With You Tonight

St. Vincent is part of a chain of islands in the Caribbean. The group stretches from Grenada in the south to St. Lucia, the third of four Windward Islands. The fourth is Dominica. While the entire archipelago is referred to as the Grenadines, St. Lucia and Dominica is an independent state. The mainland, St. Vincent, is approximately 133 square miles, with a population of just over 110,000. Add in the gems of the sister islands, the Grenadines, and the population rises to just over 120,000. I might be biased, but if there are more captivating islands anywhere in the Caribbean, I would gladly pay to visit them. Mainland St. Vincent resembles a heavily pregnant woman. If you imagine her resting on her side, the leeward coast would be her eight-month load and the windward, her spine under serious pressure, as we say in the West Indies. The sea is serene and calm on the leeward side, placid and delightful beneath its rugged volcanic terrain. On the opposite side of the island, however, it rages and pounds the land mercilessly, especially during the hurricane season. Just over halfway along the windward side, a mile inland from the main road that clings to the coastline, a tiny village, Dickson, welcomed a beautiful girl into the world on July 7, 1951.