St Maarten (bird)

St. Maarten has 164 recorded bird species and water birds make up a large part of the group. While 39 species are resident and breed locally, the majority of species are migrants that stop-over during the winter. The birds breed, nest and forage among the mangroves wetlands and on rocky islets in the marine park. I believe, but do not know, that this is some kind of warbler. People were feeding them sugar crystals and they were flocking 'round. This photo was taken on Anguilla, an island off the coast of St. Maarten.
photo by me © 2008

St Maarten (Baie Longue/Long Beach)

entrance to Baie Longue, a long, secluded 2 mile stretch of lovely white sand.

photo by me © 2007

St. Maarten (sunset)

sunset on Cupecoy Beach (for more on Cupecoy, see July 1, 2009)

photo by me © 2009

St Maarten (the maps)

I'm off on a much needed vacation! So I will be personally awol for a week. When I get back, I'll have much catching up to do, but in the meantime, here I am!

Sint Maarten/Saint Martin is a beautiful island in the Caribbean, half Dutch, half French. It has many gorgeous beaches, some very secluded, some rockin'. I will be staying on the Dutch side in the south on Pelican Key. I was here last year in February (and several times prior as well), so I will be posting photos from those visits.

There is a beach bar here called Sunset Bar. You can see it here on the left. This is a great place to wait for your plane to leave after you've checked in.




St Maarten is famous for planes flying right over Maho beach into the airport. They seem to come dangerously close.











photos by me © 2007 and  2008

a flower

Where flowers bloom so does hope.

~ Lady Bird Johnson

Public Roads: Where Flowers Bloom

gaillardia from my friend Mimi's garden!

photo by me © 2009

cactus (number 2)

prickly pear cactus about to bloom in the Arizona desert in April
Prickly pear cacti represent about a dozen species of the Opuntia genus (Family Cactaceae) in the North American deserts. All have flat, fleshy pads that look like large leaves. The pads are actually modified branches or stems that serve several functions -- water storage, photosynthesis and flower production. All parts are edible.
interesting article about the edible prickly pear
how to eat a prickly pear
RoseWorksJewelry mentioned a prickly pear margarita. sounds good to me! Here is a recipe!
photo by me © 2009

joy

If it were not for you
It seems that every day would be
A life unfulfilled.
Winter then forever and no smile of spring.
An icy lake without a melted heart within.
~Susan Casey from My Secret Joy

St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum)
photo by me © 2009