usvi-on-line
Trip report 8-19 to 8-26
Trip report 8-19 to 8-26
Trip Report for 8-18 to 8-26
Saturday
My report will not be as colorful as Jorge’s, my wife Susan and the couple that went with us, Mike and Terry are definitely more laid back and do not like a lot of attention. By the way Jorge my parking spot is 5-27 and I will get with you later in the week on when we will get there to tailgate before the game and with a 1:30 kickoff probably after the game also.
As usual we got up on Saturday full of anticipation and finally got ready and left for the airport about 4:30 for the 6:15 flight from Roanoke, VA to Dulles for the 8:30 flight from there to the islands. Everything was going along fine until we boarded the United flight from Dulles and we just sat there. Finally the Captain got on the PA and told us there only two baggage people to load the Boeing 757 and that it would take awhile to get that done. He told us that a number of people had called in sick for the day and finally after about an hour we heard the doors close and we finally got moving to take off.
Once that we got in the air the Captain got back on the PA and told us we would be about 30 minutes late in landing which was not really all that bad since we had to wait for the 2:30 shuttle to the Westin. We went down the Islands for the first time in March after 9/11 and my wife wanted to buy a timeshare there, which we did, and based on what they are selling for now I should have bought several.
As we got closer to the islands the sky took on a dull look and it was not as clear as I was expecting. After we landed I was talking with some people at the airport and they told me it had been like that for several days and that the sky was full of dust particles that had blown in from the Sahara desert with the systems that had come off of the African continent. I was surprised by this but was told that it happens quite often and that it would clear with the next rain front that moves through.
So while we waited on the shuttle we visited the liquor store there at the airport and the lady there was very helpful on what rum we should buy. We were having a hard time deciding on what flavors to buy and she gave us shots to sample, which really help us pass the wait. Anyway we loaded up in more ways than one and finally got on the boat to the Westin for the 45-minute ride over. As soon as you land there they hand you another drink to ease the thirst and give you your villa assignment. Well, we had to wait about an hour to an hour and a half since they had a lot of late checkouts that day so we got tired of waiting so we went to the Beach Bar and grabbed some hamburgers and drinks while the villa was cleaned. Finally they came for us and off went up the hill to begin our vacation, but not just yet. It seems that they had assigned two families the same unit, so we had to wait for them to get this straightened out and it turned out that their luggage was in another villa and they had been taken to ours by mistake. The funny thing about this was their electronic key worked in our door so they had to reissue them new keys.
So finally we were in our villa and by them dead tired. We unpacked and settled down to rest for a while and we decided to fix some frozen strawberry daiquiris to rest and relax. I guess I should mention that we packed in a lot of our frozen foods and meats in a soft side cooler that we had bought at Sams several years ago and did not have a problem checking it and even with the delays there was very little defrosting so that saved us quite a bit of money from eating out. I love to cook and make full use of the gas grills that are at the pools at the villas, at least that way I do not have drive downtown and try to find a place to park. Also, I do not drink and drive so this way I can have the best of both worlds.
Sunday
Well, we slept in on Sunday and finally Mike and I went down and picked up the car where I had reserved it at the Westin. We went back to the villa and picked up the girls and started driving around the part of the island that I had not traveled in the direction of Chocolate Hole. We were looking for the entrance to Bongo Bongo and really did not find it but did find a new steep driveway that went up a hill that could have been it. I believe that the Route number was 104 that we were on and there are some great looking houses and villas out that way and some great scenery. I was hoping that road would eventually merge with Centerline Road and I guessed right that we would do that. We stopped at the top of Bordeaux Mountain and took some photos that looked down on Coral Bay and all the surrounding islands that even took in the BVI. Finally we made our way down to Coral Bay and stopped at Shipwreck Landing for some lunch and something to drink. We started to back to Cruz Bay but when we got back to the road to go back to Cruz Bay we turned right and drove past Skinny Legs and went all the way to the end of the island. For anyone that has not done that it is very beautiful out that way but the road does get narrow in places.
After backtracking we turned down the road to take us by the north shore beaches since Mike and Terry had not ever seen any of this and I wanted to give them the quick over view of the island. Mike is a professional photofinisher and he could not stop taking photos and he finally filled up the card that was in his camera. By the time that we had done all of this it was getting late in the so we headed back to the villa for some time by the villa pool and grill some dinner.
