All Fruits Ripe

I just returned from a great week in Jamaica with friends Frank Power and Heather Hotchin. Frank lives in Morant Bay, in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, the southeast of Jamaica, an area essentially devoid of tourists. It was great to return the Caribbean for a week, to get a dose of that culture that filled my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Me, Frank and Heather

We spent our days walking beaches; swimming in the sea; drinking Blue Mountain Coffee, Red Stripes, and Appleton Rum; searching out the origins of Jerk seasoning and experiencing perhaps the greatest $20 outdoor massage and soak in natural mineral waters in all of the Caribbean.

One of my favorite things learned during this past week in Jamaica is the phrase, “All Fruits Ripe,” or all is good or right in the world.  And I am thinking that right now as I anticipate my return to the day-to-day living in the Berkshires.

A big thank you goes out to the both of them, Frank and Heather, friends that I have loved for 17 years, so good to see that “all fruits ripe” between us.

Here are some highlights from my trip, including the road held together with old tires and stones.