THE morning after being crown the new Miss Bahamas Teen Beauty queen, Kailin Hanna was up early: bright-eyed and bushy tail, whisked off to sit her BGCSE national exams.
There was not much room in between crowning night and testing day for the 16-year old, Kailin to even take in what she was considers a major feat accomplished. The eleventh grader at Queen’s College had oftentimes clicked on and off between school life and pageant affairs.
Over the few weeks, the young beauty had to switch gears constantly; remaining focused on her studies while also working hard in for the pageant. All of her effort came to a rewarding climax when she was crowned queen in the front of her beloved family and friends at the Atlantis Theatre last Sunday.
The pageant’s finale nonetheless all paid off in a major way last Sunday.
In front of audience members, family and close friends, Kailin was crowned queen. She competed against 11 other contestants to win the crown.
‘With discipline, passion and the support of my loved ones, I am aiming for that international crown.’
“I wanted to participate in something outside of my comfort zone and challenge myself. I am so thankful I made the decision to join this pageant because I have made lifelong friendships, memories, and learned important lessons,” she said.
When her name was called, Kailin said she was overwhelmed with the emotion but smiled her way through it all.
“I was certainly shocked and I still am. It doesn’t feel real, however, I am very proud of myself and grateful for this opportunity.”
One major highlight of the pageant experience for Kailin, who excelled in a number of categories, was definitely being able to share on her platform.
“My platform is titled S.M.I.L.E, which is an acronym for Social Media Integrity and Lifelong Etiquette. It is my goal to cultivate a healthy and positive digital culture through my platform. So many people view social media as a negative social medium. However, I want people to use it for constructive purposes such as spreading awareness about topics people are passionate about, inspiring others, creativity, building relationships and staying connected.”
Kailin will represent The Bahamas at the Miss Teen Mundial (Teen World) international pageant in El Salvador. She arrives on July 29 for an entire week of competition and the International pageant is August 3, 2024.
“My goal is to represent The Bahamas and the organisation proudly. I aim to carry myself with poise, grace, and intelligence. I will be working my public speaking abilities to articulate my platform and views clearly. Physical preparation through exercise, nutrition, and practicing my walks and posture will also be key.
“Most importantly, I hope to use this platform to inspire others and bring awareness to causes close to my heart. With discipline, passion and the
support of my loved ones, I am aiming for that international crown. This is just the beginning of an exciting new chapter,’ she said.
But until then Kailin is basking in the win and settling in her success thus far.
“I have been cherishing this extraordinary accomplishment and the amazing journey it took to get here. The celebrations would be filled with gratitude, joy and anticipation for the new challenges ahead at the international level. I’ve been rejoicing with my family, friends, and support
team who stood by me through all the trials and triumphs along the way.”
And while she is definitely a beauty queen holding the crown means much more.
“The Miss Bahamas Teen crown is much more than a symbol of beauty, but a beacon of hope. It is a commitment to make a positive impact on the youth by demonstrating kindness, integrity and confidence. It was important for me to attain this title to encourage others to pursue their dreams and showing that with hard work and discipline, they can achieve anything.”
Renbert Mortimer II has partnered with young artists to create a venue downtown to give a whole new canvas - including opportunities for the future. Cara Hunt spoke to him about his hopes to give a platform to others.
RENBERT Mortimer II has aways been passionate about his art and the ability of Bahamians artists to make a lucrative living from their craft.
He is also eager to help other young artists hone their skills and gain the practical knowledge to expand their careers.
His most recent project is the new space he aqquired on Bay Street where he has partnered with young artists offering them both employment and mentorship opportunities.
RGMII Waynehead Productions located on Bay Street is a venue where visitors and locals alike can drop by to get caricatures, henna, sip and paints and art therapy.
(Ren chose the name Waynehead Productions because it was his nickname in high school because of the size of his head and it became the mascot for his growing business.)
The artists also are available for private events such as weddings and parties and hotel bookings.
