Day 159, Year 10: Missions Accomplished
Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Weather: Sunny and Beautiful, Winds SW 10
Location: Anchored at Big Majors (near Staniel Cay), Exumas

All missions were accomplished today. Mark made it back from Fort Lauderdale (more about that in a minute) and Kevin, Claire, and I had a great day visiting the pigs on the beach again and snorkeling in Thunderball Grotto. It was even better the second time for me and Kevin and Claire loved it. After snorkeling in the cave, we went up the creek to the airport to pick Mark up. We found out the plane was going to be late, so Kevin and Claire took my shopping list and walked to the store to do the food shopping. After Mark’s flight arrived, we hopped in the dinghy and went to meet Kevin and Claire at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club. When we got there Claire was on the dock watching the fishermen come in with their catch of lobsters and fish. They were taking the legs off the lobster and throwing them into the water for the sharks to enjoy. Claire realized that the legs are actually of a substantial size and would make a great appetizer. So she asked the fisherman if she could have the legs from three lobsters. He gave Claire the lobsters at no charge as it was just less food for the sharks. If we had known just how good those lobster legs were going be, we would have gone back asked for more. But the legs from the three lobsters made a fabulous pre-dinner treat. It was certainly good thinking on Claire’s part.

And now for Mark’s mission. It was not as easily accomplished as we had hoped. His flight to Fort Lauderdale arrived late and in a completely different part of the Executive Airport than we had anticipated. There was no bus stop anywhere near where he landed so he had to call a taxi to take him to the Tri-Rail train station. He was an hour later than expected, but he had called my sister-in-law Sue to let her know. The rest of the evening went fine. Brad picked him up at the train station in Boynton Beach and Sue had a cabbage and corn beef dinner waiting for him. But today did not go so smoothly. Brad took Mark to the hospital and they arrived almost an hour early. But even with the head start, Mark finished up an hour later than expected. The hospital did not have him scheduled for a treatment today. They still had him down for the 11 am appointment this Friday that it took us four days to change before we left Coconut Grove. And evidently the four days of phone calls and assurances that the appointment had been changed to today were not as successful as we thought. After almost two hours of dealing with this mix-up, they finally started the infusion. But this delay cut into the time that Mark would have after the treatment to go to West Marine to pick up the items we needed. Brad was a great help and went to the West Marine while Mark was at the hospital to make sure they had the items needed. Even though they didn’t leave the hospital until after 11, Brad still got Mark to West Marine and then back to the Executive Airport before the required 12 noon check-in time. Thank you, thank you, Brad and Sue. You have been so helpful to us this winter and we really appreciate it. Mark’s flight left Fort Lauderdale on time but was late arriving here. But at least Mark made it and we now have running water on the boat again thanks to the new pump from West Marine. Once again, I guess all is well that ends wells.

Tomorrow Windbird and Constance will head north a few miles to Cambridge Cay. We had hoped that Sea Turtle would be going with us, but they have decided to go back to Black Point until we return. After Cambridge Cay, we will go a bit further north into the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park to check out the snorkeling spots and land walks. We return here on Monday as Kevin and Claire leave on Tuesday morning. After they leave and we do the final provisioning for our last two weeks of fun in the Bahamian sun, we will return to the Park to continue exploring.

I’m elated to be able to end this email with some really good news. My brother-in-law Joe is out of the hospital and is feeling great. I’m not sure of all the details, but the heart issue he has been having has been resolved. Patsy and Joe, can’t wait to see you later in April when we return to Little River.

150318 Day 159 Bahamas–Pig Beach, Thunderball Grotto, Sharks & Lobsters