Leeward-Going-Through, update.

Wow. We just took a trip down to our "old stomping grounds" at Leeward. Things continue to change, as things are wont to do, but the rate of change at Leeward is suddenly seeming pretty severe.

Here's Gilley's at Leeward almost exactly one month ago:



See the palm tree on the left, the edge of the Big Blue sign, and the little sidewalk walkway light? Well, those are all still there. Nothing else is:



It's as though it never existed. Nineteen years eradicated. Smashed to rubble and hauled away.

The floating docks where the small drama of the capsized cat played out...



(for newcomers to this blog, that's a previous post)

And where we and many, many others tied up for the past 20 years:



all gone.



The Leeward Fuel dock, a part of many lives in this small island nation, and meeting spot for generations, the only reliable fuel pump with regular hours for many miles and several islands...



Now history.



I know it's progress. There will be new restaurants, t-shirt shops, fees for tying up, dock attendents wearing matching shirts....probably a bus service from the airport..lots more white faces roaming around. Probably a dress code. But I am kinda glad we took the time to take all those photos over the past couple years. Someday, people are not going to believe it when we show them images of Leeward then:



and, for the moment at least, Leeward right now: