This afternoon we both returned to Leu Cat for a few hours in preparation of sailing to Saint Thomas tomorrow. Our wonderful time with Rick and Bret is rapidly coming to an end. Time here has flown and not one of the four of us can tell you where it went. We have become part of their family and they have become part of ours. They have been so warm, kind and generous. Tomorrow will be like saying good bye to family as we leave to sail over to St. Thomas so we can pick up our good friends, Porta and Steve, who will be with us on Leu Cat for two weeks. However, tomorrow our good bye will be more like a brief farewell as we hope to return St. Croix to take Portia and Steve to the many dive sites that dot the reefs which surround the island. Rick has said that he would like to go diving with them and that he has a friend who is an owner of a dive company that can take them to the various spots. I have hopes that my back will be healed enough so that I too can go into the water.

While on Leu Cat this afternoon, Mary Margaret slaved away cleaning the guest side of the boat. There are two bathrooms on that side and each one received a major scrubbing. She also prepared the main guest suite. While she worked inside, I did some sanding on the starboard hull, smoothing out the gel coat that I applied yesterday, filling a couple of dings that were there. I also puttered around some with the engines, just killing time, as Mary Margaret bore the greatest burden of work today.

Afterwards, we returned to Rick and Bret's estate, armed with a couple of Ben and Jerry pints of rich ice cream. As we eased down in the sofa of our cottage, we dug in and enjoyed the ice-cold yumminess. The A/C was turned on, as was the TV, and we settled down to rest and relax during the rest of the afternoon. We would have gone into Rick and Bret's house to share the ice cream and time with them but we knew that today was a work day for them and did not wish to bother them.

Around 1730 we repaired to their house and was greeted warmly and offered some delicious red wine while Rick put his mustard and garlic coated pork tenderloin onto the grill. Paired with grilled sweet potatoes and asparagus, he made a meal fit for a king. I will post a photo of my plate, heaped full, so you can visually enjoy what our tummies did. The meal was made complete with the second of Mary Margaret's berry pie topped with vanilla ice cream.

Once again, we stayed at the dinner table well into the evening, enjoying the time conversing amongst ourselves. Time just passes by so quick with Rick and Bret.