for a stroll. Women in bikinis, even!

I'm so glad we did get to enjoy the weather, because although the weekend was supposed to be even better, it totally wasn't! Anyway, no complaints because Friday evening was lovely. We set out off across the bay to St Brelade, to have dinner at the Crab Shack (mmm, yummiest crab cakes!) before walking up to James's parents' house.

Here is Ouaisne bay as we set out; judging by all the tracks in the sand, it must have been a busy day for boats, too:

Here's a special kind of sandcastle. I guess some kind of little worm makes them; there're usually hundreds all across the beach and on Friday they were even bigger than usual -- about as big as your fist.

And here we are; there's the Martello Tower in the background:

James decided to take a photo through my sunglasses:

And there goes the ferry to England! It's much bigger than the one we took to France:

Outside the Crab Shack, looking back towards Ouaisne (as far in the distance as you can see):

James tried some artsy photography; I thought it turned out pretty good!

Oh! These are our next-door-neighbours. Locals at the Smugglers (imagine James sitting at that bar when he was six -- probably with those same men!):

And here is our friend and Smugglers' barman, Stretch. He's only slightly taller than James at 6 feet, 3 inches... (plus another 2 inches for the hair?) He has to duck his head to get through all the doorways in the Smugglers:

This, from our wonderful local paper today (in the ACCOMMODATION WANTED section):

Retired lady, non-smoking and retired cat, need one bedroom flat, ground floor, town area, reasonable rent.

Love it! I wonder what line of work the cat was in before it retired, and whether it has a good pension.

Congratulations on your engagement!

Wish we were there with you and the rest of the Dog Group, Katie, so we could celebrate with you!

Hair of the Dog

James is going to regale you with tales of our travels in France; so I won't mention the Fr-word again and I'll stick to an entirely different topic... I'm thinking dog hair.

It seems that the longer we're away from America, the more intense the homesickness (not quite the right word) is becoming... and the odder the things that trigger those feelings! Take the dog hair. It was so annoying to find a black Remy-hair on a clean white shirt (according to James) or stuck fast between the S and the D keys on my laptop. Let's not mention the rogue hairs that collected in really gross places like the bottom shelf in the freezer door or under the soap dish in the spare bathroom... Yeah, let's not.

Instead, let's talk about poo-bags. (Because British people don't say 'poop.') It was so frustrating to find those scrunched-up little pink bags in every single pocket of every single jacket, bag or pair of jeans I owned. We'd go to Vegas and so would sixty-six (new) poo-bags -- one in every handbag, backpack, jeans pocket, plus fifty more in the boot/trunk of the car. Someone would open a car door at the side of the road on the way to Estes, and a gazillion little pink bags would float out into the wilderness. We'd find them stuffed down behind the washing machine, folded into tiny squares and stuck under the coin dish, tied to our keyrings. Everywhere.

Now I can actually get sentimental over a scrumpled-up (clean) poo-bag -- one that mysteriously ends up on a dressing table in a hotel room in France. Or a Remy-hair inside a shoe; a pair I bought in London only three weeks ago. I miss that dog, but I suspect I'm focusing all my homesickness and missing-ness (missickness?) on him, in an effort of wimpy self-preservation. Gosh, if I can cry at the sight of a (unused) poo-bag, imagine what else might set me off...

We are happy here; I'm happy here. I'm so very grateful for a job I really love and have learned so much from already, and the most incredible scenery right on our doorstep. I just miss the poo-bags; the nasty little dog hairs; our church; our friends; more incredible scenery; the best dog in the world... and not neccesarily in that order!

***A little disclaimer: all bags that escaped with the wind were dutifully chased after and stuffed back into the car -- or a pocket, or a bag. Perhaps that's why they were so very everywhere. ***

Creatures of the Night

A couple of nights ago James jumped out of bed at about 3am, and couldn't find the light switch. That was the first clue that he was still half asleep -- he was searching all over the wall for the switch, which is actually on a different wall... I asked him what he was doing, and he just got madder. When I finally managed to tell him where it was, he turned the light on, then off, and got back into bed... I asked him what was wrong, and he grumpily told me "nothing." So, the next morning I reminded him about it and he explained that he had "woken up" to see a lobster (!?!) crawl out from under my pillow and head towards his. It wasn't until he turned the light on that he'd realised he'd been dreaming it. The funny thing... the lobster was RED! Cooked and ready to eat! (But according to James, still really scary...)

