Friday, June 26, 2009

Lime: putting the customer first (but only before 3pm)

The local telecoms company, formerly known as 'Cable and Wireless', recently spent $400 million on a rebranding exercise that 'put the customer at the centre of everything they do'. Only they now close their customer service department an hour early...

Friday, June 19, 2009

"Cocaine fuelled my dasheen habit"

In a court report in today's newspaper, one Alice Esprit of Belles pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to sell. In her defence, the accused said she only sold the cocaine in order to get money to buy fertilizer to cultivate her 800 dasheen plants. She was fined $1,000 to be paid by September or spend two months in jail.

Back story: Dasheen is the "edible starchy tuberous root of taro plants". World dasheen prices are said to be at an all-time high. Belles dasheen, especially the coveted 'swamp dasheen', is highly prized and sought-after. Belles, a village in central Dominica, is ideal for growing the plant due to its high rainfall and cool temperatures.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

'The Finest LIME FRUIT Plantation in the World'

According to the The Graphic newspaper of London, June 5, 1897, the limes produced in Dominica were declared by no less than a Royal Commission to be 'The Best Limes in the World'. And if that accolade wasn't enough, the renowned British Medical Journal declared at the time that 'the North Pole cannot be reached without Lime Juice'. And huskies, presumably.

The article, part of the recently released online British Newspapers collection at the British Library collection, goes on to describe Dominica, and especially its limes, in glowing terms.... The Boiling Lake is 'one of the most wonderful sights in the world'... 'a Lime plantation in full bearing is one of the prettiest sights imaginable...During the Lime harvest the fine ripe fruit is gathered by the native girls and brought into the central factory, where it is quickly deprived of its juice'.

Brithish Newspapers 1800 - 1900

Saturday, June 13, 2009

6 months old


boy in a bath
Originally uploaded by Steve_Mc
Liam was six months old yesterday (Friday 12th June). Today he weighed in at 18.3lbs (8.3 Kilos)

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Slideflickr





Easily create slideshows of your Flickr photos at Slideflickr.com

Sunday, June 07, 2009

The Malfini


I was lucky enough to get this great shot of a Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus), known locally as the Malfini or Chicken Hawk.