August 1, 2009
Saturday
Hot and Sunny
Treasure Cay
Love it here. Today is opening day for lobster, and we are yearning. Did laundry early this morning and met Eric and Donna…the owners. Wonderful people. We got to talking and I inquired about fish and how to acquire some! Eric offered to take me to Treasure Cay Seafood…he is part owner with a friend. So as my clothes did their thing Eric drove me in his car…certainly not a walk. It was a good 3 miles from the laundry area nearby the marina. His freezer was stocked with grouper and lobster tails…or as they refer to it…crawfish. I scooped up some of each and we headed back. When we returned Donna had folded all my laundry, packed it up and it was waiting for me! I called Barry for a pick up after my very eventful morning. I love meeting the locals, and they love having us by showing their appreciation often. Barry wanted nothing to do with the beach, so I packed a small bag and headed over on my own. Absolutely gorgeous day in paradise!
August 2, 2009
Sunday
91* at 8:00 AM
Beautiful, sunny day
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU…AUGUST BABIES..ROURKE, BRITA, STEVEN AND MICHAEL…
After the beach yesterday I finally got Barry to get off the boat and join me at Typsy Seagull for a drink. The pina coladas, I found out, were sooo good. I can feel the pounds packing on! It was so thick it stood 4 inches off the rim of the glass, that I sucked off like an ice cream cone. That was a treat that will be few and far in between. We settled in by the pool and people watched for a while before heading back to Sea Fox for our grouper fest. He offered to go back to the bar to listen to music, but I was comfy cozy and declined. Sunday brought another gorgeous day of sun and a pleasant breeze. Although, we spent most of the day indoors downloading and editing pictures to send off. It was painstaking….to say the least. Barry is so anal….I would have just downloaded and sent, but…nooooo…we edited each one and choose the best for distribution. We had an early dinner and headed to the pool and bar. Dead there today and no entertainment. Still, it was nice and breezy so we hung out a while. Back at the boat we ventured up to the aft deck. I had almost forgotten how nice it is to sit up there. And, again, another wonderful day in the neighborhood! Love to all.
August 3, 2009
Monday
Sunny…yet again
90’s
Today is Emancipation Day for the Bahamas! There was a beach party going on, but we declined…way too hot for Barry and we spent the day in the shade of the boat. Not much happening at all today, but R&R.
August 4, 2009
Tuesday
Hot and sunny
I convinced Barry to stroll to the beach with me…it was a beautiful day and moving around a bit was becoming necessary. It was a hot walk over, but once we got there it was delightful! A great breeze and our books kept us content for the afternoon, along with a dip in the crystal clear ocean! Magnificent! There was a bon fire planned for the evening, and having good intentions to return, we ended up not going. Randall invited us for cocktails on his boat, William, as we were heading home and we accepted gladly. His boat has shade screens and a ceiling fan…very cool. I need to make a shade screen for the aft, as when the sun is setting it is so hot out there that we can’t even sit there. We left William and headed home for dinner…Randall went to the beach to meet his friend, Billy, and his daughter. We got lazy after dinner and watched the boob tube instead. All for now!
August 5, 2009
Wednesday
Rain!
Wow, rain today…we have not had even a shower since Saturday morning. It rained all day until 4:00 when the sun finally decided to join us…and now at 6:00 it is hot, hot, hot. I started yet another book…James Patterson’s Run For Your Life. Great book and I am sure I will finish it by this evening. Barry spent most of the day on the computer “catching up” on stuff. Randall stopped by to bring me a stone that he had wrapped in gold wire. It is something he does on his down time and sells them. I picked the stone and today he dropped it off. It is a beauty! Thank you, Randall! Randall, by the way is a boat broker in Merritt Island, FL, and with the way the economy is has a lot of free time these days. We await Randall’s wife, Kim’s, arrival. She works as an engineer at NASA and has limited time off, but will come down for a long weekend. Cannot wait to meet her…and go to the beach! Once Kim arrives we will probably move on to Green Turtle Cay with them. I can only hope for good weather tomorrow so we can head back to the beach. The marina has a great pool, but no umbrellas and no escaping the sun…not a happening for Barry! Love to all!