We didn't end up doing anything this weekend that we'd planned to do -- in fact, we didn't even Hash today. Yesterday we went to Ho8 -- the underground hospital -- which is a museum now but was built by slave labour during the German Occupation for use as a hospital. In the end it was never used for its intended purpose. You follow an exhibit that winds through the tunnels (no tour guides; just wander along by yourself -- in parts it's pretty creepy!) and it's all set out in chronological order, starting with an overview of the war, and then the Occupation itself (which lasted five years), right through to Liberation Day and beyond. Definitely was worth a visit, and although James had been before, he found it really interesting, too.

And today... not much. We watched the Grand Prix this morning until it was rained off, and this afternoon went to James's parents for Sunday lunch. So now I am full and sleepy, and need a nap.

Taking a Break

We might need to take a break from the blog for a while, because:

(From the Jersey Evening Post)

Jersey internet bloggers will in future have to be licensed because of previously overlooked regulations imposed by the Island's Telecommunications Law. The law says that noone may disseminate comment, opinion or any contentious material electronically without sanction from the 'broadcasting authority'. Since the demise of the Broadcasting Committee of the States, that authority is deemed to have been transferred to the Chief Minister's department. Island-based bloggers who wish to continue their online activities legally are required to lodge an application within the next seven days.

I'm pretty busy for the next seven days.

So it's lucky it was part of the April 1st issue. Of course I didn't fall for it. Absolutely not.

Hooray! It's Friday! We don't really have plans for the weekend; Hash on Sunday, nothing on Saturday, maybe a concert tomorrow night. James's best friend is a percussionist and plays in the Jersey Symphony Orchestra occasionally.

Well, while I take a few days off to lodge an application for our blogger's licence, James is going to take over the writing part. He's going to leave out the contentious material until we're sure that this blog is legal under this new law. Ok?

We're Back!

Above: Big Ben and the Thames through the Eye's spokes Top of the London Eye

Looking down to the banks of the River Thames: all those people are gathered around a street entertainer

London skyline: top right you can just make out the Gherkin.

In America, would it be called "the Pickle"?

We actually didn't go anywhere; things have just been busy. Good busy. I hope you haven't given up on us...

We've had a good few weeks -- I started my job and have been really enjoying it; the only downside is the feeling of being temporary. James started temping for HBOS (Bank of Scotland) on Friday, which is great, too. Again there's a downside... I had gotten used to coming home to find dinner made, the house clean and the washing done. Ahhh. Nice. James makes a far better stay-at-homer than I ever did/will. (And right now is a great example; James has gone to meet a friend he hasn't seen for ages and I'm supposed to be picking up the house... but blogging really is far more important, isn't it?)

Anyway. We are both grateful to have jobs! But things get better... On Friday James and I met in town for lunch, and I had to tell him some unfortunate news... That my contract runs out next Wednesday. Bummer. Right?

NO. Because I start PERMANENTLY the following week! Yippeeeeeeeeee! And -- in the role that I had originally applied for and didn't get! So they basically took me on in a vaguely "administrative" capacity for a few weeks to check me out, and I passed. It's still dependent on references, but I think I should be good to go a week on Monday. It couldn't be more perfect really; the role is Web Content Editor and so basically I will be overhauling and improving the States' website over the next few years. Feel free to go check it out -- and then come back in a few years and it should be unrecognisable! It really is pretty poor at the moment. In looks, content -- and spelling and punctuation. Ugh. I love it!

But wait, there's more. James and I finished our lunch, and called his dad to tell him the good news (Dave also works for the States, and is even in the same building!)... and then James got a phone call. A JOB OFFER! He starts at an accountancy firm as a Trainee Accountant in May (and will continue to temp at HBOS until then) -- which is perfect. They'll pay for his qualifications (and even give paid study leave!) and it should take three years for him to become fully qualified. He's pretty excited to work for a smaller firm and see how it differs from a Big Four way of working.

So Friday was a good day -- we both got permanent jobs. We feel very, very fortunate; especially with people around us losing their jobs at a scary rate. I also get to cash in on a silly bet James and I made in our last year of university; that I would earn more than him one day. Well, even a few pounds counts. That aside, we truly are just so amazed at how things have worked out.

