Posted tagged ‘Grand Bahama’
March 11, 2012
I posted about my Warm Winter Garden just a few weeks ago when everything was still green and ripening. Just had to post a pic of this platter of lusciousness now that we’re harvesting ripe red tomatoes and having a good time adding these beauties into omelets, sandwiches, and of course, salads, but mostly just enjoying their bright freshness simple and plain with a hint of salt and pepper. And some of the green ones might get turned into Fried Green Tomatoes. (I do love that movie. And especially the book.)
Nothing like a homegrown tomato for ramping up your appreciation of how va-va-voom life is. There’s something about their vibrant red-ness that acts like a natural can’t-miss-it 4-way Stop sign for pausing and noticing all the wonder that abounds when you look for it. What gladness is growing is your paradise? Whatever and wherever it is — enjoy!
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Categories: Books, favorite things, Garden, Grand Bahama Island, little luxuries, movies, Sunday Inspiration, The Bahamas
Tags: Fried Green Tomatoes, Fried Green Tomatoes book by Fannie Flagg, Fried Green Tomatoes movie, Grand Bahama, Grand Bahama Island, homegrown tomatoes, warm winter garden, warm winter garden tomatoes
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February 20, 2012
a soon-to-be red plum tomato ripening in the sun. photos by paula boyd farrington
There is green goodness on the vine in my Grand Bahama garden. The strong summer sun is sometimes too intense for growing these beauties, but it is just right just now in our warm winter. Fresh basil flourishes in a small patch …
… and Italian flat-leaf parsley basks alongside the full broccoli …
Along the fence, the pods of pigeon peas begin (and will be used in the traditional Bahamian dish of peas ‘n rice … the pea is similar to a black-eyed pea).
Elsewhere in the garden, it looks more like a traditional northern fall … the almond tree loses its leaves this time of year …
… and the Royal Poinciana tree that will bloom flame-red in May or June is in full winter … leafless … and busy growing its long slender seed pods …
The sunny faces of the impatiens that wilt in the bold summers smile in the shade of a tree …
… while avocados still hang heavy and heavenly on the tree …
Such a bounty of warm winter blessings. What abundance blooms in the appreciative eyes and happy heart of your paradise right now? Enjoy, enjoy ….
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Categories: Garden, Grand Bahama Island, inspiration, photography
Tags: avocados, Bahamas, basil, broccoli, flat leaf parsley, Grand Bahama, Grand Bahama garden, Grand Bahama Island, impatiens, peas 'n rice, pigeon pea vine, pigeon peas, plum tomatoes, tomatoes, warm winter garden
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November 4, 2011
We entering into Goldilocks Season on Grand Bahama. The weather is not too hot, not too cold … it’s juuuuust right. It’s the kind of weather that makes you say “aaaahh” and draws your eye extra-much to every bright yellow bit of tropical bliss …
… from cerasee bush medicine growing along the garden wall …
… to fresh guava in the kitchen …
… to more yellow elder (the national flower of The Bahamas) …
… to the way the sun bathes the palm fronds in warmth while a woodpecker taps his tat-a-tat-tat tune …
… a soft light glowing on everything … ripening the sea grapes…
photo by Caitlin Farrington
… renewed gratitude alighting in our hearts, and reminding us of so many golden days …
… giving thanks for the not-too-hot, hot-too-cold glories of November in The Bahamas! (And to how marvelous it is when the weather matches your mood … here’s to the glow of your internal paradise keeping you warm if you’re bouncing back from that too-cold-too-soon snow storm up north, or still waiting for a touch of fall—like we’ve been doing during the high humidity the past couple of months! Here’s to paying attention to the subtle and not-so-subtle shifts of season and keeping a weathered eye on the blessings that abound everywhere.) Tra-la.
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Categories: favorite things, Garden, Grand Bahama Island, indescribable, inspiration, intriguing images, little luxuries, photography, The Bahamas
Tags: cerasee, dragonfly, golden winter warmth, Goldilocks, Goldilocks weather, Grand Bahama, Grand Bahama Island, sea grapes, The Bahamas, woodpecker, yellow elder
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September 19, 2011
September 19th is International Talk Like A Pirate Day. This is the official day to practice saying “arrrggghh, matey”—and other plank-walkin’ talk—an occasion dreamed up by a couple fun guys who were bored one day, but had plenty of Pirattitude. They told funny guy/author, Dave Barry, about it back in 2002, and he put it in his Miami Herald column. The rest is shiver-me-timbers history, and people all over the world now use this date as an excuse to swagger about in their swashbuckling finest and to think about stirring some rum into their coffee. Or maybe that’s just me. Anyway, it’s all about having fun—and got me thinking about Grand Bahama’s own brush with fictional pirate fame.
