We now live at the bottom of Suicide Hill

Yesterday we travelled to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, for our first house sit of our "winter" season. On our second flight, we saw the sun rise. This photo doesn't do it justice; it was beautiful.

On the approach into St. Thomas, we were struck by how "hilly" it is. We quickly found out it's not hilly, it's mountainous! You can see from this photo of the capital, Charlotte Amalie, how the mountains rise up from the harbour. Well, we live the other side of those mountains! The homeowners told us if we get lost to just ask for directions to Suicide Hill. When we take a photo of it, you'll see why it's called that.

Before the trip, we had only focussed on how small the island is - 31 sq. miles. We hadn't considered the topography; the narrow roads, constant bends and switchbacks, and steep inclines. Add to that driving on the left side of the road, but with a vehicle designed for driving on the right. We are grateful the homeowners included a 4-wheel-drive vehicle, as it's certainly needed here.

4-wheel drive, thank goodness!

Last night we enjoyed a lovely meal out with the homeowners, Michelle and Jason.  It was nice to get to know them a little, before they go on their travels.

Today we ventured out to find the Cost U Less store, which was remarkably like Costco, including selling Kirkland brands. I have no doubt they own it too. We did agree that we'd restrict our driving (OK, Greg's driving) to daylight, at least for now. It was a good thing too, as we certainly didn't find the most direct way home! We've already had to stop and ask directions to Suicide Hill, and yes, they knew what we meant :(

Let me introduce you to our housemates, Teddy (laying down) and Frankie (in Greg's arms).  Teddy is a wire-haired fox terrier, and Frankie is a chihuahua mix. They both have lovely temperaments and are quite content to have us around.

I must finish soon, as Frankie needs at least one of my hands to pet him. Apparently they both can be demanding if you ignore them and instead spend time with a laptop.

Weather today: High of 81F (27C), low of 77F (25C). Looking at the weather forecast, it's not likely to change much over the period we're here. Apparently the weather is fairly consistent year-round. We are in rainy season, but it didn't rain today. We saw umbrellas being used, but they were for shade from the sun :)

** As is always the case, we asked for the homeowners' approval before posting photos of both the dogs and their home. **