Saturday . . .

So, our vacation draws to a close, as all good things must do.
Another couple of days, then we head back up north.
I lugged the camera along with me on my morning walk yesterday. Up, around the north end of the cay, then back to the village.
I guess it's an area we know fairly well, having stayed there a number of times.
but no matter how often we visit, there is always something to charm . . .
I'll let the images speak for themselves.
Remember, click on one and you'll get a full screen picture, then scroll through . . .

Friday 26th. February . . .

The weather remains kind to us.
Always a little unpredictable this time of year, we've actually hit it just right.
Our balcony, from where we view our world every morning . . .

. . .overlooking the harbour. It doesn't matter what day it is, there are always yachts, some of them pretty impressive.

The other really, really pleasing thing is that wherever you look, there's colour. Such a contract to the grey and white of wintertime back home.

Our local ferry service, and the Donnie VII that calls on the island throughout the day, connecting us with Marsh Harbour. Not the kind of ferry we have in Canada, or UK for that matter.

Streets in the village, or beaches . . . almost deserted. It's going to be a grand adjustment, adjusting to the usual traffic mess back home.

This last image above, the street that runs up beside our house!

No matter where you walk, because spring is here and there has been sufficient rain to encourage it, flowers bloom.

Back to our balcony, and evening comes. The sun sinks in the west, setting the harbour asparkle with bouncing diamonds.

Wednesday 24th . . .

One of the more pleasing aspects of life in the village is the ability of walking down the main street without fear of being run over. Traffic comprises golf carts and bicycles. When they approach you from behind, there's invariably a friendly word of warning . . . . aimed to help those more hard of hearing I guess . . .

Finally got the bar-b-q operation under control. Having used a gas bbq for so long back home, it's been a quick learning curve to master the technique of real, live charcoal again. But even there, technological advances. You can now buy bags of starter infused briquettes! How's that for convenience. This night, it was rack-of-lamb, baked potatoes and grilled aubergine! That's not exactly roughing it!

Local entertainment isn't too shabby either. This last weekend saw the close of a week long round of country singer/songwriters in from Nashville. Not big rock concert venues, but small, local bars and restaurants. Enormous talent, and for us, a good lunch and great afternoon entertainment, even if we're not 'country' fans!

Our 'landlords', Chris and Lisa. Ex-pat Americans, he's a house builder and she an interior decorator. Lovely couple, they'd invited us to join them at the concert, then took us to view their show-house, the first of multiple homes they're building on a tract of land overlooking both sides of the island at the south end. Check out bytheseabahamas.com

Warm days, cool nights. When we arrived three weeks ago, it was a new moon. Now full again . . .

Friday . . . another perfect day.

It seems we've attracted some regular visitors each morning. The doves are less timid than the mockingbird, but all seem to like crumbs from Vernon's bread. The mockingbird is a true delight. Always ready to perch on the telephone pole across from the balcony and sing his heart out.

Just can't stay away from the beach . . . .

And of course, bar-b-q. Something we don't normally do in the middle of February, mostly coz it's buried . . .

. . .back home!

Wednesday morning, 17th.

Just back from a long beach walk.
Elbow Cay is a long, skinny spit of land, set, like all of the Bahamas in the Atlantic Ocean. That was a surprise to me, I'd always thought it was the Caribbean. But no, the Atlantic.
Wihch would in a way explain the topography of the water surrounding us.
There is the Sea of Abaco side, relatively calm and shallow, mostly a sandy bottom with large expanses of coral, all easily viewed from over the side of a boat. One of the best diving spots in the world.
The Atlantic side is a completely different kettle of fish. Always a swell, sometimes really rough, breakers rolling in constantly, and reefs out from shore as far as you can see. Not ideal for boating, and many a vessel has come to grief.
But beaches . . . miles of them, great for walking, for a pedicure, or simply finding a spot out of the wind to contemplate life. Where else in the world can you do this . . .

If you happen to be a wind surfer, like our neighbour and owner of the house we're renting, there's no chance of a collision. He has the surf all to himself.

I'm guessing this is the kind of sport a certain nephew of ours would revel in . . . .

A couple of cool days . . . .

The last couple of days have seen a cold front blow through, and blow it did. Not so conducive for beach walking or sunbathing . . well, there was none.
But it seems to have blown itself out, and the weekend promises to be back up into the 20s.
Down to minus 20 tomorrow back home, so we hear . . .

day's end

I guess it's only when you have a broad horizon, no light pollution, clean air and a sufficiently uncluttered mind to indulge in the overwhelming pleasure of the end of the day.
This island treats us to a different sundown every evening, today being particularly spectacular, from our veranda overlooking the harbour. Makes one ponder just how lucky we are to be on this earth, and share in its magic.

Almost Biblical.

'til the going down of the sun . . . .