Filming for some of Disney’s Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides took place on Grand Bahama Island, back in 2006/2007. It was a thrill to see The Black Pearl and Davy Jones’ Flying Dutchman cinema-ships up close and to catch random sightings of the cast and crew out and about on the island.
We were all swept up in the movie-making excitement—especially my daughter and her friends, who had a great time devising their own buccaneer ensembles in which to search for treasure and adventure during Ye Olde Playtimes.
Halloween at our house that year included a rather commanding and fierce-looking Pirate Princess known as Sparrowla—an imaginary long-lost sister of Captain Jack Sparrow:
Here’s to sailing the Seven Seas of Imagination and Laughter for as long as you can! Yo ho, me hearties, yo ho!
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Categories: by the sea, cool stuff, favorite things, Grand Bahama Island, inspiration, intriguing images, movies, The Bahamas
Tags: Captain Jack Sparrow, Dave Barry, Davy Jones' Flying Dutchman, Disneys Pirates of The Caribbean, film making, Grand Bahama, Grand Bahama Island, International Talk Like A Pirate Day, Miami Herald, moviemaking, Pirates, Pirates of The Caribbean: Deadman's Chest, Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, rum, The Black Pearl
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August 20, 2011
simple island joys
dance brightly in lush greenness
nature’s love abloom
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Categories: cool stuff, favorite things, Garden, Grand Bahama Island, indescribable, inspiration, little luxuries, love, poetry, Sunday Inspiration, The Bahamas, writing
Tags: garden photos, Grand Bahama, Grand Bahama Island, nature, simple island joys, yellow tropical flowers
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January 11, 2011
Now here’s something you don’t see every day. In fact, after living here on Grand Bahama Island for over 20 years, I’d never seen one until a couple days ago. Looks more like an apple or a big plum, doesn’t it?! But look inside at the familiar creamy green …
Yes, it’s an avocado! (And a perfectly ripe and tasty one too.) A quick Google search shows it’s a Florida variety of avocado that turns red when it ripens. These beauties came from a tree in an out of the way area behind the guest cottage garden. This is what they look like growing way up on the tree …
(and yes, I drew the little arrow and circle on the photo so it’s easier to find the avocado, but other than that, all these photos of the avocados are straight out of the iPhone camera, no-retouching at t’all!)
I had no idea avocados could be red. But Miss Lue knew. Miss Lue is an amazing woman who hails from Jamaica originally and is the reason we have clean clothes around here every week. And clean everything, despite my creative clutter. We are truly blessed to have Miss Lue in our lives. In addition to her generous and helpful heart, she also has a green thumb and knows about all sorts of edible island garden treasures. I only knew we were already graced to have two different varieties of green avocados in our garden, but to find a new kind — a RED avocado (I just have to keep saying that because I’m so in awe of it) — feels like winning some sort of tropical arbor triple crown!
I’m so pleased to be at the stage of life where horticultural discoveries in my own back yard are my idea of Headline News. Worthy of a special report. All these amazing trees and plants, and I’m finally getting acquainted with them on a deeper level and asking their names and stories. Pleased to meet you, Red Florida Avocado.
red-when-they're-ripe avocados
so yummy
And thank you again, Miss Lue, for the introduction!
Miss Lue: Household Heroine, Wise Island Gardener & Patient Teacher of Natural Grace
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Categories: cool stuff, favorite things, Garden, Grand Bahama Island, intriguing images, The Bahamas
Tags: avocado, avocado tree, avocados, edible island treasures, Florida avocado, Garden, gardens, Google, Grand Bahama, Grand Bahama garden, Grand Bahama Island, green avocados, horticulture, island garden, red avocado, red avocados, ripe avocado, ripe red avocado, tropical arbor, tropical horticulture
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December 10, 2010
Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 8821 © christine matthäi
Artist Photographer Christine Matthäi has created an alluring and intriguing series of images inspired by the changing shades of blue and blissful reflections of what surrounds and supports us most—water. Her travels to Grand Bahama Island and watching the wind and waves create motion, reflecting the sunlight on our gorgeous clear sapphire seas, is certainly part of her ongoing inspiration and fascination with water—that life-giving source vital to us all. Take a look at these modern, contemporary art works:
Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 9589 © christine matthäi
Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 8789 © christine matthäi
Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 9587 © christine matthäi
Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 9592 © christine matthäi
Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 8908 © christine matthäi
If you are interested in prints for your home or office, write to the artist at christinematthai (at) mac (dot) com and note the image number in the caption.