And just to top it all off -- we have an automobile at our disposal! Actually, we have an SUV which is fairly ridiculous on the Island (at least we're car pooling, right?) although it's not exactly ours. Our landlord had a small incident involving a whiskey too many, a trip to the corner shop, and a breath test. He lost his licence for a year and we gained a car for 12 months. It's ideal really; we can take time to decide what we want and save until then, borrow a vehicle in the meantime, and our landlord gets to keep his car running.

Last weekend I went to London with James's sister, his mum, his granny and his aunty. It was Mother's Day weekend and we hung out with James's other uncle and aunty who live in London, did some touristy things (like getting lost on the Underground and irritating the grumpy London businessmen by stopping dead in our tracks on the pavement to take random photos) and generally had a nice time. I hadn't really been to London since I lived there in 2000-2002 and it was really interesting to see it by car -- I only ever got the Tube (work, home and play were all centred around the Tube map), so it was funny to see how things connect above ground. Lots of places are much closer together than I ever thought... The photos are of and from the London Eye. I hate flying/super-high heights, but this was fantastic. I don't know why I never did it when I lived there -- probably because I thought I'd freak out. But really, I was scared for about three seconds before I got too absorbed in the view to care that the people on the ground beneath us were the size of pinheads. Afterwards, we walked along the River Thames and watched the street entertainers (a better word for most of them would, indeed, be pinheads. They were cringe-worthy, but still managed to sucker the real tourists in.).

It's Sunday afternoon now and James and I came back from the Hash run just a few hours ago. Fantastic trail today -- right up on the north coast, clear views of France and lots of cliff paths and tracks through fields. The Jersey cows are calving and the little ones are so very cute. It's nice to think that they have a life of being milked ahead of them rather than the butcher's block! Lucky things. Even the males won't end up on your plate; they just get to go and procreate. The run was great, and we've certainly had an active weekend. Yesterday was the Hash Bike Bash -- basically just a Hash on wheels. Poor turnout though -- it was James and seven women! Ha, he loved it of course (there was a reference or two to Joseph Smith). We did a good 18 miles or so before ending at a pub for the day. Talk about hard work -- I hadn't been on a bike for two years! The country lanes were beautiful, views were great and the drink stops were well-earned. I woke up this morning feeling mysteriously able-bodied; of course, there may be a delayed muscle freeze come Monday morning. I'm sure I should be sore.

So there's the last three weeks in a (large) nutshell. We're still here, things are going well, and the plan is to start blogging again in earnest. In fact, James has mentioned that he never gets a word in -- so expect to find him here the next time you drop by.

I better go do those dishes. Hmmnph.

Celebrations -- March 4th 2009

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to James... Yes, 24 years ago the world was blessed with a little fat baby who grew up to become...

MY HUSBAND!!!!

Hurray!!

We had a fun day. Went for lunch at the Portelet Inn, which is just up the road. The view is absolutely SUPERB, although the food was a little disappointing. We were the only people there, so we picked the best seats in the house -- excellent view of the bay and bathed in sunshine. We watched some fishing boats battle the swells and enjoyed our Greek Platter with Guacamole (not so Greek...). Decided it was time to move on once a pair of giggling middle-agers (well they were) took the table two feet away from us -- remember the place was EMPTY. Why do people do that?!

This afternoon we hung out, played some Wii Olympics and then... the shrill ring of my cell phone shattered the silence (mm, the Wii music). I answered. James paused the Wii. I sat down. James bit his nails. I smiled.

I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wahoo. Can't wait to start -- hopefully Monday. And now we're taking bets on how soon James will be offered at least one job; I reckon by the end of next week. Any other takers?

So -- a FANTASTIC day and hopefully the start of feeling much more settled. And a shout out to our friends the Thompsons (Thanks for your message and we're thinking of you guys often!) -- go check out the comment on our last post... they hit the nail on the head and James will indeed be progressing to Pull-Ups tomorrow (after I drop him at creche). It's been a big day!

This and That

It's been a few days (a whole week even?) since we last wrote; sorry! There's really not much happening with us at the moment -- which we're quite happy about given recent events.

We got some great news a couple of days ago -- get your party hats out -- REMY HAS A NEW HOME! Hurrah! For me (I won't speak for James...), leaving Remy was one of the hardest things about leaving the US. At least we knew we'd see our friends again; not so with a dog! I have to admit I tried really hard to put him out of my mind and I think I succeeded pretty well. It doesn't help that every second person here seems to have a dog or two... and I'm noticing more Black Labs than I ever have before in my life... but I am SO happy that he was re-homed so quickly, and I just hope this is his LAST home. It certainly sounds like it will be. I LOVED that dog of ours... I'm quite happy (at the moment) to consider upping sticks again sometime in the future, but on the other hand, I really would like to live somewhere, one day, long enough to have a dog again. Properly. Someday. Maybe.

