Although we enjoyed our anchorage in Orange Creek, we moved south to shelter from the wind behind an area called The Bluff. The rugged coastline here is dotted with fascinating, craggy caves.
After slowly exploring the cave area in the dinghy, it was time to go ashore, as Margaret at the Orange Creek Inn recommended we stop by to see Betty at H&W.
It wasn’t far by shoe leather express from the jetty to H&W Shopping Center. (Not even enough time for our clothes to dry. Ha!) The store is stocked with a bit of everything – hardware, shoes, clothing, frozen meats. We purchased some local pork and guava jelly. And then our day took an amazing turn…
The proprietress, Betty, chuckled when Susie mentioned sour cream, and asked what else we might be looking for. How about fresh veggies? Betty said her husband could help with cabbage and peppers from their garden and kindly offered to take us to their home and return us to the jetty if we’d wait until 4:30 closing time, only 20 minutes away. Betty’s cousin Julia suggested we wait in the cool breeze on the shady side of the shop while she and Betty swept and locked up for the night. We all then jumped in Betty’s car for the short ride to the garden.
One section of Clifton and Betty’s extensive garden 
that meanders through their property 
Clifton bringing us a freshly harvested cabbage!
(Clifton certainly deserves the occasional nap in that hammock. This is a really LARGE garden.)
One of their goats had just delivered a baby in the pen at the back of the property. Stepping carefully around the garden plants, we got to see the brand-new kid, about the size of a Chihuahua, so new he’s still sporting the umbilical cord. You may not want to know what nanny goat is up to behind the tree.
Then Julia and Todd used a fruit picker to harvest guava. Cool!
Julia and Betty introduced us to the highly nutritious Morenga/Tree of Life and Sweetsop/Sugar apple fresh from the trees!
(we’d already eaten the flowers)
After bagging our goodies at the garden shed,
we bade farewell to the well-dressed, coconut-headed scarecrow that valiantly guards the plum tree behind their home,
and Betty and Julia drove us back to the jetty. Todd gallantly waded out to bring the dinghy closer to shore so we wouldn’t need to swim with our bags of veggies held overhead, and we made our return to the SaltyMare waiting near the caves.
Bountiful blessings, indeed! Left to right: Morenga/Tree of Life; Kale – which Clifton convinced Todd to at least try (as opposed to the okra :-); Guava; Tomatoes; Bell peppers; Hot peppers; Sugar apple; and Cabbage.
What an absolutely amazing day! It is impossible to properly thank Clifton, Betty, and Julia for their kindness and generosity. We will never forget our time in their garden, and we will definitely visit again in the future.
Umm, after we make a totally unexpected boat repair. But that’s a tale for another day…
Our Travels 
No caption, no pic except craggy caves. what is that inside one on bottom right ? It looks like an old wooden ship with rope hanging down to it. Todd gathering guava did click — Wandering thru garden did not. diagnosis over.
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