THE CROSSING

We are now engaged in the preparing for and discussing “When to Cross” the Gulfstream but have a few more days to enjoy the Bahamian Life. The Hopetown Heritage Fair occurred on a gorgeous day. The fair celebrated the past, present and future of the Abacos as being taught to the children. There were speeches (one special one given by a past student who spoke about her wonderful experiences at the school and who is now teaching at the school), presentations by the students, a wonderful maypole demonstration, island crafts, food and a sculling race. Bill and I also took the whaler out on Sunday to watch the dingy races. A nice breeze was blowing, the sun was shining for most of the time and the races were very exciting. From the opti’s (sailed by the children in the Hopetown sailing program)_ to sunfish to a Bahamian built dingy the races were exciting to watch and photograph.

Then the wait was over, on March 2nd we attended the “Barefoot Man” concert on Man o War Cay and highly anticipated event. A few of us decided to take the ferry over instead of our boats due to the number of boats anchoring and possible weather difficulties and I’m truly glad we did. The weather over was just fine but coming home it was pretty bumpy and the wind picked up. As for the concert…it was colorful, lots of people but not the thousands we had heard might be there, and lots of booze. Barefoot man, himself, is a legend in the area similar to Jimmy Buffet but definitely not as good or famous. The lyrics of his songs tend to contain references to the Abacos. There was dancing on tables, lots of drinking, lots of skin showing and a fair amount of enthusiasm. It was a breezy but sunny day and we spent time on the beach watching the crowd. There were a few really tanked young people on the boat back but we made it home safe and sound. Would we go back to the concert next year = I don’t think so but it was an interesting day.

After all this time in Hopetown walking the beach we finally let Simon go free and it was a lovely sight. He stayed close to us and when he would run ahead he would turn around and waited for us. The beach wasn’t crowded because of the wind and cool temperatures but we loved the experience.

Reta, on the boat “Just Us” treated us to her fabulous conch fritters made in our galley with the conch we had collected. We tried to get one more day of hunting for conch and one more day to collect shells from the spoils bank and ea glass but it was not meant to be. I shouldn’t be greedy but I would have loved some more time but the weather didn’t cooperate.

THE CROSSING

For several days we listened on the cruisers net for other boats that were getting ready to leave the Bahamas and we tentatively made plans with a few other boats. However, as we listened to the weather reports Bill quickly decided it was time to go. So we put fuel and water on the boat and at 7:30 am on March 13, after dumping a load of trash, we headed out of Hopetown. I was so very sad, teary and apprehensive. As we were leaving and listening to the cruisers net I decided on the spur of the moment to transmit that “Interim” was leaving the Bahamas (there is always a spot on the program for boats departing and arriving). Much to my surprise we then received many calls from folks we had met during our stay to say goodbye and wishing us a good journey home. We were quite touched by the radio calls.

So now the first hurdle to overcome was going through the Whale, a route that takes you out to the ocean for a little while. Although the weather sounded OK once we were under way it was not a very calm day and isolated rain showers and gusty winds were being forecast. We listened carefully to the radio and heard that 2 power boats went through and so we ploughed ahead. The grey skies and waves were not dangerous but it was an uncomfortable crossing. Once we were on the other side the sky darkened and I asked Bill is we could go to Green Turtle Cay and wait for more favorable weather. He agreed and the skies opened 2 minutes after we picked up a mooring. The rain, fortunately, didn’t last long but we were able to go into town. After all, it was fitting since we cleared customs on Green Turtle Cay on our second day in the Bahamas.

We left Green Turtle Cay at 6:30 the next morning with plans to meet up with our buddy boats at Hawksbill. However, Bill decided to push to Great Sale, a popular staging point to wait for favorable conditions. Great Sale was also the first stop when we crossed from Vero Beach in November.
The trip was long, certainly not flat but doable and when we arrived at Great Sale at about 3 , much to our surprise, we found the sailboats “ChrisDeke” and “Coyote” there waiting to cross the Gulfstream along with a trawler“Ment Tu Be”. There plan was to leave at 7:00 pm, travel slowly all night on the banks (where it is shallow and calmer) and then cross the Gulfstream during daylight. Although Bill and I were pretty exhausted we decided to go along with them. We tried to get some sleep but just didn’t have the time to actually fall asleep (I’m sure a little anxiety didn’t help any). So at 7 we pulled up our anchors and set off. We saw the gorgeous sunset and then at 7:30 am we saw the sunrise. The moon was almost full and the sky was covered with stars and constellations (I even saw two shooting stars sometime during the night). I do not like moving the boat at night, I am fearful because I don’t see well at night. However, traveling with the other boats certainly helped and we were in sight at all times as well as having radio contact. “Interim” was the lead boat since we were the only one to have auto pilot which made it easier for the others to follow. I was certainly glad to see the sunrise but once we got into the Gulfstream the seas picked up and although there were n o whitecaps and not dangerous it was not terribly comfortable on our boat. But once again having our friends around us was a great comfort. We arrived at Ft. Pierce inlet and picked up a mooring around 5 pm on March 14. Needless to say, Bill and I were exhausted.