Otherwise... things are quiet. I have a job "chat" tomorrow -- it's not an interview, but more of an informal talk -- for a position at the States, which is the local government. I applied and had an interview for a position there a few weeks ago; managed to get down to the final five but didn't get the job... Well, I had a feedback interview last week and then the next day someone in the same department called me about a similar but temporary role; kind of a lower-level version of the job I applied for. So we'll see where that leads... It seems like James has been super-busy with interviews, too, and he has one lined up this Friday, also with the States. (I told a recruiter recently that we'd been working in the States and she asked "Oh, what department?"... Need to start saying "AMERICA"! Seems like virtually everyone works for the States here...) So... fingers crossed! We are both SO ready to get working, earning, and start saving for a holiday!

We've had some beautiful days recently, and I walked up to the shops today, across the beach. There were a couple of girls in flipflops and shorts -- it was sunny, but not exactly warm! Funny how people do that the world over -- we used to laugh at the "Neds" in Scotland stripping off at the first hint of sunshine even when it was only 10C out. Anyway, I was considering walking up through the park, but wimped out at the last minute and took the longer route along the road. So ridiculous -- not like we're likely to have that kind of experience ever again... Right?

We've been borrowing James's sister's car recently and last week we drove right around the Island, following the coast as much as possible. There's so much to see! We nearly ran over a pheasant (well we did; but it flew out from underneath the other side of the car! James was bummed we didn't kill it; they're a pest and we would've had dinner sorted), but other than that it was easy-going -- remember that maximum 40mph speed limit... it kind of forces you to enjoy the scenery! We also stopped to buy home-grown vegetables from a stall at the side of the road. I'd forgotten about Jersey's "Honesty Boxes" -- you just throw your money in a lock-box and take what you want; there's no one around to serve you. I think we''ll try and buy some of our fruit and vegetables like that from now on -- nice to support Island growers and it's a bit cheaper than the supermarket! The daffodils are coming out, too -- Jersey has a wild variety as well as the type grown commercially (50p for a bunch at the honest box!) -- and they're just everywhere. Pretty. Snowdrops, wild pansies and bluebells, too -- all very spring-is-coming-ish.

Well, that's really about it for us -- and I resorted to talking about the weather, too. Sorry. I've heard that Colorado has been having some pretty ok weather... Yep, we're jealous. It's really starting to sink in that we're here for good (whatever that means!) and I suspect we might both be suffering from mild cases of homesickness and even SAD. People are DEFINITELY grumpier here!

Which is why we are SO EXCITED to hear from several of our non-grumpy American Friends that a trip over might be on the cards... Yeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!! Come and cheer us all up soon!

Holy Crap-O!

James was very diligently sweeping our front patio last week, when he also decided to get rid of the pile of leaves that had built up behind our gate on the roadside. Twigs and leaves were clogging up the drainpipe there, so he gave that a good brush-out, too. Only something wouldn't budge... (CLICK ON THE PHOTOS! THEY TRULY WILL ENLARGE! OR YOUR MONEY BACK)

This little chappy -- actually, he was a fat old thing -- was desperately trying to get up the pipe. He didn't have much luck; the best he could manage was one leg off the ground before he slid back out. We thought he'd eventually give up and hop off, but a few hours later he was still wedged in there. Just then -- phew! -- a man popped over from the pub (word truly travels fast here...) and rescued the toad in the hole, returning him to a pond across the road.

This is no ordinary warty old amphibian -- or maybe it is. I was told by a Knowledgeable Jersey Bean that although descended from the plain ol' Common Toad, these toads have adapted to their surroundings and so are now a slightly new and improved make and model. However, I just Googled it and discovered (according to the Jersey Zoo) that the Jersey Toad is indeed just the regular version -- but is somewhat unusual in that it only inhabits one of the Channel Islands.

However, also according to the Jersey Zoo, the toad population has been declining steadily in recent years -- so perhaps we were lucky to see this fella trying to make his home in our drainpipe. The Jersey-French word for it is crapaud (pronounced crap-o), although I quite like the scientific name, too... Bufo Bufo. Sounds kinda like a tribal greeting or something.

