Jan 29-30... the continuing adventures of OtherGoose

Jan 29

The continuing adventures of the S/V OtherGoose...

 I know it sounds to some of you that I am making these up but I swear this stuff is really happening!

This morning I printed out my 50 pages, hoping that I would have enough for all day, because I wasn't sure how many were kids in each class at the Primary School. I had a sinking feeling they were going to be big classes.

So we hopped in the dinghy already for 9:15 am and headed over to the shore. Got about 100M from the boat and it stopped and we could NOT get it going again, so we rowed back to the big boat. I called the schools to tell them I was going to be at the very least, late, or possibly absent today.  Quentin tucked into his computer and Rick was swearing at the motor as he removed it from the dinghy and tried to ...fix it?

Finally he decided that it had to go to a professional, that he had no idea what to do with a gas engine. So he put it back on the dinghy but we began to row over to the docks so Quentin and I could get to school and he could get it to the local mechanic.  We got about the same distance when another dinghy came by and towed us in...Faster than our dinghy would have taken us!

Quentin and I went to school and another adventure began. Quentin thought he was late but his phone had reset when the battery died so the time was wrong. Instead of it being 11:15, it was only 10:30 so he was on time but I was too early, although I had missed my classes at the other school, so I went back to the repair shop and caught Rick. He was on his way back to the dinghy dock behind the market..... [I just realized that Sue is the ONLY one who knows what I am talking about so check out the map!] Anyway, he met Stephane and we all had coffee. While we were talking, someone mentioned that there was a Rake and Scrape there tonight, so we decided we would come back. I left for school and Stephane towed Rick back to our boat.

The Grade 8 class was great; they were interested and enthusiastic and we all got into the projects. Quentin came buzzing in as the class ended to tell me that he had aced a test in Gr. 12 math - 100% in ¾ of the time allotted! Then he sped off to do something else.

I went down to the other school for my ½ hour class only to find that it was brake time so no class during that half hour...good! I will re-arrange the schedule. I met Catherine and Harry from Mama Duck, and Gillian on the street so we went for coffee. Gillian wanted to come and sit in on the class, so she came back with me to the Grade 7 class. That was really difficult. It was in the computer room and all the students have access, so it was hard to concentrate. Also the room next door was little kids and the rooms are not completely separated: the top 1 foot of the wall between them is trellis material so the noise carries through. Being a computer room its probably irrelevant, but...

Anyway, as I was leaving to go to the other school, one of the teachers [possibly the guidance counsellor?] came by and said, "Quentin is hanging out in my room...just follow the noise!" She led me to her 'room' and when she opened the door, I saw a whole bunch of students piled on couches and chairs, with some teachers standing against the wall, Quentin sitting in the middle, telling some story [I don't want to know] and everyone listening. They all looked at me and I said, "Oh, ok...well I'm going so meet us at the dinghy dock around 3-3:30. Don't get lost." Everyone burst out laughing and I left!

So, back at the Primary school, Grade 3 classes or Grade 4 not sure which. I think I was in shock. There were 24 of them! They were terrified of the principal, but the minute she and the teacher left the room it was chaos. I wasn't about to turn cadet officer on them just yet, but 1 hour with them was brutal! They were all just excited I guess to have someone else there but....

Anyway, while I was having all this fun, Rick was back at the boat, and had called Beguiler on the radio. Rob and Brenda had picked up a new 15 hp motor for their dinghy and were going to get rid of their 8 hp. They just weren't sure what they wanted for it. He told us we could borrow/ buy it whatever... so when Rick called; he made arrangements to take the big boat over to Monument [see fig 2]. Stephane heard them and called Rick and said he would take Rick over in his tender... much bigger, faster and easier. So Stephane picked up Rick and they towed our dinghy the 2 miles across the bay to pick up Beguiler's motor... and then he towed them back...they forgot to take the fuel tank for the dinghy!

