BIRTHDAY WITCH

No, I didn't hang a trick out the window from the third floor who didn't please me...rumors I tell you! Well, I'm happy to report my birthday came and went with no real dramatics of turning another year older. I'm really starting to like off season beach trips. It was another swell trip to Rehoboth Beach for the Sea Witch Festival. It's impressive the amount of people in costume for the event. Us? We wore all black with black witches' hats. The parade itself a good half day of events. Of course there was daily walks on the beach. a gay bingo one night, a drag show visit. some delicious dinners out. At the Blue Hen, I had an amazing Lobster Toast! YUM! Of course, there was also some copious amounts of libations, and I have to have my customary piece of Grotto's pizza while there. The highlight of the trip was of course the parade, and my day at the spa getting the whole body glowed up for another season. The massage felt great as did the body wrap and all the other services.  And there might have been some debauchery, but I won't kiss and tell. Here's some snaps from the weekend. I can't tell you how it was nice to get away from it all.

 

Some tins of sand tarts I made for the staff there.

I could make my own gin with all those juniper berries of the tree! It smelled heavenly.

The owner Garrett goes all out decorating, adding to the fun of the stay.

I don't know, I felt I was being watched the whole time.

My quarters are always upstairs on the right. I adore that room and it has its own private deck.

Garrett's dog Zorro!

Our B&B at night! Spooooooky!

Big cock wall art at the Blue Hen! Loved it. Its where I had the incredible Lobster Toast.

Got a good chuckle from this sign at the Purple Parot in the men's room! And then there's my favorite happy place more than any other on the planet. The beach!

It was a great trip, both fun and relaxing! I really should look at moving to a beach locale.

SEEN IN FIRE ISLAND

I have another few posts from Barbados to share yet but thought we'd jump to some Fire Island postcards first. If the first leg of the trip wasn't enough, and granted, that was very relaxing, Labor Day found us back in the US and on Fire Island with most of the Clan for some debauchery. For many of the clan, it was meeting Warbucks for the first time. All went well, and he fit right in with my crazy circle, and he loved Fire Island. I didn't make Fire Island last year and hard to top the last visit what with getting scolded by Patti Lupone herself for the Lad and I making out by an exit. I adore Fire Island and think it should be mandatory for every gay to experience it at least once. I love it. SO GAY...the drag queens, the beaches, the gay antics and flirting, the Meat Racks, the boardwalk paths, the deer everywhere, and seeing many of the Horace Gifford houses of the Pines, and the campy and quaint Cherry Grove. Finding the perfect spot to get nude and catch some rays. We had a blast and at least one party to attend. One nights dinner consisted of about 24 queens!!!!

Look at the Livingroom view of the house we were in! And one couldn't be shy to use the bathroom!

I don't think I'll ever get over seeing deer at the beach! And they are quite daring and will get very close to you.

Sorry for the blur, but these deer were jumping.

Not deer.

MM#1 Fan and the Mistress catching some rays.

 

Preston and MM#1 Fan up to something.

Shadow puppets. Can you even believe such lewd acts going on???? Who'd do such a thing???

Pansy...a drag legend and a past Empress of the Imperial Court of New York.

Your Mistress's comfort shoes.

Impromptu boardwalk parade!

And this was seen walking the day we arrived from the ferry. Like I said you never know what you may see!

BUT BREAKING!

 I was HEARTBORKEN from news after our visit, when I got a text and picture from my friend Jamie who stays in Fire Island all summer. The text included a picture of the flags on the dock in Cherry Grove all flying at half-mast. Below the picture it said flags flying half-mast in honor of Kirk. I thought it was a joke and said this better be for William Shatner as Captain Kirk? He said no you dope; it's for Charlie Kirk. The CGAA dock master decided after he was threatened by officials from Brookhaven county with consequences if he didn't follow the national directive. I was aghast. It felt like a gut punch to the stomach. It was one thing to lower the American flags, but the gay pride flags too? For a man who's hate speech against our community caused so much suffering felt like an assault, a hate crime, a gay bashing, with our very own flag!! Cherry Grove and the Pines Fire Island has been a huge safe haven for the LGBTQ+ for decades, a refuge from an intolerant world. And now we were honoring a man whose very ideals are like acid and being thrown in our faces. This person would NEVER step foot in Fire Island and yet there he was, even after his death, his presence being seen, his menacing presence flaunted over our sacred little town.... the flags... half mast, all of them. But there is a dark underbelly to this town. There are a few trump loving business owners there who love him, just waiting to take our beloved rainbow flag and rise it at half-mast for a rancid, homophobe. I don't know how we come back from this. Our sweet, fun and safe Fire Island has been violated by their wickedness.

MARTINIQUE

Warbucks is always so full of surprises. It wasn't till our fifth day, that he said we'd be going over to Martinique, for a three-day jaunt. It was probably the most non beach thing we did the whole trip. Don't be surprised if you haven't heard of the small island of Martinique or it's nearby sister island of Guadeloupe. Both are French islands more than the others, and most tourist that we encountered seemed to be mostly from Canada and Europe. It's yet another hidden gem a lot of people don't think of going too. Anymore, I enjoy going to lesser-known places that aren't packed full like major cities. This gem has a rich history and a place where nature is the star of the show, with a few landmarks to be seen. The capital city of Fort du France was completely charming with is colonial architecture, ornate iron balconies and beaches. Martinique was much like Barbados in that you can drive all over the island, being that it is only 22 miles wide and 50 miles long. We spent three full days in Martinque, and it was enough time to explore and see a few things. It was a four-hour ride by boat from Barbados, and the island of Martinique is ideal for daily road trips out and about and enjoy the different regions of the island and take in the amazing culture. And the nature! A few points of interests we enjoyed....

Balata Cathedral

This place was located on Mount Pelee, in the heart of the island of flowers, stands this monument particularly emblematic of the history of Martinique, and a point of interest not to be missed. This cathedral is a replica of the Sacred Heart Basilica in Paris, just five time smaller and between the Fort-of-France and the Garden of Balata. The architects adapted it to its environment. The cathedral is a tropical reinterpretation of the Parisian monument and its Romanesque- Byzantine architecture: the reinforced concrete. Not religious here, but very cool to see it.

The highlight for me though was the Jardin de Balata.

These gardens were begun in 1982 by horticulturist Jean-Philippe Thoze and opened to the public. It is set on a former farmland with many picturesque views of the Pitons du Carbet, some seas views and Mount Pelee. The gardens contain about 3,000 varieties of tropical plants from around the world, including 300 types of palm trees, and many good collections of anthuriums, begonias, bromeliads, cycads and heliconia.

Who knew I had to go the whole way to Martinique to get pictures of hummingbirds being still????

Fort St Louis, dates back to 1640, a hulking fortress and gave the capital city of Martinque its name of Fort du France. Certain parts of the fort can be toured but most of it is still an active base for the French National Navy. 

This!!!!!!!!! Yikes!

And again....the legendary beach and sea views are unappareled!!!!

Yep. I have made my mind up. A beach bum it is!!!!!!