While we happen to be on the subject of amphibians, but in the unlikely chance that anyone is still reading this, there actually is a native amphibian here in Jersey -- the Agile Frog. And it just happens to reside in only one single place on the Island -- right here in Ouaisne. The Agile Frog is very small and surely quite spry -- while the Crapaud, on the other hand, is rather ungainly and, as you saw in the above photos, not quite so nimble.

Bufo Bufo, goodbye and goodnight.

Beachcombing

After an eventful few days late last week, this week has started quietly -- in fact, super-quietly with more than 12 hours sleep last night for me! Ahhh. Nice.

Last Friday James had to make a statement at the police station; he was interviewed by the policeman who was first "on the scene" on Thursday. Silly, but I was almost slightly offended that they didn't want a statement from me, too, but after hearing James recount the events I was pleased I hadn't needed to! He remembered loads about times, sounds, clothes, positions and other scene details... I really can only remember how I felt -- not much use for the police, I'm sure. I did sit in on the interview, though, and it was interesting to hear about police procedures with this kind of incident. They were also able to tell us about the man -- where he worked etc, and a little about his family. Sadly, he has three sons -- none of whom were actually on the Island when he died. The youngest is 21.

James was informed that there will be an inquest at some point (because a death occurred in a public area) and he may be required to attend and give his statement again. It appears at this stage that it was an accidental death, although the police told us that the postmortem hadn't been done yet. Of course, this being Jersey -- with a population of just 90,000 -- word got around fast and we know people who knew this man. All very sad -- his family must be devastated, especially his kids who were all away at the time.

So we had hoped for a quiet weekend, of course! We were the Hares for the Hash run on Sunday, so we set the trail on Saturday (it's marked with flour, sawdust and chalk) and ran it with the pack yesterday. Pretty sore legs today from all those steep, steep hills and stony beaches.

And that brings me to the "beachcombing" part of this post... We've run on a few beaches now, and it's so interesting what gets washed up on each of them. Or what's naturally found on them. The beach we ran, ok -- limped -- across yesterday was scattered with teeny-tiny bright yellow shells and empty oyster shells. It was also really steep and pebbly rather than sandy. Our beach, on the other hand, is very sandy but steep and stony only immediately beneath the sea wall. At the end near our house you can find all kinds of treasures... but mainly balls! Golf balls and tennis balls so far -- and two 20-pence pieces last week, too (wedged into a rock and totaly sanded smooth). On the beach at St Brelade's Bay, there're wave-tumbled, smooth pieces of coloured glass and lots of pieces of coloured, broken china. Then all the fishing stuff... pieces of net, frayed rope, escaped buoys, chunks of styrofoam... If Jersey was a deserted island I'm absolutely sure you could build something impressive using washed-up junk. Hmm, reality TV idea. It is interesting, though, how certain things wash up only on certain beaches. I suppose it must depend on the weight of the object and the type of beach... or something?

A Sad Discovery

It's midday here and the day didn't start very well. Unfortunately it didn't start at all for someone though. James and I decided to walk up to the gym, which entails a 20-minute walk across the beach (when the tide is out; if it's in, it separates our bay from St Brelade's Bay, so you have to follow the longer, hillier, coastal path) and then a short but very steep 10-minute traipse through a park.

We were coming up the steps that follow a small stream when James spotted a bundle of clothes; he made a joke about a body but almost immediately told me to stop walking. I noticed a shoe, attached to the clothes. James called the police right away and he stayed with the body (we saw right away that he wasn't alive) while I had to go and wait for the police on the road. More than anything it was just incredibly sad. My uneducated guess is that this man, who I think may have been around 60, was walking up the path, possibly last night, and something happened to cause him to fall in to the stream. His head was above water (it's very shallow) but I suppose the water level may have changed overnight.

We walked the same path yesterday afternoon so we know he wasn't there then. He had a little bit of blood on his forehead but otherwise looked as if he had lay down for a sleep really. He was on his side, with his feet pointing downhill, which is why I'm guessing he was walking uphill.

We waited with the police while they checked officially that he was dead. Then they took our details and we were able to leave. Although it was a bit of a shock it just makes me feel so sad for this guy's family, who must have been worried sick when he didn't come home. And if he didn't have a family then it's equally sad that he died all alone. He was wearing some kind of a uniform, so it's possible that he was going to work this morning when something happened.

Maybe if you have a quiet moment today you can send up a little prayer for this man's family and friends. A very sad way to die, I think.

