Memories of a Christmas season past

Anguilla, 16 miles long and 3 miles wide, resembles an eel.  Hence, Anguilla

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - The year was 1982.  I was on the island of Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory in the Leeward Islands. It was a three hour flight to St. Marten and then a 1 hour ferry trip to Anguilla.
     It was a beautiful island with very friendly people who were getting ready to celebrate the holidays.  I stayed in Sandy Ground, a little spit of land with a large somewhat sheltered harbor.
     Island tradition in the Caribbean is that everyone tries to get home for Christmas.  So, each morning starting about 4 days prior there would be more and more "tramp steamers'" which shuttle cargo between islands, in the harbor.
      This was not a rich island.  But everyone had some type of decoration... usually homemade... outside their home.  Santa made his rounds.  He was barefoot, dressed in baggy shorts (no shirt) and had a stuck-on beard of stretched out cotton balls to go with his dark skin and home made red beanie.  He carried a sack of small gifts to give out.
     The local children came around on Christmas eve singing (sort of) carols with the hope of getting some extra $$$ for their endeavors.
     Johnno's beach bar, a maybe 12 x 12 thatched hut, was a short walk away.  There was Johnno, the owner (who liked jazz, but played island reggae; Kasha, a rasta, who the locals said delt in whatever you needed.  (Smuggling liquor was a profitable sideline); Ivor The Diver, who sold black coral jewelry, which, naturally, was illegal.
    The owner of the room where I stayed created a place to make and sell island handicrafts.  The small bag in the photo above was one such item.  It was filled with sea salt from the salt works on Sandy Ground.
     And finally, to keep with the spirit, I gifted the elderly maid and her grounds keeper husband, a bottle of rum...for special occasions.  They didn't come back to work for three days.  And I got into a bit of trouble for that.