One of his major roles is also to mentor and train emerging artists and provide them access to clients.
“We offer training session because I believe that a lot of artists while they may have skills, they lack guidance and the being able to handle their finances price their art.
“I like to help them achieve the 4 Cs,” he said.
He explained these included communication, confidence, creativity and character.
“As a caricature artist, you have to be able to chat with your client and so for some artists have some social anxiety skills, and it helps them to learn how to talk to their clients. And character is also very important to me, because if I am giving you employment opportunites and a reference I have to be able to trust you,” he explained.
Additionally, he said artists have to learn how to appropriately price their work.
Ren has always been interested in art, and it has played a major role in his life although his father initially planted seeds of doubts that it could be a financially lucrative full time profession.
“My dad was himself an artist and he taught at St Augustine’s before he changed his profession and started teaching mechanics at BTVI. He encouraged me to get a real job which I did.”
Ren got a degree, working in various managerial positions in the hotel sector for many years until he just realised that he was unsatisfied and wanted to focus on his God-given artistic talent.
Art had always been something that had helped him face the world and deal with some of his internal concerns.
It also gave him a much-needed way to connect with people particularly in his preferred medium of caricature.
Caricatures are drawings that show the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings. Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, and can serve a political purpose, be drawn solely for entertainment, or for a combination of both.
“I love doing it although sometimes you do have to be more tame in the drawings because do not want overly drawn caricatures, and sometimes I am really tempted to make a really big nose or something.”
Ren has mastered the skills of caricatures going as far as World’s Fastest Caricature Artist” by the International Society of Caricature Artists in 2017 He has travelled all over the world - throughout the United States, Mexico, China, Europe - and has done caricatures for thousands of people.
And while he will always be an artist, he is also building his brand and his entrpenueral projects. He has served as public relations and brand coordinator for the University of The Bahamas and has hosted a number of podcasts.
During the pandemic, he also launched a number of projects designed to help people counter the depression and and restlessness people were feeling. One event was “Beer Yoga”, or “Sip and Stretch” combining the therapeutic properties of yoga with a refreshing beverage.
Another event, sing and paint, allows people to express their creativity through art while being entertained by singers and motivated by psychologists and counsellors.
“Toote and Scoop” is where a musician with an instrument, currently a trumpeteer, performs while families come out and enjoy ice cream. Two of those have already been held, with flavours like sour sop and cotton candy ice cream being amongst the favourites. Waynehead teamed up with Siparoni for the popular ‘Sip and Paint’ events.
And Ren wants to continue to encourage young artists that there is in fact a living to be made in the arts as long as they remain professional and honest and are willing to constantly improve their skills and work hard.
He also wants to take his talents beyond the country and be known throughout the world.
AS a little girl, Breann Wood was always deeply passion ate about digging into her creative side.
“ My cousin and I loved to say that we invented new things. Growing up in Eleuthera, I was constantly inspired by the vibrant colours of island life, which fueled my creativity and love for handmade items,” she said.
The 20-year-old spoke with Tribune Weekend about her crochet fashion line, The Vanity Room.
“I first learned to crochet when I was in the 11th grade of high school, back in 2019. My interest in sewing started earlier in 2016 during a home economics class in grade nine. So, I’ve been actively involved in crochet and sewing for about five years now, with a significant focus on developing and per fecting my craft during the last few years,” said Breann.
Reflecting on the inspiration for The Vanity Room, Breann said the idea to start came about in 2019 when she came across a Facebook post featuring crochet swimsuit tops going viral.
She said: “Intrigued, I realised there weren’t many crochet artists in The Bahamas, so I taught myself crochet through YouTube videos. My friends supported me by purchasing my early pieces and showcasing them. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I had just graduated high school, and finding a job was challenging due to my lack of experience and business closures.