The Parish of St Brelade and How to Escape the Island

Way back in our first post (I think), there's a photo of a Martello Tower -- the big round building painted in red and white (many others are unpainted). Jersey was the only British Isle to be occupied by the Germans during WWII and during the occupation lots of buildings were erected across the island. Hence the Martello Towers, which were essentially watch towers, placed strategically around the coast. The sea wall down where we live, at Ouaisne, was also a German-built structure (technically, it was German-planned but labour-built... by POWs, or Russian concentration camp workers to be exact). All across the island there are half-finished structures; towers, forts, tunnels and walls. Martello Towers are somewhat of a Jersey icon and depending on the light they can look pretty spooky! One or two around the island have been converted to homes or studios, but I think the majority are under Trust ownership (National Trust for Jersey).

Liberation Day: May 9th. It's a holiday, with lots of things happening to commemorate Jersey's freedom down at St Helier. Actually, remember the Hash House Harriers? The very serious, competitive and focussed running group we've joined? Well this year (as in years gone) they will be marshalling the Liberation Day events in town (very seriously of course). No, I have no idea what that entails, although I shall endeavour to brush up on my history facts and street names before then. No use having a tourist ask a tourist for directions.

Well, oops, I've rambled. What I really wanted to tell you was this interesting little fact about Jersey, the thing about Escaping. We walked into town the other day, and James asked me to name the parishes we walked through to get there. There are 12 parishes in Jersey and most of them are named after saints. We live in the parish of St Brelade. So here is how you escaped the Island of Jersey in the old days, when you'd done something terrible such as pilfered an orange from the market stall or suchlike.

(From Jersey Tourism's Walk Guide): THE GREAT ESCAPE

"All 12 parishes in Jersey combine elements of country and coast. And it's thanks to one of the Island's many ancient -- not to say quirky -- laws and customes. In bygone times when a crime was committed, the guilty party was allowed to take refuge in the nearest church for eight days. On the ninth, he or she could chose between a court appearance or self-exile from the Island. Each parish church had to have a safe path to the beach -- known as Le Perquage (many roads still retain this name) -- so that the criminal could walk to a boat. Every parish therefore has its own stretch of coastline, however small."

History lesson over. I just thought it was intersting... The photos above were taken in the parish of St Brelade. I love the weathervane! If you look closely, there are some old women growing out of the flower-bed-boat along with the pansies. The big building is the Salle Paroissiale de St Brelade -- or the St Brelade Parish Hall.

The Picture Poltergeist/Test Post

There's a real post below this... I'm just trying to figure out this technical problem with the photos (enlarging by clicking on) once and for all... Apparently when you click and drag them, the HTML link is broken. La la la, whatever. So... let's see if this works! If you can click and enlarge the car photo (which is also in the post below this), check out the pup -- he was actually winking at me when I took the pic!

A High Tide and the Low Down

Yikes, it's been nearly a week since we last updated! Sorry about that... it's largely due to the fact that our Internet connection is "patchy" (to say the least) -- apparently that's the granite walls doing their thing, which means keeping everything out. Except the cold.

So, what can we tell you? Life on the rock is going well; we are jobless (still -- sigh), but enjoying the sunny spells between the rain (two, since last Friday!) and feeling hopeful that jobs will materialise SOON. James is waiting to hear after two interviews with the same company; and I'm also awaiting a phone call after an interview on Monday... Fingers crossed!

We may have mentioned that we joined a running club (stop your snickers)... It's a group that meets every Sunday to run in a different part of the island. James's dad is the "Grand Master" of the club, and every weekend a couple of different people act as "Hares" and lay the trail the day before the actual run. The point is to lay false trails and loops so that people run off ahead before realising they're on the wrong track (so the trick is to be at the back and let the keen ones do the work!). It's not a serious running club. But it is good fun and it's an excellent way to see the island -- in fact, most weeks you go through private property (with permission, of course), so you actually get to see places that most people won't. If you're brave or interested enough to learn more, go Google "Hash House Harriers". Don't believe everything you read... the history behind the club is really interesting and it's a world-wide organisation (meaning, Jersey is just a small part of the international "club" and therefore not as rambunctious as the other branches!). Please still be our friends once you've discovered the Hash motto, too. Please.