So at 3 pm, Rick met me back at the Red Boone cafe and we waited for Quentin. He came screaming by to say he was going sailing, and dumped his books on me. Rick went to get our motor out of the repair shop [$145.00 US], so I was sitting at Red Boone,  [I was going to have a beer but decided that it was not a good habit to get into after school with all the kids traipsing by] when Gillian  sat down. She was talking to Choppy who owns Red Boone, about the Rake and Scrape and he mentioned that he had 'invented'   a special drink for the night. He wanted a sign for it so Gillian grabbed his paper and said, "She's an artist. She'll do it!" While I was making up his sign they were discussing what it should be called. Rick said that Pusser's had a rum drink called a Pusser's' Painkiller, so something like that. They were all standing there arguing and I just said "Ripper" so a new drink was born: "The Red Boone Ripper".  He gave me one to try so I could recommend it: light rum, banana rum, grenadine and pineapple and orange juice. Wow! Then he asked me to make another sign for the snack shop. I had to wait 'til the effects of the drink wore off!

Quentin came back to say that there was no sailing so he was going to play basketball at the court. We walked over o get when we were going to eat and as we were walking back down the street, someone from an upstairs window hollered out, "Hey Quentin!"  He's been on shore, what, a week???

We decided that since I had forgotten to take anything out for supper, we would go for a burger and Stephane met us, then we went to the Rake and Scrape for a while. We waited 'til the crowd grew and then we all went home for the evening.

JAN 30

 Rick took the sunrise pics at about 6 am. Today we have so much to do!! Quentin is probably going sailing and I will do one load of laundry to catch up. There is a "Steak Out" [ BBQ] at the Catholic Church where they are trying to build a youth center. We have raffle tickets, so we may wander over there around noon. It's at the back of Lake Victoria.[See Fig.1]

This afternoon there is a 1st Annual Party-With-Your-Clothes-On at the beach with live music and bug spray, so we may go to that today.  I need to get some lesson plans ready for Tuesday and Rick is working on the wind generator.

Rob's motor is also running a little rough so Stephane says they should look at it...Stephane will fix it and Rick will learn how. I think I will go, too. I need to know how to do that as well. I did it once with our little motor but that was years ago and I can't remember much. Taking apart is no big deal...it's what you do with the parts once you get them off! ttyl

We anchor between Bacchus Rock and Regatta Point - go into town thru' the little gap and tie up at the dinghy dock. Quentin goes to school at Anglican Church . I work at both schools.

We travel back and forth across the bay usually with the big boat

Morning!

It will be a hazy day but enough to make solar panels work

Jan 28

Jan 28

Today was a  fast day!  We had to get Quentin over to shore so he could go to school. I can't believe how much he likes it!  He spends all day in high school math classes!  He's met some of the boys who are sailing on Saturdays so I guess that's what he's doing Saturday mornings ...racing with the Bahamian boats!  He's also going to be helping one of the ladies set up stages and electrical equipment for the Regatta, and we still have to get him set up to do some tree potting and tutoring for KB's son!  Busy boy! Right now he and Rick are swimming around the big rock near us.

Today was the 22 Grade 5-6 kids for art...not bad! I at least had them doing something they thought was hard...no good if it s too easy!  Tomorrow is my full day starting t 9:15 and flipping between schools. Luckily they are about 2 minutes walk apart!

So after supper Quentin was on the back deck looking at the water with the underwater lights on and he found a squid swimming around us!  Rick caught it in the net and we took pictures of it and while it was laying on the deck, it coughed... a couple of times. We didn't want to keep it out of the water too long so we didn't get a great picture of it but it squirted when we put it back and shot off!  I guess that one won't be hanging around boats for awhile!

I can't post the pictures they took because Rick can't get them off the camera tonight so you'll have to wait 'til tomorrow but here's the squid picture!

And I gotta go and make lesson plans...for all day tomorrow!!

 

Not a good pic...camera not ready and boat was moving

Back in the water...

and he/she squirted

Caribbean reef squid about 6 inches long 

January 27 Busy day!