“During the summer season in The Bahamas, crochet fashion is especially popular. I notice that people love crochet bucket hats and swimsuit coverups. Additionally, crochet crop tops, bralettes, and beach dresses are also trending. These items are perfect for staying cool while looking good during this hot season.”
She said her most memorable client experience involved creating a satin bonnet set for a mother and her baby. This customer who resides in Abaco, Breann said, reached out for a special order that needed to be shipped to her.
At The Vanity Room, Breann offers a variety of crochet items including female swimwear, pants, tops, dresses, rompers, hats, scrunchies, headbands, baby booties, and diaper covers.
“ I’m always open to custom orders, and I often add new items based on customer requests. In addition to crochet products, I sell reversible satin hair bonnets in adult and children’s sizes, as well as satin edge wraps/scarves. Currently, my business is home-based in Nassau, Bahamas. I provide local delivery and shipping to the family islands,” said Breann.
This pushed me to turn my crochet hobby into a business, initially named HookedbyBree.
“Additionally, I was inspired to make satin bonnets after a local business couldn’t fulfil my order due to a family emergency on their end. With my dad’s help, I bought a sewing machine and fabric, and learned to sew bonnets from YouTube tutorials.”
Once she perfected her technique, Breann added the bonnets to her product line. As the business evolved and expanded, she then rebranded to The Vanity Room to reflect a broader range of products and a more defined identity.
Breann said: “Some of the most requested pieces from the Vanity Room include our crochet bikini tops and matching bottoms, which are popular for pool parties and fetes. Our swimsuit cover-up mesh dresses and skirts are also popular.
“She was so pleased with the set that she not only shared adorable photos of her baby wearing the bonnet but also ordered five more sets. It was heartwarming to know that my product brought such joy and satisfaction to her,” said Breann.
The young designer said when it comes to her work, she is inspired by a local crochet artist named Shandice Ferguson. She admires her passion for her work and creativity.
“She consistently produces unique and beautiful pieces that inspire me to push the boundaries of my own designs. Beyond her talent, I look up to her as a mentor. Whenever I have questions or need guidance, she never hesitates to assist me. Her willingness to share her knowledge and support other artists is something I deeply appreciate and strive to follow in my own journey,” she said.
For the remainder of 2024, Breann said there are several exciting plans for The Vanity Room. Firstly, to create a website that makes it easier for customers to place orders.
“On the website, customers will be able to preorder already made
designs, and there will be an option for custom orders for crochet items and bonnets. Additionally, I aim to participate in pop-up shops both locally and on The Family Islands. These pop-up shops not only help to sell and showcase my items more but also provide an opportunity to connect with customers face-to-face and receive direct feedback,” said Breann.
Furthermore, her goal is to also build the brand’s social media presence and platforms by being active on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
“This will allow me to engage with my audience, showcase my products, and reach a wider audience through these popular platforms. Overall, my goal for The Vanity Room in 2024 is to continue providing exceptional handmade crochet and satin products to my valued existing and potential customers,” said Breann.
GILLIAN Curry-Williams the designer behind the Remilda Rose Designs, found herself between rock and a hard place in the lead up to her annual fashion show that honors women who survived cancer.
Gillian was tasked with creating nine separate gowns for the fashion show the ladies who bravely volunteered to walk the runaway and have their battle with cancer boldly shared in the front of audiences. However weeks before the
event not one piece of fabric was cut or stitched.
“I felt like was going to embarrass myself and embarrass the ladies,” the veteran designer told Tribune Weekend.
At the beginning of May, Gillian whom herself is cancer fghter and survivor got ill. This hindered her ability to work as swiftly as she needed to complete all of the gowns that were custom and personalised for the fashion show and dinner event held over the weekend at the Balmoral Club.
Time was of the essence, Gillian reasoned.
“I had aches all over my body and I hadn’t had the fu in about 10 years. I also had a panic attack. I felt as though I was going to embarrass myself and embarrass the women because I won’t be able to get their gowns completed in time.
