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January 30^th 2010

Nancy got back to the boat as planned.  It has been great being with her.  We are spending a lot of quiet time together.  We talk about things and touch each other a lot.  Nancy still wakes up a couple of times a night crying and has this deep painful anguish over things that she missed doing with Jon.  Visiting more, writing more letters, being there to support him.  Things that she can't ever undo.  We hop in our dinghy and go to neighboring Islands to hike, explore and get some exercise.   We are sorry that we haven't been in contact more.  It is hard to concentrate for more that just a few seconds.  I have spent half of the morning just getting this far on the posting for the web site.

We have been involved in a lot of local activities.  The International Hermit Crab Race is one.     I won two dollars on this race.  The other evening another cruising couple came to the Ocean Cabin Restaurant and brought with them their Yamaha keyboard, guitar and fiddle.  We had a wonderful time and they put on a very good 1 hour performance.  Not to be outdone,  the next evening a couple that live on Big Farmers Cay, brought their guitars, microphones and amplifiers, (retired professional rock musicians) and joined the couple from the night before for a concert that continued well past boater bed time.  While the concert was going on a very loud high pitch scream startled the crowd that had gathered.  Two cousins that did not know that each other were in the Bahamas finally noticed the other across the room.  What a surprise.

Next weekend is the local festival.  The 5F (First Friday in February Farmers Festival).  Nancy and I will be helping the Restaurant get ready for the gathering.  Nancy will be helping in the kitchen and I will be helping in the bar and greeting people as Terry (the restaurant owner) helps out in other areas on the Island.  We have already checked and repaired mooring balls for the arriving boaters.

We are not sure what we will do after the festival but are pretty sure that we will probably go to Emerald Bay for a few days and then on to Long Island.  It has been two years since we were there last and we want to go back and see all the changes.  Great stores there also.  I think back two years ago when we were there shopping and one of the things on our list was cat food.  Well, a small can of Fancy Feast was $1.49 and a big can of Tuna was 69 cents.  The cats were never so spoiled as they got to eat real tuna instead of grain filled cat food.

After that we will work out way north as spring arrives and the more northern islands get warm.  Although we might come back to the Exumas for another visit as we just might have some friends from Oklahoma join us..   

January 12^th 2010

Nancy is still in Washington State.  We talk about two times a day, morning and evening.  She will be returning to the Bahamas this Friday if all flight connections are made.  There is some business that has to be finished and she plans on returning when all that is done..

Before she left she took a picture of Snap discovering the flowers on our table.  Hmmmm something to play with.    He has provided so much entertainment.  Everything on the boat is HIS toy and HE will play with it.

Our good friends form Lake Texoma finally arrived in the Exumas.  Bob and Bev (S/V Savage Son) and crew Mike (S/V Prevailing Wind) made a mad dash to join up with me after Nancy left.    This picture was just before a cool, wet, windy dinghy ride back to our boats.  It has been nice being with them and I don't think about Nancy that much.  That didn't come out right but I hope you understand what I mean.  Its hard having Nancy going through what is happening and not being with her.  This visit from them helps me from not thinking about it and feeling depressed.  They will be leaving tomorrow  but Nancy will be back on Friday.  I can't thank them enough.  Its the long lasting friendships that always come through...

Family is another help.  My sister Claudia and another sister, Ellen's son Billy and his wife Kelley, drove to Jon's Service.  I can't thank them enough.  I Love my Family..

Ok, after all that thanking, I won't mention the lobster we all ate tonight.  The folks at Ocean Cabin on Little Farmers Cay have just been great through this.  It is nice having friends all over the place.

January 2^nd 2010 

 We had very sad news today.  Nancy's only child  Jon died.  She left Little Farmers Cay this afternoon and is flying to Washington state to bury her baby.  I will be staying with the boat to care for it and the cats.  I feel so bad that I am not with her.  She needs a lot of support now.

January 1^st 2010

We are on a mooring ball at Little Farmers Cay waiting a frontal passage.  Our mooring is on the southeast side of the Island so when the wind shifts and starts howling out of the northwest and north we have perfect protection.

Last night we went to shore and celebrated the New Year with a delicious lobster dinner at Ocean Cabin.  About 8 other boats joined us plus a few locals. We got all dressed up for the occasion     Nancy made some appetizers to share with everyone who came - cheese baked in pastry, a cheese torte and some pickled asparagus.  She also made a CD of New Years Eve music that we played throughout the evening.  Along with all of that, she got two versions of the words to Auld Lang Syne (original Gaelic and a modern day translation) and printed copies for everyone attending so we could all enjoy a sing-along. 

The dinner was excellent.  Earnestine again out did herself.  The lobster drew broad acclaim with one person from England saying she was going to write to a guide book company telling them they need to add information about the food at Ocean Cabin.  Others were taking pictures of the plates that she had set.  The groups sat at two tables, our table  and the other table.  We had revelers from the US, Canada, England, France, Switzerland, and the Bahamas.

We talked with Bob (S/V Savage Son) this morning of our SSB radio.  They just left the Berry Islands headed to Nassau to spend a couple of days.  We will travel back north to meet up with them as they enter the Exuma Island chain.  That will be a good reunion.  They are the sixth  "J" docker from Cedar Mills Marina to come cruising. We are hoping that Prevailing Wind (aka "The Pickle") can join all of us soon.