But then we had to immediately call customs to tell them that we had arrived in the U.S. I was on the phone for almost 2 hours, listening to a recording and then gave up and went to sleep. The next morning I called again and without thinking I told the “government official” that I had tried calling last night but couldn’t get through. He then proceeded to berate me and told me that what I did was illegal and I should have continued holding until someone answered. I was really angry but held my tongue and tried to placate him by being sweet and apologetic, but he really gave me a hard time and I was really nervous. Finally he gave me the number I needed and told me we had to report to the immigration and customs office at Ft. Pierce airport. We rented a van and the 6 of us went to the airport. It took all of 5 minutes to clear customs. However, the official there knew we goofed with the phone call since it was on the computer. There was a moment of fear but he was a gentleman and was quite helpful and considerate and no arrests were made!!!!

After our visit to the airport we stopped at Publix for some provisions and were pleasantly surprised to find that the store was celebrating St. Patrick’s day a little early and there was wine tasting , nibbles, and a band in full costume and of a certain age playing appropriate music. Cindy and Beth from “Coyote” and I had a great time. We all went out to dinner that night and the next morning after a chocolate pancake breakfast on “Interim” they left to start the trip north. We left the next day stopping at an anchorage in Daytona Beach the first night and then we went to the Comachee Marina in St. Augustine for 2 nights. Our next stop was Cumberland Island where we saw “Coyote” briefly before they left to take on the Atlantic Ocean for their trip north.

We stayed at Cumberland Island and went ashore to a most magical place. But will save this for my next blog.

And the days dwindle down…..

I woke up yesterday morning and the first thing I said was “I don’t want to go home”. Simon looked at me with a longing in his eyes confirming his need to stay here as well. Bill was surprised! Yes, this lifestyle has crept into my soul and the thought of the sights, sounds and weather in New York is already giving me a headache. I do miss talking and hanging out with friends and family but the bottom line is I want more of this paradise. Even though March hasn’t been the best weather month - we’ve had more cold fronts with wind and rain since March 1st then we have had since September the nasty weather isn’t really nasty and it is interspersed with lovely days. But the reality is that we are planning to leave Hopetown in about 2 weeks and head to Ft. Pierce, Fl to check in to customs. From there we will go north til we find a place to store ‘Interim’ while we make the side trip to Paris the first of May.
But let me update what’s been going on here. Anne arrived on Feb. 21 in the middle of a monsoon. Fortunately we had a slip at the Conch Inn so the weather wouldn’t be a concern for her arrival. However, that night was the Junior and Senior Junkanoo. Junkanoo is a Bahamian festival that usually occurs in the middle of the night on Dec. 26 Boxing Day (Historically Boxing Day was created on the day after Xmas when the servants were given boxes of leftover food) or in the first hours of light of the first day of the new year. However, due to a significant delay in in funding Marsh Harbor’s Junkanoo was on Feb. 21. Groups create colorful costumes and choreography as they parade down the main street while goat skin drums rhythmically reverberate along with cow bells and brass horns. The feeling is so vital that everyone moves to the rhythms (well maybe not everyone, Bill left early). Our Junkanoo was delayed due to rain and we were told that the last group performed close to 2:30 am. The groups were also judged on best music, best costumes and best overall presentations.. My photos didn’t come out that great but it was a really magical evening.
While Anne was here: She went up to the lighthouse with Bill to light the mantle, she found a rare “Helmet Conch” and 17 sand dollars. She TAUGHT Uncle Bill how to easily make decorative turks head knots (what fun it was for us to see him on the learning side of the table). We went out to eat at Cracker P’s - a beautiful view of the water and ‘Interim’. And we motor SAILED from Shell Beach back to Hopetown and SAILED from Tilloo Bank (where the sand dollars were) all the way back to Hopetown. She found lots of sea glass and of course had all the chocolate chip pancakes she could eat.
We were sorry to see her leave and it seemed she had the same weather as when I came back to the Bahamas from NY so we booked a room for her at the Conch Inn. Just an aside - we were hungry about 3:30 and were told that all the restaurants were closed from about 3 to when they opened for dinner at about 5. Luckily there was a snack place open and after serving us they, too, closed.
Last Friday Bill went deep sea fishing with four of our friends. I was supposed to go by my back has been bothering me and I didn't think trolling and lolling around in a bumpy sea was good for me. When they got back it was fabulous. Everyone caught a fish...they brought in 3 mahi mahi and 2 wahoo. It also seems that out of 6 boats that went fishing on that day ours was the only fish caught. What luck..and so far we cooked some wahoo and some mahi mahi = so very delicious.
And then there's the conch blowing contest. I didn't get a horn done and Thursday evening there was going to be a contest. Fortunately, our friend Steve came by and he and Bill took one of the Conch and made it into a horn and yes, I actually made a nice sound for a few seconds. I didn't win anything but it was great fun. I'll give a concert to you all when I get home.
One of the major, big events during the winter is “The Barefoot Man” concert. We were told to attend even though there would be “thousands” there. We decided to take a ferry to Nippers on Guana Cay (Nippers is a restaurant with a fresh water swimming pool on a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.) because we didn’t want to anchor with so many boats just in case the weather turned. The day was gorgeous, but windy, and the concert was a disappointment. Barefoot Man sang but you really couldn’t see him (Abaco‘s answer to Jimmy Buffet- he is a legend here but certainly not even close to Buffet’s performances). The place was packed with people, young and old, who primarily were enjoying the booze. I thought everyone would be dancing but there were only a few on the table performers. We hung out on the beach with people we knew and then took the ferry home. I’m glad we went but it is something we won’t do again.
So what’s next? There is the heritage fair here in Hopetown tomorrow with the theme of past, present a future of Elbow Cay (Hopetown being the name of the town) with lots of involvement by the children. Then I will try to get in as much sea glass ,shell and conch collecting as the weather permits since Bill will start the motor to head north way before I am ready to do so.