Monday
When we got up Monday morning nobody had any plans so I headed out to do some hiking that I had wanted to do. Coming out of Cruz Bay I stopped at the small parking spot at the Park Service sign at the top of the hill and hiked down to what I hoped would be Salomon Beach. I found out rather quickly that the sandals I had worn were not the proper shoes to be doing this. One thing that I found out was there are several trails that you come across and you have to guess which way to go since I had not seen any signs to direct me. Anyway I finally made it to the beach and found out I was on Honeymoon after talking with some folks that had ridden a small dingy from the Westin. So back up the trail I went and finally found my way to Salomon, and both of these beaches are great to avoid the crowds. I was not looking forward to hiking backup that hill and again I had to guess which way to go. Finally I found some signs to show me the way but they were for people that had hiked over from the National Park Service in Cruz Bay so I went opposite from the way they were directing and made my way back to the top of the hill.
By this time it was way past lunch and I still wanted to do some beach time so I headed to Cinnamon and grab some lunch there at the grill. I had a quick hamburger there and headed down to the beach. I was a little surprised that it was somewhat windy so I tried to find a spot that would shelter my gear especially my camera from the sand and off to the water I went. The wind was coming out of the east so the water was a little choppy but was still great to be in. After about 30 minutes or so I got out of the water and found that my towel was completely covered in sand so I walked back in the trees and tried to shake all the sand off but I finally gave up. I packed all my gear and headed back to the villa to see what was going on there. Susan, Mike and Terry were just hanging out at the pool with some great cool rum drinks so that is where I crashed for a while. Mike and I took off about 4 and went to the tennis courts to get in a little tennis and it was very little on my part, Mike beat me like a drum. I told him that we were going to have a rematch before we left but that did not materialize. So we headed back to the villa to clean up and cook some dinner. After which we headed back to the pool to enjoy the evening.
Tuesday
We slept in this morning since we were we really did not have anything planned. Susan decided that that she was going to go down to the main pool and do water aerobics and that I would pick her up afterwards. I had gotten an email from the office and actually had a little work that had to be done. Mike and Terry said that they would hangout at the villa pool and talk with a couple that we had met there from New York.
Just before 10 I took the car and drove down the lower level and walked over to the pool and watched for a little while everyone was doing their exercise. But that did not last long since I get bored pretty easily so I started to walk around and wound up at the desk where you can book trips. I basically got sold on renting a boat for Wednesday with a captain and going and visiting the British Virgin Islands. For those of you that have not done this it is not inexpensive, I rented a boat that would ride over the waves easier than the regular V hull and a captain. That came to over $500 and we still had to fill the boat up after the day was over and tip the captain. I know Susan would like to do this since she had been on boats before but I know Terry would be a tough sell since she cannot swim and had not been around boats very much.
So anyway I went back and picked up Susan and drove back to the villa so she could change since she wanted to go downtown. We drove up to Mongoose and did our usual look-see at some of stores and bought a few things to take back to some friends. By then we were getting hungry and so stopped by Joe’s Barbeque and split a rib and chicken plate with slaw and rice which I could have eaten all by myself, it was that good. From there I wanted to go and introduce myself to Ruth at St. John Spice, www.stjohnspice.com/, she was nice enough to drop me a note and invite us to the store. While there we went out and she captured an image of us on the web cam and printed it out for us to bring home. Of course my wife could not leave there without buying something and I found a bottle of sauce that I could use in my grilling. From there we just looked at some of the other stores a bought a few more gifts. Then it was back to the villa to lounge around the pool some more before I got to my chore of grilling the evening meal.