“I did the frst ftting on May 11th. That morning got up, I lift my hands to God and I said ‘God need you to give me accuracy and speed..I need you to give me creative ideas. I need you to show me how you want each one of these ladies to look’.
After I prayed I put on some worship music and began sewing. God showed me how to do to accomplish this. He was
with me through the whole process. By May 22nd I had fnished every dress.
All of the hand work was fnished and the gowns were pressed and placed in garment bags. It was only God,” she said.
The fashion show featured cancer survivors, sporting makeovers and modelling gowns by Remilda Rose.
The ladies whop participated in the show was Emily Glass, Phillippa Newton, Zia Wallace, Carla Hall, Dale Ferguson Jospeh, Deborah Nesbitt, Willestene Curtis, Marissa Maycock, and Hilda Forbes.
‘I gave them makeovers, made their dresses, got them jewellery, got their makeup done and made them look and feel like queen,’ she said.
And the mission was accomplished, she said as the women waltz down the runway in shades of orange, blue, green and lilac.
“This show came about after my father had cancer and I asked God what I could do as a fashion designer to uplift these people. And he told me to give them makeovers and create the fabric of hope.”
On the night of the event I was like ‘wow this is really happening’. We have never had a dinner and show, we have always just had the show. So this was a whole different experience. People enjoyed it, they enjoyed the food, they enjoyed the band, but most of all they enjoyed
hearing the stories of the women. When the women came out they had to stand and we played a two minute clip of their story and then they modelled their garments,’ she said.
Gillian said she is most grateful for the success of the show and more importantly, having the opportunity to uplift the spirit of women.
“I am ecstatic about how things the event went.
“I have had a lot of women private message me. A lot of them ask how am I so confdent. God has given me this peace about the whole thing and he is using me as an example for women to know that if your breasts have to come off it is okay…you can still be feminine, you can still look feminine.”
Her message to cancer survivors is to be confdent in who you are.
“I am confdent in who I am no matter what I wear. Sometimes you can even tell my breast have been removed. I am in a happy place,” she said.
Good day gardeners. I’m not sure how the weather has been in New Providence in the last week or so, but on the island where I am at, we are still looking at some crispy brown lawn grass, with patches of green. The rain has been spotty and slow to develop, and I for one am still waiting on a good heavy downpour.
Pineapples and watermelons are coming in from the fields, and most upsetting is the poor mango harvest this season. I still have hopes of getting my hands on some.
Guava trees are giving the random fruit or two, with an extremely heavy crop soon to mature.
I’m watching the trees closely. Scarlet plums are ripening, and anyone with surplus can feel free to send some over at your soonest opportunity. Surplus scarlet plums, as if.
Unless you’ve got some shade and irrigation, most leafy greens will be blasting out into flower and seed if they’re still growing. Sweet and hot peppers ought to be yielding. I’m hoping to look in on sweet potato and cassava this coming week to see if any are being harvested. All of these can be grown in any garden with a little planning and preparation.
If you had missed the 2023-2024 growing season, what will you do to ensure you don’t miss the next one? My best suggestion would be to start prepping now!
Get composting. Gathering additional media mixes throughout the summer and get to building up the soil in garden beds, or if you’ve not got the space, stick some sweet potato or cassava into some large pots.
Someone had asked me a few months ago about severe allergies for a couple of weeks, and I mentioned to them that I as well had experienced the same. I wasn’t able to hone in on what the culprit may
have been, but I eventually came to the conclusion that when the casuarina trees were flowering, that I was affected. It’s the best I could figure, and I had not heard of reactions to the casuarina before. It is purely an anecdotal conclusion at this point, and it does take a keen eye to spot the flowering stage of casuarina trees. If anyone has any further evidence or anecdotal observations on it, I’d enjoy hearing from you.
As I look up in an attempt to find my next sentence, I see the first poinciana flowers showing off. A beautiful, bold, glorious orange color against a magical blue sky.
plumper, and cracking into them ought to begin in a few weeks time.
