Showing the view from the trails that surround this Cay, can a morning run be more beautiful? Makes you ALMOST want to do it!
That crescent beach that I keep talking about!
Nice white sand trails crisscross the island leading to the beach!
AND this is not just another pretty face! In MN terms...equal to an 8 point buck! This is a picture from last year, but watch out lobsters...we are on the hunt!
Veda L has been tied to the dock at Compass Cay just long enough,we need to get this "double wide that floats" off the dock to find new adventures! I took this photo from our tender after a short ride to an anchorage nearby that our friends from White Bear Lake, MN told us about. Yes, we heard "Front Page" calling Nassau Harbour Club when we stayed there, it was Gene and Kathy Johnson who own the White Bear Press. We have run into them throughout FL and Bahamas for years, on the street at Green Turtle Cay in Abacos, years ago; at the lock in Moorehaven FL...and now in Nassau. Anyway they told us of a secluded spot that they tuck into not far from Compass Cay. Not only does it look peaceful, but we saw a sunken barge in about 15' of water that looks like promising lobster habitat! 
We enjoyed this serene view from our aft deck, (aka back porch) The storms seem to be over now, poor Kitty Buddy spent two nights doing the Navy Seal crawl from one hiding spot to another. A great light show, and a free boat wash! I did get a run in between showers, as I returned I told Tucker that he must have lengthened the trails since I was here last. :)
While I made two batches of caramel rolls to freeze and take back to MN for Christmas (we get home 12/16 and I want to play with Grandgirls vs. baking!) Bob spent his evening poring over charts locating the reefs that Tucker's Sons told him about that are not too far away, and have promise of lobsters. MN hunters track deer... Bob tracks lobsters, plus hunts "old school" with a spear!
Goodbye Tucker till after the Holidays! Our host Tucker enjoyed samples of my caramel rolls, and my peanut butter cookies, keeping "the boss" happy! Compass Cay is undoubtedly the home to our favorite crescent beach, makes my morning run a sprint through paradise! 
A morning walk with my Capt along the beach, always looking for goodies; I found this sea egg and two sand dollars to take home to the girls.
While waiting for weather to give us that "window" to cruise over to Compass Cay in the Exumas, we kept ourselves entertained with Nassau exhibits, learning more about Bahamian culture. One stop was to find the Junkanoo exhibit where it was shown on the map, which it wasn't...but they did have a Junkanoo costume that I kiddingly asked Bob to get into...for those of you who know Bob...you will be as amazed as I was that he actually did it...AND smiled! I really almost "inked" myself over it.
No explaination needed, but there were two of these in the downtown area. We wish they were as concerned about the safety of crossing the street. Near death experiences occured freqently... My morning run includes several "dashes" getting to one side of the road to the other; as there are never sidewalks on both sides, very fast traffic, lots of honking...then throw in the dog that leaps walls! (at a single bound....super dog!)
Bob's comment "It would be like paying for sex" they were asking $30-50 for these. On my morning run I found a vendor along the sea that was selling lobsters 6 for $60...I ran back to the boat and said; "Baby; it is time to overcome your adversity of paying for lobster and pick out some of those bad boys" We got 6, weighed the tails as we got home and they were about 8oz each, and Bob cooked them (one each) so perfectly that you did not need to dip it in butter, awesome meal. 
Of course I would end up dancing on the local TV channel with a group of Bahamians ending their fundraiser for Parkinsons Disease, this doesn't show the dancing, but this is part of the group that invited me to join them. On my morning run I met the organizer handing out trophies, asked and what it was about, she explained to me and I said I would come back to buy T-shirts for my four Grandkids and ourselves as a donation. Perhaps I can run in the marathon next year, a 10K. 
A historic photo of The Queens Staircase just North of Downtown, we went there two years ago and walked the staircase (kind of like the Stillwater stairs!) to the fort above. The photo below shows Bob at the bottom of that climb.
Finally found the Junkanoo Museum! As our taxi driver was taking us around on a tour I screamed "OMG there it is...the Junkanoo Museum" Needless to say...I am crazy about Junkanoo, it is the Carnival/Mardi Gras of the Bahamas, costumes and music, is that not a good enough reason to LOVE IT? We came back the next day and spent a couple of hours here, we were lucky to be given the tour by the husband of Nassaus Junkanoo Queen who has lead her group for 45 years. In Aruba they call the dancing "jumping" in Bahamas they call it "rushing" and the costumes cost on an average of $2,000., they are made from paper and if the judges find any other materials they lose points. 
Just one corner of the museum with so much color it makes you dizzy. Our taxi driver Mo, drove us on what he called a ghetto tour taking us to a store at Ross's corner to find some Junkanoo music for me, the "tour" to get there was the best; one street we went down was called Dead Cat St, another was Dog Flea Rd, and Tin Shop Street. Along the way he showed us the Junkanoo Shacks where they make the costumes 24/7 until 12/25 for the first Junkanoo, and then the last parade on New Years Eve. Each little territory has their own group. It was the most colorful day we had culture wise in Nassau, we saw poverty but we also saw such happiness! Go Mo. 
