Well, we have become landlocked during our year of cruising...for a much longer than anticipated time! And definitely the wrong season!
We arrived home from Georgetown, Exumas 5 days before Christmas. We enjoyed seeing friends and family, and the kids loved being home for Christmas!
It was strange to be able to easily access clean filtered water from the fridge, as opposed to making or buying water!
We had planned on heading back intheNew year to resume our travels...but you know what they say about the best made plans!
Since Michael had a month long business trip come up, we choose to stay at home and wait for him to finish that.
Michaela's school welcomed her back into her gr.3 class, and she has been enjoying being back with her school friends, and being taught by a "real" teacher!
I have to say I enjoy NOT being the teacher :)
So, again, best laid plans.....we are now in a holding pattern until March break as Michael has to continue to do some further business travels.....
I am thinking though we somehow have this all wrong as we are now here for almost the entire winter! Ugh!
The kids are really enjoying their time in the snow, all their toys at home, and their friends and many activities!
But I know we will all be quite happy to get back to the sunshine, warmth and boating lifestyle..sooooon.......
That's all for now from the grey skies, and frigid temp. Of the North in winter!

Had a great Thanksgiving day, I think this is how all future Thanksgivings should be celebrated!
Threw the 7 pound turkey in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, went to the beach for the afternoon, when we got back from hanging at the Chat and Chill beach with all the other North Americans, watching football in the beach bar, and playing in the sand and surf.
Just finished the turkey, made mashed potatoes, stuffing cheater version...cranberry and pumpkin pie made the day before!
yum, Yum!
This week there has been a lot of American families here vacationing, so it has been nice at the fav. Volleyball beach, lots of kids to play with and parents to chat and chill with and have a cocktail.
Daily a couple boaters arrive here...it seems like a lot are from Canada as well.
We have been doing our school work at the beach every morning since Daddy is away. This seems better for Emerson to be able to play on the beach, while Steve watches...Michaela and I are at the picnic table doing school!

Till next time....

Having a great day at Volleyball Beach and Chat And Chill today. lots of families there today, some boaters and some from resorts, and rentals.
I was chatting with a Mom of an 8 year old girl who was playing with Michaela, and I asked how they came to vacation here.
She said she had once taught kids for a family who lived here.
I asked her if this family had a set of twins and another child...she said yes, and I told her one of my clients from my hair salon about 15 plus years ago also worked for a family like this...well it turns out that this lady knows my client, they taught at the same school in London, which is how my client came to teach this family as she took over from her in Georgetown!
Such a small small world!
Today Michael had to leave to head back to Oakville, then on further for some business....it is not the same without the Captain/Daddy on board! We will be looking forward to him coming back!
Time to tuck all cruisers into bed!
Goodnight from the turquoise waters of Georgetown!

As we were first the only boat at the Exuma marina, we have been joined in the last day or so with three others. Two of the other three boats are from Toronto...hence we have named our dock T dock.
One of the boats came with a 10 year old girl, who has now doubled our school student body!
The girls have been fishing off the docks in-between their studies, catching jacks, bee fish, and a type of parrot fish..all which will be thrown back into the ocean!
It is also very nice to be a half a block from a real (Bahamian Island style) grocery store!
One that actually has a fairly decent produce and dairy section! yEA!
Soon will be time to take our 'sundowners' ....cocktails to the beach for sun down with some of the others here.
That's all for now, from the turquoise waters of Georgetown Exuma.

What a perfect crossing from Nassau to Highborne Cay. Days like these you just want to keep on cruising!
We arrived into Highborne, dropped anchor, and went directly to the beach.
It looks a little different than last year as they have tore out all the pine trees that grew along the beautiful beach. Instead they are doing major plantings of palm trees and other ground coverings.
We had a great swim, and saw a spotted Ray gracefully cruising by.
Michaela found our first sand dollars and a perfect sea urchin...previously vacated by it's occupant.
The next morning we headed to Compass Cay, yea!
Always good to be back home in Compass!
Was a little strange though being there without our July Crew of fellow boaters....
Interesting, while we were there a TV crew from Toronto, City Tv. Was there filming for an episode of Breakfast TV! They got Michaela in the film swimming with the sharks!
Hey..anyone back in The GTA reading this, please find out when an episode on the Exumas/Bahamas will be airing and tape it for us!!!
Emerson thought it was hilarious that while petting the nurse sharks, one of the little ones pretty much looked right up at him and squirted a mouth full of water right at his face! I am pretty sure that shark was "Squirt", as all the sharks here are named, and squirt is one of them!
A visit to the swimming pigs, Iguana's, and the Exuma land and Sea park...all too short of a visit for all of us.
On our way back through we'll stay longer!
Off to Georgetown, Exuma today. Another day of calm seas, just beautiful!
Dissapointing though in arriving into Georgetown...had expected a hundred plus boats here.
And we are alone at the marina, although there are about 40 or so others moored around Elizabeth Harbour, we were hoping that everything we had read about so many cruisers congregating here would be happening.
But it seems we are early in the Season, most people start showing up into December, and stay for the winter.
Although, the last couple of years has been a much slower amount, thanks to the recession.
We will explore around, and see how long we stay, or have to wait for a weather window to head on to Turks and Caicos!
Good night from the turquoise waters of Georgetown!
After a too short of a stay

Well Tomas has blown away, leaving sunny skis, and calm seas!
So since our part has arrived, and has been successfully installed, and is in working condition......
Tomorrow we set sail to the Exumas!!

We plan to have a short day of cruising over to Highbourne Cay, it will be about a 4 hour trip....no, we don't have Gilligan, and the skipper, it won't be a 3 hour cruise!!
We are all looking forward to getting back to the turquoise waters, and Michaela has been wanting to see her friends the sharks...although we will need to get to Compass for that.....
Mojito's and conch fritters on the lido deck, as the sun set, was a great way to end our stay here on Paradise Island!
Good night from the beautiful waters of the Bahamas