Or take a look at all Christine Matthäi’s gorgeous contemporary portfolios by clicking here.
I am fortunate to call Christine a friend, and am posting this because I admire her incredible talent and brilliant work. As with all things I enthuse about here, it’s simply because I enjoy it and like to make the world a brighter place by sharing the good stuff!
That said, I DO have a vested interest in my husband’s printing company—Freeport Advertising & Printing—a Grand Bahama-owned full service printing and graphic design business here since 1973. If you would like to win a big beautiful 24″ x 36″ inch, fomecore-mounted print of one of Christine Matthai’s images (your choice of the ones shown above), just click here to subscribe to their free Printer At Work newsletter. You can see a sample issue by clicking on the Printer At Work button on the bottom left side of the screen. The newsletter is a quick read, with great tips on marketing, design, technology, and ways to save money and increase business sales. It comes out every two weeks, so you won’t be getting tons of email or anything. There are even a couple fun cartoons in each edition. (And of course, your email address is safe with us and will be kept private.)
Okay, that’s it. If you’re already a subscriber or have an account at FreeportAdvertising.com, you’re already entered and eligible to win. Subscribe by January 1, 2011 to be eligible to win the print. A random entry will be drawn by over-caffeinated gerbils, or some objective technological wizardry, and the winner announced the following week.
If you want to leave a comment here letting me know you’ve subscribed, or which print is your favorite, or just to jump in and say the water’s fine, that would be wonderful, but is completely up to you.
And if you need some last-minute Christmas cards printed, or little notepads with people’s names on them as thoughtful gifts, I know just the place! (that was the last commercial plug–but aren’t imprinted personal things so cool?—okay that was it, really … I get on a roll and can think up all kinds of fun goodies to print!)
Enjoy the blue bliss of water that surrounds our wonder-filled island and makes us all fortunate in business … in beauty … in life … each and every day. In gratitude for the time and tides—Paula.
It's about the water. It's always about the water. Southern shore of Grand Bahama Island.
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Categories: art, by the sea, cool stuff, design, favorite things, Grand Bahama Island, inspiration, intriguing images, little luxuries, photography, quotes, The Bahamas, wonderful ideas
Tags: abstract designs, art, artwork, blue, blue bliss, Christine Matthai, colors, contemporary photo art, fine art photography, Grand Bahama, Grand Bahama Island, graphic prints, modernist images, photography, printing, reflections, The Bahamas, water, water inspiration, water reflections, waters of The Bahamas
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December 9, 2010
You only get a handful of occasions to really justify wearing winter boots on Grand Bahama Island.
Yesterday was one of those days.
Unseasonably low temps in the upper 30s kicked off the day. Clear and a couple degrees warmer than our U.S. neighbor, Florida, (just 68 miles to the west), but still nippy for those of us more accustomed to the kind of warmth and humidity that keeps air conditioners running all through the summer and early fall.
But by mid-afternoon, the thermostat had buoyed up to what I like to call “Goldilocks” weather … not too hot, not too cold …. it’s juuuust right.
I picked up my daughter and her friends from school and decided we would savor this sumptuous high-blue sky, silky-sunshine, and flat-calm, low tide afternoon at a casual beachfront restaurant called Banana Bay. It’s a laidback, delightful place where boots are seldom seen, and shoes in general are quite optional …
We claimed a spot overlooking the wide beach, put in an order for some burgers and salads that the attentive staff cooked while the kiddos explored the eddies and sandbars that emerge at low tide …
… all sorts of shells and sea patterns, sea weed and driftwood glisten …
… a sturdy hammock slung between two palms becomes an imaginary high-seas swaying ship with some help from youthful imaginations …
and then the magic of the low-slanting rays of late afternoon sun start to glow …
bathing everything in a golden winter warmth …
glowing everywhere …
with a dazzling finale!
If you’re reading this from somewhere that’s seen more than your fair share of snow already … I do heartily apologize.
But I just had to capture the soft enchantment of this best-of-both-worlds kind of day. Boots and Beach. A taste of two winter paradises in one.
And if you are in the midst of a snowy winter wonderland type of paradise, please make a snow angel for me. I love snow angels. They’re best friends with the sand angels and mermaid angels that live here by the sea.
Enjoy the wonders of wherever you are. Tra-la.
