I'm proud to say that we've made some really wonderful cruising friends and I've made some great hiking partners along the way too! Carol, of S/V Sweet Caroline, has been hiking with me a lot lately. Carol is fun...we giggle a lot! We are both shutter bugs, so it's a steady, stop and start excursion getting nowhere fast! We chat, we hike, we shoot and that goes on for hours as often as we can. We decide the day before who's driving and doing the pickup. Whoever drives detaches their dingy from it's chains that bind it each night and all that's related to 'dink' duty. After slathering thick slabs of sunscreen for the another day in the blazing sun, packing our packs with plenty of water, cameras, hats and stowing our walking sticks so they don't 'jump' out of the dink when I'm driving and getting that teeny rubber boat on a plane...then we're off.

Today is a trip to the windward side where we should be able to see Sandy Island! The people are so friendly and they teach their children to be welcoming, respectful and kind also. They tell us almost everywhere how grateful they are that cruisers help to support their businesses, buy their veggies they grow, pay them to do our laundry, hire the tradesman to help with our repairs or parts. The beauty of sailing aruond these islands is that they all have survived from the sea and still support their families from the bounty of the oceans surrounding them. Consequently, we have been blessed to meet and hire many nautical craftsman.

I'm still not believing we are heading south again! Pinch me! It's fun to have friends we've nurtured travel with us...and it's that time of year when every cruiser joins the caravan heading to 12 degrees lattitude and further to Trinidad or Venezuela and beyond. Grenada lies at the lattitude marine insurance companies agree to cover damages if you are within the 'hurricane safe' box. We've sat at anchor and just watched the parade going south. We'll be right behind ya, to the dismay of my man. He truly believes this is the best time to be sailing around these windy isles not tucked away in some 'safe' place waiting out the best winds of the year.

Dudley and Bec