Ms. Dow, who left yesterday after her 50th visit, has made many friends since her first visit in 1967.

Only once, in 1997, has she not visited Bermuda during a calendar year.

"I want to be cremated and I'll leave enough money for my daughter to get a ticket to come here and spread my ashes on the South Shore,'' she said while relaxing in a friend's home.

"That's what I'm doing now, sitting looking at the ocean. I can sit and watch the ocean for hours,'' she added. "Bermuda is my second home.

"Truly, my extended family is here in Bermuda. The Pulleys Darrells, the Minors, even my good friend who passed recently Howard Raynor. This is my home away from home and I just keep coming back and coming back.'' But not only does Ms Dow enjoy Bermudian hospitality, she extends it to Bermudians who are traveling to or through her Boston, Massachusetts area home.

Many members of her extended family have stayed with her, especially for visits to area hospitals and for shopping trips.

Many Bermudians followed her progress when she had a medical crisis in 1996 and were relieved to find out she came out of 70 days in a coma.

She was back on track in 1998 after being cleared to fly by her doctors.

But she is grateful to her first Bermudian friend, Richard Pulley for first extending local hospitality to her.

"I was working at Massachusetts General Hospital and a co-worker came here and showed me the pictures,'' Ms Dow said. "I met Richard who was the only person I knew of through relatives living in Boston. He was the only person I knew here.

"I stayed at the Bermudiana Hotel and he came around and took me on a tour and we've been friends ever since. My home in Boston has always been open to Bermudians to come up.

She added: "And I make more friends each time I come down. You know, some of my old friends say that I know more Bermudians than they know!''