MOW!

Whelp, change of plans. Instead of heading to Marsh Harbour, we ducked across to Man O War Cay instead, and now joyfully find ourselves on the dock face of some friends who have rented a charming dock house rental for the month.

Our entire crew was up earlier than usual this morning (which is what crashing out at 7pm does to us), and at 7:45am we left Treasure Cay and headed out. We had a great sail across (or so I’m told, since the girls and I were mostly below with schooling) and we arrived here around 11am, giving us plenty of time to explore the island.

Our hosts are gracious and knowledgeable, as this isn’t their first season on the island- we gained insight to family genealogy and tradesmen’s stories as we walked the “Queen’s Highway”, which is a golf cart’s-width sandy trail that runs from stem to stern on the island. We found ice cream that came in vast quantities with a scooper du vivre, emoting great embellishments with each choice our varied group made. We visited a local chicken farmer’s set up with their fat and healthy flock scratching around the sea grape roots, we marveled at the sculpture garden of one home while oohing and aahing at the artistry of the next. The kids trooped on while we adults got exercise, saw great sights, and did some provisioning to boot.

Back at the boats and dock the kids kayaked, swam, and Lily and I took an afternoon dinghy ride that introduced us to three local sea turtles and one Maine cruising family, who we saw in Green Turtle but not to speak to before today. There are so many Mainers here, there, and everywhere- second to Canadians; you’d think it was super cold up there and that they were trying to escape or something!

A potluck on shore at the house had me testing yet another pressure cooker recipe (I CANNOT expound enough on how grateful I am to Ruach for introducing me to the joys of boat pressure cooking- beef stews in 20 minutes! risotto in 6! The possibilities are literally endless, and make the boat-impossible so VERY possible..) and we gathered for a wonderful meal and even better company. Our kids were lucky enough to be serenaded afterward, a couple of them literally to sleep.

I’d like to say that I know what tomorrow will bring for a plan, or a forecast, or a goal, but…. I’d come up short. What I DO know: it’ll be Saturday, and I’ll see how well I do in tricking the girls into not recognizing it as a not-school day (I’ve been ‘teaching’ six days a week, since it’s easier to stay in a routine if we don’t fall out of it for too long), we have plenty of food stores and I have an incredible itch to be switching on the hook. Since that’s all I know… tomorrow will be as big of a surprise to me and as it may be to you. Here’s to remembering our true admiral, Gumby- stay flexible!