There is no such place called “Paradise”…

I do hate winter… and this is no secret!… Last week, both James and Dave told me they were not sure if they were ready to live through another winter with me!… Ce n’est pas peu dire!… Although last year winter was one of a kind in Eastern Canada, it was unusual and chances are we will not see something like this before several years. Yet, with climate change, no one can really tell!…

Since I feel so miserable in the cold and in the snow, I always said I would retire on some tropical island where I could spend the rest of my life happy and warm! I always envied my cousin Hélène who has been living in Saint-Martin/St.Maarten for more than 20 years… This small island with two different cultures (Dutch and French) is a “coin de paradis”… Great weather, sunny wall-to-wall, luxuriant vegetation, beautiful beaches, mountains… One side speaks French, the other one speaks Dutch and… English is the common denominator… a very colourful place indeed!… What else could you wish for as a Canadian who hates winters?

Well… there is a price attached to everything… if this Island were lucky so far by not having been hit by hurricanes in years, its population woke up to harsh reality yesterday morning when Omar hit hard! I heard about it through Hélène who, Thank God, was in Fort Lauderdale at the time… but her daughter was on the Island and she went through the ordeal as a real trooper!… This morning I received pictures (close to 30!) and it made me reflect on quite a few things… Looking at them, I swear I will never complain about winter every single day of its duration and I will certainly work on improving my mood between November and April… I can live with snow banks! I can live with water leaks in the ceiling! I can live with a snowblowing contractor who shows up later than usual! I can live trapped in the house, watching videos, drinking hot chocolate and eating comforting food for a couple of days because of a nasty snow storm (or a cold!)!…

I did not hear anything about Omar on the News yesterday… it seems that anything happening outside North America is of lesser importance… I dedicate this post to the people of Saint-Martin/St.Maarten who already rolled up their sleeves and started cleaning up the mess so their Island will still be a “coin de paradis” for snow birds like me who want to believe that paradise exists somewhere!

Hélène, Michelle et George… Bon courage!

Maho Beach

The Boardwalk

The Cargo Pier

What is there to say?

The sun is back!

The Airport re-opened this morning

At sunset yesterday...

Finally this day ended...

Some young tourists seemed to take it with a grain of salt (of course they did not lose anything!… they probably only missed their flight back home!). I found this video on YouTube… they went across the Island with a camera to show the aftermath of Omar (I will spare you Part 1 when they taped until Omar reached the category 4 hurricane… the moment they woke up to reality after their drunken binge I guess!)… If you are curious and want to see more about the destruction, click here…