We tried to do as many things as we could without feeling rushed during Mary Jean’s last two days in the Bahamas - and I think we got the balance about right.

The wind came up as predicted on Friday night, so by the time we rose on Saturday it was a very windy anchorage and we were glad to be here in Thompson Bay. We had stopped far out on Friday night to avoid close encounters with anchored boats in the dark and at first we thought we’d stay there. One dinghy ride in to Fox’s wharf changed our minds though! Distances are so deceiving - it looked like we were just as close as we would be if we were further into the corner, but it was a long wet ride. After shopping for fish and produce, we moved almost half a nautical mile further in and found ourselves a nice little spot just deep enough (6.5 ft at low tide - we draw almost 6), well into shore and out of the worst of the waves.

The shopping and conversations were excellent on that first trip ashore. Roger Fox and his son Chris were busy cleaning the catch from Roger’s fishing trip to the Jumentos. “Small Change” was tied alongside and the coolers around the fish cleaning table on the dock were filled with grouper and hogfish, conch and lobster tails. We bought filets of hogfish and grouper as well as a goodly number of lobster tails. ($7 per pound for the fish; $11 per pound for the tails - and because you aren’t getting the whole lobster, there’s little waste.) Roger kept our purchase on ice while we walked up the road to the “rock pile” where the small Farmer’s Market was in progress (second and last Saturday of the month - I don’t know what time it started but we were there about 10:30) Here we filled our bags with plantain, Bahamian sweet potatoes (red on the outside, white on the inside), yams, cassava, plantains, bananas and papayas from two different gentlemen. A lady at another table was selling sparkling white sea salt and bottles of home made hot sauce. We got some of each. Next stop was the Hillside grocery store where we replenished our supply of limes and yogurt and then it was time to hurry back to Madcap to shift some of this food from bags to stomachs!

I steamed some lobster tails in sea water, melted fresh Irish butter with a bit of garlic, sauteed a couple of sliced plantains, scooped out sweet chunks of papaya, and we sat down to a lunchtime feast from land and sea. Ooooh gooooood!

We hadn’t been able to reach Alton Fox so we arranged to rent a car from Stanley Pinder starting at 2 o’clock on Saturday. He met us at the dock and we drove him back to his home up in Millers before continuing north in search of straw work. Mario, at the Blue Chip restaurant in Simms directed us to Pearl, Elsie and Jelelah - “Go past all the churches, go around the corner and turn right.” Pearl was just braiding her hair as she got ready to go to a church convention in Nassau the next day but she opened her tiny grocery store/straw shop for us, and I bought two of the lovely fish shaped straw placemats that seem to be a Long Island trademark and Mary Jean bought a rustic basket. She told us that Elsie’s shop was a block farther along (a block? on a little rural dirt road?) but after we drove a piece, questioned a woman out for a walk, turned and came back, we found it right next door! I parted with a little more money here - on a big bag that I’ll probably use for knitting supplies. Next stop was her sister-in-law, Jelelah. She had the biggest selection of hats, bags and baskets, the highest prices - although all were very fair and negotiable - and Mary Jean purchased two lovely baskets: one woven and one of a different style from what I’ve seen before - round, tall and stitched from plaited silvertop fronds with a knotted loop for hanging or carrying.

It was beach time then and despite hearing from several locals that we could not drive to a beach on the Atlantic side up here, we took a paved road from Millers, parked where it became pot-holed gravel near the end, and walked down the hill, up over the dune and onto a ruggedly beautiful beach. The NE wind was roaring, making it too chilly to swim, and the huge reef smashed shells and even plastic to bits, but Jim found several sea hearts and a hamburger bean, Mary Jean and I picked through bits of shell and we all had a good walk, listening to the roar of the surf and feeling awed at the ruggedness of the coastline here.

We drove out the road by the Chez Pierre sign and it did not appear to be in business anymore - despite the sign at the end of the road, there was no sign at the big house by the beach that we figured must be the place. We did find goats though! A great herd of them went trotting by at a good clip as Mary Jean and I walked down a lane toward them. We laughed at one little guy who got left behind by the herd. He seemed unconcerned at first and then as he saw us, he looked around, saw none of his family and started the most pitiful bleating. We stood still and watched as, “baaa-baaa-baaaing” away, he moved slowly past us and then broke into a run as he reached the edge of the scrub. We never did hear an answer from the herd, but he must have known how to find them. Hmmmm - just like two legged kids, some goats move according to their own timetables!

Back at the Blue Chip in time for dinner, we were the only boaters and Mario sat us down in the little room just off the main dining area. Before serving us platters of grouper, conch, peas’n’rice, potato salad and coleslaw, Mario chatted about the old days when each home had goats and chickens and grew plentiful vegetables. He knew Dr Cottman (Out Island Doctor) and worked on the mailboats for many years. He said the farming done now is subsistence farming and that times are tough.

