Inspector Gadget & our Peruvian Princess!

When updating my last Blog...How did I forget to add Inspector Gadget to the stories?!  I love this picture as it shows the evolution of Bob...not only is he wearing the newest dive/watch/computer to try it out for our friend Daryl, but he has his GoPro mounted on his head, his tank on his back and looks ready for action!  He captured a good video of a huge crab underwater that day.

I have to say...of all the cakes I have made, this was my crowning glory of all!  Spencer and family spent 6 weeks in MN over the holidays, and little Miranda was in MN for her 5th birthday, her wish....  A Frozen theme cake!  I made snowflakes from royal icing, my friend Teary made ice shards and pond, we laughed over the leaning towers (rice krispie tubes and ice cream cones) as we struggled to keep them upright, but in the end it was a dream come true cake...and all edible (except Olaf) Pictured are Santi age 7 in a few days, Marcela, Miranda and Spencer.    Marcela and I turned our dining room into a Frozen wonderland while Miranda slept, a fun time!

April 11, Ted's 38th birthday, I celebrated it by flying out of Eleuthera International Airport after having an early send off from our friend/dive master Daryl Miller.  If anyone has an interest in scuba diving, this is the man and the place to be, plus what a sweetie to stop by on his day off to come say goodbye.   I am going home for 2 weeks to organize and bake the cake for Amelia's 6th birthday celebration;  Mermaid cake & Party coming up! 

I always appear to be the "lady who has never flown before" as I snap photos over the islands, this was a perfect day for flying with the scattered clouds hanging over that clear water.  Unlike my trip back to Eleuthera on April 27th where I told the gentleman next to me "don't mind me if I grab your hand"  he responded "I was thinking the same thing" One of the most turbulent flights I can remember.  Ah, flight attendant...I WILL take that Bloody Mary now...PLEASE.

I love having he girls overnight when I get home to hear how they have changed and what is on their minds.   Amelia wants to be Mother Nature when she grows up, she is extremely sensitive to the environment, had me picking up dirty Kleenex at their marina :(  I think Evie Rose will be climbing Yosemite walls with her agility and confidence.  2nd night we had our overnight; the parents called "Let's head to the beach!"  This is the first year we can ever remember when the beach has been exposed almost entirely in mid April.  We have had the boat in the water this early, but never enjoyed the beach in April.  

Amelia showed me her new tricks on the rope swing (wearing her Monster High dress-perfect beach attire), Amelia posing in her birthday dress before school.  Next is Evie in my fleece jacket as we were heading to the beach and she didn't want to go home to get her jacket, loved wearing Amelia's sunglasses.  Lastly on April 13th, the two adorable ones on the boat heading to the Buckhorn for a day at the beach, was a great welcome home for Grammy as it is my favorite place to be.  

Preparations for the mermaid birthday party started with LOTS of frosting!  Amelia had to sample it from the beaters to be sure it was acceptable.  

Then the creating began, my famous chocolate cake (like a fudge brownie with fudge frosting) as the base surrounded by graham cracker sand, topped with vanilla cake with Ariel floating on top. White chocolate seashells (designed by Amelia..."I want white with ribbons of lavender on them") "So be it" says Teary O'hara my baking partner, he also created the clam shell cookies with white chocolate dyed pink filling and white chocolate pearls.  Bubble gum to depict Ariels bubbles from the sea adorned the table as well.  

While gathering sand dollars at a Guana Cay beach Bob asked "what are you going to do with all those sand dollars?"  "Don't know yet, but I will think of something"  They got sprayed with glitter glue and were used as decorations and gifts for the kids to take home after the party!

Sister Janet flew in for the extravaganza and we deserved a glass of wine and a whirlpool at the end of the party.  

We held the party at the AmericInn where their party room adjoins the pool area, the girls tried out their mermaid tail swim sets and were pretty good at the dolphin kick.  