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Categories: by the sea, favorite things, Grand Bahama Island, inspiration, little luxuries, love, The Bahamas
Tags: Bahamas, Banana Bay, beach, beachfront restaurant, boots, casual beachfront restaurant, flat calm water, Florida, golden winter warmth, Goldilocks, Goldilocks weather, Grand Bahama, Grand Bahama Island, hammock, imagination, kiddos, late afternoon sun, low tide, no shoes, not too cold, not too hot, palm trees, sandbar, sandbars, shoes, thermostat, unseasonably cool, warm winter, winter boots
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October 7, 2010
A few years ago we were delighted to discover that our unassuming little home in Grand Bahama was born from famous blueprints—designed by Alfred Browning Parker, whose post-World War II contemporary modernist work in and around Miami made him one of the most sought-after architects in the U.S., garnering high praise even from Frank Lloyd Wright—a guiding influence in Parker’s organic architecture philosophies.
Originally constructed for a former chief executive of The Grand Bahama Development Company, our modest two-bedroom home shares architectural roots with a much grander home, built by one of Freeport’s founding families on Sea Shell Lane. This property was recently sold by Coldwell Banker James Sarles Realty and photographed by fine art photographer Christine Matthäi. Matthäi’s artful images capture the home’s classic oceanfront elegance and the timeless organic nature of Parker’s work.
Sea Shell Lane residence photographed by Christine Matthäi
Parker shared a passion with Frank Lloyd Wright for designs that worked with local climate and natural materials. In tropical climes that meant louvered shutters and windows that allowed prevailing ocean breezes to cool things down in the days before air conditioning became commonplace. Parker’s sensitivity and commitment to use of indigenous materials is also evident in the limestone rock that is incorporated into both our humble abode and the Sea Shell Lane residence.
Beautifully blending local materials, recycled materials with then-modern techniques like poured concrete was part of Parker’s modernist mission. His designs are still relevant today in the way they seamlessly merge the interior with the exterior—blurring the boundaries between building and landscape in classic organic architecture.
Sea Shell Lane photos by Christine Matthäi. 2010 ChristineMatthai.com
In our little part of paradise, the grand old trees that surround the property are visible everywhere and bring a particular kind of contentment and sense of well being found only in the shade of their longevity. Our stands of mature trees were planted by Lila Gonsalves—the first President of the Freeport Garden Club—and I send her quiet thanks on an ongoing basis for the green goodness we regularly enjoy in the garden. Sir Jack Hayward also had a hand in our arbor abundance, having given the now towering 40-foot tall Royal Poinciana tree that graces the front entry, to the original home owners in a coffee can—a tiny sapling housewarming present that bursts out in dazzling splendour every May & June.
Royal Poinciana entryway tree in full bloom
A kiss of the sun for pardon
The song of the birds for mirth
One is nearer God’s heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
— Dorothy Frances Gurney
Our small home and the Sea Shell Lane property are the only two known surviving residential works of Alfred Browning Parker on Grand Bahama—a tie to modern day Freeport’s history that still smiles on the ideal of harmony between human habitation and the natural world—an essential element in preserving our island’s inherent beauty and grace as we make our way into the future.
Related Alfred Browning Parker Links:
Alfred Browning Parker: The Master of Coconut Grove:
Modernism Magazine (Volume 11, No. 2 | Summer 2008)
House Beautiful Magazine
The legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright commented on a home Alfred Browning Parker built for himself in the Coral Ridge area of Miami, featured as House Beautiful Magazine’s 1954 Pace Setter House:
“This Florida house aims at the highest goal to which architecture may aspire: organic architecture. Along this new but ancient way a home where the enlightened mind can flower, where people can develop their fullest potentials, is still a possibility.”
Slide Show: More of Christine Matthäi’s photographic images of Sea Shell Lane residence, click here.
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Categories: art, design, Garden, Grand Bahama Island, The Bahamas
Tags: 1954, 1960s, Alfred Browning Parker, architect, architecture, Bahamas, beauty, blueprints, Christine Matthai, Coldwell Banker James Sarles Realty, contemporary 1960 architectural design, Dorothy Frances Gurney, fine art photography, Frank Lloyd Wright, Garden, Grand Bahama, Grand Bahama homes, Grand Bahama Island, grand old trees, home designed by Alfred Browning Parker, House Beautiful Magazine, humble home, limestone, Miami, Modernism magazine, modernist architecture, natural harmony, organic architecture, The Bahamas, trees, tropical architecture
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Paula's Paradise 
