We got to babysit Parker because Stephanie from Dreamcatcher hurt her back and Jake was on a trip visiting his sons and their nephew. We took Caper, Chance, Rosco, Daisy and Parker to the beach and let them run around and play to get their energies out. We took Rosco and Daisy( Parker’s brother and sister) back to Dreamcatcher and Parker back to Aventis. Chance was extremely jealous because we gave Parker a lot of attention. It was fun watching Parker though it was also kind of a distraction. It was hard to get schoolwork done with him on the boat, because he kept getting up on my lap and messing with the computer; he kept asking me to play with him. We were doing a favor and helping out a friend, so it was worth it. Parker is a Portuguese Water Dog like Caper and Chance. He is just a puppy who is 11 weeks old. It was also fun taking all five dogs to the beach because they all got to play and swim and we got to play with them. I called it Aventis Doggy Day Care, a private free business.

Me, Mom and Dad got the Covid-19 Vaccine here in the US Virgin Islands. There was a community vaccination center at the USVI University. We got the Pfizer Vaccine. There are three companies that make the vaccines, Pfizer, Modernara and Johnson~Johnson. The Pfizer is 95% effective. Here is some information on the messenger RNA Vaccine, it is a new vaccine that is meant to protect against infectious diseases. Most vaccines like The flu vaccine puts in weakened germs in our body’s. This Vaccine teaches our body how to make a protein that triggers an immune response to our bodies. The protein is called the Spike Protein, it is found on the surface of the virus that causes Covid 19. The cell gets rid of the instructions once the protein is made. It is given in the upper arm muscle. The vaccine never enters the nucleus of the cell where our DNA is. The vaccine does not use the live virus. When you have the vaccine you can still get the corona virus, but it should help you fight it off faster (spoiler alert, we find this out first hand). You should not get sick. Your immunity does not begin until 12 days after you get the shot. It was fun getting the vaccine I felt good. I did not have any reactions or get sick. I did have a sore arm and was very tired. Dad also had a sore arm. Mom didn’t have a sore arm but she was tired, we were all tired. Kent and Kathy, our friends from Wind Ensemble also got the vaccine they got right after us. It was a fun and memorable day.

We went on a hike at Lameshur Bay with Kent and Kathy, Caper and Chance got to come on the hike with us. It was their lucky day. We passed little Lameshur which had a beach. Our friends Kent and Kathy wanted us to check out Lameshur Bay. We hiked up a big hill and saw ruins of an old mansion that belonged to a plantation owner. It kinda looked like what I thought it would. It was built in the mid 1700s. We then hiked down another trail and saw more ruins. We think these were slave quarters. We then got to the Petroglyphs. They were beautiful and there were sacred drawings on the rocks. The trail was 5.3 kilometers. The petroglyphs are a lost culture from the Islands past. It is located at the base of the valley’s highest waterfall. There wasn’t any water there not sure if it was because it is all dried up or because it’s the dry season. A spring fed pool reflects a 20-foot wide panorama of carvings year round with others nearby. When we headed back to the boat we were all tired and thirsty. We drank all our water on the walk. Caper and Chance were so tired they kept stopping in the shade, so Dad had to drag them to get them to keep going. It was a long walk. It was an excellent hike and we all had a lot of fun.

We got our second Covid shot. We made an appointment and walked to the University of the US Virgin Islands to be able to get it. We got it at the community center there, like last time. Our friends Kent and Kathy came with us and got their second shot as well. Mom, Dad and I were in separate stations for the shot. I asked for the shot on my right arm because I’m left handed. I bled a little bit, but that’s all good. We felt fine afterwards and even went swimming. Later that day, we all had sore arms. During the night we all had chills. Mom and I had chills in the morning too. We were all tired the day after. It’s great that we all got the vaccine. On April 6th the vaccine will be fully effective. I was able to get it as well even though I’m 16 and most places are not vaccinating people my age. This was a big deal for us to get vaccinated because we can travel easier into new countries, Caribbean Islands and hopefully I’ll even get to visit my grandma.

We went to this place called, Chicken’n Bowling. It’s the Virgin Island’s version of Bo’s in Lenoir, NC. Our friends, Kent and Kathy really wanted us to try this place, so we finally tried it. It was a lot of fun. We haven’t bowled in a while, so we kept trying different strategies. Mom ended up winning the games because she got a turkey and didn’t roll between her legs or use bumpers. Kent never let her forget it. He nicknamed her, Turkey. He was not happy. He was a good sport about it though. We ended the day with a slushie from a place called, No Passports. We saw Jake and Stephanie and said “hi”, but then they had to go because their charter guests were coming. We were Celebrating Mom’s big win.

Wow! You guys have been super busy. It sounds like it’s been loads of fun (except maybe the vaccinations). 😁 I enjoy reading your journal.
Sounds like you guys had a wonderful time in the USVI! Dog sitting, vaccinations, bowling and hiking, full days for sure!
Addie! Love your recap of the last few months! Free private doggie day care is good!
Your explanation about the vaccine was very informative! So many people should learn from you! Kent says he is ready for Chicken & Bowling again! Miss you! Enjoy Aruba!