average day in paradise

Kellie's Comments--So I know you all think we're just lolling around drinking coconut drinks on the beach, taking tours and getting tan. Well that's only in the afternoons, the mornings are chore time. Ha Ha :) Wednesday was supposed to be our "get ready to go to sea" day, but it's just so hot and we are a bit tired so we did not do much of anything. There is no real rush to leave since the kids are loving this anchorage. They have the freedom to swim to the beach and back without us here. We're anchored in so close and it's so protected that we have decided to give them that liberty. All 4 kids are having a blast and it gives the grown ups some break time too. We're working on laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, one last internet check and filling the water tanks. Getting water here involves filling up every bucket and bin that we have, transporting them in the dinghy and pumping it into our tanks. The quay (wharf) has faucets that we hook up our hose and filter to and fill the containers. Pete can haul about 40 gallons at a time. All the boats in the anchorage are now full.

I'm also on a not so successful mission to get the school year over with. It's been tortuous for all of us and we've a month left. I'm trying to go a bit faster and just get it done. This morning had both Ellie and I in tears, so I'm not sure what to do. I've considered taking a break, quitting, forcing it, etc. I've tried all of the above, including bribes, consequences and different discipline. She has good skill in math and reading, her spelling and writing are struggling. They are getting great natural science, geography and languages on the trip, so hopefully all is not lost.

We have made the acquaintance of a French man who lives here. He is generous with the fruit from his garden and has given us pointers as to how to improve our experience here. He swims everyday in the bay and stops by to say hello. Tomorrow morning early, Pete is going back to help him clear his property again. It's a nice feeling to be meeting people in a local community, as we usually only socialize with cruisers.

----------------WE INTERRUPT THIS MESSAGE FOR A JELLO EMERGENCY--------------------------------------

(Background info--I'm baking muffins and making finger jello so we have some treats for our passage) Here is what just happened. I stepped into the bathroom for a moment and when I came out, the timer was going off for the muffins. Now, jello is a very difficult thing to make on a boat. Not only is my refrigerator top loading so I have no shelves to put warm jello on, but jello won't solidify on the counter because it's too hot. It also doesn't like to set because the boat is always moving. So I had the brilliant idea to un-gimble the stove, which means it swings freely with the motion of the boat, and set the jello on top. I figure it will not slosh so much if the stove stays level and it can partially set before I attempt to balance it precariously in my fridge. However, as I took the last batch of muffins out of the oven, I forgot that the stove was not locked and as I pulled the oven door open I also pulled the oven forward slashing about 2 cups of strawberry jello all over the galley. My hands are now stained red and I have a feeling that I will be finding small sticky red spots in various places for the next few days.

That my friends is boat life today, rather than coconut drinks in the shade. Next I'll be hauling bucket of laundry to the quay to rinse then in the fresh water. I'll wear my bathing suit and have a shower, cool off all at the same time. Then hopefully I'll take my chair and my book to the beach late this afternoon for a much deserved break.