Jan 27

Today was a busy day. We were debating whether or not to take the boat over to town, when Stephane called and asked if we wanted a ride. He was taking Jasmine City over. So we were 'picked up'!  He brought Jasmine City past us, we hoped in our dinghy and ran over to his boat while he held his position...kind of like changing cars at a stoplight LOL. I really like that boat!! But it's a bit scary because it seems so much bigger than ours!  Ok, it IS bigger than ours by about 10 feet wide and 10 feet long and height!

We went into town and I assembled an art kit for school that the kids can use but I keep with me going from class to class...coloured pencils, erasures etc. I will add some of my paints and drawing pencils to it as well. Tomorrow is my class of 22 Grade 5 /6's ...scary!!

We all had lunch at Red Boone while Stephane was waiting for his stuff to upload /download...whatever...then he "dropped us off" at our boat.

We took the dinghy to Sand Dollar to go snorkelling on the same coral heads that we took Sue & Les to. We walked over to the ocean side after we finished swimming. Rick decided Q and I should finish walking the beach to the other end and he would go get the dinghy and meet us. We got part way down the beach and this woman caught up to us ...she was lost. She thought she was still on the Sand Dollar Beach side but couldn't find her boat or her husband. I could have sent her back the way she came but it was a long way so she came with us and Rick met us on the beach behind Chat n Chill. He took her back n the dinghy and Q and I walked over to the bar. We could hear the dinghy and then we couldn't.  He ran out of gas just before he passed the point!!

We could see him paddling back to the big boat. Quentin swam out to the cat and climbed on board and helped them get back to the boat. Rick put gas in the dinghy and called some boats at Sand Dollar to let her husband know she was okay.  I stayed on the beach. I could have swum out to the boat as well. So Rick started over to Sand Dollar with gas. He managed to get her soaking wet because the water was rough going that way in our stupid little dinghy! She probably wishes she'd been left on the beach!!

Quentin brought the kayak to shore to pick me up. He couldn't find the paddles. Apparently e lost them because no-one put them away the last time the boat was used. So he brought his fins and I sat in the kayak and he pushed me back. So he's had a good workout today; we both walked about three miles and we are all tired. Early to bed tonight!

Never tire of finding star fish

...or petting rays

New buddy, Sonny has a mean serve!

I want one! We sat while boat sailed us over to town

Red Boone cafe.  Sue loved their wraps! I eat salad...ok, and fries

Jan 25-26

Jan 25

Today we spent the morning going separate ways after Quentin did his 1 ½ hours of English.  Rick got a call from one boater to help him splice a line to chain; Quentin took the kayak and went exploring along the shore of Stocking Island and I made some lesson plans for the classes.

Yesterday I met a woman on the beach who was painting. I talked to her for awhile and found out that she owned an art gallery BlueBahama Art Gallery. She used to live in Georgetown but only came for visits now and then; didn't live on a boat, and used to teach art at one of the high schools. Rats! I was hoping for an assistant. The other woman who asked if she could come too chickened out!

After lunch we went over to the beach and Quentin and I tossed a volleyball around. I sprained a finger so that ended that but a bunch of guys were all waiting for Someone to start the game. So Quentin played for two hours. Rick and I went over the hill to the outside shore and walked the beach. Quentin arrived at the dinghy as we got back so we went back over to show him the surf.

On the way back we stopped by Stephane's to see how he was doing with his new website and we ended up staying for dinner. I'd love to keep him!!!  We were there 'til 10:30! Way past midnight!

Tomorrow is the first day of school and Quentin is as excited as I am! SO we'll see what happens!

Jan 26

So today was the first day of the new school with the 7 grade 9 students. One was actually missing, and three of them weren't that interested but the other three were. They are all interested in doing graffiti so this will be a challenge. I have to get them to do it on paper and not on buildings!