Hoping for better weather during the next 2 weeks and fair winds to help us cross the Gulfstream…..

The story continues.....

I am writing on the evening of our anniversary after a very busy day. Bill went racing on ‘Sea Echo’ leaving very early to make the tide out of the harbor (‘Sea Echo’ needs lots more water under her keel then ‘Interim’). This was the 3rd time he raced. I stayed on board ‘Interim’ with Reta, whose husband was racing. I made her a bookmark and we had a lovely time. At noon she, another racers’ wife and I went to lunch. There is a wonderful coffee shop that also has pastries, quiche and ‘Antioxidant smoothies’. I never noticed the smoothie section on the board until today and although quite pricey I ordered it and it was absolutely delicious. I might have to make this a daily ritual.

One very important feature of this island and others in the Bahamas is the effect of Hurricanes Floyd, Francis and Jeanne. It seems there was incredible damage and devastation throughout the Bahamas. The government, in order to stimulate rebuilding, has for the time being stopped the 30% import tax on all building materials needed to rebuild damaged or lost structures. Unfortunately, people are taking advantage and new structures are being built everywhere without thought of how they affect the very thing that makes the Bahamas so different and special. As the song goes “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot”. Some of these buildings are beautiful but others are just out of place. We saw a home built on a high spot of a fairly small deserted Cay. It was built to take advantage of the view of the ocean. To prevent it being swept out to sea when the next hurricane hits the owners attached 4 heavy chains, one on each corner, to try to keep the home in place. There are still many building sites as well roads and commercial buildings that have not been repaired or replaced.

There are many volunteers who are trying to aid in the rebuilding as well. Bill and several other men are working at the Wyannie Malone Museum continuing the tradition that the cruisers in the harbor use their skills for a variety of construction and maintenance projects. The museum is wonderful and filled with history and artifacts.

We continue to make friends and it seems that most of the Canadian boats have left to go further south and there are more American boats in the harbor. Simon has even made friends with ‘Penny’ a miniature poodle on a boat called “Chris Deke”. Chris and Deke also helped us in the search for Conch. We have gone to several different areas, looking and looking without success. But when we went with Chris and Deke we found a great spot. We went snorkeling to look at the coral and fish and Deke found the first Conch. Then Bill started looking and I saw him dive twice and then he started swimming to the dinghy. As he got closer I saw that he had a Conch in each hand. You can only collect 6 Conch per boat per day and between the two dinghy’s we collected 7. Bill and I then went out again on Monday. He wasn’t too happy looking for the illusive conch, I was looking through the bucket at some lovely coral, fans and fish and he was making noises about going back to eat lunch. All of a sudden I though I spotted a shell in the water. We dropped the anchor and Bill, reluctantly put on his snorkel and went in the water. Needless to say we were incredibly lucky and within a very short time we had 5 more shells. We were also fortunate that the sea was the calmest ever (during the other trips to the reef the rollers were 2 -3 feet).