August 6, 2009
Thursday
The sun returns! Hot today and 90*
Another beautiful day in the neighborhood! Much was done today…including hitting poolside. We spent a good part of the morning bottom cleaning. The fuzz and barnacles had to go. Curious fish watched as we performed our duties that will certainly help to make Sea Fox happy. Barry cruised me over to the pool where I found Randall sunning. There were a couple of lounge chairs in shady spots so I summoned Barry back to join us. In a short time a cloud cover appeared…wonderful. Still hot, but we were not baking in the sun. From there we headed to the market to stock the empty fridge. The cart was loaded; I think we got a bit carried away. There was the most adorable little boy bagging for us. There are usually 2 or 3 vying to assist customers. They work for tips only! With the cart filled to the max we opted to let him stroll back with us to the marina. He was so freaking cute, and polite as all get out. He very inquisitively chatted with us all the way. His entertainment alone was worth the heafty tip he received. Being hot as hell on the aft deck drove us below where I made dinner…heating things up all the more….the sun had returned. We have our sights set on moving to Green Turtle Saturday. Bluff House Marina announced a deal they are running…”Docking for Dollars.” Something they offer to boost business. You stay at the marina and any money spent at the marina is deducted from the docking fee…such as dinner, drinks, laundry, etc, and the first 100 gallons of water is included…that is quite the deal. They used to include fuel, but that is no longer a happening…too bad…we could stay there for quite some time if we refueled, and obviously that is why that ended. Randall said people were staying there for months! It is a thought we might act upon. More reading and R & R for the rest of the evening…love to all.
August 7, 2009
Friday
Hot and sunny…88* at 8:00 AM
I finally had to bite the bullet on the tomato plant and put it to rest. I cannot believe how long it lasted and produced a fair amount of fruit for us. But, alas, all good things must (sometimes) come to an end. When I cut back the stalks I noticed a new leaf formation. It already grew a new plant, but HAH! One never knows. I cannot pluck the roots until it totally dies. We were total slugs today…Barry read a book and half of another, and I loaded pictures onto Face Book. Randall and Kim came by around 4:00 and we chatted with them for a while, but that was about it! Tomorrow…Green Turtle Cay here we come for yet another adventure and a stay in a marina for a bit. Love to all!
August 8, 2009
Saturday
Hot, hot, hot
Green Turtle Cay
1462 Engine hours
Very productive day! We were up and off the boat by 8:30 to run to the market and liquor store before our departure, as we had no idea what to expect at Green Turtle. We got most of what we wanted at the market, but the liquor store was not open. We said our good-byes to the turtles and dolphins in the harbor at Treasure Cay. Randall and Kim sent us a wave as they were heading out to go to Great Guana for a day or two. We would meet up in Green Turtle on Sunday or Monday. Kim needed a dose of Nippers…but us….been there done that! We pulled up anchor at 9:30 and began our 2 hour travel to Green Turtle. Beautiful day! Barry manned the helm and I hung on the aft deck….much cooler there. We passed by Whale Cay on our way. What a beautiful, desolate island. It was covered by rocks that could be climbed, along with a spattering of white-sand beaches. A really nice place to spend a day anchored out off the island. As we made our approach to Green Turtle Barry decided we needed to anchor off New Plymouth today, as that is where the true settlement is and all the stores for provisions. Bluff House Marina is on the northern part of the island and there are no amenities, other than what the marina has to offer…not much. It is not a picturesque as Treasure Cay, but still quite nice. We had no choice but to anchor in the grass of the harbor among the wakes of ferries and pleasure boaters. After Treasure Cay we have become accustomed to the rudeness of other boaters that have no clue (or just don’t give a damn) of the wakes they create and the rocking and rolling of Sea Fox as they speed by. Whatever! We won’t be here but for a day and we can certainly deal with what is handed to us. Barry could read my thoughts….I wanted off the boat and to explore the town. We brought an umbrella to ease the baking sun….it worked, but still freaking hot. We found that the settlement has basically one, tiny main road (as most others). Among the norm we found an historic sculpture garden that has bronze busts commemorating achievements of individuals, Reef Relief Environment (remedy herbs) and the Albert Lowe Museum that houses the British flag last flown in 1973, and other artifacts. We did not visit all of these spots…yet! We were in search of basil and were directed to Shavon’s Home and Garden Center. It was a cute little store with a variety of “stuff.” I was lead to the greenhouse, where someone needs to get on the stick! OMG, the poor plants were crying for a drink. There were a few dead basil specimens that could have worked just fine if they had been watered on occasion….they don’t ask for much but a drink! Jeeze! I could tell Barry was about at wits end by now…even with the shade of the umbrella…such a trooper! We headed back and took a detour down a side street over to the water