Solitaire I: 2010.02.02 Hope Town

We are doing it again…back in Hope Town and being lazy about blogging….what do they say “happy people have no stories” or some words to that effect.

We are afraid to bore you with another walk down an almost deserted beach or another gorgeous sunset.

We have been quite busy though, meeting up with old (and new) friends. Reg and Val (Aquabella) took us out for lunch at “The Edge” to thank us for bringing them their new dinghy from Savannah…it was our passenger in the “placenta” (aft berth) for WEEKS, the trip down was ever so slow, as we were delayed by weather and repairs…they must have despaired of ever getting their new “car” but finally took delivery in Green Turtle.
We also went to dinner on “Nid’O” where we spend a lovely evening switching back and forth between French and English with Jean Pierre and Marie Francoise, we had paid them a surprise visit in Lac Brome this summer and met up with them again in Green Turtle.
We ran into Jacqueline and Heinz who are landlubbers again this year and their visitors from Germany, H’s sister and brother in law.
And of course our buddy boat “Indian Summer” with crew, Sharon, Steve and Ruger who have fallen in love with HT as we did four years ago …we share many walks, glassing, happy hours and dinners.
We even dragged them to “On da beach” for lunch and then to “The sugar shack” for ice cream…it is run by a woman who is from Montreal, went to the Trafalgar school for girls !!!, cannot imagine how she ended up selling ice cream in HT…will have to ask her next time.
She was telling us that she had been contemplating moving back to Montreal with her husband and children until she had to go “home” to visit her father in JANUARY…her frost bitten toes reminded her why she had moved away in the first place and all thoughts and plans of moving the family North are abandoned for the near future in any case!

Yesterday another new friend arrived in the harbour Jim and Barb (Skat a C&C) whom we met in Westend …they have been bumming around the Abacos. I wanted to take a picture of Barb swinging on her hammock on the fore deck, reading…Sharon and I both want one of those.

I told you our life is so BORING!!!!

Yesterday being Friday, we bought grouper from the local fisherman which David grilled on the BBQ it was just delicious with little new potatoes, which I brought from Savannah!!!!, those green bags from Debbie Meyer work beautifully, I haven’t thrown out a single piece of fruit or vegetable so far this season and some parsley from our herb garden, which is now kept on the galley counter as it was making such a mess on deck blowing dirt all over the cockpit with all the wind we have had.

Something was reported to us by Bruce and Gail (Orient Express 2) …apparently the city of Vero Beach FLORIDA had to come and clean the harbour of thousands of dead fish that were floating around and were starting to smell .. THEY HAD FROZEN TO DEATH IN THE WATER…it was about 46*F!!! This gives you an idea of how unusually cold this winter has been …but hopefully it is all behind us now, haven’t worn socks in several weeks and long underwear are firmly (and hopefully) packed away until next year.

We attended a “Ladies Luncheon” at the lodge last week and again the gentlemen were exceptionally invited with this repeat guest speaker, Patrick Griffith, he lectured on the workings of American politics, especially the interaction between the President and Congress…he is a very interesting speaker, I guess he would have to be to keep those of us who know little about American politics hanging on to his every word….we walked out well fed and somewhat smarter!

I have already booked us for the next two lectures…does it sound like we are going away from HT any time soon?

On the same day we attended an evening concert at the church…a choir from Princeton., Shere Kahn A Capella…they were absolutely fabulous!

Last evening, after dinner, David and I were actually pulling out charts and having a look further South!!! Don’t hold your breath,,,,I am not….for the moment I experience the Exumas vicariously through Harriet and Skip (Moondance)’s blog and it looks just wonderful.

What else can I tell you …Billy (Interim) showed me how to make an anklet with rope, he actually started it for me but would not play around my ankle…he is a happily married man and wishes to stay that way.

Think I should put some cream on my feet...they look awfully wrinkled...the anklet looks good thought!

David is very busy zooming around the harbour, hanging around boats greeting new arrivals helping with mooring buoys and doing what he does best …chatting!

I have been devouring books ( tome 2 of Millenium, some 500 pages in 3 days and I am a slow reader) and cooking….have not baked bread yet as I was anxious about running out of propane, but now new have a new tank (one of the old ones had a leak!!!!) and Carol (Interim) bought me some yeast in Marsh Harbour so I’ve run out of excuses …mind you I still have ciabattas from Savannah in my freezer!

We had a birthday party for Sharon, she shares birthdays with our grand daughter Kaitlyn who turned ten this year and had a grand double digit celebration with her family in the Big Apple…still waiting for pictures!
I did not bake the birthday cake, it was (you guessed it) a key lime pie …a masterpiece of our famous baker Vernon Malone.
Vernon was honoured this week by receiving a commendation from the Queen ,throught the Governor of the Bahamas in Nassau for services rendered in business and religion, Bobbie (Mrs. Vernon Malone) informed us that she had to buy a hat and GLOVES for the occasion!

2010.02.02

We also had a successful delivery by Mr FedEx of our brand new propane tank which came all the way from Pensylvania ...the old one had developed a small leak, not a good thing on a boat!

A few more island critters we have befriended.