Put A Lid On It, Shape It All Up, & Time for Rememberances

After the walls and floors are all in place, the next thing to deal with is the roof.  The roof of Calabash Mountain Villa is magnificent, especially in the center portion of the structure.  We have that very high cathedral ceiling, and as you can see from the pictures, it took lots of reinforcements to ensure it was constructed safely and securely.  The beams, the plywood, and the shingles were all done with great care. 

               




Our next focus is on finishing the walls inside the Villa.  We plastered all of the walls to provide a nice smooth surface; then we painted the walls with colors that reflect the vibrancy of the Caribbean.  

   


And, remember those piles of rocks from when we were first clearing the land?  Well, they are back – as part of the front of the Villa.  The cut-stone facing is from the very rocks that were busted as we began our work.  The cut-stone facing was not in our initial plan, but along the way it seemed the perfect thing to do.  There are other places in the area that have done this and it really appealed to me.  We were really fortunate to have this resource that only cost us 

the time spent busting up the boulders for use.  

What great opportunities have you had to use what you already had, to enhance a project?  Isn’t it sweet when this happens?

Each day as I drive back and forth between my brother’s house in Soufriere to the site of Calabash Mountain Villa, I take in the local community.  I reminisce about my growing up in this community.  A lot of the things that were part of my childhood are still here today.  Many of the buildings are wooden and over 100 years old.  I remember incidents and people as I look at these old buildings.  I remember a childhood filled with love and community spirit.  I remember a time when I could go anywhere without any worry about my safety.  During my time down here, building, I have become reacquainted with some family members and met ones that are new to me.  It is great to have such a feeling of connectedness to the community.  A lot of the tourist sites that I remember from my childhood have been renovated and enlarged to accommodate the volume of today’s tourists.  What have you experienced after going back “home” after being away for a while?  Were things the same or very different?  Were you happy with the changes?  Leave a comment and let us know.