when we came upon B& M Seafood. Now this is a good one….the owner was asleep on the floor in front of a TV and a fan. You just never know what you will find in the Bahamas! No worries, mon! He did awaken and showed us his offerings…good stuff and quite a variety. The lobster tails were calling us….Barry….Paula….pick me, pick me….so we did! Six tails for dinner…yum. Along the road we stopped at Curry’s Market to get a sampling of their stock and we were very impressed. Neat, clean, organized, well stocked….the real deal! As we headed back, our last stop was Plymouth Rock Café, Gallery and Liquor. Like I said…it is amazing what they have for sale in each little shop, and this one was no different. It was adorable. A quaint café bar, walls lined with booze, and other little things around for sale, along with AC! The extensive wine selection was like nothing we have seen in a long time, and, of course, Lamothe Parrot!! Yeah! Lamothe and lobster for dinner. I was a happy camper. Barry was glad to return to Sea Fox and decided to jump in to cool off. A barracuda was lurking under the boat, but had no desire for us. He was holding out for fish. I tried to lure him out with some leftover pasta…not interested. I am sure if I offered him chicken or steak he would have been pleased, but I don’t think so…nothing that needed to be thrown overboard from the fridge today. I, on the other hand, cannot wait for dinner and it is not going to be barracuda. Lobster!!!..
August 9, 2009
Sunday
Hot and sunny again
Water temp 88*
The lobster was delightful! We awaited Randall, Kim, and Billy’s arrival. They actually headed into the channel where the marinas are so they could rent a cart and cruise around. We met up with them later in the day to check out the marina…beautiful place and we will be heading there soon. It is pleasant in the harbor, except for much boat traffic that slows down early evening. At least there is a breeze here and we will have to probably forego that at the marina. But! We can use the AC; not a bad trade off. Once we left the marina so did Randall and Billy and they anchored out along with us. We need a sun shade!!!
August 10, 2009
Monday
Lower 90’s
Today was snorkeling day! Yeah! Billy picked us up around 10AM in his 24” boat…so great to get around in! We visited 3 or 4 sites and snorkeled, snorkeled, snorkeled. Kim was on a mission to collect lobsters…or more affectionately know as “bugs.” All to no avail. Lobster season opened at the beginning of August and already most of them have been picked clean. We saw many heads…minus their bodies! Kim and Randall, with spears in hand, tried their hardest only to come up with the big bubble! Too bad! Back at the boat we showered and headed over Pineapple’s Bar and Grill for lunch. OMG, it was so hot and even there by the water it was still hot. Lunch was great…I was craving a fish sandwich and the Mahi Mahi was yummy. We met Debbie from Green Turtle Cay Marina. Hot ticket! She lives and works there as a bartender and we will be sure to visit her when we head that way. I could not believe that she brought her own bottle of wine to the bar…and drank the entire bottle along with eating her lunch….then she was off to work for 4:00. She and the bartender, Yvonne, were obviously buds. They informed us of contestants of the Miss Universe Pageant that would be arriving tomorrow. I promised her we would be there and take pictures for her as one of them would be Miss Nassau. Later that evening we scooted over to say good-bye to the trio. Sorry to see them leave, but Kim needed to get back to work. Good people! And yet, another wonderful day in paradise.
August 11, 2009
Tuesday
Yup, hot again and no breeze today
AUGH! It is so hot! We had no idea what time the contestants from the pageant would be arriving so we sat on the aft deck and just watched. Around 1:00 a parade of boats started approaching. Two catamarans, a police boat, and the navy! I had no idea they were so important! The police and navy???? Anyway, we headed to the dock so we could join in the fun. A menagerie of people were crowded around the town dock to welcome the ladies…there were probably about 12 of them….from Bahamas, Jamaica, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Bolivia, Argentina, and so on. The crowd was so thick we did not have the opportunity to see them all. Big day in Green Turtle for sure! Golf carts lined the streets as transportation for them and the press and committee officials…they actually had a committee organize this event. The ladies were taken around the small town to visit a few historical spots and then were shuffled back onto the cats and in no time they were headed for another place. In and out within an hour! It was fun and definitely something different to see and do. We grabbed a few more items from Sid’s Market and back to the boat to get out of the sun. The alarm for the bilge pump was blinking when we returned and you know that is not a good thing. Barry declared the pump dead and replaced it. It was a wonderful thing to have to do in 90* weather… poor guy! Thankfully, it was not a huge project and did not take very long. The water maker is still acting up and will not run properly on just one pump…it has to be two or it is not happy…a project for yet another day….when it is a tad cooler. We also hooked up to Skype today! We should have done this months ago. So now, we can call home for a fraction of the cost of phone cards. And it is….another great day! Love to all.