Now, why do you suppose we are doing this…well, one of the Conch Shells is going to be turned into a horn and I have been successful in blowing a fairly good tone from a borrowed Conch. There is going to be a competition on Feb. 28. Also, horns from all around the harbor are blown at sunset. And then there is the meat of the conch that turns into conch fritters, conch soup, and conch salad. I don’t like the texture of conch but Bill does and he just made the first batch of fritters from our recent catch. There are various opinions about how to clean the shells and extract the meat, we have tried several, and Bill has finally found the ‘perfect’ way to do this pretty disgusting job.

We are also continuing to look for sea glass and saw many different designs for jewelry at the Man o War Cay fair on Saturday. We were going to dinghy over there but the weather wasn’t great so we invited the other 2 couples to go with us on ‘Interim’.

Bill and I also went up to the top of the Lighthouse. The view was wonderful and we thought we were on time to see the keeper light the light. Well the sun set and no keeper so we walked down. As soon as we got to the bottom the keeper came and Bill then walked up the 101 steps again. I took pictures from the ground. Bill was in heaven taking part in lighting one of the last 3 kerosene lanterns lighthouses in the world. He climbed all the way up to the Fresnel lenses, got inside of them and helped preheat the kerosene chamber which took about 10 minutes. Then the light was lit with a match. The lenses rotate in a bath of mercury and the weights that rotate it must be cranked up to the top every 2 hours. Bill did not volunteer his services. The keeper lives at the base in a separate house and goes up the 101 steps every 2 hours.

To help keep Elbow Cay a little neater one of the members of one of the oldest families on the Cay worked up a promotion asking for donations to purchase a new garbage can which would be personalized and gaily painted. We bought one and hope that before we leave we can find a can with ‘Interim’ painted on the top. Buddy (one of the members of the family) asked me what the word ‘interim’ means and I think the person doing the painting is going to paint a small, medium and big ketch on the top of the can.

Two of the special moments in the day occurs at noon and 6 pm when the church bell chimes. However, all of a sudden we realized that for several weeks the bells weren’t working and we didn’t notice their absence until a few days ago when they were working again. We were with several people and we all stopped talking and just listened. Tonight there is supposed to be a lunar eclipse that begins at 10:01 that will last 51 minutes. However, I just looked out and there are clouds covering the moon. Hopefully by 10 there will be some breaks in the clouds.

Bill and I have begun discussing and planning our departure from the Sea of Abaco. Mixed feelings are surfacing.

New Adventures

I found the one negative about living aboard 'Interim' in Hopetown. There are two restaurants that are at the edge of town facing the harbor and tonight there is Bahamian music blasting towards us from one of them. I think they stop at midnight but for all of the boaters 9 PM is usually past our bedtimes.I just found out that last night was Mardi Gras so I hope this was a one time event.

We have just returned from a 7 day cruise to several different Cays where we were in blissful environments.

The first one we traveled to was Great Guana Cay. We anchored in Settlement Harbor, Fisher's Bay and Baker's Bay - all peaceful, calm and lovely. We walked up to Nipper's - spectacular view of the ocean - a colorful spot where you can eat, walk the beach, snorkel and even swim in their pool all for the price of a drink (I accidentally erased these photos but I'm sure we will go there again). At our first anchorage we were visited by a nurse shark! On our second day there we anchored in Fisher's Bay with many other boats since that night was a pot luck dinner at Grabbers. There were about 150 of us and the variety of food was wonderful and tasty. The evening of glorious and to top it off a large group of Canadians brought instruments and we had a song fest. We were also visited by spotted eagle ray and dolphins. We then went to Bakers' Bay where we took the dinghy to Shell Beach. What an incredible place. It seems that shells and beach glass are very particular about where they land up. Some beaches on the ocean have glorious sea glass and shells at particular spots and the rest of the beach never sees any glass or shells. So when we went to shell beach it was fabulous and Bill, Simon and I went to town. I will go back for more since like sea glass it is addictive.

We spent a night in Hopetown to catch a performance of Shere Kahn, a group of acapella singers from Princeton University in Princeton, N.J. They were delightful and were brought here to perform for about 1 hour as part of a fundraiser for the local elementary school. The group is self sponsored, no faculty advisor, and is one of 15 groups on the campus. The quality, poise, and talent was exceptional.