This is Evie Rose above getting her mermaid tail wet in the bathtub to try it out, the tails have a solid fin and you wear it by putting you feet into the sock like openings in it.  Works really well!

 While home we had a party to announce the winners of the Best Burger in The Valley contest which has raised over $77,000 for Cystic Fibrosis.  This year Lolo's got the prize.  

FINALLY a real trophy with my name on it...the traveling trophy for the winner of the pumpkin regatta during our fall Harvest Fest was presented to this years winner; Brines restaurant/bar.
Nice to have a real trophy naming me as a past winner vs that plastic little thing I was presented with 3 years back!

No! I am not bonking my competition over the head with my paddle in order to win.......  What was funny is that I was in charge of putting together the group of Realtors to compete; I chose fun Realtors vs thinking about who I would be paddling against.  When I got down to the river I took a look at my choices and thought "ooops!"  strong, athletic men, I am in trouble.  Ah ha moment came when I realized that weight tips pumpkins and the boys were sinking around me as we paddled toward the finish line.

Ted got lucky and was able to secure a ballot box found at an antique show, one friend sent him a text with the photo of it, the other friend (Thank You Richard McDonough) did the negotiating, bought it and delivered it!  An important artifact as the first election Ted won was in his own Ward 2 when he ran for City Council.  Our local historian thinks it is from the late 1800's.

My most favorite new recipe...garlic knots!  I had them for the first time at Supreme Meats in Stuart Florida, so yummy and garlicy that I just had to try to replicate them.  No recipes really were similar so I kept messing with it until I finally got it close.  Pizza dough is the ticket, plus making them small, folding some of the goodness within the knot then shaking them in a bag with even more garlic & olive oil.  

Then there is the cake I made for Daryl, I had nicknamed him Cupcake due to his fondness for my cupcakes, so with his birthday upon us he had to have this giant cupcake that was a mess to create, the leaning tower of chocolate as the layers slid around and almost collapsed.  After a couple hours int he fridge it survived the presentation.  I really came close to tossing the whole mess over the side of the boat at one time, wish I had a picture of that disastrous moment.

Shark Dive!  Not me but our friend Daryl, he takes the photos on his dives and I edit for him.  Just my opinion.... but if they are close enough to see their teeth....THEY'RE TOO CLOSE!  He says "no worry, the pectoral fins are straight out, if they drop down and his back arches...then you go up!"

 The eyes have it; on a drift dive I picked up this conch shell from the bottom and this little conch decided to have a look at me as well....  peek a boo!  Now go back to the bottom of the creek!

A typical scene at the Kozlowski home, Rachael on the drums (pots) Evie on her guitar, and Amelia lead singer with the spatula microphone.  reminds me of the Heart concert many moons back.  Sisters Rock on!  They love music and they love to perform....who knows!

A visit from Aruba Windsurfing friends!

A new day has DAWNED....meaning that our friend, Bob's windsurfing "mistress" as we call her has arrived with her Daughter and a friend.  So, it's Dawn, husband David, Daughter Rachael and friend Rachael, I just call them Thing 1 & Thing 2 Delightful young ladies that put up with the adults acting like kids.....    Dawn is called "Bob's Mistress" as I don't windsurf and she does, not only that but they like to sail in the same area, same distance from shore so they watch each other's backs; which I greatly appreciate!

I wanted to do one more Blog post before leaving on April 11th for 2 weeks in MN; Amelia will be turning six and I have to be there for their birthday parties, and I want to do her cake.  This year she has requested a Mermaid, so a mermaid cake it shall be!  When she was 3 she asked me what kind of cake I was making for her and I told her that I had "her birthday cake in my head"  She looked at me incredulous with big eyes and almost shouted "You have my birthday cake IN YOUR HEAD??"  I had to explain how I always used that term for my design work.....  I will Blog (Bla bla bla) away once I return to Veda L on April 28...until then, be safe and have fun wherever you are, the world is a beautiful place!

