The Kwaj Kat Blog

While reviewing more of the recent online Hourglass editions, I ran across an article in the October 6 issue that an old Kwaj icon is now officially closed: the Yokwe Yuk Club. Kwaj seems to be going through a transition period involving cost-cutting and consolidation, and the Yuk fell under the hatchet. I’d heard from a current Kwaj resident some time ago that the Yuk was already partially shut down, as the kitchen was no longer in operation, but the facility itself was still in use (although she reported that it wasn’t in good condition). Given its already minimalized status, I guess it’s no big surprise that someone decided to axe it in order to save some money. As a Kwaj Kid, the Yuk was not a frequent destination for me, but it makes me sad nonetheless to hear of its demise. According to the article, it was scheduled to close October 31. Just wanted to pass along the news.

If you don’t often check out the online issues of the Hourglass, you might find the October 20 issue interesting as it contains a short article about Kwaj “then and now.” A Kwaj Kid from the 60s visited Kwaj recently and took some photos to show the island today compared to how it appeared in old postcards from the 50s and 60s. I wish the Hourglass had more room to post more of his pictures. Anyway, I think you might enjoy this article. Someday I’d like to visit again and take some updated pictures of my own…

In case anyone is still reading, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a fun, safe New Year! I sometimes think about this time of year and how it took some getting used to having Christmas on Kwaj while it still felt like summer outside. I didn’t think that much about it after that first Christmas in 1974, but that first one was a bit odd. Of course, nowadays in Huntsville we still don’t always have cold weather for Christmas, and in fact today’s temps will be in the 60s, unseasonably warm for December. It’s supposed to cool off by next week, though, so it’ll probably feel more normal by Christmas Eve. Anyway, I hope the end of 2007 is a good experience for you all.