Human Life and Nature

the day we left

When the decision to sell our beloved house and leave St. Croix came to us, sometime in the summer of 2009, we had no idea everything would move so quickly. It was with mixed emotions we left the balmy island in the northern Caribbean after five years of unbelievable experiences and new loving friends. With our two daughters Frida and PJ, we embarked on a long and ambitious journey which would eventually lead us to Sweden.

The author with coconut

Our house keys were handed over to the new owners on January 4, 2010 and we headed to St. Croix’ West-end eco-resort Mount Victory Camp where we relaxed and tied up loose ends, sold our cars and cancelled WAPA. Frida, our four-year-old, would sometimes be away from our cabin for three hours at a stretch, playing on the grassy slopes of the jungle camp. Horses would graze outside our dwelling and the anole lizards protected us from mosquitoes. It was peaceful and it gave us good closure with St. Croix.

frida and zavi wilson at mt victory

Later in January we left the Caribbean for the climate shock of Montana, where we were greeted with open arms by Shawn, Brian and their daughter Ruby at their place in Bozeman. Brian works for Murdoch’s, an outdoor outfitter and we slowly got used to the cold thanks to some good new gear bought there. Frida and Ruby got along great from day one, and they learned new ways of wearing princess outfits from each other.

Brian and Amy in winter

One of the many reasons it's called 'land of big sky'

amy & shawn in the family ambulance prior to the perceived emergency

During our stay in Montana, we took the two families to stay overnight at the Chico Hot Springs in Pray. Around noon on our last day there, Brian and I took the kids back to Bozeman and Amy and Shawn got some well-deserved girl-time at the spa. At some point during our evening, Brian and I started looking at our watches and wondering where our wives were. No cell phones were answered, and the people at the spa had not seen them for hours. We decided to take action: Brian started the hour-long drive to Pray and I started calling sheriff’s offices, the highway patrol, and hospitals. We both came up empty for some time, but acted calmly although we felt a grinding worry deep in our bellies. He and I kept each other informed of what the other discovered, and I finally got the call from Brian that he had spotted the round headlights of the old Chevy ambulance happily heading home towards Bozeman at 10.30 pm. Relief, elation, happiness. And what did the girls have to say in their defense? ‘We forgot the time’, or something to that effect. 

NEXT: the Lanners head to Chicago

Rock-stars in Chitown

So maybe he (or she) had lugged what he thought were truly enlightened works of art to gallery after gallery. Maybe he was rejected from a few establishments, a few maybes here and there but no firm commitments? He was feeling low, like he wants to give up (and what the bejeezus is he to do with all this art?)- then he sees the sun, and nature, and the sea, and he gets a revelation: ‘I’ll take my art to nature! And I’ll give it to her!’ 

Columbus Landing, St. Croix

At least that is what I speculate happened at the Western end of Columbus Landing beach on St. Croix, where someone has created a small and temporary (but certainly noticeable) outside art gallery. It consists of between five and seven mixed media creations in different states of natural disrepair. The art is compelling somehow- since it’s human and bold and it’s suddenly there, intentionally, as you’re getting out of your car, in a natural setting no less, slightly underground- since the art is installed in a national park, certainly environmentally unfriendly- since a lot of the work is on foam and plastic, and is being torn by winds and spread into the bush. All in all, I have to say that I was impressed by the ‘graffitti-style’ effort but unimpressed by the juvenile content and the artist’s choice of location. Seems to me if you’re going to try to beautify something, you might try finding a spot that needs it, which Columbus Landing does not. Enjoy the photos and send me your comments.

In early May, I embarked on a short but intense trip to Haiti to film the efforts of St. Croix-based Haiti Community Support (HCS) in the remote southwestern village of Au Centre. My first impressions of Haiti happened before getting on the flight from Miami to Port Au Prince. Large groups of well-fed people wearing identical T-shirts were discussing how they ‘were going to do the work of the Lord’, and how they were bringing hope to the people of Haiti. It made me wonder why I was going on this trip- was I going to do the work of my own lord?

For many years, I had admired and contributed to the auction events for HCS at Mount Victory Camp in St. Croix, and I was eager and curious to see how their operation worked in the actual place for which all of their efforts were made.

My travel partners were Mandy Thody, illustrious sailor, ceramic artist & stove-builder and Tim Fields, investigative journalist extraordinaire of the Virgin Islands Daily News.

Mathilde Aurelien Wilson

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Hi there and happy summer. We have been traveling (and battling various ailments), so we ask for your forgiveness for the prolonged silence. Salt Gallery had a busy 08-09 season, and we enjoyed everyone’s feedback and your positive response.

What we also enjoyed were the various trips, and staying as still as possible in the dry St. Croix heat. Some days have been so scorching here that one movement immediately brings beads of sweat and the imminent need for water, kool-pops, ice cream, or a dip in someone’s pool.

As some of you may know, my wife Amy is expecting another baby, due on or around September 15. We have no idea of gender, nor have we made any decisions on names. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

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A wonderful turnout at Salt Gallery’s Figuring the Figure exhibit last Friday at Walsh Metal Works in St. Croix prompted us to post some photographs from the opening night- all taken by Stephanie Schoyer.

More social snaps will be added periodically, as well as photos of all the artwork in an online ‘Figuring the Figure’ catalogue- soon come, so check back. Let us take you for a physical tour of the exhibit- it’s up until May 3, open 10-4 Mon-Sat. Call Tomas at 340.514.6664 for an appointment.

Feel like you’re creative? Well, this may make you eat your words. As you watch the movie, consider the amount of work that’s involved to prepare and create each frame.

Another mind-boggling creative foray is that of Kutiman, who sampled and mixed hundreds of previously unrelated YouTube home musicians and came up with a group of truly inspiring tracks.

And as for humor, we really enjoy the campy qualities of Italian Spiderman or the classic Bollywood antics and choreography of Indian Superman. Enjoy- talk to you next time.