With our new 14' Novurania and it's 50hsp Yamaha it is a quick 25 minute ride for the 6 of us from Davis Harbour to Lighthouse Point, looks like the shoreline of a Polynesian island with the palm tries and gin clear water.  You catch your breath when you come around the point and see this ahead.

We climbed to the top of the point for this view, spotting a cave like overhang just beyond a private little cove and decided that would be ideal for us cave people to picnic in!

There is our cave and our warm "swimming pool" where the girls and Dawn were having handstand and cartwheel competitions.  Thing 1 (their Daughter) is on swim team so she has a "little" edge.

This is Rachael, (Thing 2) who has been a friend of Thing 1's since grade school, and they live close by each other.  Not a bad view from our cave!

This is an eye exam.  Can you find the scorpion fish?  I found this and then went to get the others to see it, the tricky part was finding it the second time as it was not next to anything really noteworthy...just a jumble of rock and old coral.  Then he blinked... ah ha, gotcha!  If you look on the lower left quarter you will see his bulging eyes lids, a little further up at a 45 degree angle you will his his pectoral fins and just to the right of center at the top of the photo you will see his thin striped tail.  He was about a foot long, and they are poisonous, why I wear diving gloves.

Next to the yellow tailed damsel fish with the bright yellow tails, deep blue/purple body with fluorescent little sparkles on their back, these stoplight parrot fish are my next favorites to see.. great colors for Easter!

A Lizard fish just hanging out on a rock

Another favorite thing to find, christmas tree worms, seen on a piece of coral, which is also alive...you can see the little polyps that look like miniature flowers.  The christmas tree worms will quickly dissapear into a small little pin print if touched or if you get too close.

Just a pretty underwater scene, snappers around a garden of soft corals.

Get a brain!  Really more of a knobby coral than brain coral, but was a beautiful mound to find.

I have taken a rain check on a cave adventure, not good in caves or with bats, especially when you have to use a flashlight to explore.  Bob went along, I stayed here to make my birthday party orders and to make some bread.  A rainy day which made us really happy that we spent yesterday at Lighthouse Point.

LIFE IS SWELL ON VEDA L

Back from the U S of A!

CONCH HORN'S A BLOW'N... SUNSHINE A'SHININ'... FISH ARE JUMPIN'
Yes, we are back in Eleuthera, and the non-consistent Blogger (that be me) is back after a hiatus!

THE "GLASS WINDOW" BRIDGE - the narrowest part of Eleuthera!
Pretty spectacular views from the rock cliffs looking in either direction as you park your car and walk across this narrow span, the Atlantic pounds thru the narrow opening and then dissipates onto the sand banks of the Sound turning aqua blue.

Eleuthera is 110 miles long and about 2 miles wide, less than 60 miles from Nassau and 240 miles from Miami.  It takes about 2 1/2 hours to drive from the airport to Davis Harbour - 3 1/2 if Bob drives :) narrow roads, crazy drivers, oh and then that driving on the opposite side of the road thing!

Perhaps you can see the X to the left of Harbour Island, that is the airport that we fly into, the red blob between Upper Bogue and Gregory Town is where the Glass Window Bridge is located.  Then waaaaay down to the most southern part you will see some arrows pointing to Davis Harbour which is where Veda L calls her winter home port.

We have grown very fond of the people who work here, the fishing boat owners & captains that keep their boats here, we are most often the only pleasure boat in the marina which suits us fine.  We enjoy the quiet and like having this to ourselves.

And this is why we love Eleuthera!
Lobsters still aplenty for those spear fishermen with a good aim - and Bob does have a good aim, this particular lobster was speared after about 2 minutes in the water; he seeks, he finds, he shoots, he kills, he cleans, he cooks....and we eat!  I bake the breads, and Bob's favorite desserts.

