Slow Boat to China?

Okay, so I admit that the mailboat has been less than reliable lately. What do you expect? It is the subtropics. You're lucky there is a boat! So what has been going on during this slow boat to China phase of my blog? So many things! The house on the mainland is still not repaired. This is a major gripe for me and for hubby. Add to that the fact that the workmen have damaged and stolen things, and we are so not happy. Happily, however, things on the island are just swell. Aside from a Christmas unapologetically stolen by Cuban migrants, things have been going rather well. I am getting out and about on the boats more lately, due to the unusually calm weather and a sudden reduction in panic on my part about damaging something. I'm getting a bit more confident with it now. Just need a little more work on the slip docking maneuvers. After today's oh so dramatic dinghy rescue, I returned to the dock and just couldn't get it quite straight in the slip. Thankfully, the boss came out and helped. He assures me I am doing well for someone who is still learning. As always, I am harder on myself than I perhaps need to be.

I have been asked this evening if we are getting together. I was puzzled for a moment, and then I realized that this is New Year's Eve. Forgot about that. Holidays, weekends - they have little meaning down here. You just gotta take the day as it comes. I found out from the Christmas fiasco that planning on any special day is just likely to end in disappointment. I have been told that there are a couple of bottles of champagne hanging about waiting for someone to drink them, so we are thinking of an early celebration. We can't stay up until midnight, as we are likely to have 3 a.m. visitors from the south again. Got to get to bed. Anyhow, I'm sure it will be be, like so many things on these islands, special in its own way.

Happy New Year to all, and I hope that 2006 will bring you lots of great things.

I'm baaack!

Okay, so Wilma did not blow us off the planet, but she sure as heck tried. Things have been a bit crazy since then and limited internet access, so sorry for the delay. Our house on the mainland sustained some damage, so hubby is out here on the island with me until it's livable again. We don't know when that will be. The other houses in our community have utilities again and those folks are back in, but we got the worst damage and are still without power, water, or sewer - or a ceiling. Today we get back off island again, so we will be spending Thanksgiving going up to check on our place and see if the recent rains have done anything bad. That's about it for now!

Zzzzz...

Okay - any day now, Wilma dear. So we're done...and now we wait. Boards up. Boats outta the water and tied down - taped up all to heck with packing tape to save the electronics. Buoys retrieved. Benches and tables flipped. Signs secured. Loose bricks kicked (into the moat). Plants inside. Patio furniture shoved into alcoves. Drip-catching buckets and coolers in place. Radios, flashlights, and go-bags at the ready. Foul weather gear by the door.

Hurricane stalled.

So it was gonna be today, then Saturday, now maybe Monday. Wilma just can't make up her mind when she's going to come visit us, and just how angry she's going to be when she finally gets here. At this point we might get just a little squall. Now we pretty much just pass the time - work out, read, watch umpteen movies, sleep while we can get it - eat :(.

Just waiting...

Wiiiiiiiilmaaaaaa!

Why can't I get the image of Fred Flintstone out of my head? Hmm...

Well, last night we had the nearest thing to a hurricane party we're going to manage out here. Lots to do. It was a nice potluck supper and we had a good time and watched the Weather Channel for a bit. On the way back to my quarters I nearly tripped over a tulip conch that was meandering across the walkway. Almost every shell on this island is mobile, seems like. There are hermit crabs everywhere! One of the things I did today as part of the preparations was to go out and flip over all of the picnic tables that aren't chained down. That decreases their ability to run away during a storm. I think I got a little insight into the mind of Godzilla with that task. It was great! Talk about getting out some aggression. Small villages beware! Spent some more time putting up plywood and dragging benches and stuff inside. We're pretty well-prepared for a big blow here, as most of the stuff was still in place from the previous storms. I am happy to know that we are ahead of schedule. There will be plenty of work to do afterward, so we can all save some energy. Soo...now we just wait and see what Wilma will do.

Another Fine Day

Calm today, and nice. It got a little warm in the afternoon, but the breeze finally kicked in and provided some relief. This is nothing compared to how summer will be. We are, after all, in the subtropics. Today's points of interest: two giant starfish back in the moat, a big barracuda with a little mini me barracuda alongside it, a surfacing sea turtle this morning, and some big rays out jumping in the harbor. Salty Dog came over on the ferry and we had fun with her chasing sticks around for a bit. I distract her, for some reason. She gets all excited when I come around. Her owner, Captain Rick, says she thinks I'm another woman who used to work here that played with her all the time. Who knows. Dogs just seem to like me anyway. The goliath grouper didn't make a big appearance at the dock today. Just the tiny one, weighing in at about 100 lbs. It's the six-footer that's the real star of the show. The grocery order comes in tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to fresh sandwich stuff and some Cokes. Everybody needs a little treat now and then, right?

A Quiet Sunday

Quiet day today. I did get out on the boat for a bit and took a spin across to the next lighthouse over. I nearly lost my hat, but thankfully it blew downward into the boat. The wind kept it plastered to the floor until I was able to climb astern and grab it. The seas have been a little rough and windy the past couple of days, but this morning there was a lovely calm that let the water get clear enough for decent snorkeling. Though the folks who came across on the ferry said they did not see many fish, I think they still had a better time of it than the previous two trips did.

Another lighthouse day...

Seems like that lighthouse is going to figure strongly in my time here, and I can't complain about that. Today I took a young couple up for a special occasion: a marriage proposal. The light is normally closed to the public, but how could I say no to that? They went out on the railing while their friends and I waited below. Not wanting to intrude on their private moment, I carefully surveyed the ocean for a few moments until I heard their friends start to clap and cheer. The young lady was quite surprised and quite happy. It was so neat to watch another couple embark on the same journey that I just recently undertook myself - that mysterious transformation from boyfriend/girlfriend, to being engaged, to being married. It was definitely a bright spot in my day, but I did miss my husband on the mainland. Only a few more days to go and I will be back on that boat heading for my sweetie. Though I love it here, it will be nice to be back together for a few days before I return to the island for another stint. Ah, love...

Wild Occupation

Today I cleaned the harbor light - yep, a lighthouse. Sometimes I wonder if it's all real. Hard to believe I am actually on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean cleaning the windows on a lighthouse. I kept thinking the whole time of a line from The Wino and I Know by Jimmy Buffett, "It's just a strange situation, a wild occupation, livin' my life like a song." It's like being a character in some song or novel, except this is me, and this is actually my real life. Crazy. I love it out here in the ocean. It's so peaceful and remote. I just keep wondering what other adventures each day will bring.

Soon

The move is now about a week away: September 19. I'm looking forward to it - starting to get a little cool in the evenings and mornings here. I'll be glad to get to the land of endless summer, hurricanes or no. Time to buy those boat shoes.

The beginning

I never thought I'd have a blog. Seems like a lot of trouble, really, and perhaps a little narcissistic. I've never been able to commit to keeping a journal, so we'll see just how long this lasts. It's the same sort of thing, really. The difference is that now my mental ramblings will be available all over the world with the click of a button. Not sure I like the idea, but there are people out there with whom I would like to keep in touch. Hoping this will help in that capacity. Hmm. Well, here goes.