August 12, 2009
Wednesday
Hot and sunny
We thought we would move into the marina today but by the time we got back from town it was almost noon and not worth the effort. Plus, Barry needs the bank and it is only open tomorrow from 10-2 and being at the marina would be a long ride to get back to town. We heard an announcement on the VHF that the Gully Roosters would be playing at Green Turtle Club tonight so we decided to join in the fun. They are Bahama’s #1 band and they were great. Lots of people showed up and the singing and dancing was wonderful. “Kids” of all ages joined in for a fun-filled evening. Our friend, Debbie, was tending bar and we showed her the pictures of the contestants. Her picture also appears in the Explorer Charts and she had no idea it was there. We will meet up with her again to let her take a gander of that! Saturday night there will be a comedian show at the same club and perhaps we will go check that out…who knows?? More fun in the sun!
August 13, 2009
Thursday
Hot and breezy
After our night of fun we had no choice but to sleep in! Again, too late to head to the marina, but the breeze out in the harbor makes this a better choice of places to be. We headed to the bank and there was such a nice breeze and some clouds that we took a long walk around the island…it was great to move around. Slow and low today…
August 14, 2009
Friday
Hot and breezy
Water temp 88*
Today we made the move and headed for Bluff House Marina. The wind was fierce this morning which made docking the boat not so easy, but of course we managed. We are one of only two boats here…what a shame. Or, perhaps one of only two crazy enough remaining during hurricane season…dunno! The marina is very nice and the convenience of the laundry was a good thing…although, most of the machines are broken…it is the norm. Augh! It took a while to get the laundry done, but now it is done and I am satisfied. The AC is running on the boat and cooling us off. Once outside cooled off a bit (yeah, right…88* instead of 92*) we strolled up to the marina office with thoughts of taking a walk across the island to the beach. Too hot, and no shade on the road…we all know the man was not going there! Instead we headed for the bar and met a wonderful couple from England, Jason and Katie, who are here along with family. They own a home nearby and have been here for 3 weeks with 10 more days to go. How nice! We decided to have dinner at Jolly Roger Bistro at the marina. I saw stuff while we were having dinner that I don’t care to see again. Cockroaches in the bathroom and a rat running along the ledge of the dining room…Ewwwwwe!!!! Even with those nasty things around dinner was delicious! Warm brie with French bread and succulent ribs will certainly help to pack on the pounds. Thankfully, we only do that occasionally. And, again, we were only one of two couples having dinner. We were told business is so slow and the economy so bad they actually had to close down the main dining room which overlooks the sea. Too bad, that would have been wonderful. Even with the rat and roaches we had a great evening….night to all!
August 15, 2009
Saturday
Warm and windy
We are keeping a close eye out on Ana. Now she is just a tropical depression and hopefully will become nothing else. Winds here are picking up to 15 mph and it is creating a wonderful breeze on the aft deck that we are enjoying. Washing the boat today will not be a huge effort. We will stay another day so we can easily head over to Green Turtle Club tonight for the comedian…or so we have planned. Stuff happens, but that is our thought of the day. I attempted several calls through Skype to home this morning, really to no avail. The calls just kept dropping. More attempts later in the day. Love to all! Have a wonderful weekend.