Quentin met the math teacher, Mr Ambleton, and sat through a grade11 Math class. He'll go back and be there on the days that I am working there. The schedule is really screwy so I'm not sure if I can work it out

I called the guy who was interested in getting me to do the art work for the regatta but they got someone else...glad of that... it was going to be a billboard!

We did some grocery shopping and moved the boat back over to the island around supper time. It's calmer over here than in the town and tomorrow we can go to the beach and play on our day off!

I don't know I the skies up there are the same as down here but we can see all 5 of the planets visible to the naked eye lined up with the moon at around am, can you?

Beguiler gave me a bag of Tim Horton's coffee and some chocolate kisses today for my birthday! Mmmmm!

We took some movies over to Stephane tonight...he needs a break from working on his new website. It's going to be amazing... there is so much information for sailors in ONE PLACE! It will have everything from how to buy a boat. Everything you ever need to know to sail it and how to hiring a captain including videos for instructions on reading grib files to fixing electronics. Can't wait to promote it when it's ready!

OK, so, long day. Thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone! It was really nice to have them all! As Joseph always says, "Well, I'm off... but not by much" G'nite

Jan 24

Jan. 24

Happy Birthday Gail!  Last year we were together at this time walking long a cold  South Carolina Beach!  This year that beach is covered in snow and I'm glad I'm not there. It was 18 C [71F]on the beach today with a wind chill factor!! I know, I know, quit whining, but we don't have any long sleeved shirts or fleeces, and we've been in 30 C long enough to find 18 really cold!! The water is warmer than that !

On the other hand, a lovely local woman walked passed me on the beach and when she asked how I was, i answered "cold!"She stopped, swept her arms as if brushing the sand and said, "It's not snow!" Got me!

We moved over to the island today and met KB who was busy so we will have to talk to him another time.

So Quentin got to play volleyball today with a bunch of resort visitors. There was football on at the resort with several large screen TV's so the beach was empty, as well as cold.

I sat on the beach with Elaine and Gillian. Elaine is from Nova Scotia on the boat called Aft Aglay.  She looks and sounds like Aunt Ev, only really quiet. Gillian is from Australia but has been here for 30 years.

When I introduced myself Gillian said, "OMG, I have a message for you! Someone has been trying to find you. They need some art work done for the Family Island Regatta."  I gave her our boat card with the phone number so I may end up with another job soon. I can get the kids involved with it!

It began to rain so we went back to the boat. It was already super time anyway, so we ate dinner and played dominoes til 9 pm ...that's boaters' midnight.

Looking at boat lights from the stone bridge

Playing checkers

Feeding the Rays at Chat 'n Chill

Volleyball

Did she think the old man was watching her? He probably was but Quentin was there too! LOL

Another round of storm clouds passing through

Another new day! Jan 23

Quentin went sailing with Exuma Sailing Club today

Today's skill lessons

Quentin coming back from dropping Rick off at the dinghy dock.

Getting his driving lesson taking rick into town to the dinghy dock

Jan 19-22

January 22

Good morning! The last three days have been busy...

For a couple of days after Sue and Les left we just bumbled  around, mostly hanging out with Stephane and trying to figure out what to do with these $@#% batteries.  We went for walks on the beach and I was looking for art lessons and inspiration.

Monday, the first day of school was SCARY!  A room full of Grade 1 & 2's and they had zero focus. I haven't worked with that grade level since teacher's college, where I swore I wouldn't ever again. It's like herding kittens, or pushing a rope! I literally ran when the class was over! So I went back and talked to the secretary and they said Fridays would be better. SO today is Friday...

After I spoke to her I went to St. Andrews school, and the principal was waiting for me. They had already out me in the schedule but a staff change necessitated taking me off again.  She emailed me a schedule on Wednesday...Tues /Thurs/ Fri.  Uh-oh. Now I have problem. So today I will go sort it out.  She also wants Quentin to go in and work with the math teacher...good because that gets his Community Service topped up.