He appears to be right - we hear over and over again about how projects don’t get finished, trips don’t get taken, hopes and dreams are dashed or delayed because of “insufficient funds”. But despite shakes of the head or rueful laughter, these hardy folks continue on - growing a few things in their backyard gardens, going fishing, renting cars, serving beer and dinner, making straw hats and bags, tending tiny stores with shelves of rice and beans and canned milk and viennese sausages and fridges stocked with sodas and water. There is always a smile, a wave, time for a “How are you doing?” Every settlement has 2 or 3 or 4 churches and a domino table can always be found under a shady tree. After dinner at the Blue Chip, we joined in the conversation with the folks gathered around the bar: a man here for his brother’s funeral this afternoon, a friendly fisherman who had been propping up the corner of the bar since we were here in the afternoon, a fellow from Deadman’s Cay who had lived away for a number of years and was happy to be back home. I smiled as he told me that his “Mummy has 89 years and Daddy has 91.” Good genes there!

On Sunday morning, we loaded Mary Jean’s things into the dinghy for one last ride - a dry one!! - piled into the car and went in search of one more beach to walk. We drove out the Indian Hole Point road to the site of the sweet little Parrots of the Caribbean Bar that we had visited 3 years ago. We’d been told it isn’t open any more and that’s what we found. The 2 colourful cottages still look rentable though - with chairs on the porches and kayaks at the ready.

From there we moved on up the island, ending up following our stomachs to a beach with a restaurant. The bright yellow building sitting right by the road on the beach at Deals is part of the Beach Bungalows operation, run by a Canadian, John Misner, and staffed by Letta - a witty, chatty Bahamian woman who says she has never met a rude Canadian. We sure hope we can all keep up that reputation. Lunch was delicious - fish fingers made from snapper - moist, light, tender - and a cheeseburger for Jim. We were able to see our first footage of the devastation in Japan on the 2 big screen TVs. While we have been listening to reports on CBC radio, being able to see the pictures was really helpful in understanding the scale of damage. John came in while we were there so we were able to chat with him as well. He has been travelling these islands for 30 years and Long Island is where he decided to develop some businesses. He is planning to put in a long dock and some mooring balls here so this will be a place to watch. His website is: www.beachbungalowsbahamas.com

And then it was time to head for the Stella Maris airport again. It seems hardly possible that 10 days have passed since we were here to meet Mary Jean’s plane. It was a busy place today. Two Pineapple air flights left, one after the other at 2:30, and we waved good bye to Doug and Claire as they boarded one of them. Folks who had been here for the funeral yesterday were leaving, and so were a number of church ladies, bound for the convention of the Prophecy of God in Nassau. The turn around time is quick with these planes. They touch down, the door opens, people descend while bags are removed from a hatch in the rear, more people climb the steps and luggage is loaded, the door closes, the propellers whirl and they are off again all within minutes.

There was a charming moment as Mary Jean’s Southern Air flight prepared to depart. A young woman and her son had come in on the flight and were waiting for their ride. Just as the plane started to taxi away, she realized that she had left her computer bag on board. As she came running to the fence, the pilot saw her and slowed. The propellers wound down, the door opened, the steps came down and one of the ground crew went forward to speak to the flight attendant. The bag was handed out, and the departure process started again. The delay was only minutes and a relieved and happy woman waved her thanks.

Jim and I headed back to Thompson Bay, stopping to pick up Mr Pinder in Millers. He dropped us off at the beach where we had left the dinghy, and we arrived home at Madcap just in time to tidy the cockpit and pour a glass of wine - ready to welcome Valerie and Graham (Bonnie Lass) for Happy Hour. What a delight to see these two again! We spent many days rafted together at Vero Beach, and arrived at Great Sale Cay on the same day. Our last sighting of them was when they left Green Turtle Cay and we had so much to catch up on. They were perfect companions to cover that “empty boat” feeling just after company has left. The time changed today to Daylight Savings Time so we had a lovely long evening in which to share stories and laughs - and oh, Valerie’s laugh is positively infectious.

I had thought I would do laundry today (Monday), but no such luck. Mike, at Island Breeze, said laundry is not available until tomorrow and wouldn’t even start a list today, so I’ll have to get on the radio just as soon as I get a chance so I can get my loads of sheets and towels and salty clothes taken care of. We’ll refill the guest cabin aka garage with the items that have been stashed in every other nook and cranny, Jim will ferry Jerry cans of fuel and water back and forth, and we will pay some attention to the rest of the "boat jobs" that we happily ignored while we had company. I will finally make it to a wifi spot to get this and 4 other postings up, too. I’ve been writing, but have had no opportunity to post them - so scroll back if you have the time and inclination to find out what we’ve been up to!

Because we can’t get propane until Wednesday - and we have a number of items requiring internet connection to take care of - we will probably leave here on Thursday for the Jumentos. There will be no phone or email (except for sailmail) then until we get to Ragged Island so, just like the last week, it will be a dry spell for communication.