This is our last few weeks in the San Blas and of our one year leave from our usual lives! Feeling bitter sweet about this journey coming to an end. No more sailing until we can make enough money to take more time off! We miss our family and friends but love the cruising life. What is a couple to do! How much money does one need to retire really? Unsure of what the future brings but we both know we want more of this! Had Randys 58th birthday- we celebrated early before Wendy and Jess left. Unfortunately I couldn’t buy him a present as there are no stores here! We snorkel on his birthday, looked at the stars of the southern sky from our vantage point near the equator, from the bow of the boat and contemplated life. Have had a few great days at Gunboat Island, snorkelling but got scared - Randy saw this shark that didn’t look like a nurse shark. We got out of the water for a day but were back in, our friends Debbie and Breeze from Blue Sky joined us and gave us courage! Spend our time reading, studying Spanish, talking a bit to the locals who come and sell us fish and lobster - though Randy is getting to be quite the spear fisherman, just enjoying life. Happiness - we both have decided we are as happy as we have ever been. Now how to keep that feeling when we go back to the insanity of our old lives, that is the question. We know being well rested, well fed, visiting with wonderful people, appreciating each other and taking good care of ourselves and each other helps. So does contemplation and connecting with the God and the universe and all its glory are some of the keys of happiness for us. It has taken us most of this time off to recover from the stresses of our work and lives. Don’t want to loose the feelings that we have now of inner contentment and peace. Love the swimming in 86 degree water. I am mesmerized by squid. They are sooo beautiful, they change color as they fly in the water over different backgrounds and interact with each other and us. Never going to eat calamari again! Randy had a up close and personal connection with a predator of the sea. I leave it for him to tell you about next blog. Our last swim on the coral was fabulous. Started with a dotted ray under our boat and included all my favorite fish on the reef a swim away from our boat in the Holandes. Clouds are breathtaking every day and because of the low lying islands we can see 360 around us! It is the beginning of rainy season so we have lightning like I have never seen before, every night. Bit scary for even a storm buff like me! Many boats get hit each year and loose their electronics. Have had 2 boats hit reefs in the last few weeks. One was destroyed, the other towed back to safety. No lives lost but realize we are living a little closer to the edge than sitting on the chesterfield at home out here! Out last day in the San Blas was interesting. While Randy went to shore to check us out with customs 3 Kuna boats with women and children came to visit me and sell me stuff! I bought from each one beads and things and gave them gifts of clothes and nail polish and make up which they loved! They hung around for a while. Unfortunately they speak Kuna and Spanish. My Spanish is still poor and Kuna non existent so I just sat on the side of the boat and listened as they chatted to each other. Just like they were going for tea at the donut shop! After a while they left, only for one boat to return as it started to rain. They wanted shelter. We got them aboard, made them supper and then sent them on their way after the rain stopped. Tomorrow on our way home! The cats are content enough but looking forward to land more than us!