Monday we also went to Immigration to get our personal permits renewed. You don't get the same time as your boat to be in the islands. Stupid, eh? But...we don't make the rules. Inspector Adams was...aggressive to say the least. We were 8 days past the limit - they only gave us 30 days to be here! 

They kept us waiting for about a half hour. I mentioned that I would have to cancel all my time at the school if they made us leave, and we would have to let Liz know right away so not to send Quentin yet until we got back. He officer brought us into "HIS" office and he reamed us out, talking to us like we were 10 years old. When he found out I was volunteering, he went off again...I was supposed to let them know. I said I didn't know that because it didn't say that in any of the rules about entering and no-one else told me that. He sort of backed down and said the school was supposed to tell him. I almost said "then go yell at her", but I kept my mouth shut!

They gave us 60 days so we have to go in before March and renew. It's never an issue if you go on time but they change the number of days so you really have to watch the entry! 

Tuesday I worked at the Regatta T-shirt booth selling t-shirts with another boat, "Strider". Brent also works with the kids at the school.

Wednesday, when we picked Quentin up...that's another story...the Customs agent calculated his entry so that we could all go together and get renewed.

So...picking up Quentin...the taxi was going to cost $30.00 each way, so we told him to come from the airport on his own, but Rick decided that we should get a car, check out all the marinas and lumber/construction places so we could find battery acid and a pole for the generator at the same time as we picked him up. Cheaper, right? No, the $60.00 car turned into $100.00 because they didn't have one available ...so, we got there and watched him get off the plane. But one of us had to go into Customs and prove that he was coming with us. No big deal...he had all the papers and his travel letter. It just made it easier all round and having my passport meant that he could give us all the same time in the country. We managed to get some battery acid (not enough) and a pole to put up the wind generator (if it ever calms down!)

We arrived back in town and introduced Quentin...most people stopped us and said, "HI, this must be Quentin / your grandson."

While we were having lunch in the little cafe behind the beauty parlour, a tall handsome man came in and said hello, enjoy your time, etc. When he left I said to Rick, "He looks familiar. I think that was Elvis." [the harbour master]. He came back to pick up his order and after a minute or two, he asked if we knew who Elvis was. I said we had met him but we had met so many new people I wasn't sure if I'd recognize him." He said, "I'm Elvis and I remember you guys!" we had a good laugh and now I will remember who he is! His Water Taxi is yellow!

Yesterday, Rick put the battery acid in 2 of the batteries...not nearly enough! He has to go get a 5 gallon pail because that's the only quantity it's sold in here!  He got the bottom of a box the other day. $9.00 a gallon!! But our batteries have almost no acid in them!  We are going to get them supercharged when they are equalized.

Don't buy batteries from BATTERIES PLUS and don't buy DURACELL PROPLUS [from Proctor & Gamble] Neither company cares whether or not you have problems as long as they get your money!

Last night we had dinner with Stephane...he made chicken & mushrooms in a curry cream sauce, with rice. Quentin even liked it!!! He ate it and said it was good!

SO we are waiting for another wind storm to rush through here, so we haven't been able to go over to Chat n' Chill. We have had 3 in the last week. Last Wednesday, then again on the weekend and now this weekend we are expecting another one with 30-35 knots of wind and gusts of 50-60 in the thunderstorms. Welcome back, Q!

Back in the water

Dinner with our favourite captain

T-shirt booth

 This is the fruit bowl - all the houseboats are called : Mango, Papaya, Cantaloupe, Pineapple etc.

January 18.Where's Quentin???

January 17  Sunday

I forgot to tell you...yesterday someone came by with a little wooden dinghy and asked if we knew anyone who wanted it. We took it because...we can get a small mast for it and we already have a small sail so Quentin will have a dinghy sailboat while he's here.

Yesterday when we got back from the beach there was a boat that pulled in beside us. I was not happy about how close he was but the guys said he was ok. This morning at 4:30 I woke up when the wind started again and looked out th window. He was VERY close to us so I woke Rick up and he went up front to look.  He said the only problem would be that his dinghy would snag our chain and make us drag a bit. I think that's a big problem but....