August 16, 2009
Sunday
Hot again
1464 Engine hours
So, the comedian was an error…as we have found a lot of things are. We were informed it will be September 4, but we also thought everything will be closed up by then…so whatever. We went to the Jolly Roger for dinner again and then just hung in the AC..gotta get it while we can. Yesterday we met Jim and Colleen from the only other boat in the marina, Fascination II. They are docked directly behind us and Fascination II is a year round resident at the marina. Fascination II is a house boat, on steroids. We have never seen another one like her…pretty cool. Jim has had her here for 20 years and flies back and forth from Ft. Lauderdale in his Cessna…how nice…every couple of weeks for a bit of time. He also has a 26 foot twin hull, twin 300 engine power boat that can cruise up to 70 mph. We had the opportunity to join them for a ride to Manjack Cay where they leave their boat tied up to mangroves during a hurricane. They were setting lines, just in case, and took us along for a look see. Way to shallow for Sea Fox with a depth of only 3 feet at high tide. But, it was great to see how setting of the lines is done because you never know! So, today, Sunday we sucked up as much of the AC as possible this morning and also defrosted the freezer. We got much accomplished over the past 2 days (laundry, initialized the batteries, washing of the boat and defrosting the freezer) and it is time to move along with Treasure Cay as our destination and continue our search for a hurricane hole, if need be. We are keeping a close eye on the tropical storms and can only pray to God they pass us by. By 4:00 we were safe and sound at Treasure Cay. The 2 hour ride over was a bit rough. I cannot remember rocky seas since we were in Key West. So much for washing the boat as when we arrived it needed a rinse down, big time that, of course, anal man tended to. We also had a brief shower that helped to cool things off for a short time. That’s all for now….love to all!
August 17, 2009
Monday
91*
Water temp 88*
Hot and sunny…yet again
Threats of Bill coming this way have gone away….thank you God for big favors. Pretty sluggy day today…minus the banter with John and his antics of sending me his Sunday blog, along with some other friends doing the same…very funny, very funny. We ran to the market for a few things, and basically ate way too much today (to my liking anyway.) Today’s highlight was the catamaran that anchored in the harbor not too far from us occupied by nudists. Three girls and 1 guy…bet he is having a fun vacation. Ahhhh….never a dull moment.
August 18, 2009
Tuesday
91*
Sunny with scattered clouds
There was a decent breeze early this morning so we were on mold patrol, along with eisenglass cleaning. Very satisfying feeling when we get that kind of stuff done. The salt accumulation is staggering, but cannot be helped. I just get a bit tired of removing it over and over again. The nudists left us early this morning, stripping as they were headed thru the channel…how very nice…put your junk back in your trunk, please! Other than one other sailboat that has been here for quite some time we are the only boat in the harbor. I truly feel like it is fall in Narragansett. All the tourists head home leaving the locals behind. Each morning we listen to the cruisers’ net with one business or another advising they are closing for the season. From what we hear the next season does not begin until November when travelers will head down to vacation once again. A brief storm came thru revealing some remaining leaks on the bridge that Barry tried to get rid of yesterday. They are real buggers to get rid of; slowly but surely he will do it.
August 19, 2009
Wednesday
91* and humid
No rain in sight and all is well….very quite, but well. Bill is miles and miles away. With our entire library read we moved to playing Upwards as an option of keeping our brains working. The closest book exchange, buck a book, or anything of the like, is in Marsh Harbor and we have no plans of heading there any time soon. Treasure Cay is very pleasant and has everything we could need, besides a book exchange, right near by. We took a cruise to town with hopes of buying dough from the bakery. Purchasing dough anywhere in the Bahamas is virtually impossible. Florence, the owner/baker, was gone for the day, but her daughter assured us she would be fine with selling us some dough. With that thought in mind we scooted to the market to pick up a few things and several toppings for our pizza to come. We did pick up a luscious sticky bun from the bakery to share. I would have loved to have been an oink and devoured one on my own….but I was trying to be good. One of the best we have ever had, and so huge that ½ was more than enough to satisfy our craving. So hot in town…Barry could not wait to get back to the cool boat, and I had to agree. There is always refuge from the sun and almost always a breeze.
