A Great Brother

If you do not have a brother, get one!

Now I am no expert on the matter as I only have one brother and no sisters, but my brother Bernie is the greatest.

This was again reinforced on the weekend of May 15th when he put on a wonderful early birthday party for me at his vacation home in Silver Sands.

You see, since I reached the half century mark some years ago, I decided that I would have a party for every birthday following that big bash, for my 50th birthday party was indeed a big a splash and I guess as you get older you really appreciate your friends and close family. For whereas you may see them a couple of times during the year and keep up with them in other ways, one big get together per year is just not too much, for life is short.

So as I planned this years big do, I was overwhelmed when Bernie told me he was planning to be here in May, as he had never been in Jamaica when my birthday came around. I therefore told him to be here for the weekend of May 21st since my birthday was actually on the 20th and I was planning the session for that weekend.

A few days later he called to say he couldn't come that weekend but would be here the weekend before that and he would be having the party at his home in Silver Sands for me, so we should all come down to Trelawny.

He did and it was absolutely wonderful. Everyone had a great time and they have been calling me ever since to say how they enjoyed themselves as the food, music and ambiance was just great.

At the party too were the foundation members of "Fun and Thrills" my riding group. So being health freaks, we decided that we had to work off all the food with a long 22 mile ride from Duncan's via Hamden , Daniel Town the Trelawny stadium and back home. The route was not at all difficult and it was extremely scenic....that is until we got to the highway. That was where the real bangarang hit us as by then the sun was blaring down and the breeze was against us. It is the longest 9 kilometre ride I have had in a long time. That leg of the ride made me have a new level of respect for the 'round the island riders" Howie, Heather, Michael , Damit and Orrel, who on Easter weekend, rode around the entire island taking 4 days. Can you imagine how much self discipline it took to stay in the saddle as the sun unmercifully beat down on them? I still think they are masochists.

But I deviate. As Bernie and Judy (my sister in law) had to get to the airport early, unfortunately we missed them as we got back to the house after they had driven out. I was so hot and tired that all I could do was eat breakfast and lie in the pool to get my body temperature back to normal. I never even had the energy to go down to the beach, lest I had to fight any waves.

Anyway I eventually bounced back and the joy and mood of the wonderful weekend returned before we had to return to Kingston.

Another year older and great weekend.

For other photographs, go to ;http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=212087&id=763366822&saved