Wednesday
This was the one big day that I was really looking forward to, heading over to the BVI. We met down at the dock with our boat company, Nauti Nymph, and our captain, Captain John and got a quick once over of the boat and to make sure that we had all our paperwork to go through customs. Once that was done we headed out and took our time since the water was a little rough and Terry was afraid she might get seasick but that did not happen. We checked some of the beaches on St. John from the water, which is an angle that we do not often get to see, and it made me appreciate them even more. From there we headed over to Sopher’s Hole, which is at the very end of Tortola and checked in with customs. While on the island Mike wanted to find some Callwood Spice Rum,
http://bviwelcome.com/articles/rum/rum.html, it is made on the island there and only sold there. We wanted to go to the distillery but found out it was closed for 3 weeks so we checked out the local store there and found five bottles and we bought all of them, so it had better be good. From there we headed around the northern part of Tortola since it was on that side of the island and headed to a real little island called Sandy Spit. Now many of you would know this place because we see it on TV every week. This is the place where Corona has done many commercials with the sandy beach and the palm tree. This place cannot be more than 50 yards around but I was surprise that it could be so beautiful. We spent about an hour and a half there and did some snorkeling and Mike tried it for the first time and really enjoyed it, we just did not have a under water camera to capture what everyone saw.
By then everyone was getting a little thirsty so we looked across the water and saw what looked like a bar, and it was, Foxy’s Taboo so we motored over there and was surprised by what we found. They had a great menu to choose lunch or dinner from but since we had packed some food we just ordered something to drink. Susan saw a drink called Confusion and wanted to know what it was. The bartender told her she did not need to know what it was and he would make one for her. I started to laugh and said look out, do you really want this but he had already started to make it. He had grabbed a glass and put some grenadine in it and then he grabbed four bottles of rum, different flavors, from back of the bar. By this time Susan’s eyes were getting very large, she realize that this going to be some drink. He put in a shot of Mango rum, Coconut rum, Vanilla rum, and Banana rum, then he added some pineapple juice and orange juice and gave it a good shake. After tasting it she passed it around to everyone and surprising it tasted very good and you really could not taste the rum, but look out, after about half of it she was giddy. So now it was time to move on. From there we headed on to Smuggler’s Bay on Tortola, and what a beach and clear water. By this time we were getting a little tired, and it was just so peaceful, we spent the rest of our day there. But by then were getting hungry since we had eaten out sandwiches on the ride over from Foxy’s. There is a little lady there that has a little store that will sell you drinks but also a small charcoal grill where she could cook you a great cheeseburger, and believe me there were good. Finally we pulled up anchor and headed back to St. John and to take a nap. After some shuteye we headed to the villa pool and I did my daily job of grilling some steaks for dinner and having a couple of drinks.
Thursday
On Thursday we just took it easy, Susan and I went downtown and stopped by to see Ruth again since there was something else she wanted and then we headed back to the villa. We grabbed some sandwiches and spent the rest of the day by the pool.
Friday
Susan and I got up early and headed out to the beaches, we were going to Cinnamon but it was just too windy so we stopped at Trunk since the cruise ships were not due in. But after a while it just got too crowded for my taste and we went back to the villa. Mike and Terry had not been downtown yet so we back up and went down to see the store and grab some lunch. By now it was starting to sink in that were going to have to leave the next day so after a while we headed back and actually started doing some packing. The radio was saying that we were going to get rain from a depression that was forming to the south so when I headed out to grill it was pouring so we waited until it slacked up some and I finally got it done. For the evening we just sat there and watched it rain and watched this helicopter until it got too dark to see, so off to bed we went.
Saturday
We woke up to the rain but after about an hour the rain had cleared out and the skies were sunny. The rain had even washed out the haze that had been there most of the week, now that was the way I remember St. John, not with the haze that we get back in Roanoke. Finally it was time to head down to the dock and catch the boat back over to the airport. Unfortunately as we were standing there the skies cut loose again and everyone got soaked, so I had to change clothes when we got to the airport before we had to go through customs. So off we flew back to the states and back to the office. And I had already started thinking about next years trip.
Here are some of the photos from the trip.
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/553714956ZXolsa
Saturday
My report will not be as colorful as Jorge’s, my wife Susan and the couple that went with us, Mike and Terry are definitely more laid back and do not like a lot of attention. By the way Jorge my parking spot is 5-27 and I will get with you later in the week on when we will get there to tailgate before the game and with a 1:30 kickoff probably after the game also.
As usual we got up on Saturday full of anticipation and finally got ready and left for the airport about 4:30 for the 6:15 flight from Roanoke, VA to Dulles for the 8:30 flight from there to the islands. Everything was going along fine until we boarded the United flight from Dulles and we just sat there. Finally the Captain got on the PA and told us there only two baggage people to load the Boeing 757 and that it would take awhile to get that done. He told us that a number of people had called in sick for the day and finally after about an hour we heard the doors close and we finally got moving to take off.