August 20, 2009
Thursday
Freaking hot again
90’s with no breeze
Laundry to be done today so I headed over early to try to beat the heat. Donna was there, along with hubby, Eric, to welcome me. Eric drove to his fish market and brought back some beautiful pieces of grouper that we will certainly enjoy for dinner. Florence was in Marsh Harbor at their version of BJ’s purchasing items for the bakery, so her husband, Captain Forty, advised. By the time laundry was completed Florence had returned, but she would not be making dough until tomorrow…no worries. Captain Forty told me Florence has some Italian blood, hence her name. How many times removed Italian blood is my question??? He claims she makes wonderful pizza, but since they rent their space from the marina (the owner of the marina owns everything and everyone around the marina) and it has pizza night on Thursday evenings she does not want to step on their toes. He offered their commercial oven for baking our pies, and perhaps Florence and Barry could exchange techniques and ideas. It is certainly a thought we will keep in mind for tomorrow. I took myself to the pool late afternoon…deserted…so I had the place to myself. The pool was very refreshing and I did manage to find a patch of shade. Around 5:00 they were setting up for pizza night. Is it Thursday already? After grouper night we headed to the marina for a couple of drinks and to join in the fun. Thursday seems to be the only night that anything is happening anymore since the tourist crowd is dwindling. There was a mix of locals and tourists crowding the bar, but nothing like we have seen in the past. Great time to people watch.
August 21, 2009
Friday
Hot and steamy
There was no way Barry was moving from the boat today…I just knew it. I headed over to pick up the dough from the bakery, but the electricity on the island was down…a common occurrence here. Florence was just hanging out reading the paper until it came back on. I returned to the boat and stuck my nose in a book I had found…evidently it was hiding from me. A Time to Kill…John Grisham. I also found a couple other James Patterson’s that I have not read…so all is good. Barry is grasping at straws, reading again what he has already read. We really need to exchange books. I ran back to the bakery around 3:00 and the dough was waiting for me. OMG, I wanted enough for a pizza…she gave us enough for about 5! We made pizza and bread and there is still enough for calzones. The dough is not exactly what ours is, but still very good and it was great to enjoy pizza again, which became evident as we devoured the entire pie. Hey, someone has to do it! Oink, oink!
August 22, 2009
Saturday
So very hot
No breeze at all
The head pump has been acting up…why not…there has to be an ongoing project…always! McGyver really thinks it is the bellows (whatever that is) and he is not happy about it because he just replaced this part 4 years ago, with the last one lasting for 16 years. The pump continues to run and run unless it is shut off on the electrical panel…not a good thing at all. Also, there is no spare bellows so I guess I can add that to the list of goodies I will return with next month. He read about a possible fix by adding powdered laundry detergent to the tank and then a flush. It is worth a try and involves a cruise to do so…no worries. We would never discharge in the harbor. Later in the day we headed to the market to supplement what we had to make calzones, so stopped by the bakery to thank Florence for the dough. She had gone for the day but Captain Forty was there….wanting pizza! Rut ro! I told him I would be making calzones and would return in the morning with a sample of my goods. He had no idea what calzones are. Ah…perhaps Florence can make them and add another offering to her menu…we would buy them! Managed to get Barry to hang by the pool with me for a while as it was a cloudy afternoon, for a while anyway. The sun returned all too soon and we headed back to the boat so I could do some baking. The calzones turned out great, even though the dough is not the same. Much softer result than what we are used to, but yummy just the same. Night to all…
August 23, 2009
Sunday
95* and sunny
Yesterday the temp was 97.5…way too hot. Today was almost as bad at 95 and it was 103 on the bridge. My only venturing off the boat was to bring Captain Forty calzones and to buy ice to supplement our supply so we could drink ice water all day and stay hydrated. By the time I made it to the bakery they were closed for the day. I arrived almost an hour before closing time, but still closed. This is a common happening as they always dictate their own schedule and change things to their liking. Tomorrow is another day. I finished A Time to Kill (great old book) in front of the coolness of a fan, and Barry continues to reread from the library. Not even I thought to venture off the boat after my little run to town…way to hot. Last night I slept on the bridge where there was a great breeze from the window. Barry opted for the bed again. The aft cabin is brutal, even with a fan running and the windows open. The better spots on the boat are forward where the breeze is, if there is any. I had a very comfortable night. Barry, still insisting on the aft cabin, did not. Tonight we will try the forward cabin and see how that goes. Love to all!
August 24, 2009
Monday
The sun and heat continue
At 7:00 AM it was 90*. Another scorcher! The forward cabin proved to be the place to be for sleeping. The best night I (we) have had in a long time. We had quite the heavy duty shower pass thru this morning and it was quite welcomed. I had to get off the boat for a while and headed to the beach….even there it was so hot and no breeze, but reading helped pass the time. Not much else to report for today…just trying to stay cool. Love to all.
August 25, 2009
Tuesday
Still hot as…whatever!