At 5 am the guy was up and turning on his engine to move because he was even closer! The winds keep clocking and swinging us around, so it was nerve-racking.

Turns out the boat, Easy Goin' , is from Winnipeg . Wolfe came by this morning to get some wire to fix his running lights and he is a sailing instructor. He teaches at Gimli Yacht Club all summer and sails all winter. He was in Fort Pierce and left when we did and was in Staniel Cay at Christmas too when we were there.  I still think he was still too close!!

He came by to get some wire for repairing his running light. It seems the water taxi was fixing something on his boat and didn't realize he was still moving. He hit Easy Goin' and ripped off the running light.

We sold our drag behind generator that we bought from a boat last year...we realized after we bought it that we don't do long enough crossings to make it useful. It needs deep water and we don't travel in deep water except across the Gulf Stream.  And there's another 100 lbs off the boat!!!!

We listened to Cordell's talk yesterday about the hurricane and the aftermath. When Quentin gets here we are going out to help pot the 1000 breadfruit trees that he has ready to be sent to the islands. We talked about composting too and the owner of Chat n' Chill says he will put up a composting bin for the boaters to deposit vegetable matter in...moving right along!!!

We came back to the boat and moved to town side in anticipation of me going to school in the morning and Rick going to do the grocery run. It's a lot calmer over here too right now.

I finally figured out how to use my voice activated software that comes in the computer. It works well but no-one wants to listen to me talking to myself. Now if they could invent one that reads minds !!!

Later ...

Jan 16

Jan 16 Saturday

This morning Stephane came over for coffee . After he left we got Q's room aired out and his clean clothes put away.

I went through all of my boxes and found that I had 5 containers of pens and pencils, markers and hi-lighters. I am now down to 1.5 boxes. I guess I have to admit I have [had] a thing for office supplies. I may try another re-sort before Monday to get down to one box. It is all going over to the school.

I also sorted out my watercolours, and quite a few tubes are going to the art room as well. Along with a few brushes. And I guess I better get my act together and get a lesson plan done because I only have one day left.

So that took most of the day. Rick pulled a drain in the cockpit which was supposed to go through the back transom to keep the seat dry but ended up somehow in Q's bed, so now it isn't there.  He also fixed the deck shower...Yay!!!

Tomorrow we need to re-arrange some of the wiring to get the batteries working better.

Or we could go snorkelling at the blue hole!

Stephane came and picked us up in his dinghy and we went to the outer shore again and walked the length of the beach as far as we could go. That's a good hike when you are walking in soft sand and talking. My body feels it!!  He came over for supper and I think we decided that we will cross the Atlantic with him in the next five years... not sure how that happened but, yeah, I think we can do that!

Tomorrow we will meet up with Cordell and give him all the extra things we don't need on the boat to the Red Cross.

Quentin will be back on Tuesday, hopefully!   ttyl

Jan 15 Friday

Jan 15 Friday,

Last night was windy, rough and rainy for most of the afternoon an d evening but overnight the sky cleared and this morning it was a great sunrise...oh, wait, I'm not supposed to say that...

Sue, it was dreary and cold, and you wouldn't have liked it.

It was a little disappointing to look over at Regatta Point and not see them sitting there watching the water and us. Next year...

We went over to the market to wait for the meat truck but he showed up in a jeep so not all of us could go. We decided to wait until Monday and we stood talking with another couple when Cordell arrived. We talked for a bit and then I delivered some stuff to the Port Authority office for him to Ms. Cooper. She has someone in |Nassau who wants to start a cadet corps.  So...anybody in Canada want to be a sister corps to one in the Bahamas??? They will only need caps and square rigs: it's too hot for dark shirts and long pants

We met Beguiler and went over to see them after we got back to the boat.  Brenda or Rob needs to fix one of their zippers so I took the sewing machine over...another 50 lbs off the boat!!! Rob has an issue with his windlass mount, so Rick will get hold of Jeff Krampien while he's here !!

