Today was a 'get 'er done' day. Amy has gone back to Free Spirit and I cleaned the fore berths. It was clean your room day, laundry day, fix the spinnaker halyard day, clean the water line day, and scrub the bottom day. Amy swam across the anchorage to clean half the bottom. Whatta peach, huh? We're planning on doing some sewing projects later this evening. Dad's designed a console cover for me to bring to life. I sew about as well as fourth grader so this should be interesting.

Yesterday was one to put in the unique experience bank. We were invited to join Russell on his catamaran to meet up with Angel, a charming local woman. She makes and distributes black pearls to Tahiti. We followed her and her family in a skiff to a house on stilts in the middle of a coral reef. She demonstrated the whole process of pearl farming. We learned about everything from planting round shaped shells that look like bb's in the oyster, harvesting the oysters on lines strung between buoys, to determining pearl quality by color, shape, size, and luster. We were generously given some 'keshies' which are funky shaped pearl rejects. Personally, I think they're more appealing than the perfect ones that go on to the market. Angel told me that they often affectionately call little girls 'keshie'-beautiful pearls that aren't perfect. Kinda sounds like Cassie with a lisp. Ha!

We are going to hang here in Ahe for the next few days and give Sora some more love and affection. Then off to Apataki or/then Rangiroa, then Papa 'ete.

Tra-la, Tra-la

Cheers to those who know the art of sew, Keshie