Mitzie saved the day/Cousin Delroy.

 The greatest fishermen will tell you that often, they go and spend hours at sea and come home without any fish.

Well that didn't happen to the big fisherwoman, Mitzie, but the rest of us returned empty handed.

Her's was a Silver Snapper 

Oh yea, I got a bite and was bringing in a little one, but alas just feet from the boat, it jumped off and took off like Bolt.

And Bernie got a bite too but his fish did not tarry long at all.

Regardless, we had a wonderful day meandering along on the long, impressive Black River, with its beautiful scenery and serenity.

Quite a big croc

We never saw many large Crocs this time, but a few babies were in the hatchery.

And did you know that the 26,000 acre Black River Morass had natural gas? I certainly didn't but when we saw the smoke, the fisherman explained that on hot days, the sun ignites sections of the morass that are shallow and dry. 

Successive governments have decided not to exploit this reserve though, as it's too important as an environmental resource.

I agree totally.

 As I always say, if I don't learn something every day, it means I am dead. And I ain't, as I am enjoying life.😀 

The only slight disappointment on this trip was that we had heard about this restaurant called Miss Lou which was famous for its delicious curried crab. It's in a district called Slipe. We heard the road to get there is terrible, but we didn't have to drive to get there, as it's right on the river!

In case you never heard though, sections of Jamaica were badly damaged by the terrible hurricane Beryl about 3 weeks ago. 

And while where we are escaped,  almost the  entire island seems to have lost electricity and it is being restored very slowly. So many small businesses people are having serious financial challenges.

Well Slipe still has no electricity so Miss Lou cannot cook her crabs.

Really hard on her.

Slipe bridge

Miss Lou's crab place.

PS. ( August 26, 2025.)  As we had in St. Elizabeth, we took a quick trip to Munro to visit our cousin Colonel Delroy Ormsby who had managed the Silver Sands properties for decades.

We had been unable to get him by phone for weeks so journeyed to his farm where he lived after retirement from Silver Sands.

Glad we did, for although he looked well, hardly had we returned home to the US before we got a message that he died.

Today, 08/26/2025, which incidentally was the birthday of my late mom Madeline Marshall, is the 1st anniversary of his death and I was happy to get pictures and videos from his widow Blossom, of his funeral and memories. I am storing them right here!

His daughter's wedding 

A painting given to him by his squad in the Jamaican defense force.

The late Delroy's son Simon and granddaughter Raquel.

My late dear cousin Delroy's memories.🥲

Below are other fishing memories🙂.

The would-be fishermen below.

 😁

What a beautiful, serene environment!

Captain Kai

Not even this almost empty cooler can spoil these memories.😁

A World Phenomenon

Did you know that Jamaica has the only phenomenon where a lighted flame burns under water? Not only is the flame there, but people actually cooked on it. This phenomenon is at a place named Windsor near Marcus Garvey’s statue in St. Ann’s Bay.

This is a very impoverished area with a horrible road and lots of garbage strewn along the river bank. I can’t remember ever seeing so many young children anywhere in relation to the number of houses.

I get the impression that the person on whose land this phenomenon exists is standing in the of progress for when I asked him why he has not approached an organization like TPDCO to get it developed as a proper attraction, he scoffed at the idea saying dem wi just tief it.

Anyway as the story goes, about 80 years ago, this old lady was burning out wasps in a tree, when the paper she had lighted fell into the water and it blazed up. This created a lot of excitement in the area and over the past few years, geologists from the USA have visited thinking there is natural gas in the area. None was found and the conclusion is that it is sulpher coming up into the spot, (like on matches) which is creating the phenomenon. This flame can be blown out and lighted by simply passing a lighter over the section.

The man who claims the spot has now fenced it around and charges people to come in and have a sulpher bath in the tepid water. The place has a lot, more potential however.

I had stopped there last week to show it to my grandson Shadrach who is on vacation from USA, this attraction. We had spent a wonderful two days at Royal Decameron, an all inclusive in Salem where I had made a hog of myself.

But what the heck, life is just for living.

https://youtu.be/X7uzX5vTAxE