Mist and rain greeted me this morning as I sat out on the front porch with my morning coffee, putting a damper on any immediate plans to go walking. It’s never clear what the weather’s doing in other parts of the island as one valley could be in a downpour and another in full sun. Generally the weather blows through quickly on the trade winds.

My first stop was at Clifford Arboretum, just left of center of the island. Up here it’s lush and green and there’s restoration efforts to combat the invasive species and restore the endangered endemic ones. The forest on one side of the road was closed for bug control so I followed a sign “Macintosh” downhill on the right. I had no idea where I was going but was accompanied by almost a dozen fairy terns, chirping and swirling above my head.

35 minutes down a steep descent and stairs only to end at a tarmaced road. Rather disappointing after all that effort. Another 45 mins back, 2 miles altogether.

My next hike started just 100m down the road: Casons Gate-Fairyland-Peak Dale. I started off down a road thru a hillside of huge flax plants, Fairyland being an old flax mill. I the early 1900’s flax was the only industry on St Helena, and supplied all the twine for the Royal Postal Service. Of course the advent of synthetic string put the end to that in the ‘60’s and the island fell into a terrible economic decline.

I Continued along a farm track, skirting the hillside, rising and falling until after 75mins came to a rest hut at a Gumwood reforestation area and obtained my Post Box stamp. I returned back the same way for a 4.5 mile hike.

I contemplated another short walk but I felt I got my exercise in today and was happier to head back down the dreaded Ladder Hill at 2:15pm, well ahead of rush hour. I walked in to my B&B and headed straight to the kettle for tea and my daily treat of Victoria sponge cake.

After fortifying myself I wandered out souvenir shopping as I still needed to find my fridge magnet. Success in the first store recommended to me by the shop lady at Longwood House. A fairly typical plastic rectangle of the flag but it suits my need.

I stopped in for a visit with Peter, one of the 2 residents at the Consulate Hotel, and he played for me a little historical film from 1962 on St Helena. It showed old footage of women walking into town with their donkeys to do their shopping, how flax was harvested and processed into twine, how the steamships were the lifeline for the island, etc, etc.

I took a wander to the harbor front to watch the ocean swell crashing over into the parking lot (no cars were harmed), then back to Anne’s Place for a beer and fries. Dinner was leftovers from last night in front of the TV.