December 29, 2011

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Morning once again began with the aroma of perking coffee as boaters filled the radio with chatter of their experiences through the night.  There is a very shallow area that can actually reveal sand if the tide is not watched.  Last night’s tide did just that, grounding a catamaran. It was now in about 5 feet of water, waiting for a bit more incoming tide to escape the purest white bottom below them.  There are advantages of a catamaran going high and dry compared to a sail boat...they don’t lean over, so life can go on as usual except, no water to float on.  The sun is shining except we are on the other side of the clouds giving us plenty of shade.  Fred wants to go to Mac Duffs for lunch and then we will explore a bit.  Whatever we do, I know it will be a treat!  We are on no timeline, something I am not used to but quickly liking it.  I don’t miss the hustle and bustle of the life I left behind for 6 months.  I do miss my family and friends though and think of them often.  I am not worried about that though, as I am certain this is all part of God’s plan for me.  Life is so precious.  I find myself dreaming into the horizon, wondering what I have done to deserve such an amazing opportunity as this, yearning to share this with everyone in my life, and more.  The luxury of this simple life is knowing it is a special experience and not taking one second of it for granted as this privilege draws me in deeper and deeper.

The sun appeared briefly but we decided to weather it out anyway and head for shore.  It was amazing how pretty this island is from the water and when one actually steps on it and hikes a few feet, it is evident people are so careless about the pristine innocence this island once was.  There are no trash facilities and it’s no wonder the locals prefer the travelers to stay South on the island.  Trash was everywhere, not visible unless you actually take a walk.  The amount of trash washed up on the beach was sad.  I wanted to start picking up but it would have been an impossible task.  It would take an army to clean up this island.  We walked down the road until we came to the king of the island trash pile.  Fred actually needed a piece of PVC pipe to do a hause pipe repair in the anchor locker which took in some water and soaked the cushions in the V Berth.  Lo and behold, there it was, waiting for us to claim.  A few steps later we were through the  heap of forgotten treasurers looking upon the beautiful beach.  Once again, it was full of treasures from the sea.  I wanted to take everything, knowing I couldn’t.  I was looking for things that were different from what I find on the beached of North Carolina but there was one small problem.  Everything was different.  Including the sand texture.  I love to collect washed up sea fans which resemble a tree on a small base although through the trip to shore, lost all of it’s webbing.  For the first time, I found one with webbing.  It was huge.  Too big to take back with me so I laid it on the sand and took a picture of it, leaving it behind.  Sponges of all sorts and sizes dotted the beach here and there.  Coral was plentiful.  I have discovered a few different species of coral and intend to look them up to see what they are.  The sand dollars here and the same as in NC but I couldn’t resist taking a few.  Conch shells were all over the place on the harbor side.  No one can really say a beach is a beach is a beach!  Not after they have been here.  We arrived at the beginning of the air strip long and lonely.  Only small planes can land here.  The only thing here are some private homes and Mac Duff’s and the airport, if you want to call it that.  I couldn’t imagine why anyone would fly here unless they lived here and worked somewhere else.  Mac Duff’s is a bar and grill that has a simple menu.  Hamburger, Cheeseburger , Fish sandwich , Fish wrap, Chicken sandwich, Chicken wrap, chicken fingers, salad and fries.  That’s it.  No menu per se.  I had a cheeseburger & Fries and a coke.  Fred had a fish sandwich, fries and 2 coked.  Total bill…$42.00.  The only thing modern about this place was the flat screen TV, which was out of place,  Wooden planked floors you could see the sand under through the cracks, corrugated plastic roofing, eclectic island decorations on the tables, none of which matched.  No windows, just large openings with screens to give panoramic views from every vantage point.  We were greeted by Salt, the friendly welcoming committee.  We brought our laptops to send info we had stored up but the last storm here on the island knocked out the tower so there was no internet.  As we were just finishing out yummy lunch, people started to stream in soak and wet.  Conversations were flowing and people having a great time.  What a great place to be stranded in during a rare rain storm here.  It did let up and we decided to make a run for it.  The dinghy was .07 mile “down the road a bit”.  The Road was paved here and there bordered with small trees and scrubby bushes.  There were a few abandoned homes here and there and it started pouring again.  We made it to the dingy soak and wet trying our best to find cover for the computers which were in the backpack.  They made it...dry and okay.  Tomorrow we are planning to go to Shroud Cay.  I am glad we stayed here for an extra day, rain and all!  Rain is rare here so I feel blessed to have witnessed such a rarity.