Dilly trees are loaded this season, and the fruit are large. I’ve been enjoying a few of their caramel, sweet flavors. They do ripen quickly once they’re ready, as with pineapple, so it’s a bit of a feast or famine situation.
Tabebuia trees are golden yellow and reaching their peak where I am, as well as the pink ones. Tamarind, I keep checking them, and I am looking forward to their delightful sweet/ tart pulp. Guineps are getting a bit
‘Wondering why New Providence is hot, and angry? We have the potential to create a food forest on each and every one of our streets and neighbourhoods, yet we cut trees down, seemingly with a mission to make the island hotter, and angrier.’
Seagrape trees are quite full, and they’re a delight as well. No shade to sit under?
Wondering why New Providence is hot, and angry? We have the potential to create a food forest on each and every one of our streets and neighbourhoods, yet we cut trees down, seemingly with a mission to make the island hotter, and angrier.
I have given up my attempts to comprehend the thought process
behind cutting trees mercilessly without the thought of planting useful ones in their place. It grinds my gears. Surely our decision makers travel enough, do I hear a yellowbird in the tree? Oh, hmmm, what tree? Please, plant some fruit trees, throw guinep, dilly, seagrape, tamarind seeds out your car window anywhere there’s some sand or soil?! We have a glorious spot on this earth, and we can grow so many fruit trees with no care or attention. Let it not go to waste, is my request to you. As always, I wish you happy gardening.
ONE of the newest art exhibitions at the TERN Gallery, In The Wake of A Haunting - currently displays the creative works of two female artists; a Bahamian woman Tamika Galanis, and La Vaughn Belle of the US Virgin Islands.
Romel Shearer, gallery administrator, said the exhibition observes the manifestations in both La Vaughn’s and Tamika’s practices of the lures from the archive, both the landscape and the metaphysical.
La Vaughn is a multi-disciplinary artist whose practice makes visible the unremembered through exploring the material culture of coloniality by creating narratives from fragments and silences. Tamika is a documentarian and multimedia visual artist whose work also examines the complexities of living in a place shrouded in tourism’s ideal during the age of climate concerns.
“As researchers, both Belle and Galanis follow the hauntings and listen intently to the calls of the past to unearth and to patch linkages between place and time. They urge their audience to remember and to access collective memory for storytelling, record-keeping and archive-making,” said Mr Shearer.
Tamika told Tribune Weekend that her contributions stem from prior
research for a joint show with a friend and colleague, Bahamian ceramicist Anina Major.
She said: “We won a grant from the Penn Center on St Helena Island, SC, in 2020-2021 to envision the relationship between Bahamian and Gullah Geechee culture. Though returning to my seemingly-unrelated research in Cat Island, I realised that there was a direct link between South Carolina and Cat Island, Port Howe in particular.
“I’d been visiting Port Howe since 2018, and the plantations I’d been returning to for years were owned by South Carolinians from the region where we were given this task. One of the aims in that work was to bridge the gap in similarities in dialect, folkways, foodways, and spirituality — they are not uncanny, they are related.”
She describes herself as a documentarian and visual artist trying to
spread the “gospel” about just how vast the field of documentary arts truly is.
“When I say ‘documentarian’, people always ask where they can see my film, or when the film is going to be done? There is no one long film or book [yet], in the meantime, I make art, some of it is what would be considered traditional documentary film/ photography, most of it experimental to sort through my thoughts about what I’m researching, and hopefully make some issues more accessible for my audience,” said Tamika.
In her practice, Tamika said she unearths lesser-known stories from archival research and synthesizes the material through a number of mediums, from T-shirts and photographs to sculptural objects.
Tamika said her subject matter is most times really heavy, digging into the darker side of the country’s history.
