We snapped this picture at a villa which will remain unnamed because it’s hardly the owner’s fault. This represents what we like to call “The St. John Way.” There is the right way. And then, there’s The St. John Way. In this case, the right way to fix backwards plumbing would be to fix the plumbing. The St. John Way is to just make it clear that it’s not the right way. You see this ALL THE TIME. (Not signs like this…this is actually helpful.) But you run into backwards hot and cold water all the time. One guy told us a story about this problem in every shower in an expensive new villa he was building. He told the builder he wanted it fixed. Next time he visited his villa, it was. The workmen had peeled off all the red and blue decals…and reversed them. That’s The St. John Way.

Here’s an out of the way spot reached by a little love nest of a cottage called Siempre Azul. It sits on Friis Bay, not far from Miss Lucy’s. Friis Bay, below.

Did you know Starfish Market routinely rounds the checkout price down to the nearest nickel? If the register says $56.72, the checker will say $56.70. Seriously. You probably don’t even notice. Watch next time. And when that register drawer pops open, look in it. You’re likely to see maybe one very unwelcome penny in there. Whether or not this is actually a formal store policy, we don’t know. But they don’t ever round UP, so they’re not making it up over the course of the day.

I know they’re just pennies, but in the course of a year at a grocery store, that’s got to add up to some sort of figure with a comma somewhere in it.

We’re getting closer to Centerline Road. This time, we’ll leave the Trunk Bay lot and head to Peter Bay Estates (the entrance only…riffraff like us isn’t allowed past the gate.) A rainy afternoon left the roads wet, and this trip takes us up a couple of serious switchbacks. Don’t follow too closely! North Shore Road, part 4, below. 

A two day Christmas Music Festival included a cute little kids parade through Cruz Bay and Santa on a truck. And kids led by Festival organizer Steve Simon. (This just looks like sugar high chaos to me.)

Ever been to Hassel Island? (It’s number 31 on the National Park map above.) Here’s a chance to see it, and help the Park too. Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park is looking for volunteers for a Hassel Island cleanup next Saturday morning. Show up at the National Park Visitor Center in Cruz Bay at 7:30. Friends will get you there. They’ll even throw in lunch. Read details here.

If you’re flying US Airways and you happen to luck out and get bumped up to First Class, you might be pleasantly surprised by what you find. US Airways has, at least on one St Thomas route 757 that we know of, replaced the two rows of cracked gray leather seats with three rows of lie-flat seats. And that other picture is the control for said seats. Like an 8 year old in my dad’s brand new ‘76 Olds Ninety-Eight, I played and played with those buttons going up and down and in and out all flight long. Wow. That was fun. The food still sucked.