My dad's operation went well. It lasted a little longer than expected and was, unfortunately, delayed several hours to begin with, so I think it was a long day for both my parents. I wish I was at home with them! Dad will need another operation at some point to remove (I might be wrong) his thyroid, too. There is cancer there and also in his lung, I believe. Continued prayers and positive thoughts will be so appreciated! THANK YOU to all of you for leaving comments and sending emails with prayers, thoughts and everything else. Means a lot! Thanks!

We're heading into town shortly -- walking, no less. Yes, it is a sunny, beautiful and wind-less day... hurrah! St Helier is around 3 1/2 miles away from our flat -- all downhill, too. I think I'll take my camera, so expect more photos of a DIFFERENT part of the Island soon! I seem to have only taken photos so far of Ouaisne -- but there's just so much out there that's new and exciting that I can't help it. Bear with me and I'll start venturing further afield soon. (The Hash runs aren't the best time to lug a camera along... my running shoes are still drying out from last Sunday's run and have about six pounds of mud attached).

Two photos taken last night from Portelet Common (the headland directly behind our flat -- a short, steep scramble up the hill!):

Yes, this is our flat again... I thought I should show you just how close we are to the pub! The gap in the white wall is the entrance to our place... the next door up is the pub! They have an open fire going all day; good food; nice staff... see how I mean it might be dangerous?

Here are the Stuarts, enjoying a nice afternoon up at Portelet Common. The only thing we could find to balance the camera on that wasn't wet was a big old granite boulder -- hence the sloped horizon!

It's not so cold that you need a hat. But there are plenty of seagulls. I think they target the tourists:

Not a great photo, but one for the Dog Group! This is the carpark across from our flat, so three guesses where the dog's owner is... At the pub. Drink driving is against the law here, but I'm not sure about having your dog drive you home:

Close-up of the beach as the tide was going out; it makes such cool patterns! Almost looks like an aerial view I think:

We had a bit of a storm last Monday, and the tide came up very high! This photo is of where the road ends outside our place, and turns into the slipway. Look what the waves brought up! Some of those rocks are pretty big:

Travel Advice: Avoiding the Jersey SCANTURS

Urgghh. James and I have both been suffering from SCANTURS. Nasty stuff.

We got so used to those great American roads -- straight, long and often flat. And even when they were neither straight or long nor flat, we were always in a BIG car.

So here we are in Jersey: tiny, narrow, steep, winding, bumpy little roads that are just so picturesque and pretty but UGH they make you sick. And the small cars seem to make it worse; perhaps because your field of vision is more limited. OK, I don't know.

(Today we went to the gym; I was feeling carsick when we arrived... and then we used this fancy new machine called a... um... hmmm... well, you turn it on and it jiggles and joggles and makes you feel like you're being shocked by a very low voltage (for a full minute! Yikes.). You can stand, sit, jump, lean, lie, stretch, walk, break-dance or pirouette on it and it um... well... uh... jiggles and joggles your muscles? I think. Anyway. It didn't help the carsickness.)

So, that travel advice? Stock up on motion sickness tablets if you plan on coming over. And stay away from the jiggle machine.

SCANTURS. Small-cars-and-narrow-twisty-undulating-roads Sickness: It could ruin your holiday.

Headlines: Returned Beans' Weigh-In Horror

Meet Daisy (a pedigree Jersey cow) in person when you visit the Island! (Photo courtesy of bbc.co.uk -- 'cos it's too darn wet and cold to go out and snap one myself)

So we had probably 1/8" of snow yesterday morning... and the island came to a standstill! OK, that's not quite true -- but the bus service was suspended; some schools closed early; people's cars slid all over the place; and our neighbours (that would be the guy who runs the pub, and his wife and kids! They live above the pub, where James grew up) were quite annoyed to hear that the Well Check Nurse wouldn't come down the little road to the bay to see their three-week-old baby.

Naturally, we've been scoffing at this kind of nonsense... Pah! Snow? Let's talk about the RAIN; that's another story. Jersey does rain good. Time to invest in an umbrella again.

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We joined the gym. There was a humiliating moment last Sunday when the in-laws put us on the scales (honestly, they really are rather nice -- the in-laws; not the scales) and I (Sarah) realised quite how much weight I'd put on while living the American Dream. So... we are now fully at peace with the size of our fridge here -- it's smaller than the "mini" fridge/beer fridge we had in the States -- because we're hoping like mad that the size of our kitchen appliances will directly affect the sizes of our bellies. Whaddaya reckon? Wishful thinking?!

