Stinking Toe Fruit

If the shoe fits, wear it. The Stinking Toe fruit, is the fruit of the West Indian Locust, the largest tree in the Caribbean. The fruit is contained within a large brown-shelled pod that is shaped somewhat like a toe. Stinking Toe fruit is roughly 5 inches in length, oblong and slightly kidney-shaped. The inner flesh of these stubby pods do indeed stink like smelly feet. On our ranger guided hike to Reef Bay, the ranger cut one open and allowed everyone taste the pulp. It wasn’t unplesant and was actually rather tasteless. It tastes similar to dried milk and is normally mixed with other ingrediants for better taste. Although, island children will often eat it raw, just as we had.

Yesterday, was Election day and Anne worked the polls as an election official. These are always long and grueling work days. This was our Presidential primary election and there was only one item on the ballot. I was queried as to which party’s ballot that I wanted and then my individual ballot was printed out. I was directed to a table, with cardboard privacy screens, where I completely filled in the box for my sole vote. The supplied pens were all ballpoints and I think that a felt-tip would have worked better. Come November, when there is more than one vote to cast, using a ballpoint would be rather time-consuming. Once completed, I took my ballot over to be scanned and that was that. This is a new voting system that has replaced the old touchscreen based voting machines that I guess were viewed as too hackable. I like this new method better.

Since, Anne had left early to go to the polls and taken the car, I had to walk to the polls. My walk was a little bit longer than normal, because the Heights, my regular polling place is undergoing renovation. Sanitation was the word for the day, with Purrell dispensers everywhere. I heard on the news that a poll in the City was attacked, when some crazy man came in and splashed bleach on the voting machine and some of the poll workers.

Tuesday’s results came out as expected and it now appears certain that the race for the presidency is going to come down to a certain two septuagenarian men. Both of whom are prime candidates to succumb to the Coronavirus. The November election may come down not to which of them got the most votes, but which one is still left standing. Stay healthy, Joe!