Birthday in a storm
Lynn & Mike ..around the world
Mike Drinkrow & Lynn v/d Hoven
Mon 26 Apr 2010 21:49
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26:55.52N 077:47.67W
Fox Town, Little Abaco Island Today is my birthday and I had a very rude awakening from
a heavy squall with 50+ km/h winds & lots of rain! We were
expecting some bad weather and took shelter off Fox Town, a small
settlement on Little Abaco. The weather has been worse than expected, with few
boats in the surrounding area dragging their anchors. Two that we know of, have
run aground seriously.. Mike & Doug have been over to them today and on the
high tide this evening will attempt to drag a 50ft yacht off the sandbank with
Doug's boat. Isla Mia is a big modified fishing boat with a powerful diesel
engine.
Before all this drama, we were quietly enjoying the north
western outer islands of the Abacos. We met up with Isla Mia at Allan's
Pensacola where we had spent time with them last year. We had some glorious
days, which the guys put to good use - fishing and diving - and filling up the
freezer with Grouper and Snapper. We also did a fair amount of beach combing
which is always interesting. While Mike looks for something washed off a boat
e.g. buoys, line, bits of wood & plastic, I take a more natural route,
hunting for coconuts, interesting shells and sea creatures. On Saturday I saw
the most amazing sight - lots of smallish blue crabs mating. The male literally
covers the female, whose shell at this time is soft - protecting her with his
body, and so they stay locked together, moving around as one - until their
business is complete. (No idea how long that takes) On Crab Cay we found a good
stock of coconuts, and in true "survivor TV" mode, smacked them open with a
panga (machete) and ate the flesh on the beach.
 Back to my birthday.. last night we went to shore for a
birthday meal in a local 'restaurant' ..I use the term restaurant very loosely
..more like a dining hall off a fishing dock bar. We enjoyed some local fair
cooked by the owner's wife Judy - cracked conch with some sides, including 'peas
and rice' - which is actually beans and rice? All this accompanied by a
lovely cold bottle of champagne that I brought from Florida - served in plastic
cups! It was an early evening ...but finished off with some chocolate cake that
I baked earlier in the day.
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