Once that we got in the air the Captain got back on the PA and told us we would be about 30 minutes late in landing which was not really all that bad since we had to wait for the 2:30 shuttle to the Westin. We went down the Islands for the first time in March after 9/11 and my wife wanted to buy a timeshare there, which we did, and based on what they are selling for now I should have bought several.
As we got closer to the islands the sky took on a dull look and it was not as clear as I was expecting. After we landed I was talking with some people at the airport and they told me it had been like that for several days and that the sky was full of dust particles that had blown in from the Sahara desert with the systems that had come off of the African continent. I was surprised by this but was told that it happens quite often and that it would clear with the next rain front that moves through.
So while we waited on the shuttle we visited the liquor store there at the airport and the lady there was very helpful on what rum we should buy. We were having a hard time deciding on what flavors to buy and she gave us shots to sample, which really help us pass the wait. Anyway we loaded up in more ways than one and finally got on the boat to the Westin for the 45-minute ride over. As soon as you land there they hand you another drink to ease the thirst and give you your villa assignment. Well, we had to wait about an hour to an hour and a half since they had a lot of late checkouts that day so we got tired of waiting so we went to the Beach Bar and grabbed some hamburgers and drinks while the villa was cleaned. Finally they came for us and off went up the hill to begin our vacation, but not just yet. It seems that they had assigned two families the same unit, so we had to wait for them to get this straightened out and it turned out that their luggage was in another villa and they had been taken to ours by mistake. The funny thing about this was their electronic key worked in our door so they had to reissue them new keys.
So finally we were in our villa and by them dead tired. We unpacked and settled down to rest for a while and we decided to fix some frozen strawberry daiquiris to rest and relax. I guess I should mention that we packed in a lot of our frozen foods and meats in a soft side cooler that we had bought at Sams several years ago and did not have a problem checking it and even with the delays there was very little defrosting so that saved us quite a bit of money from eating out. I love to cook and make full use of the gas grills that are at the pools at the villas, at least that way I do not have drive downtown and try to find a place to park. Also, I do not drink and drive so this way I can have the best of both worlds.
Sunday
Well, we slept in on Sunday and finally Mike and I went down and picked up the car where I had reserved it at the Westin. We went back to the villa and picked up the girls and started driving around the part of the island that I had not traveled in the direction of Chocolate Hole. We were looking for the entrance to Bongo Bongo and really did not find it but did find a new steep driveway that went up a hill that could have been it. I believe that the Route number was 104 that we were on and there are some great looking houses and villas out that way and some great scenery. I was hoping that road would eventually merge with Centerline Road and I guessed right that we would do that. We stopped at the top of Bordeaux Mountain and took some photos that looked down on Coral Bay and all the surrounding islands that even took in the BVI. Finally we made our way down to Coral Bay and stopped at Shipwreck Landing for some lunch and something to drink. We started to back to Cruz Bay but when we got back to the road to go back to Cruz Bay we turned right and drove past Skinny Legs and went all the way to the end of the island. For anyone that has not done that it is very beautiful out that way but the road does get narrow in places.
After backtracking we turned down the road to take us by the north shore beaches since Mike and Terry had not ever seen any of this and I wanted to give them the quick over view of the island. Mike is a professional photofinisher and he could not stop taking photos and he finally filled up the card that was in his camera. By the time that we had done all of this it was getting late in the so we headed back to the villa for some time by the villa pool and grill some dinner.
Monday
When we got up Monday morning nobody had any plans so I headed out to do some hiking that I had wanted to do. Coming out of Cruz Bay I stopped at the small parking spot at the Park Service sign at the top of the hill and hiked down to what I hoped would be Salomon Beach. I found out rather quickly that the sandals I had worn were not the proper shoes to be doing this. One thing that I found out was there are several trails that you come across and you have to guess which way to go since I had not seen any signs to direct me. Anyway I finally made it to the beach and found out I was on Honeymoon after talking with some folks that had ridden a small dingy from the Westin. So back up the trail I went and finally found my way to Salomon, and both of these beaches are great to avoid the crowds. I was not looking forward to hiking backup that hill and again I had to guess which way to go. Finally I found some signs to show me the way but they were for people that had hiked over from the National Park Service in Cruz Bay so I went opposite from the way they were directing and made my way back to the top of the hill.