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We are missing our American friends considerably; however, we are somewhat perturbed by the lack of vacation itineraries that have been forwarded to us... Who's going to be the first American to set foot on Jersey soil? We are currently in talks with the mayor over the possibility of having some kind of welcoming ceremony at a local meadow, where a Jersey cow (for milking) would be presented to said American. Or we can just take you to the pub. I mean, whatever. The pub's probably a bit warmer than hanging out in some field, but just let us know. We miss you all, anyway. Quite a little lot.

What's This White Stuff?

N.B. Ha! This time you really should be able to click on the photos to enlarge them... I hope!

We just went down to the beach to draw a map of Jersey in the sand for you. Here it is -- the limpet shell is us (Ouaisne), you can also see some waves, and look -- there's the sun! But what's the blurry white stuff?


It's snow!

Snow!

Quite an event actually, and certainly not a yearly occurrence. So here's another picture, just to prove it:

The following photos were taken in and around Ouaisne Bay...

Sorry for not updating over the past few days. I think we set this blog up last Wednesday, and on Thursday we had some bad news. I wasn't going to post about it, as we'd intended this to be our "fun times on the island" blog (ok, or something!) but then I couldn't quite bring myself to post about anything else anyway. So I thought about it, and I realised that bad things happen -- it's not always going to be fun times on the island -- and we don't stop thinking about the bad stuff , so why would I carry on writing on here as usual?

Anyway. My dad found out last week that he has cancer in one of his kidneys. He's scheduled to have the kidney removed on Feb 10th (in NZ) and then we'll know more. In the meantime, perhaps you guys will think some positive thoughts and say a prayer or two... Thanks!

Some of you have met my parents, Sally and George, but for those of you who haven't, here is a photo of them -- with the two Jameses -- at Mesa Verde (Colorado) last year:

How to Leave a Comment, For Those Who Asked

We had a few emails from people saying they couldn't leave a comment... come on, it's not that hard -- UNLESS SARAHS SETS UP THE BLOG! It should now be in correct working order -- simply click on "Comments" and then write your piece... Select a "User" type from the list -- "Anonymous" is probably easiest, so if you use that remember to leave your name in the comment itself!

As for the photos not enlarging when you click on them... Sarah again. Will work on it. Promise.

Righto, we need to head out the door and enjoy the sunshine -- yes! sunshine! -- while it lasts...

Greetings From the Rock!

N.B. The formatting on this post is all over the place! We tried everything to get it right, but there's double-spacing in one paragraph and single in the next... We don't know what's going on; and the draft looks perfect! Please ignore it -- and hopefully we'll get it sorted in future posts... Also, please leave us a comment! Please... please... please?

CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE! (Trust us, they're much more impressive bigger!)

It's been a while -- we'd intended to start this blog as soon as we arrived here in Jersey, but time got away from us and we've spent the last few days job searching, re-acclimatising and catching up with James' family. Not necessarily in that order.

And for those of you who know we live -- literally -- next door to a pub, you'll be pleased to hear we've only been in once for a pint... But, naturally, we've visited a few other other local public houses, too!

Well, as we don't know quite where to start, we thought we'd start off with a few photos of our new home, so you can all get some kind of idea of where we're living. It might be small on living space, but this place is BIG on history.

This first photo was taken standing outside our front door:

But it just gets better! ...

This is a Martello tower on Ouaisne beach (pron. "Way Nay")... more on Martello towers later...

Lots of footprints on the beach yesterday morning -- and not all the human kind:

The start of a collection of "seaglass" (and sea-pottery):

So many types of seaweed...

The view from the headland, looking out over Ouaisne Bay and "The Cottage" (home):

The Martello tower in Ouaisne Bay -- it was early in the morning, and the sea mist was rolling off the sand dunes. Unfortunately it turned into rain later in the day!

Standing on the headland between St Brelade Bay and Ouaisne Bay -- actually they're all one and the same until the tide comes in and separates them!

James found a friend on the beach! Seriously... this woman was out walking her dogs (yes, I AM jealous) and minding her own business -- until James bounded up and gave her a hug. Ah, everyone knows everyone in Jersey!


Lobster pots in our car park:

Our new address... farewell to house numbers and numbered streets! We LOVE our new address, although we always thought "T-Bone Ranch" in Greeley, Colorado, would've been kinda fun...

Ta-Da! Our 16th Century abode from the outside. Actually, we only have the ground floor... half of the ground floor... but still, it has CHARACTER! The history of this particular house is a story in itself (for another day!):