Stephane invited us to go to Jasmine City for dinner, so Rick made brownies and I'm taking beer!!  Chocolate - beer - and Stephane's cooking ...can't beat that!

The 3 of us went over to the ocean for a walk and met some other boaters over there. As we walked and talked the black clouds came over and we all realized we had left our hatches open but we made it back and it didn't rain anyway.

So off for dinner...ttyl

Awww, they're gone Jan 14

January 14,

This morning we went over early and helped Sue and Les pack up the apartment then we went for breakfast to Peace and Plenty. It was hard to talk casually knowing they were leaving. It was great week and we had a good time. I hope they hadas much fun as we did.  They are probably sleeping in the Toronto airport right now waiting for their Thunder Bay flight.

When we came out the storm was ramping up and there were enormous black clouds over the whole northern sky and bearing down on us.

Nancy, the owner of Regatta Point came over to bring me a book I had asked to borrow. The room Sue and Les had has a bookshelf filled with old novels by great authors!

After they left we went back to the boat to run the motor some so we could charge the batteries. Rick was hoping to get bananas today so we stayed over in Kid Bay until 3 pm I wanted to go to talk to the principal at the school about the art classes and he wanted jam, bread and bananas.

I start Monday and am doing the whole school, one class at a time.  So now I have to do some lesson planning for ages 5 and up... my own fault for not keeping my mouth shut...

It going to be stormy here for  a few days, so Quentin should have an exciting flight in...nothing that will cancel flights, though.

Storm was looking a lot worse

Dark sky and cold winds

Thoguht this was a banana spider but Nancy says he's harmless. She :
"cultivates"  them

The Regatta Point fisherman

Their last full day Jan 13

Tuesday Jan 12

Today we went over to Regatta Point and Sue decided this was going to be a Shopping Day.  Rick and Les went off to look for a car rental place. We started at the Regatta T-Shirt sales booth then went to all 4 of the little shops and the Straw Market and back to Cleo's Tropical Accents and Gifts.

This was a special day for me! Not only is Cleo's shop "art overload", she makes spectacular jewellery, but I met Cordell's cousin Jeannette, who is an interior designer and cookbook author! She also was in 4 of the Bond movies!!!  She's also interested in coming to school to the art classes.

On our way back "downtown" we went to Peace and Plenty to check out the menu, and then we went to "Two Turtles" We decided that it was a good choice for dinner.

After we left Cleo's, we met up with Rick and Les who were sitting with Cordell and Kaybee at Driftwood. We talked about moving trees and supplies and art classes. Cordell also wants to come to the class....are they all under the mistaken impression that I am a famous artist????  Geez, no pressure!!!

Sue and I went to Red Boone to eat because she wanted another wrap. While we were there we met Escape Velocity and a few others, Julie from Boomdiada came by and Stephane sat with us. 

We had a very slow walkabout afternoon and then we went back to their room to wait for dinner time. We were going to play dominoes but we ended up just talking.

We went over to the Turtles at 5:30 and Stephane met us there. Once the music got jacked up too loud and we couldn't hear, we all left. Then, as we got back to the boat, around 9 pm VERY BAD karaoke started. Luckily the mikes were not as loud as the music machine so when the wind blew, it took away the sound...felt bad for the turtles and fish! Poor Sue and Les couldn't even sit on their balcony and enjoy the night air! If we had known it was going to be karaoke, we would have stayed and improved the quality somewhat!

Jan 13.

Today is a very grey, rainy day...we'll have to find something to do on their last full day here that will be memorable.

So we took our coffee over to Regatta point. We invited Stephane for coffee but he must have had a better offer somewhere.