There is not much to report other than we are watching a new depression forming north east of us…not good. We checked in with Treasure Cay Marina today and sort of reserved a slip…we have 2 days to decide if we want it. $1500 smackers for 3 months, plus electricity. It is such a crap shoot. We could have a safe haven, but what if we don’t need it??? Barry is leaning toward going for it. We can put the bikes on the dock and get some exercise when it cools off in the evening and I can come and go quite easily instead of taking the dinghy to shore….we shall see. We went to Florence’s Café and ordered dinner to take to the boat. It was such a disappointment. The portions were enough to feed a pigeon, but I still felt good about patronizing her establishment since she was kind enough to sell us dough. We occupied our late afternoon with Upwords…I finally kicked his butt!!! Love to all!
August 26, 2009
Wednesday
Another hot one, 90’s
A rain shower awakened me at 6:45 and I got up to close all the windows….I am up now! No worries…I like being up early in the morning as it is usually around 86* and comfortable for a while. We are still watching the TD, but it does not seem likely that it will be a big hit for us…thank you again God! We decided to again hit the bakery and speak with Captain Forty about other options for protecting Sea Fox from a hurricane. He has friends in the canal and perhaps we can anchor her along there instead of renting a slip for the entire season. He is the caretaker of a very large fishing boat that he puts in the canal when the time calls for it and has never had an issue, even during the last big hit in 2004 (Floyd.) Along with the head pump running constantly (still not repaired…we are working on possible solutions) the aft shower pump decided to quit. Done, nadda, zilch, nothing. The pump head retired, and since the spare was not compatible with what was already there the entire pump had to be replaced. A hot, sweaty, 2 hour ordeal, but it was a successful exchange. Never a dull moment. At this point taking Sea Fox for a ride to pump out and try one of the possible fixes for the head pump has been put to rest for another day. Perhaps tomorrow. We never moved off the boat today, due to the heat. I had to break into my last book….drat! I will try not to buzz through it, but James Patterson’s, You’ve Been Warned, is already proving to be a page turner. My last read was Lisa Scottoline’s, Killer Smile. The main character, Mary, needed a slap in the head. Nonetheless, it was all consuming and I powered through it in 2 days. Another creative chicken dinner…I am getting really good at improvising. Barry finally finished his latest work of art…a DVD jam-packed with almost 1000 pictures of our trip from beginning to end. It was great to watch and recall familiar places, people and events. It was a wonderful day in paradise.
August 27, 2009
Thursday
91* at 8:30 AM…AUGH!
Water temp 86*
After much research we finally agreed on sun shades and they have been ordered, from China! Sad but true, it was the best deal in town. This company usually only takes larges orders from retailers but since the economy is so bad they will cater to anyone with the hopes of more orders due to word of mouth. Jack, the rep I have been corresponding with, is on the money! Attentive, knowledgeable, and cute…he even sent me his picture so I could see who I have been speaking with. Gotta hand it to the Chinese! The shades themselves were very, very inexpensive, and look to be of very good quality (we hope) from the pictures we have seen. The shipping charges, on the other hand, were outrageous. Regardless, 2 shades for the aft deck of the boat were well under $100 after all was said and done, including the Western Union payment charge. And, I don’t have to make them! Even better! We bit the bullet and decided to rent the slips at the marina for September thru November. Pricey at $1500, but good insurance and Mike Sawyer, the manager, pretty much guaranteed the boat will be safe in a double slip tied up properly. He also has become quite accommodating (unlike our first encounter with him where he was a bit “stiff” shall we say) allowing us to run the generator (as long as there are no complaints from others around us) for an hour or two each day to charge the batteries. This will relieve us of the additional $22 per day for electricity that we really do not need. He also told us to pick any slip close to the marina office for the time being, which will give us quick access to the pool, bar, market, beach, etc., as our assigned slip is at the far end of the marina. The marina is pretty much empty at this time, therefore…no neighbors. Our bikes can be left on the dock for easy access and I think that will give us a push to use them, especially later in the day when it cools off. I am excited! We made a haul at the market after our meeting with Mike. So much so that we used the shopping cart to return to the dinghy with the assistance of DeeDee. Another little cutie working for tips! I was crushed at Upwords…augh…and could not wait for the game to end and begin dinner. Great day in spite of the hot sun!
