Sunday, March 06, 2011 - UPDATED

Sunday, March 06, 2011:

The boys played golf this morning at the Reef.  They said it was a rough course…real dry.  After they were done, they came back and picked us up and we headed down the road to the Whim Estate.  They normally aren’t open on the weekends, but they were having an antique auction so it was a special event.  I wanted to go see the antiques and stuff.

It’s a pretty sunny day today, and it was nice and hot out.  Getting into the plantation house there is definitely a nice breeze.  This house thought has gone through many renovations, but interesting nonetheless.  It used to be a one room house for the estate manager, but the new owner built the rounded ends and the moat, which never held water!  Still – in the end it was only a 1 bedroom house with never any running water.  All the windows around the building made sure that they would have a breeze in the house no matter what direction the wind blew! There were a total of about 13 families to own the Whim farm.  In 1932 it was purchased by the Government as a Federal Homestead site and sold to island residents to farm.  The program was not successful and it was deeded in 1954 to the St. Croix Landmark Society to preservation. But they say it was still a working farm until about 1960. 

 Back entrance to the big house.

 This is the second cookhouse that was built out back.

 Back of big house (entrance to basement)

 This is the room next to the second cookhouse.  This is where the house servants stayed.

 View from back. This shows the old cook house that was eventually attached to the house.  It was later moved farther back on the property.

 This is a room out back that used to be the cistern. Another building connected to this was turned into a gift shop.  There were silent auction items set up in this room.  Take a look at this hunk of mahogany!

 Bed frames and chairs in the silent auction.

 I loved these two tables...they matched! The minimum bid was listed at $525! They were beautiful!

 I loved the twin chair...like a tiny day bed...(don't pay attention to the shirts! this is in the gift shop.

 View of the garden coming out of the gift shop.

 This was a big Tamarind tree that John and Evonne were looking at!

 This is a view from the back side (from right to left) of the cookhouse, house servant's quarters, cistern and gift shop (which was originally a sleeping quarter.

 John and Evonne in the garden looking at the sundial!

 This was the caretaker's cottage.

 Here is the tent set up for the auction!

 This was view to the left of the house, and is the privy (for the owners use only)!

 To the right is the cistern - turned exhibit room!

 Here we are under the big house in the basement.  They stored food here, and they had lots of stuff in here.

 Take a look at these beams! The new ones are about 16" center...look where the old ones would have been! And the main beam had to be at least 16" too! That was the original timber!

 This is a monster lathe that took 2 people to run!

 This was the moat that was build around the house - and was supposed to have been used to cool the house. It never held water!

 This is a lizard that got squished flat in the shutters - like a pressed flower!

 This is the owners privy. (and a huge anchor in the pile of stuff in front of it!)

 These were 2 grave sites on the property dating to the early 1800's. There were a couple newer graves next door on the private property.

 This is a side view of the house...this is the side where the bedroom was.  (Evonne had the camera in the beginning and we didn't get any pictures of the inside! You can tell I had the camera outside! I took a picture of everything! =)

 This row of buildings were the slave quarters.  It was on private property so we could get too close.

 A pretty flower growing out of a vicious weed! (see...I had the camera!)

 You can see the condition of the slave quarters...the trees are growing through the cracks and just disintegrating them!

 Gerald and Evonne in the privy house.  They later built a stone tub in it!

 This is a farmer's chair.  I guess you leaned back and put your feet up on the long arms and took your naps! There were several of these...and I would liked to of had one!

 This was the watch house, but they also kept the kids in it while the mothers worked the fields in the day.

 This is part of a big steam engine that used to be over in the working area of the farm.

We walked way over to the mill area where the sugar cane was processed.  There are a couple of horses here, so it was a little treacherous trying to dodge all the “road apples”!  Unfortunately I did pick up some mashed fruit and seeds falling from the trees and a few cockleburs in my boot and shoes!

You can still see the old smoke stack and mill.

 Here is a big iguana that fell out of the tree on the way to the mill...don't tell Judy...she will not come here if there are iguana's falling out of trees! (ps...this is the first one I have seen here!)

 This is the remnants of the working building where they made the molasses.

 The entrance to the smoke stack was sealed!

 This is the animal grinder...hasn't been used in a while and is a replica that was rebuilt.

 This was the steam engine used to replace the animal grinder and windmill.

 Duh...windmill! =)

 Again,the working house where the boiled the sugarcane juice in large copper pots!

We came back to the condo and headed to the pool!  Gerald took a little nap first though! (we’re really getting used to that!). 

I think we are going to sit around and relax for the rest of the day, and eat the leftovers we have accumulated from the restaurants we have eaten at! =)

Tomorrow we go see the beer swilling pigs and the rum factory!

UPDATE:

After Gerald’s nap we went down to the pool – and Gerald took his guitar.  Evonne and John had gone down earlier, and John came up and told us that there were a couple guys down at the pool playing music.  That got Gerald up quick – he’s only played once here! 

John was actually in shock to see and hear Gerald.  He kept shaking his head in disbelief! I guess he had never heard him play before – and was just both “amazed and impressed”.  (just like you Bobby!)

Down at the pool we met Phillip and Christian.  Phillip is a Cajun from Louisiana.  He said he lived near Lafayette, Louisiana, about 10 miles past where the earth drops off, but now lives on St. Croix in Christiansted. He talked about frog legs and gator hunting! Christian is originally from Puerto Rico.  He was here for a while, then went up to Illinois, and just came back again.  They both met and work at Hovensa (the power and water company here). Phillip is recovering from an injury where he broke his collar bone, and all the ribs on his left side – I didn’t ask him how – it hurt just to think about it. (I thought my injury was bad!) Today was the first day out of the sling for Phillip.  I can’t believe he can even pick a guitar up, let alone play it! Both neither of them were feeling any pain!

Phillip and Christian went to the beach after we got there, but Gerald got his guitar out and started playing.  It wasn’t too long before Christian and Phillip came back to the pool area and came over and the boys started talking then playing.  Christian plays mostly Latin classical music; Phillip mostly bluegrass and Cajun bayou music (sorry Jim…I don’t know what that kind of music is called exactly!).  But Gerald and Phillip were able to muster some songs together and entertain the masses.  Poor Christian was too shy and unfamiliar with American Country music to get in the mix so he was dubbed the official “percussion” section and took control of the shaker egg! (Although Evonne said he serenaded her earlier in the day with a lovely Latin ballad!)

Phillip & Gerald:

 Phillip, Christian (on beer - not on percussion yet) & Gerald:

 Phillip, Christian & Gerald

 Christian & Evonne:

There were a few people at the pool before, but the longer Gerald played, the more showed up.  They were all coming down for the entertainment! And there was lots of moving going on too…some I didn’t want to see! =)  Some went to their rooms from the beach, showered and came back down and some went to make frozen cocktails!

Here is Phillip & Gerald playing Fire on the Mountain:

Here are a few songs that Phillip wrote.  But be warned…they are rated!
This one is called "It Ain't My Fault - I was Abused" ...

This one is called "MF Rules" (RATED!!!!):

We had lots of fun, but shortly after dark we packed it up, came up to eat the Must-go’s and hit the bed for tomorrows adventures.