This is one of the historic costumes on display with the cowbells in hand, the masks covered their faces so they could retaliate against the people who did them wrong the year before. That has changed now thanks to the local police, and now the costumes may change to other materials due to the fact that with climate change they get more rain than ever before in Dec. and lets face it...rain and paper don't mix well.
We spent the afternoon today at the Art Museum, they had an exhibit of WHO IS BAHAMIAN? Black and white photos of locals were hung on a long cord, after our tour we noticed these displays all around the downtown. 
This young man said "look! I am Tom Cruise in Cocktail!" as he flipped his machete while cutting fish, he did the behind the back, under his leg, pretty good show!
OK...Bob decided that buying lobster was not so far after all. "Just in case" he says...as in two weeks we fly home to MN from Exuma, and will we find lobsters hiding under ledges between now and then? Keep in touch and find out!
We passed on the $40-$50 lobsters assuring ourselves that we will spear our own after finding them under rock ledges in the Exumas - we hope! Grouper season is ending Dec 1 so we did buy a large Grouper and had it steaked out, about $8 a lb. Looks like Tuesday may be our day to leave for Compass Cay.
The chart shows our voyage so far, from Coconut Grove to Cat Cay across the Gulf Stream, then from Cat to Chub across some beautiful shallow waters, then across what they call "The Tongue of The Ocean" a slight 5 hr trip to Nassau where we now sit and wait for calm seas...but being "stuck" in Nassau is a lot like being "stuck" in Coconut Grove....not bad places to be "stuck" A great running trail goes east from our marina passing Fort Montagu, built to guard the east harbor from pirates and such, check out the "Where in the World are Bob & Linda" link to the right>>>> then use the satellite imagery and zoom in on our locations, you can actually see the pool at our marina where I took a cool post-run dip to cool off! We plan on heading to Compass Cay by Saturday, we hope to see the winds change to give us a smoooth ride!
First stop yesterday...a hike up to McKenzies Conch Shack which is located under the high bridge leading to Paradise Island, a little area called Potters Cay is a line of food vendors in little shacks (very nice little shacks for the most part), we are dedicated to McKenzies as we tried them all. Locals seem to prefer it as well as the line there is longer... Sip a Kalik while you watch your conch salad being put together! Last ingredient to go in...RISKY BUSINESS HOT SAUCE!
Our happy Chef, talking it up to Bob as he chops our salads fresh in front of us, Bob is learning technique!
His hands were a blur as they chopped our onion, (and I didn't notice many scars on his fingers either) tomato, peppers and other "secret" ingredients, the conch is ready to be chopped in the background.
Today is suppose to be a beautiful ride to Nassau, then on to Compass Cay the following day. Yesterday we cruised 10 hours from Cat Cay to Chub Cay where for $132. we rented a hole in the water. On the way to Chub it started out a little rocky and overcast, but as the seas calmed down and the sun came out we were finally able to see the bottom, as we were only in about 15' of water. I spotted what appeared to be a nesting place for lobsters and screamed "lobster habitat!" We turned around, located it again, dropped the hook and Bob checked it out. Not big enough to spear so they will live on! Bob was very happy to be suited up and WET!
A view off the aft deck while underway...so simply beautiful! Not another sign of civilization in sight.... Buddy asleep on our bed due to smooth ride, I made garlic knots and finally read my June Vanity Fair cover to cover.
Bob and I awoke Nov. 7 and said we were proud to be Minnesotans! Marriage Amendment defeated! I ran in the Big Gay Race, we attended many VOTE NO rallies, we called, we wore our bracelets/T-shirts and gave dollars...and we succeeded!
Halloween night, two little Princesses ready to go begging for candy door to door; Amelia asked me to make a pink Cinderella dress for Evie-"like the mice made" so here are the two Cinderellas. Ted's yard decorated with pumpkins with VOTE TED carved in them-as election day was 6 days away!
Another MN milestone...Bob got a new car! Yay! We love our little Mini Cooper, his former car, lovingly called "Hooptie" is in a new family that needed transportation to work and was short of funds to buy a car. 
The outcome for Teddy...Ted Wins! A dedicated City Council person will be sworn in Jan 1, the town is excited to have Ted present fresh ideas with his passion for Stillwater.
Veda L tied to the dock at Sunrise Bay Marina in Stuart, freshly waxed, shiny chrome outside, new fridge, new microwave, new freezer and totally clean...was good to be home!
Our last night in Stuart; we celebrated getting all our provisioning done & cataloged, Bob has the boat ship shape and ready to point her south. I was a little nervous about leaving at high tide with the current pushing us off the dock in a narrow channel lined with boats where we had to spin our 48' around, but Bob studied the situation, set lines appropriately, gave me my instructions and we left Stuart without a hitch at 7:15 am.-Pompano Beach tonight... Oh me of little faith. Capt knows what's up. :)
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| "Baby Turtle" (about 2' in diameter) Bob found under a ledge near Hetty's Land (near Black Point) when hunting for Grouper, Bob popped up and said "Quick, hand me your camera!" Good call and Good shot Bob... better to "shoot" a picture than a Grouper for dinner? |
(These two photos were taken while on Cat Island a couple years ago, and we really want to get back there next week!)