Beautiful Sunshine
Yesterday was an exceptionally beautiful day, and by the looks of it, this warming trend will continue.
Our morning began with Emma taking me in the dinghy to the crab dock once again, where I jumped out and walked to West Marine for some needed parts. She picked me up and we returned to Tanda Malaika to gather everyone up and meet our friends, the Hartzells, over at Sombrero Beach.
The beach is beautiful with a wide stretch of bright white sand and beautiful blue water. It felt so good to have my toes in the sand again.
I explored an area of rocky shoreline and saw many Portuguese Man of War. Some were washed up while others bobbed peacefully in the water, with long strings of dark blue venomous tentacles that hang down as far as 6ft. These carnivorous little creatures pack an awfully painful sting but very rarely cause death in humans.
I noticed something interesting while exploring…an aquatic cockroach! This guy was completely submersed, exploring a hole in the tidal zone and seemed totally unaffected by the seawater. He walked around, pausing here and there and then continued on.
After the creatures had explored for some time while the rest of us sat and chatted, the Hartzells climbed in their kayaks and we jumped in the dinghy and made our way over to a rope swing in the mangroves.
Everyone had a blast, and when it came time to leave, we towed the Hartzells back to their home which was over a mile away. The small waves kept dumping into the dinghy, so Emma bailed periodically. It was a wet, fun ride.
When we reached their home they broke out some fishing rods and we fished for a while. They have previously caught mangrove snapper behind their house, and though we had a couple bites, we didn’t have any luck.
Our ride back to Tanda Malaika was quite exciting. Danny opened up the throttle, and I unplugged the drain hole in the dinghy, and thanks to the self bailing system, all the water drained out. We hit some waves that got the creatures airborne and giggling for part of the ride.
What a fun day in the sun!
This morning I celebrate my two year anniversary with my pacemaker. It’s been an interesting two years with many appointments and adjustments to its settings, but all is well and I feel great. Five or six more years before I need to have it replaced.
Life is good, and I am grateful for it. I am especially grateful to have an incredibly amazing husband and 11 beautiful children. Family is everything, and I happen to have the best of the best.
Adventures of a Tribe 