It’s All About Connectivity

Inasmuch as we all would like to be off the grid while on vacation and leave behind the world with all its worries, it is nearly impossible to achieve unless we consciously decide to travel somewhere without a signal. Then, as long as there is a network, we should have have a choice to access it or not.

At Llantrissant, we have made sure that our connectivity is as good as it gets. We have six Google wifi points distributed throughout the house and property/ The network is private and is password protected. Even though we don’t have fiber optic service yet, the 45 mbps seems to be adequate for music and video streaming. Our son had no complaints about remoting in to a workstation during his last visit. It is also unlikely that you will incur roaming charges as long as you are connected to the wifi. However, toll-free numbers are usually not covered but Skype is a reasonably good alternative to paying roaming charges.

Things That Go Bump in the Night

Our security guards, Charmer and Barry, have been with us for nearly 20 and 10 years respectively and are vigilant throughout the night. With their smart phones, they send us photos every hour on the hour from different parts of the property.

Their phones are also linked to wireless cameras that are positioned on the common areas such as the front gate, lawn by the small beach, garage and back staircase; however, all alerts thus far have been caused by a staff member or one of the dogs passing before a camera, or a leaf blown by the wind. Both Stella and Max are excellent watchdogs that provide an extra level of security with their excellent hearing. We also provide our guests with walkie-talkies to communicate more easily with the guard on duty for any concern that may arise.

A Dog’s Best Friend

As many of you already know Max arrived on the scene in mid-May as a puppy. He is quite a social animal and has grown very accustomed to playing with our guests, both adults and children alike. But, when guests are not around, he swims around the corner to hang out at a local bar. Fortunately, having a name tag has saved him from oblivion (so far).

The Nature of Things

Now that we are near the end of November, we may be able to let out a sign of relief regarding hurricanes. Ian got uncomfortably close and it had us scrambling to reduce the windage of the trees along the sea shore. Fortunately, it went further west before turning its wrath on Florida.

Hurricane Gilbert (1988) taught a lesson to be prepared. Although we aren’t trained as arborists, we learned as we went along to preserve rather than let nature take its course - better to sacrifice a limb than lose a whole tree.

And yet as nature tries its best to be prepared, we know that these Screw pine (Pandanus tectorius) usually do not survive high winds, so at least we can enjoy them for another season and hopefully more.

This is not the famous Ghost orchid, but it is a distant cousin called Brassavola nodosa. This one bloomed in October.

Closely Watched Yachts

Every now and then, a mega yacht anchors in Long Bay.This one is called My Lady and is registered in the Marshall Islands. Even Roman Abramovich’s Eclipse had anchored off the West End before the war in Ukraine.

Airport Transfers

Now that Benji, our friend and driver for more than 30 years has retired, Ralph has taken his place. His van is spotless and seems like new but it is at least 8-10 years old. Like all of our drivers, he is an independent contractor and we don’t make a penny off of his services. The cost each way to and from the airport is $25 per person with a four person minimum, i.e. $100.00 for 1-4 guests. The trip normally takes an hour and a half since the road passes through many towns along the way.

The Season Upon Us

So far the Peak Season seems to be taking on shape. There are still a number of weeks available. Booking can be made directly on the website and the payment options are plenty. Don’t forget that we are waiving the weekend surcharge for a week or longer stay. Please call me so that we can apply the discount since it not automatically applied when booking directly online.