August 28, 2009
Friday
89* at 8 AM
Another hot one today, but with the winds at 18 mph and gusting to 22 it was not bad. Our task for today is to take Sea Fox for a ride to expel the waste and try the cleaning treatment to hopefully get the pump running properly again. I am hoping for the best and as much as Barry is trying to be optimistic…he is not! Yesterday I made bread! I am now becoming my Nonnie! We found a recipe from Emeril that proved simple to make (by hand) and although it is truly pizza dough turning it into bread instead worked just fine. Now we can make our own pizza dough and pack on the pounds with pizza…what a wonderful thing! Hehe! I want to venture to pasta dough. OMG, that would be such a great thing and my arms would get quite the workout. We took Sea Fox out and did a good cleaning, but the bellows still need to be changed and the part is already on its way to my house for pickup when I go home in a few weeks. Barry has been on a buying spree and I can only imagine what will need to be brought back. I finished a very crazy James Patterson book, You’ve Been Warned. Wasn’t one of my favorites, but it did keep my interest wanting to fly through the pages to see what the end result was. Now I am down to nothing, but there is a library not too far away and we will venture there very soon. Ta ta for now!
August 29, 2009
Saturday
Another hottie, but with great 13 mph breeze!
Danny is not coming this way, as we have known for a few days. Thank you, thank you. Last night we watched the space shuttle Discovery. Well, I had to be awakened for it, but I did get to see it. Simply amazing was this huge red blob passing by north west of us. It was great! Had never been able to see that before, but we were in the right place at the right time for this one. Good luck to the astronauts and go discover something! A cloud cover enabled us to take a walk, brief, but still a walk. We headed to the library…closed…of course! Why would it be open??? And, we discovered that the library shares the building with the church…again, of course. The sun came peaking through the clouds so we were now on a mission to head back to the boat. First, I wanted to check out the market for a rolling pin to make pasta…success! Back at the boat the pasta dough was made…quite easy pretty much using Normy and Nonnie’s recipe. I unveiled the rolling pin to find that it was so rough that Barry had to sand it down before I could use it…hehehe! I got to work on that dough making it paper thin and then folding and cutting very nice fettuccine to use in a sauce that I found in a Cooking Light magazine that had been forgotten about…I am on a mission to find things to read as you can see. It was so freaking hot, but within an hour and a half the deed was done and the pasta lays in wait for the boiling water and the makings of a great dinner. Garlic, tomatoes, Gorgonzola cheese, spinach and fat free cream will be a nice topping. And, it was! We are now stuffed to the gills and Barry offers to clean up…I do not decline that invitation…thank you, Captain. I can only say…good night to all! Wonderful day.
August 30, 2009
Sunday
Hot as hell again
It was 95* at 8 AM and not a good sign of what lies ahead. The TD is nearing and not what we expected so we will continue to watch. It was so hot today that there was no getting off the boat. We used the fan to circulate any air that was available. Re-reading books and Scrabble and cards was the fare for the day. I have come to the conclusion that I hate Scrabble as Barry beat me by the skin of his teeth! Very nerve racking! We both decided that Upwords is more rewarding…screw Scrabble! Sorry! We had another decadent dinner with the remains of the pasta…my take on Carbonara…as Barry did not want the pasta to spoil…as if it would have in 2 days…Not! I suppose I should take that as a compliment and dinner was very yummy. Another wonderful, fattening day in paradise!
August 31, 2009
Monday
Yeah…still too hot
Barometer Bob informed us that the TD is heading toward Puerto Rico and we feel very fortunate once again. The heat is on, along with not a breeze. As I gaze outside the trees are not moving and the harbor is dead calm. Not a ripple in the water to be had. On the bright side, we can see straight to the bottom as clear as day. There are a few different specimens of fish under the boat that make appearances occasionally. Even a sucker shark is visiting. They will probably all go away once we move into the marina, but we have seen several different fish hanging around over there. That is my plan for the day…moving into the marina. Barry has other thoughts, but has agreed to give it a shot. He is concerned that we will lose any whiff of a breeze. So, now it is 7:00 and we moved into the marina around 3:00. We are both very happy to be here. A cloud cover afforded us a bit of coolness and the breeze has returned. The big question is what will sleeping be like since we are not facing into the wind any more??? Only time will tell! The bikes are out on the dock and ready to be mounted! I will certainly be heading out for a ride. Just another wonderful day in the neighborhood! Love to all.
