A rainy day....

Hi everyone, it's amazing that I haven't written for a very long time but the days go by and before we turn around the day is over and we are heading towards sleep. So much of the time we are in sunshine and planning small excursions - lunch, walks on the beach, swimming, lunch, grocery shopping, walks, and so it goes.
Doesn't sound exciting and it really isn't except for how this all gets translated into fabulous images and heightened senses. Today is one of the rare days when the sky is gray and there is intermittent rain with forcasts for gale force winds later on. We are hunkered down to wait for this front to pass and it looks like the rest of the week will be back to the high 70's with plenty of sunshine. Bill is on a search for the penultimate conch and I am searching for shells and sea glass. We have friends here who are also doing geocache adventures which we haven't really gotten into. Bill said that one find was in a subterranean cave!!
So January goes on. I had a birthday (yuck) and I made a trip back home to attend the funeral of an aunt (age 95). The trip was difficult but I'm glad I made it. When I got home I had forgotten that we had moved all the furniture away from the windows because the coop was installing new windows. It wasn't the most relaxing place to be especially without the use of a telephone or television. However, I spent time with my sister and friends which helped a great deal.

As for the flights, the first thing I noticed when we landed in Washington was the noise, the crowds, the number of people talking on cell phones (ours is on vacation mode and cannot be used) and using computers. Everyone seemed to be in their own world. I remember the time when we would be waiting at the airport and striking up conversations with fellow travelers. That doesn't happen anymore. Even on the plane people were using computers and ipods - not very social at all. However, I did have my MP3 player and a book to pass the time.
Bill was unable to pick me up when I returned because there was a storm here so with help from lots of Bahamians and friends at home I made a hotel reservation and caught a ferry back to Hopetown on Monday. By Tuesday the weather was gorgeous again and Bill and I made an excursion to Tahiti Beach and Cracker P's for lunch. The view from Cracker P's was exquisite with 'Interim' anchored nearby. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera so we will have to return there again. Oh well, what one must do for posterity. However, I did pick up a few shells.
Our next outing is going to be either a pig roast or pot luck dinner at Guana Cay and then hopefully a trip to Little Harbor. I am also waiting for a perfect day to go snorkeling at Sandy Cay - an underwater park. So we still have lots to accomplish before we start homeward bound.
Oh, I almost forgot. To add to our adventures Bill and I are headed to Paris, France the first of May to help brother Mark celebrate his birthday. We will be there for about 6 days and hopefully Bill will agree to eat French food - the only other time he was in Paris he ate at a Chinese restaurant every day. We will try to expand his gustatory sensations.
Til later....

After the Holidays

We certainly had an unusual holiday this year with warm weather and plenty of sunshine. New Year's Eve was very special. We actually had dinner out with hats and champagne with our friends Jim and Nancy. Then back to the boat for a rest and at 11:30 we went to shore for the rest of the activities. People started gathering along the main street, revelers, teenagers, families and it was the best time to people watch. We didn't quite know when midnight was until the fireworks started. They were fabulous, gorgeous displays right in front of us and they they lasted quite a while. Who would have thought that such a little place would have such a wonderful display. After that we started to hear the drums. Faint but growing louder and more insistent as they came our way. This was a Junkanoo. Some costumes but mainly drums and everyone moving to the beat of the drums following the parade through town. Although the consensus was that the Junkanoo wasn't up to past years but it was fine for us. We didn't get back to the boat til about 2 am.
And then the next day the weather started to change - a cold front started coming through bringing gray skies and plenty of wind (25-30 most of the night and day). We didn't get off the boat all day on Thursday but I met Roger a few days ago while doing laundry and ran into him, Nancy and Will again while walking and they came on 'Interim' and then invited us for dinner. Roger is a professional photographer and Nancy is an artist who works primarily in silver. Her son Will is at the Maine Merchant Marine Academy and they live in Southport, ME. We hope we will meet up with them if and/or when we take 'Interim' to Maine next summer.
While stuck on the boat I attempted to bake bread (another cruiser gave me her recipe) and for the first try I did OK. There is a local baker on the island who makes loaves every day and I certainly am no competition but it was fun.
Bill and I are still trying to work out how to live 24/7 on this clorox bottle but we seem to get over the bumps on a regular basis.
So right now life here is fairly routine and will only change when the weather changes so we can continue exploring the different Cays.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and wish all a Very Happy, Healthy and Joyous New Year.