By this time it was way past lunch and I still wanted to do some beach time so I headed to Cinnamon and grab some lunch there at the grill. I had a quick hamburger there and headed down to the beach. I was a little surprised that it was somewhat windy so I tried to find a spot that would shelter my gear especially my camera from the sand and off to the water I went. The wind was coming out of the east so the water was a little choppy but was still great to be in. After about 30 minutes or so I got out of the water and found that my towel was completely covered in sand so I walked back in the trees and tried to shake all the sand off but I finally gave up. I packed all my gear and headed back to the villa to see what was going on there. Susan, Mike and Terry were just hanging out at the pool with some great cool rum drinks so that is where I crashed for a while. Mike and I took off about 4 and went to the tennis courts to get in a little tennis and it was very little on my part, Mike beat me like a drum. I told him that we were going to have a rematch before we left but that did not materialize. So we headed back to the villa to clean up and cook some dinner. After which we headed back to the pool to enjoy the evening.
Tuesday
We slept in this morning since we were we really did not have anything planned. Susan decided that that she was going to go down to the main pool and do water aerobics and that I would pick her up afterwards. I had gotten an email from the office and actually had a little work that had to be done. Mike and Terry said that they would hangout at the villa pool and talk with a couple that we had met there from New York.
Just before 10 I took the car and drove down the lower level and walked over to the pool and watched for a little while everyone was doing their exercise. But that did not last long since I get bored pretty easily so I started to walk around and wound up at the desk where you can book trips. I basically got sold on renting a boat for Wednesday with a captain and going and visiting the British Virgin Islands. For those of you that have not done this it is not inexpensive, I rented a boat that would ride over the waves easier than the regular V hull and a captain. That came to over $500 and we still had to fill the boat up after the day was over and tip the captain. I know Susan would like to do this since she had been on boats before but I know Terry would be a tough sell since she cannot swim and had not been around boats very much.
So anyway I went back and picked up Susan and drove back to the villa so she could change since she wanted to go downtown. We drove up to Mongoose and did our usual look-see at some of stores and bought a few things to take back to some friends. By then we were getting hungry and so stopped by Joe’s Barbeque and split a rib and chicken plate with slaw and rice which I could have eaten all by myself, it was that good. From there I wanted to go and introduce myself to Ruth at St. John Spice, www.stjohnspice.com/, she was nice enough to drop me a note and invite us to the store. While there we went out and she captured an image of us on the web cam and printed it out for us to bring home. Of course my wife could not leave there without buying something and I found a bottle of sauce that I could use in my grilling. From there we just looked at some of the other stores a bought a few more gifts. Then it was back to the villa to lounge around the pool some more before I got to my chore of grilling the evening meal.
Wednesday
This was the one big day that I was really looking forward to, heading over to the BVI. We met down at the dock with our boat company, Nauti Nymph, and our captain, Captain John and got a quick once over of the boat and to make sure that we had all our paperwork to go through customs. Once that was done we headed out and took our time since the water was a little rough and Terry was afraid she might get seasick but that did not happen. We checked some of the beaches on St. John from the water, which is an angle that we do not often get to see, and it made me appreciate them even more. From there we headed over to Sopher’s Hole, which is at the very end of Tortola and checked in with customs. While on the island Mike wanted to find some Callwood Spice Rum,
http://bviwelcome.com/articles/rum/rum.html, it is made on the island there and only sold there. We wanted to go to the distillery but found out it was closed for 3 weeks so we checked out the local store there and found five bottles and we bought all of them, so it had better be good. From there we headed around the northern part of Tortola since it was on that side of the island and headed to a real little island called Sandy Spit. Now many of you would know this place because we see it on TV every week. This is the place where Corona has done many commercials with the sandy beach and the palm tree. This place cannot be more than 50 yards around but I was surprise that it could be so beautiful. We spent about an hour and a half there and did some snorkeling and Mike tried it for the first time and really enjoyed it, we just did not have a under water camera to capture what everyone saw.