For La Vaughn, in the exhibition she presents seven new paintings and a video. Both sets of work reflect an interest in the elements of the natural world, like the land or sea; powerful forces like the hurricane, for strategies in how to disrupt the colonial gaze and its hierarchies.
The painting series, she said, is entitled Storm, and is made from painted, cut, torn and burned paper and reshaped into images that are
pasted together and mounted on canvas.
“In a way, I am mapping the psycho political realities of what it feels like to live in colonised spaces. I use these aesthetics of ruin as a way to reimagine our past-presents and gesture towards new and possible futures,” she said.
“I am also presenting a video work entitled Effluvia. It was filmed in the swamps and former rice plantation in South Carolina. The body is a central character in my work functioning at times as a cartographer and at other times as a barometer.”
As she moved through the various locations, La Vaughn said she thought about the hauntings in the environment, and also how the natural world might be a coconspirator in rebellion against exploitation.
“I would say that both works are concerned with making myths, maps, counter monuments and archives. I love self-actualisation, the ability to visualise something and execute it, the ability to follow my curiosity,” said La Vaughn.
Over the years, La Vaughn said she has become clearer in her vision and bolder in colour and form. Her art practice, she said, is primarily based on creating a platform for knowledge and thinking.
She said the TERN Gallery invited both her and Tamika to present together because of the points of connection in their works, and she is very much looking forward to seeing the exhibition, the works together and being in conversation with Tamika.
In The Wake of a Haunting opened for view on Thursday, May 23, and will continue on to Saturday, July 6 - with an artist talk and reception on Thursday, June 13.
Sir Christopher Ondaatje continues to delve into the life of the American actress who started her career as a dancer before debuting on Broadway, and eventually signing a contract with Metro-GoldwynMeyer in 1925. A nationally known flapper by the end of the 1920s, her fame rivalled MGM colleagues Norma Shearer and Greta Garbo in the 1930s.
“The perspective is crazy. If we think about our lives, and divide time into the part one spent on making a living, eating, talking, reading, being entertained by TV or movies or radio or theatre or whatever, and having sex, I think we’d find sex coming out on the short end of the stick. Unless you’re a whore it doesn’t give you the wherewithal to survive.”
Joan Crawford
MGM next cast Joan Crawford in the film Grand Hotel directed by Edmund Goulding. As the studio’s first all-star production, Crawford costarred opposite Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, and Wallace Beery. Receiving third billing, Crawford played the middle-class stenographer to Beery’s controlling general director. She later admitted to being nervous during filming because she was working with accomplished actors, and that she was disappointed that she had no scenes with the much admired Greta Garbo. Grand Hotel was released in April 1932 to critical and commercial success. It was one of the highestgrossing movies of the year, and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Crawford achieved continued success in Letty Lynton (1932), but a plagiarism suit soon after its release forced MGM to withdraw it. The movie is now considered to be Crawford’s “lost” film. Designed by Adrian, the gown which Crawford wore in the film became a popular style that same year and was copied by Macy’s.
On loan to United Artists, Crawford played prostitute Sadie Thompson in Somerset Maugham’s Rain (1932). Actress Jeanne Eagels played the role on the stage. The film was a remake of the part played by Gloria Swanson in
1928. Crawford’s performance was panned, and the film was not a success. Despite the failure of Rain, in 1932’s first “Top Ten Money-Making Stars Poll” placed Crawford third in popularity behind Marie Dressler and Janet Gaynor. She stayed on the list for several more years.
