I’m back. I am sure that once our plans really get moving towards our move, I will have more interesting things to write about, but since we are not really at that point yet, I just figured no one really wants to hear about my boring day to day activities. Anyway, I can explain at least a few weeks of my absence from posting new material. We are slowly remodeling our home in case we decide that we must sell it to move to St. Croix. Last winter, we tackled all the bedrooms and two of the bathrooms. A couple of months ago we started on the other third of the house – the office, laundry room and third bathroom. We totally redid the office which included new flooring, removing the paneling from the walls, new lighting and new furniture. In doing all this work, it was necessary to unplug “my” computer and move it to another room where it remained unplugged. So that’s where I was for about a month. Then I had my appendix taken out – nothing that would have really kept me from posting here, but I didn’t have very much exciting info to write about other than bodily functions.

So now I’m back, and I have learned some disturbing news. There are apparently not any tattoo shops on St. Croix. I know – it’s life threatening and upsetting news. Here’s the thing: I really like tattoos, and I have often said that if I didn’t have a “normal” job, I would have more tattoos, and they would certainly be more prominent. I have promised H after the last tattoo which was last summer (and rather large) that I would not get any more tattoos, but who knows? He might change his mind and want one himself.

Here’s what I have learned. There was a recent post on the moving forum where someone was inquiring about this very topic. The consensus was: no shops on St. Croix. Someone suggested that they might do tattoos at Ruel’s Risqué Wear. I looked them up in the VI phone book – they are listed under “Exotic Apparel”. Now I am not trying to imply that a shop that provides exotic apparel cannot also perform killer tattoo work, but I must admit I am skeptical. (they don’t sell exotic apparel on LA Ink, but Kat Von D does have a stripper pole – coincidence?) I have not always been tattooed in the nicest of shops – the shop where I got my first tattoo was down an alley in a sketchy part of town and a guy was passed out on a pool table – but my tastes have evolved. The artist who has done my last two pieces is extremely professional – he sets up a consultation where you discuss exactly what you want, he draws it up and you come back a week later – no drunken, late night decisions here.

I Googled “tattoos” and “Virgin Islands.” There were no hits for tattoo shops, but luckily you do get a description of the tattoos on the Virgin Islands’ Most Wanted. I looked in the phone book again – this time under “Tattoos”. There were two places listed, but they were both in St. Thomas. Jimmy Buffham’s Exotic (again with the “exotic”) Piercing and Tattoo had a really nice ad so I guess there is hope for the Virgin Islands. For now, I’m going to stick with Tim – my tattoo artist. That’s one of my tattoos pictured first on his tattoo portfolio. I’ll keep an open mind though and check out Ruel’s on our next visit. You never know what I might find there.

The welfare of animals is a subject that is near and dear to our hearts. We don’t have any children so our 5 animals are really our babies. All three cats and one of our dogs were rescued. If H wouldn’t divorce me, and I had more room, I would rescue four more. When giving to charity, we almost always give donations to animal rights and rescue organizations. There are so many organizations here in Dallas that seem to perform miracles. One of those organizations is Operation Kindness. Operation Kindness is a no-kill shelter that is also extremely active in protecting animals. The group attends hearings and trials of those accused of animal cruelty, and I believe they have been instrumental in the increased sentences that some of these criminals have received.

From what I have been told, the attitude towards animals by some locals on St. Croix is very different from what we experience in Dallas. Animals are not treated as family members. Dogs are often tied up in yards for “protection”, and cats are allowed to freely roam having litter after litter of kittens. There was also a thread on the VI Moving Center a while back about two starving horses that were in a lot just off a public street. Apparently, people were afraid to report the neglect for fear of retaliation. The horses were eventually rescued although one of them did not survive.

I would like to see St. Croix become more like the States in terms of protecting animals. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that Dallas is a utopia for animals. The reports of animal cruelty here are atrocious, but more people are becoming outraged by these reports and are effecting change.

In recent years, the Virgin Islands passed a bill making cruelty to animals a felony offense. Unfortunately, this bill took years to get passed and was vetoed twice by the former governor. This long fight speaks volumes about the attitude towards animals on the islands, but this law is definitely a step in the right direction.

Other positive steps on St. Croix are the efforts to educate children and the community about caring for animals. The St Croix Animal Welfare Center has two programs focused on this goal, the Adopt a Teacher program and Humane Education program. The idea behind these programs is to get children interested in caring for animals and making sure that they are properly treated. Hopefully, the children pass these ideas onto their families and neighbors and fewer animals are mistreated.

It would be wonderful if St. Croix could have a no-kill shelter like Operation Kindness, but sadly, the island is too small to currently accommodate the over-population of animals. According to the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center’s website, it is the “only organization on island dedicated to the humane treatment of the island’s abused and abandoned animals.” Since the Center is the only facility on island, it is very important for residents and visitors to support its programs.

One way that we have started to support St. Croix’s animal rescue efforts is by donating to Pets from Paradise. Their website is temporarily not functioning, but this link explains the idea behind the program. Basically, travelers to St. Croix can fly an animal back home with them to be adopted at a “sister shelter” in the states. This way the animals find a good home, and the population of animals on island is humanely reduced. Regrettably, Dallas does not have a sister shelter, but this sounded like such an incredible program that I still wanted to support it in some way. On our last trip down to St. Croix, I brought a pet carrier filled with animal toys, treats, and food. The carrier was counted as a checked bag so it didn’t cost me anything to bring it down with me. Then we took the items to the Pets from Paradise location. It made me so sad to see all of the sweet faces at the shelter, but I hope that these items made their lives more comfortable.