Mornings in the Land of the Sun

As a young adult and adolescent I, naturally, was inclined to sleep late on every morning that I had the opportunity and no one would wake me. I recall, however, that the mornings in the Caribbean somehow beckoned me to get up and get going. They were more inviting and, it seemed, there was always more to do.

I can recall several mornings in particular that I enjoyed especially well. The first one was during my fist week in St. Croix (STX). I was awake before the dawn but waited until there was enough light out. I went walking and exploring up the mountain over the town of Christiansted. There was a trail at the end of the road that continued upward and, although I never hiked up there again after that day, it was a beautiful place to watch the sunrise over the island and watch the waterfront island city awaken for business. I listened as I heard more cars and people, chickens, and dogs. I felt as if I had had an experience that morning that gave me an edge to my day. Besides having started with a good workout by climbing a mountain, I had witnessed the beauty of the morning, alone, as if only I knew how magnificent it had been and everyone else was clueless.

The sea is always calmest in the mornings, even on the windward side. The harbor in Christiansted was in a somewhat sheltered bay inside a barrier reef and with a small island to block the wind and surf. Mornings were especially calm and quiet there and the sun shining on the boats in the morning brightened them before it even hit the docks and waterfront shops. This affords each boat the contrast of color that makes a boat on the sea such a memorable and delightful image to see. The quiet of the morning is only slightly broken by the movement of boaters coming to shore in their dinghies, the sounds sometimes carried away on the breeze. One can be startled by the approach of a dingy, or its driver climbing out, unheard, onto the dock.

The apartment I shared with a roommate in STX was only three blocks from my first few jobs in town. I enjoyed the morning walk. I love the breezes and birds song, the wonderfully cool and comfortable temperatures, and sounds of the sea and its seagulls and seamen.

On the leeward side of any island the surf barely moves most of the day but in the morning it is as still as a pool with the slightest sway of surf on the sand. I did not spend much time there on STX, other than a few evenings, but really enjoyed its serenity on the occasions that I was there. It was the same on the mornings I went to work at the beach shack, calm and quiet. I always enjoyed being the first and only person on the beach, which I was on Salt Cay.

The sailors have a saying; red sky at night, sailors delight, red sky in mornin, sailor take wornin. There were many red sky sunsets. All were beautiful. I remembered this saying on mornings that looked pink or red and watched for changing weather patterns but can’t recall if they all panned out with bad weather or not.

There were many times when I was at sea in the morning, mostly aboard the Sea Dancer. I recall getting up early on many mornings to see a small flock of flamingos flying in close formation or single file across the top of the water. The first time I saw them I had now idea what I was looking at but quickly realized that the long, thin birds were the only local inhabitants who were that large and grouped together. They were always seem flying in, toward the island where we spent the night on a mooring and I wondered where they had been and if they had regular routines, why there were so few of them, and how far they would fly between islands.

Mornings on Sea Dancer were also a good time to go for a swim and some of our guests did this on occasion. They had been informed to let the crew or captain know, however, because we sometimes moved the boat to a new site for our first dive. Morning snorklers were often gifted with the sightings of rare or unusual sea creatures including dolphins, sharks, and palagics like the whale shark or humpback whales. I once went out early, first on the site, and saw the largest old turtle I have ever seen or seen since. It was hard to jump in the water too early in the morning but the rewards were there for those who did.

We spent the most amount of time in the islands on the island of Salt Cay. There, we felt we had so much time and were never in a rush to get things done or experience everything on the island. There were many days that I slept in but I was still always interested in experiencing the mornings. They were what they were and it was a waste not to get out and enjoy them. I walked down the beach many days with five cats and along the shore where I saw my barracuda friend but I‘m regretful that did most of that in the evenings rather than the mornings. If I had, I may have seen more ospreys catch fish, more sea creatures jump out of the water or approach the shore, more early morning sunrises of which I was the only observer.

The Caribbean morning sun was so easy to enjoy. It was not too hot yet warm and energizing. I always enjoyed starting my day with at least 20 minutes of just sitting in the sun while I sipped my coffee. I had a terrific little patio on St. Martin where I did this each morning at 7 am. I miss this now, living in the Ozarks, more than anything. I love my home in the bluff lined hollow but the sunshine does not hit our home until after 10 am. I must go out to the end of our driveway to catch the morning sunshine and this I do. The dogs, cat and I have a morning ritual, me in my fold up lawn chair and them at my feet all with the glorious morning rays of sunshine warming us and giving us a charge to carry through the day.

Daylight savings did not occur in the Caribbean. There was no need and the sun rose and set at the same time each day, year after year with only slight variances with the seasons. This agreed with me. I think it makes much more sense than changing the clocks. Perhaps, mornings were easier for me because of this consistency, or maybe it was because I got to bed earlier, after having had a full day in the sun. Nah, it was because they were just beautiful. There have been a few days here, in the Ozarks, where I commented that it felt like a Caribbean morning and Steve agreed. Mild temperatures, sunshine, and a strong breeze, that’s all it takes.