Happy Belated Birthday, Kathryn! Tomorrow we leave Sint Maarten/Saint Martin for other destinations. We plan to check out of the French-side customs in the morning, stopping by to visit Mike and Sally at Shrimpy’s Laundry and Marine Services and leaving through the 2:30 French bridge opening. It’s been a great stay and we enjoyed many parts of the island. Yesterday we took another bus ride back to Philipsburg and a taxi from there to Oyster Pond. The beach on the Dutch side was long and beautiful filled with mostly tourists. If you blink, you miss the whole town. The photo of Ed is at one of the local hotels. The cabbie who took us there was named Slim Shady. When he told us his name, Ed said, “Uh Oh!” but Slim didn’t get it. He’s had that nickname for over 30 years and says most people who know him have no idea his given name. We never found out either. By the way, a special thanks to our friend and sailing mentor Terri H. who told us to be sure and take the buses around the island. We followed her suggestion and are very glad we did. Our next stop? Maybe Tintemarre tomorrow night, or we might go back to Green Cay near Orient Beach for more great snorkeling (I believe we’ll skip the naturalist beach this trip). From there we’ll probably head back to St. Barts for more exploring at Anse de Columbier. A friend and his wife from NJ will be in Antigua briefly at the end of March, so we’ll head back there and have a visit with them before continuing our journey southward. My anxiety dreams have started back after a long reprieve, undoubtedly related to the unknown journey which awaits us. But life is good and the unknown is what makes this adventure an exciting one. I need to give my dream world head’s up about that notion.

We are lovingly thinking of some of our family and friends whose lives are presenting difficult challenges back home. You are never far from our thoughts and hearts.