Back on The Rock

I came back to Tortola three weeks early to spend some time with my sister, brother, friend Adam, cousin Maggie and her friend, Katie. It was a great time and the weather held out for us yet again. We spent the first week sight-seeing, snorkeling and fishing and spent the last two weeks just fishing. We saw some incredible sunsets, revisited the shadiest museum on Earth, caught some truly memorable fish and just enjoyed each other's company.

Katie and my cousin Maggie

Instead of driving\sliding to the bottom of an impossibly steep hill in our questionably safe vehicle, we parked at the top of the island and hiked down to sea level to gain access to a gorgeous, deserted beach.

The view from the top. Roughly 1400ft above sea level.

Dead on our own beach. Smartly napping in the shade while Mark gathers the rest of our stuff.

The path down is now a bulldozed highway. Soon, they'll probably pave it to let cruise ship passengers get drunk and litter on one of the last natural beaches on the island.

The hill is stupidly steep.

Adam ran out of water a good 300ft below us, so Lex tried to roll him a bottle. It never made it.

Lex and Katie rock scrambling.

Brown Boobie

The Caribbean became the setting for our 4th annual fly fishing trip. It was our first trip to saltwater and presented an immense set of challenged to overcome in order to find and catch fish. Typical days went something like this...

Lacking a boat, we had to walk, wade, swim or kayak to flats, which are tidal areas where certain species of fish feed during certain periods of the day.

Once you arrive on the flat, you begin to look for signs of fish. Sometimes, you see nothing for an entire day.

This is what you're looking for. Bonefish. Actively feeding.

When you see them, you begin stalking them. If you make a mistake, they will spook and you'll have missed your chance. You will make mistakes a lot.

They're feeding on light colored crabs, so you tie on a light colored crab pattern that one of us tied.

You make a long cast to present your fly delicately within the fish's strike zone. Then, strip line to make the fly behave like what it is supposed to look like.

Sometimes, it all comes together and this happens.

There are many other species of fish that inhabit the flats, which we also managed to fool during our trip.

A large wrasse of some kind.

Small sharks.

Smaller sharks.

Small barracuda.

Turtles were everywhere.

Mark caught a Permit, the most elusive, difficult to fool and, therefore, sought-after flats species on a fly rod. We saw quite a few, but this was the only one landed. Easily the Fish of the Trip.

This bird was trapped in the closet of the abandoned condo from above. Adam caught and released it back into the wild.

Snakes on the beach.

Mark also caught an 11lb bonefish, which is huge. A film crew from the VERSUS channel brought their boat over to film it. The host of the show holding up Mark's fish, with us sheepishly waving from the background, will be on the VERSUS channel this September in a show called "Travelers in Paradise."

A small Horse-Eye Jack.

A very large Horse Eye Jack.

We also caught maybe 25 of these tarpon. They fight like hell and cartwheel out of the water when hooked. If you land a tarpon, bonefish and permit on the same day, it is called a Grand Slam, and we achieved exactly one about halfway through our trip.

The rental.

Lots of money stacked up in the back of the vehicle.

Always wear sun protection!

more summer shenanigans.

Back on Tortola, Matt and I had a wonderfully relaxing and eventful summer break.

Our Aussie co-worker Adam has a t-shirt that says something along the lines of, "The two best things about teaching= July & August". And while I do believe whole-heartedly that teaching is one of the best careers you can possibly get into (i mean, you must agree that being creative, watching ideas spark and playing around with art supplies isn't such a bad gig), but I obviously appreciate the opportunity to dig into summer adventures and begin with a fresh mind each fall.

My little break was choc full of loving family, friends, weddings, and day trips in and around what i like to call "The Greater Lancaster Area" It was so wonderful to see everyone. I know I can speak for matt and myself when i say that we both feel extremely lucky to have the kind of family who loves us unconditionally, and invites us back with open arms time and time again, and friends who when re-united with after a year, it feels like we haven't missed a beat.

Matt has been back on the island and in the fishing zone for a couple of weeks, catching some beautiful creatures with team mark&adam. I've only returned to this front porch view as of two days ago. Leaving home is always bittersweet, but I'm really pumped to dive into our 2nd year.

Here is a bit of a re-cap from my whirlwind of a summer vacation in sunny Lancaster, Pennsylvania.