In May 1933 Crawford divorced Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., citing “grievous mental cruelty”. She claimed that Fairbanks had a “jealous and suspicious attitude towards her friends”. Following her divorce she again teamed with Clark Gable, together with Fred Astaire and Franchot Tone in the hit Dancing Lady (1933), in which she received top billing. She next played in Sadie McKee (1934) opposite Franchot Tone and Gene Raymond. She played opposite Gable for the fifth time in Chained, and for the sixth time in Forsaking All Others (1934). Crawford’s films of this era were some of the most popular and highest grossing of the 1930s. Crawford married Franchot Tone in 1935. Tone was a stage actor from New York who planned to use his film earnings to finance his theatre group. They built a small theatre in her Brentwood home and put on productions of classic plays for neighbours like Clark Gable and Charley Chase. Tone and Crawford appeared together in the film Today We Live (1933) but Crawford had been dubious about entering into another romance and marriage after the recent split from Fairbanks. She worked hard to promote Tone’s Hollywood career, but he was not interested in being a star – just wanting to be an actor. They tried to have children but resulted in two miscarriages. Tone allegedly began drinking and became physically abusive. Crawford filed for another divorce which was granted in 1939. They later rekindled their friendship with Tone
even proposing in 1964 that they remarry. Tone died in 1968 and Crawford arranged for him to be cremated and his ashes scattered at Muskoka Lakes in Canada.
“I was born in front of a camera and really don’t know anything else.”
Joan Crawford
Crawford continued her reign as a popular movie actress well into the mid 1930s. No More Ladies (1935) co-starred Robert Montgomery as well as Franchot Tone, and was a success, but Crawford had long pleaded with Louis B. Mayer to cast her in a dramatic role. He was reluctant and cast her in the well received comedy I Live My Life (1935), directed by W.S. Van Dyke. She next starred in The Gorgeous Hussy (1936) opposite Robert Taylor and Lionel Barrymore. It was one of Crawford’s biggest hits of the decade. Love on the Run (1936), also directed by W.S. Van Dyke, was her seventh film made with Clark Gable.
Even though Crawford remained a respected MGM actress and her films made profits, her popularity declined in the late 1930s. Life magazine proclaimed her the first “Queen of the Movies” in 1937, but then she unexpectedly slipped to sixteenth place that same year. The Last of Mrs, Cheyney (1937) opposite William Powell was her last box office success before her decline in popularity. She made another film with Franchot Tone, The Bride Wore Red (1937) but it was badly reviewed and became MGM’s biggest failure of the year. Mannequin, co-starring Spencer Tracy, was also released that year.
OH MY GOSH, it is seriously hot! (says everybody)
I find myself asking people if it was this hot when we were young. surely not!
We find ourselves crossing the street to walk in the shade in order to avoid the sun, it just too hot!
We slather the little ones with sunblock, and put them in hats, they hate, and wrap them up in swimsuits that rival those bathing costumes of the 1800s.
The air conditioners have been serviced and blow cool air in our direction whilst we cook or sleep.
Now let’s see: leaving home, keys phone, and don’t forget that bottle of water!
We take such good care of ourselves, don’t we, and such good care of our kids! Give yourself a pat on the back!
We have thought of simply everything. Or have we?
What about the family pet? What about the dog that you persist in calling a “yard dog”! Possibly chained somewhere impossible with but a few feet to move around and no respite from the beating sun. His water bowl, probably has not been cleaned out for a while, sits there a murky green, and as it heats up in the scorching
Bahamian sun you are offering up to this poor dog a species of moss and slime soup…whilst you are cool, and perfectly hydrated. Think about it!
If you are more responsible, is your neighbour?
Let’s talk about the heat and dogs, dogs can suffer from heat stroke very easily, and quickly. they can die from it too. In fact, I know of several dogs who did die in the last four months and a few near misses.
Dogs a very bad at dissipating heat throughout their body and they cannot sweat as we can. Dogs normal temperature is higher than a human. Ours is 98.6 they are 101.5, If their temperature rises above 105, they may well be suffering from Heatstroke (Hyperthermia).
As heatstroke in canines is life threatening, I would like to run through the signs to look out for: I have copied these from the American Kennel Club webpage.
“Early signs of heatstroke include heavy panting and rapid breathing, excessive drooling, dry mucous membranes, bright red gums and
tongue, skin that’s hot to the touch, and a higher heart rate. Affected dogs become hyperactive and may have difficulty maintaining balance.