Scenes like the one shown here await around every corner.  Aw...another private bay of clear water?  God created this heaven on earth and we really need to be kind to Mother Earth so our children and theirs can enjoy what we do.

No question about it, the most rewarding event as parents to experience, for Bob and I was to watch Ted excel on City Council, then make a run for Mayor and win the election.  I had fun assisting in his campaign, had not knocked on Stillwater residents doors since I started selling real estate 32+ years ago!  The swearing in ceremony was very child friendly as the girls clung to Daddy as he gave his speech, they are very proud of their Daddy and tell everyone who will listen "My Daddy is the Mayor!" Now I am called M.O.M. Mother of Mayor!  Ted's passion for his hometown and his skills will serve Stillwater well.

Not just another pretty face!  November at Davis Harbour, we could hardly believe our eyes when this Manatee showed up.  It hung around the marina for a couple of hours, drank some fresh water from a hose, did a little water ballet with Bob and then moved on.  HUGE but friendly as Bob got some good underwater photos that I sent to Save the Manatees so the researchers could identify it for tracking purposes.

This little kitten used up the first of her 9 lives by trying to jump onto the Half Moon Clipper which transports workers over to Little San Salvadore daily to Half Moon Cay where the cruise ships come in.  She didn't gauge the distance between dock and boat however, as she ended up in the drink, Bob heard her cries, quickly donned his wet suit and under the dock he went, I think she should be named Lucky.  

Sand dollars at Hetty's Land, notice the "dead" white ones which I collect vs the "live" brown (Six-Keyhole Sand Dollar) and rather fuzzy one below, at low tide you see the tracks of them traveling; pretty amazing feat/feet they have!  I will have to Google more about these creatures of the sea-they are in the urchin family.  Can't wait to get Grandkids there to witness the amazing life the the Sand Dollar...another experience to prepare them to be stewards of the sea.  When we were in Exuma with them last April Amelia duly noted that you can pick up starfish carefully, but you most put them back as they are alive.

Another slice of Heaven...the top left is a photo taken of the beach from Veda L, anchored in the protected bay, walking along the shallows at low tide you will always gather a good selection of sand dollars that I take home to do crafts with the Grandgirls.  Sunsets here are for some reason more spectacular, and we saw 4 green flashes this trip, something that we used to contribute to someone having one too many rum punches!  The surf photo shows the Atlantic side of the island, to get there you follow a jungle path marked with flotsam traversing an area that is sometimes sandy, other times like quicksand - the destination is worth almost getting your shoes sucked off however as the waves crash into a tidal pond surrounded by chalky 50' rocks.

SUP PHOTOGRAPHY!
I finally got my paddleboard in the water as it has been pretty choppy other places we have been, Hetty's Land is perfect for it as it is a short paddle to shore and fun to look down into the shallow water to see starfish, barracuda, a small shark or OMG...What is that? ... sting ray ahead, quick Linda, on your knees, drop your camera over the side of the board and hope for the best!  Not a bad shot for not looking!  I am finally learning to do the quick bounce up from a squatting position.  Perfect calm water to learn the technique, easy for you to do Bob...you grew up surfing in the flippin ocean off CA.  I had a creek and some lakes in Wisconsin...no surfboards for sure.
Looking over the side of the boat this morning in 12' of water I could see brittle starfish on the bottom, it was almost spooky calm.

 The Exuma Land and Sea Park at Warderick Wells, another one of our favorite spots to visit in the Exumas, this trip we got acquainted with members of The Royal Bahamian Defense Force (above) and spent an afternoon diving with them on our favorite reefs & walls in the park.  We saw an endless parade of sting rays, HUGE lobsters and HUGE Groupers...this area has been a no take zone for many years so the "food" are friendly as they know you cannot take them.

Exuma Land & Sea Park mooring field, this natural horseshoe of deeper water surrounds sand bars and takes your breath away each morning as you awake to the different shades of blue, and at night it is WOW as you look up from the foredeck, no lights to take away your view of the stars clustered in the heavens.  This is no "blanket" of stars as we see in the midwest, but you see into the layers of stars allowing you to look into the depths of the universe.