After Guana Cay we went to Tilloo Bank. Anchored just off the bank and went searching for Conch and Sand Dollars. We were lucky and got a few sand dollars but Conch has been very illusive. We have met so many people who have found live Conch and gorgeous shells - alas we haven't been lucky at all. We look with our lookit bucket but no luck so far. I did spot one and it even moved but it was too small and illegal to catch.

We then traveled to Lynyard Cay and Little Harbor. Here we experienced the Bahamas that I imagined. Lynyard Cay is a strip of land with calm waters on one side and the ocean on the other. No stores, a few homes, quiet and at night all the stars you ever wanted to see. Of course we went to the best beach for sea glass and at times I thought Bill was going to be swept out to sea with the crashing waves. In Little Harbor (yes it was very, very little with not much room for boats) we went to Pete's Pub and Gallery. Pete's parents, while living in a cave, founded an art colony here and was an internationally known artist renowned for his lost wax casting in bronze. His son, Pete has followed in his footsteps but also runs an open air bar/grill on the beach. The place was amazing and at times Pete will be working in the shop so visitors can see the process.

While anchored at Lanyard Cay we, along with another boat, went snorkeling in Sandy Cay - a national sea park. The water was quite rough but we moored out dinghy's and jumped in ( it did take me a little time to make the leap). We saw all kinds of fish, schools of the most beautifully colored fish, corals and fans. Fortunately we didn't see sharks, barracudas, and rays but they do spend time at the reef and we may get lucky the next time we go there. We had a little gathering on the beach last night and returned to Hopetown today. Tomorrow Bill will be racing again if the winds are not to strong (they won't race above 20 kts.) and we will stay here for a little while to catch our breath and wait for friends we met at Vero Beach (a very, very, long time ago) to arrive here in the next day or so.

It seems that this year there has been a dramatic increase in Canadian boats. Many Canadians are leaving their boats either in one of the southern states or in the Bahamas - anything to get away from the cold. They do tend to band together and are not always inclusive but we have made a few Canadian friends. The social scene is quite unique. The ships radio is used just like a telephone and all day you hear boat names calling other boat names on channel 68. Then you switch to another channel which can be heard by anyone using the radio. So, in fact, you can hear social engagements being made all day. This had been a little difficult for us since many relationship began in years past and many boats came to the Bahamas with companion boats. However, we have been fortunate and made a few new friends and traveled with a Canadian couple these last 7 days.

I won't feel rejected if you haven't gotten this far but so much has happened these past few weeks primarily because the weather has been glorious, warm and very conducive to anchoring in calm winds and flat seas. No cold front to keep us hunkered down and it seems like it will continue, at least, til the end of the week. No complaints here.

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.

Holiday in Hopetown

We have been blessed with gorgeous weather since before Christmas and last night there was no wind at all (a rare occurrence here). However, the moored boats around us tended to come close enough to walk on and I was a little nervous. Bill just pushed them aside and then went to sleep! He was right, we woke up in the morning with no problems with the other boats.
There seems to be lots of activities that occur here in Hopetown. We spent Christmas Eve having cocktails on another boat and we were invited to Jim and Nancy's boat for Christmas Day Dinner. She is Italian and put together a wonderful dinner. Jim's daughter was here and we ate and laughed and had a great time. Bill and I took the dinghy out for my first snorkel practice. It was successful so we all went on Jim's boat to "Mermaid Reef". This is a safe, easy reef to practice and I loved it. We saw many different kinds of fish and I felt like I was in an aquarium. I won't show any photos of me in the wet suit, but I did take a few photos with my camera. I will email the site of the photo album.
Many more families with children have arrived here and the atmosphere has certainly changed. The beach is a little more crowded and you can see people walking around. I think this will again change after the New Year. However, there will be a pulse of boats coming over (if the weather permits) and we hope to see some boaters we got to know in Vero Beach.
Last night was a golf cart parade - 10 golf carts decorated for the holidays and today was a Chili Cookout competition to raise money for the police and fire department. Tomorrow there will be a "Rage" fundraiser for? I'm not sure what it's for. There will be fireworks on New Years Eve and a Junkanoo Parade (more on that for another time). I am also going to volunteer at the local museum one day a week. We are beginning to settle in nicely, continue meeting new people, and even having happy hour on 'Interim' with two other couples. The excitement, anxiety and challenges seem to be disappearing and replaced by daily routines. For example, I have yet to get to the laundry and must schedule it in (although I'm waiting for a day when the weather isn't great). Look for an email linking to the photo albums.

WISHING ALL A HEALTHY, HAPPY AND JOYOUS NEW YEAR.