Welcomed back with a shot of mango rum in St. Thomas and this lovely sunset.









One of my favorite places on earth. Lancaster Central Market... also known as MARKET to Lancaster Folk.












Oh, just a normal family outing in Philadelphia. Dad fits right in with the Philly crowd.

















Climbing the most frightening 5.6 of my life in the Gunks, NY.
Good to see you Cathy :)












Celebrating our lives upon returning to the ground.



















An unusual Giandalia Saturday afternoon on the slots.











Matt and Yoko at Kelly & Jason's wedding. Large Mountain Man meets Small Japanese Craftswoman. Good combo.











Some of the lancaster ladies.

















We managed to go to attend 3 beautiful weddings in the short two week span that we were both home... congrats kelly & jason, kelly & travis and lauren & ray!


















Drinking some delicious Lancaster 4-grain beers at Kelly & Jason's.



















Lookin' like a million bucks.











Day trip to D.C. to check out the Natural History Museum with my sister and a couple of East Coast sojourners, Clint and Michelle.



















I probably have at least 20 pictures of the reflecting pool and Lincoln Memorial, but hey, it never gets old!







Matt & I learned of the iconic Ben's Chili Bowl while channel surfing to Anthony Bourdain's show, 'No Reservations'. The chili dogs were top notch. Interesting fact-This place stayed open through the street riots of '68 after M.L. King was assassinated. There was a student run, non-violence committee located across the street that obtained police permission for the restaurant to stay open after hours to provide food and shelter for activists, firefighters etc.

Kels and I ambled around the city during one heck of a hot summer day, checking out the scenery, sharing some stories and trying not to breathe in the Philly Fumes.

First Fridays are also on my 'top 10 favorite things' list. Sharing this art viewing experience with Kase and Katie D.

Lancaster city, you're such a pretty little ting.

Great Street Art Project- PIANOS were scattered all over the streets of Lancaster. I love art installations that urge you to PLEASE TOUCH!

K.C. the wonderdog.... she's doing well since her knee surgery. The last time I saw her she was wearing a bald leg and a cone-of-shame. Looking good KASE!

I could have made it an even 4 weddings in 3 weeks, but as Sarah is one for spontaneity, they were engaged and planned the wedding in the short period after we bought our tickets. I missed the shindig by two days, but luckily was able to attend her little bachelorette party at Nissely Winery. What a delicious spread.

A lovely night for some wine, treats and a combination of top 40 covers from the 60's-90's. Perfection.

Baltimore has been missed... but we were able to indulge in some Maryland Crabs, Cross street market breakfasts, the Visionary Art Museum, Hamden, harbor walks and Dani's Hilarious pool located in her parking space in the alley out back of her row home. Here's a group photo from the Charm City Pool Party. :)

The most beautiful friend you could ask for and a crazy Bamboo Installation on top of the Met in NYC.

Ange taking a break from editing scripts for new and exciting Syi-Fi television Movies such as Mega Shark and Giant Octopus.

This installation called 'Big Bambu: You can't. You don't. and you won't stop.' was 100 feet long, 50 feet wide and 50 feet high, towering out over the N.Y. city skyline. This structure was meant to look like a cresting wave and was made of numerous staircases and bridges. Continually being built up by a group of rock climbers, the sculpture perpetually changes and is meant to represent the complexity of an ever evolving organism. Pretty sweet. The only thing that lets me down about the roof top sculpture garden are the crowds of people jumping into your photographs and the $8.00 beers. Life is tough.

Reminded me of childhood bamboo forts in the backyard.

Only rockclimbers would know how to work the ropes like this.

A small but exciting figure exhibit in the Met.

Some of my favorites... Alice Neel & Phillip Pearlstein to name a few!

george segal.

"Heyywo?"


This is just a little taste of the summer travels... Mostly mine... seeing as how Matt doesn't take pictures when fish aren't involved. I plan to coax him into taking more photos by carrying a tarpon around with me at all times.

We love and miss you all. Come join us this year... our guest bedroom, complete with deflated air mattress awaits you.

A shout out to our blog's biggest fan- My Pop Pop (I love you Pop-Pop, thanks for reading and inspiring me to actually sit down and write these things, can't wait to see you at Christmas time!

-Stace