We walked all the way around Lake Victoria today...about 1.5 miles.  It didn't rain at all on us but it will tonight and tomorrow. Sue and I went in to see Cleo again.  Rick and Les wandered through the tourism office.  We stopped at all the places they had been and took photos in case they missed a place.

The batteries are really low right now so we are sitting at anchor running the motor for an hour to get them up a bit.

Tonight we will have dinner at their house and play dominoes if we can stay awake! Tomorrow they have to leave L.

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Sue and Cleo in her amazing shop

Peace and Plenty bar and pool

Jan 10-11

January 10-11, Sunday Monday

OK, so we are having way too much fun to waste time blogging, but here goes:

Yesterday we walked to town thinking that we could get some groceries but we didn't get there fast enough so we went back to the boat and had some lunch, then we went over to Chat 'nChill and listened to Cordell Thompson.

We met Beguiler and sat for awhile after Cordell finished his talk: I had a talk with him and Sue McDonald, the net controller about the problems that Joaquin left.

I tried paying volleyball for a bit but left it to the guys after awhile. Les had left his hat on Stephane's boat so we went over to see him and get it.

We came back to the boat and picked up the stuff for spaghetti and salad and came back to Sue and Les' house. We played Mexican Train Dominoes until 10pm and then went home to bed.

Today we went over to the Rite Way grocery store and got some more cereal for Rick and stuff. We stopped at the Red Boone Cafe for some launch and met the people from Mama Duck...Catherine and Harry. We sat for about an hour and talked, and then we went back to the boat and went snorkelling again.  Tonight we are having dinner at their house again. And we will be playing dominoes again tonight!

So pics from today and yesterday...ttyl

Jan 7-9 So much fun, so little time!

Jan 7 Thursday

We went to the Driftwood for lunch and then the Rake 'n Scrape for supper.  The BBQ was awesome, but we didn't stay long. Rashad was there [remember the kid from last spring that danced up a storm?] We talked but I wasn't in the mood to dance.

Sue and Les were pretty tired: they had been up since 5 am so we took them back to their "room" [what an amazing suite!!] and went back to the boat. [Late. After boater's midnight [9:00 p.m.]

Jan 8 Friday

In the morning Sue and I took the truck to Prime Island Meats and Rick and Les went to the boat to do some 'stuff'.   Sue got shotgun on the way out but we had to sit in the back for the return trip. When we walked in the door, Jeff Krampien was standing at the till. He is staying at Hooper's Bay. We can take the big boat up there to see him next week.

We went to a little out-of-the-way place in the back of a Beauty Shop for lunch and had great burgers and fries.

 In the afternoon we went down to Sand Dollar and she learned to snorkel!!! She's a natural. We came back to the boat and had chicken and salad for supper, before they went 'home'

Jan 9 Saturday

This morning Stephane stopped for coffee and invited us all to his boat for supper.  

Beguiler is here! We will get together in a couple of days after they get organized. Rob said they had a long trip!

We took the big boat over to Chat 'n Chill and hiked over to the ocean side to see the rollers. The surf was so wild that we couldn't swim. I tried and was rolled up the beach and scooped a bucket of sand into my bathing suit.  We went back to Chat 'chill and introduced Sue & Les to the rays feeding at the conch salad hut, then we watched Stephane play volley ball. I didn't try today.... maybe tomorrow.

Stephane suggested we take the big boats back to Kidd Bay so we could relax and not worry about moving around after dark. He pushed a couple of buttons and was well on his way before we got the anchor up.

Sue and Les are hooked! A 45-foot Lagoon!  He cooked Thai curried chicken, rice and baby potatoes and we brought salad, and cheese and crackers. He is a great cook!  It was fantastic. He is so knowledgeable and fun to talk to and we had a great evening.

Tomorrow we will go over to the beach to hear Cordell's talk, and then play it by ear. Someone found the motor that Jasmine City lost so we might try to help get it out of the harbour. We also might go catch those lion fish. We'll have to figure out how to cook them.  ttyl

Watching the rays

Dinner with Stephane