By then everyone was getting a little thirsty so we looked across the water and saw what looked like a bar, and it was, Foxy’s Taboo so we motored over there and was surprised by what we found. They had a great menu to choose lunch or dinner from but since we had packed some food we just ordered something to drink. Susan saw a drink called Confusion and wanted to know what it was. The bartender told her she did not need to know what it was and he would make one for her. I started to laugh and said look out, do you really want this but he had already started to make it. He had grabbed a glass and put some grenadine in it and then he grabbed four bottles of rum, different flavors, from back of the bar. By this time Susan’s eyes were getting very large, she realize that this going to be some drink. He put in a shot of Mango rum, Coconut rum, Vanilla rum, and Banana rum, then he added some pineapple juice and orange juice and gave it a good shake. After tasting it she passed it around to everyone and surprising it tasted very good and you really could not taste the rum, but look out, after about half of it she was giddy. So now it was time to move on. From there we headed on to Smuggler’s Bay on Tortola, and what a beach and clear water. By this time we were getting a little tired, and it was just so peaceful, we spent the rest of our day there. But by then were getting hungry since we had eaten out sandwiches on the ride over from Foxy’s. There is a little lady there that has a little store that will sell you drinks but also a small charcoal grill where she could cook you a great cheeseburger, and believe me there were good. Finally we pulled up anchor and headed back to St. John and to take a nap. After some shuteye we headed to the villa pool and I did my daily job of grilling some steaks for dinner and having a couple of drinks.
Thursday
On Thursday we just took it easy, Susan and I went downtown and stopped by to see Ruth again since there was something else she wanted and then we headed back to the villa. We grabbed some sandwiches and spent the rest of the day by the pool.
Friday
Susan and I got up early and headed out to the beaches, we were going to Cinnamon but it was just too windy so we stopped at Trunk since the cruise ships were not due in. But after a while it just got too crowded for my taste and we went back to the villa. Mike and Terry had not been downtown yet so we back up and went down to see the store and grab some lunch. By now it was starting to sink in that were going to have to leave the next day so after a while we headed back and actually started doing some packing. The radio was saying that we were going to get rain from a depression that was forming to the south so when I headed out to grill it was pouring so we waited until it slacked up some and I finally got it done. For the evening we just sat there and watched it rain and watched this helicopter until it got too dark to see, so off to bed we went.
Saturday
We woke up to the rain but after about an hour the rain had cleared out and the skies were sunny. The rain had even washed out the haze that had been there most of the week, now that was the way I remember St. John, not with the haze that we get back in Roanoke. Finally it was time to head down to the dock and catch the boat back over to the airport. Unfortunately as we were standing there the skies cut loose again and everyone got soaked, so I had to change clothes when we got to the airport before we had to go through customs. So off we flew back to the states and back to the office. And I had already started thinking about next years trip.
Here are some of the photos from the trip.
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/553714956ZXolsa
Last edited by VaDavid on Sun Sep 03, 2006 10:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
Photos did not post-Help
The photos did not post so now I need help with this so I can go back and insert the images. The images are located in a file on desk top.
Loved reading your report and how you spent your time down in the Caribbean. Sounds like you all had a very nice relaxful vacation!
How funny that you write the Confusion recipe. I went to dinnner last night at Longhorn and ordered that very same drink. And, got a plastic shaker, with a cowboy hat on top, to shake the drink up in. The drink was marvelous and I'm going to the liquor store today to buy all of the rums. Yum!!
Thnx for sharing your vacation with us!!
How funny that you write the Confusion recipe. I went to dinnner last night at Longhorn and ordered that very same drink. And, got a plastic shaker, with a cowboy hat on top, to shake the drink up in. The drink was marvelous and I'm going to the liquor store today to buy all of the rums. Yum!!
Thnx for sharing your vacation with us!!
Coden
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Bob & Anita
- Posts: 611
- Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 11:20 pm
- Location: Charlotte, NC
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Jan&MikeVa
- Posts: 1084
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:32 pm
- Location: The Chesapeake Bay
Jan, beach and bar shots
Hi Jan, the bar shot was shot in the bar on Jost Van Dyke and the beach at the end of the series was from Tortola. The begining photos was on St. John. Send me your email and I will drop you my report that I had done with the photos in the right place that I had done in Micro. Word.but it did not cut and paste to the board. Thanks, David