Have you ever met some new friends and after you have spoken to them at length you find they know some of your old friends?

I expect you have as it has happened to me more than once.

This happened again today (Wed 20) when some new friends Joan (iNews Cayman’s Publisher and my wife) met at Elmslie United Church last Sunday (17) and arrived at our door.

And the meeting was so delightful.

Randy Harris is no new visitor to Grand Cayman as she has an apartment at Silver Sands Condominiums on the West Bay Road right on the Seven Mile Beach and has been coming here for months at a time for about 30 years.

Originally from South Carolina, USA, Randy now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

I learnt that she used to be an airline stewardess with Eastern Airlines, the airline its pilots, mechanics and even flight attendants (oh dear Randy) killed off two decades ago when it was already in a weak state by striking.

Randy had been dating her eventual husband, David Jesse Harris, but she had no idea he would be waiting for her to land in Grand Cayman’s Owen Roberts Airport. At this surprise meeting he popped the question and as soon as she said “Yes” (or even before) he told her had an apartment here and he whisked her off to Silver sands. The rest is history. Sadly David died two years ago.

Double Click on each photo to enlarge

Still lamenting his loss, Randy invited her friend in Atlanta, Joan Foster Hubbard, to accompany her on a trip this year. It was fortunate because Joan had just “disposed” of her two siblings. One had just got married and the other had graduated from college. So she was free to go on her first vacation without worrying about her beautiful children.

I asked her what was her first impressions of Grand Cayman.

“Breathtaking,” she replied instantly. “The island is more beautiful than anyone has been able to describe to me. The various blue colours of the sea water are spectacular and everyone I have met here are so warm and friendly.”

Joan is staying with Randy at Silver Sands and said the staff and the other residents there were wonderful.

“I thoroughly enjoy the refined house parties at the Silver Sands gazebo,” she added with a beaming smile.

It was during my wife’s conversation with Randy that she discovered Randy knew two old friends of hers. It was with some surprise I learnt that immediately after Hurricane Ivan devastated Grand Cayman when I was pressganged back to my old profession of a Quantity Surveyor, one of the apartments I had to appraise for damage under an insurance claim was — yes you guessed it — Randy’s at Silver Sands!

Joan and Randy wanted to explore our garden (my Joan) and so they disappeared there to look at my wife’s pride and joy, her flowers, shrubs and trees. I found them there and hurriedly shot some photographs.

“When are you leaving?” I inquired.

“Tomorrow,” was the answer. “But we plan to be back in two months.”

It will be so nice to see old friends again.

In the photographs Randy is in pink, Joan is wearing the hat. The other lady is Joan Wilson.