User:Asha/My Parish St. Mark

My parish is the smallest in all of Grenada. I live at Boniar probably one of the smallest villages in the parish (only 15 houses). At its maximum population there are approximately 45 people and only fifteen houses. My village is poignantly beautiful, with exceedingly clean air, a ravine and a 'river'. It was once the site of a plantation and the old Estate House was though reconstructed in modern island style still boast its old coppers, and aqueducts. Next to the Estate House is a mill built in 1698, although the roof is gone it too remainsfairly intact. Bonair Plantation is surrounded by three other plantations all belonging to my ancestors. To this day I feel a strong connection the very soil of this village. When I am away too long, I can feel myself slowly suffocating. Longing so much for towering green hills, covered with silver birch, cedar, mahogany, bamboo thant sings in the wind, bois canu, with leaves that turn completely to its white underside, thus warning us hills of inclement weather. The whiter the leaves, the more of them turned the worse the weather. WHen a huriicane is about to strike all leaves on all observable trees are completely turned. That way everyone knows 'batten down' a hurricane is definitely - no matte what the weatherman says - coming our way. From late september to late November the hills surrounding my home are awashed with coulour, reds, bronzes, coppers, golds, yellows, yellow-grees, gree-blues, and silver. Bonjour hill is the best, it is a cacaphony of colurs reminding much of the scales of red snapper and goldfish in sunlight.

There are several heitage sites in St. Mark, at Diamond;the slave pen/ the boucan/ the original Estate House, where my great grand uncle lived,is in prime condition, with its longhouse still intact and in use by servants whose line have served since the beginning. At Bocage Estate, the Boucan the river and the one of best 'dip' in the St. Mark River above which a ladder bridge is suspended. There is also a fire-damaged Estate house, a horse stable, and two carriage roads leading back into Bonair, one of which is completely lined with clove trees. Above this my great grandfather lies, in a grave which never tarnishes, nor is it overgrown. Tufton Hall Estate House is the only one of the three to be ravaged by Hurrcane Ivan. It was a beautiful old wooden house, built ater the colonial style.

Tufton Hall sits at the base of Mt.St. Catherine at the back of the estates is one of the deepest dips ever found in our river. This dip is so deep that even though its in a river it is a deeg aquamarine colour. From the back of the estates house there is a paths, one leads to the soda and sulfur springs at the base of the mountain and further along to the Tufton Hall Falls which, not as little as five years ago was unknown to 'outsiders'. There are three falls, they are the tallest and most powerful in Grenada, although not measured they are more than likely the also the largest waterfalls in Grenada.

To find out more about what this parish has to offer, please visit: Parish of St. Mark