As exposure to excessive heat goes on, the dog’s condition worsens and includes signs of shock, pale mucous membranes with white or blue gums, a very rapid heart rate, and a drop in blood pressure. The dog hyperventilates, and dehydration becomes more severe. Pupils dilate, the pulse becomes more irregular, and the dog has muscle tremors. They may become lethargic and unwilling to move, urinate or defecate uncontrollably, collapse, and become comatose.”
The first thing to do is carry the dog to somewhere cool, preferably ventilated and with a breeze. Sponge or wipe theirunderside with cool water, but not too cold, do not put the dog in a tub of water.
If you can get a fan and blow air on them. Meanwhile alert you vet that you are on your way in you cool, airconditioned car. Do not put them in the back of your truck.
The best thing is to take measures to avoid them getting heat stroke. Be mindful of the climate. Are you feeling the heat? Then so are they. Dogs want to make us happy, so if we ask them
to go running or hiking with us, no matter the temperature, they will, and they will not necessarily stop until they collapse and that might be too late. Always carry water with you for them, not just for yourself.
Another thing that people rarely think of is the heat of the ground. We slip on the flip flops, or lace up the tennis, and our feet are well protected from the hot ground. Dog do not have flipflops and tennis, we take them out to walk along the road (and I see this every day where I live) Take off your shoes and test how hot it is. Always walk your dog on the grass, not on stone, concrete or asphalt.
Some dogs love to lie in paddling pools, they can cool off and drink at the same time. But remember if the paddling pool is in the sun, the sun will heat the water.
It really is common sense.
“Yard dogs” should be allowed into the house, I hate this leaving a dog outside. How will you ever bond or have a good relationship, if you don’t watch TV together? If a dog is small, it comes in but if its big it can’t? Who says I wonder? This ridiculous discrimination of dogs over about 25 pounds in The Bahamas saddens and distresses me… Time we treated all dog equally and kindly.
THE Current Baha Mar Gallery and Art Centre has launched a new exhibition, Cardo Knowles: Urban Light.
The solo exhibition of new paintings by Bahamian master artist Ricardo ‘Cardo’ Knowles opened to the public on June 1. This is the artist’s first exhibition in The Bahamas in over ten years.
The presentation includes 29 oil paintings depicting luminous Bahamian landscapes mostly created between 202124. The largest painting measures 60 x 72
inches whereas the smallest measures 14 x 36 inches.
The paintings from Knowles’ series, Urban Light, are poetic depictions of our shared Bahamian landscapes where light and color dance, creating a vibrant display of botanicals, seascapes, and authentic Bahamian living.
The exhibition is on view until July 31, 2024 in the Rotunda Shops, directly below the Grand Hyatt valet at Baha Mar.
IT WAS a sold-out event for the Cancer Society with Bahamians dressed in their best attire to be translated through decor, music and ambiance to “The Essence of Africa”.
The event transported guests to what was dubbed an “unforgettable experience” by organisers showcasing the rich culture and diversity of Africa.
The 22nd Annual Cancer Ball was held under the patronage of Prime minister Phillip Davis and First Lady Ann-Marie Davis, and took place in The Grand Ballroom, Atlantis Paradise Island.
Attendees were dazzled by a captivating fashion show featuring the works of seven talented Bahamian designers. Then they were encapsulated by various rich textures of Africa through the dinner and entertainment segment of the ball.
All of the proceeds from the ball will go towards the Cancer Caring Centre.
The Cancer Caring Centre through the years has provided comfort to many who have been afflicted as well as educating others about the importance of early detection of cancer.
The centre provides housing specifically to those from the Family Islands in need of treatment in Nassau.
Due to the high demand for availability at the CCC, the Cancer Society have put in place plans in the making for a second phase of the Cancer Caring Centre Expansion Project. Currently there are only ten rooms available at the Cancer Caring Centre.
