Old cannons and young kids

After yesterday's trip to Strawberry Fields we went off to see some old cannons pointed out over the water. Part of our expedition was a set of twins - Ronald and Michael McDonald. They needed a ride to Oracabessa, which was farther along our trip. But they knew of an old English site between Strawberry Fields and their destination. So, off the beaten path we went, up a hill and into an unassuming driveway. We edged past a building gone to ruins, and waited for the brothers to negotiate with some Rasta people that live on the site.

While we waited I took a snap of these Naseberries, another fruit I had never known before coming to Jamaica. It is amazing how many varieties of fruits growing native here.

Before long we were off to see our first cannon. This dated from 250 years ago or so. It looked like it could still be fired. The carriage was in great shape.

The site had several cannons, and some really gnarly trees. I am not sure what they were, but they were graceful and shady. They seemed kind of incongruous, growing alongside the cannons.

Everything looked as if it had been there only twenty years, instead of two hundred. If you had low grade black powder I bet you could even fire one of these without it bursting.

This must have been topnotch iron. The humidity here was oppressive, but very little has gone to rust.

For me, as usual, the children are beautiful and fascinating. These kids came out of the woodwork to see why we were interested in the area. They are fearless and engaging. This girl was beautiful, with her hair ready for dreads.

Her friend wanted to pose on the cannon. All the kids were great posers.

The little sister also had a beautiful face. No matter what else you hear about Jamaica, please know that the people (particularly the Rastafarians) are peaceful, engaging, and friendly.

For some reason everybody wanted to be picked up. Esther picked up the older girl and I lifted the younger. She was so tiny I was afraid she would break.

Just another beautiful flower growing on the site.