Taking a hike to "Boo Boo Hill" story goes that you can hear the spooks from sunken ships calling (who would want to walk up there at night anyway?) This is the view looking toward the sound, the Atlantic is behind you.  If you look closely you can see Veda L, 2nd from left at top of mooring field, a kite surfer is zooming behind our boat with a red kite above.  He came flying in from a boat anchored outside of the park.

I call the photo on the right The Laughing Cyclops Sponge with it's broad grin and one "eye"  these images were taken on our dive with the Royal Bahamian Defense Force, just one of the many sting rays that were "hiding" in the sands in about 20-30' of water.

On our way into Emerald Bay we saw what we thought was a pod of Dolphins nearby, as they got closer I was sure they were not Dolphins, Bob guessed that they were Pilot Whales, which it turned out they were.  This is the most exposed photo I was able to get, the rest were just fins....about 15 of them.

No....Bob is not wearing a stove pipe hat!!  A piling "photo bomb"while posing with two of the five fish he and his fishing buddy Gail caught off her skiff while at Compass Cay, the left photo shows the nice Mahi Mahi that we caught on the way over to Compass.  Happy Day!

Anybody see the movie DEAD CALM?  I saw it many years ago and many times since.  It rattles your desire to sail the oceans blue, or at least to come to the assistance of a boat that could be abandoned...or WHATEVER?!*#@!   When Bob and I were cruising on a calm day we saw this boat anchored a ways off shore...and NO we were not tempted to take our dinghy over to see if they were dead or alive... or psycho!

New York New York!!  My Sister Janet and I celebrated her 70th in NYC seeing shows, eating...eating...walking and just enjoying the city.   The only sad part was touring the 911 Memorial, the upper left photo was taken inside the memorial with a large photo of the former twin towers displayed.  Amazing structures that I learned more about and now understand more on how they collapsed...heat, bending steel.  

A day made more heart rendering when toured with three American Airlines flight attendants, my Sister Janet included who knew several of the crew that died that day.  Looking at their photos, reading their stories, hearing their voices as they left messages on family answering devices and the calls to air traffic control to relay the situation.  God rest their souls as they are all heroes.  The memorial fountains have all the names that perished in lights around the edge, the last column taken down is now preserved within the memorial and was taken to the site draped in black with the American Flag covering it with an entourage of dignitaries and bagpipes accompanying it.  

After the Memorial it was indeed time for a great dinner with a cocktail.... Janet's friend drove us to the River Cafe, located under the Brooklyn Bridge with a view of Manhattan that used to include the World Trade Center towers.  We ordered martini's with olives stuffed with blue cheese, and they came slowing because the bartender hand stuffs the olives...the martini was a thing of beauty, followed by a dinner that we shall not forget...lots of fois gras!

Yes...My Sister Janet turned 70 and I am two years behind her, Dang!  But as we say...always so much better than the alternative of Not getting older!  She wanted to celebrate at Eleven Madison West, one of the two owners is a friend of hers.  We were treated like royalty (and we're not?) as we were brought into the kitchen of the 3rd Best Restaurant in the WORLD and served drinks made in front of us; penicillin is the name of the drink, popular during prohibition at New York speakeasy's, and made with liquid nitrogen.  Certainly a night to remember...a 4 hour dinner with my wonderful sister!  

CABARET - at STUDIO 54 - KIT KAT KLUB

One of the plays we attended.....

Anyone who watches Alan Cumming on Good Wife will be like me...and when watching it you will want him to strip down topless and start strutting, dancing and singing!  Amazing talent and he shared the stage with Emma Stone.  Great musical shown in the best venue...Studio 54!  We wanted to go right back in to experience it the 2nd time...Go to YouTube and put in Cabaret Alan Cumming.  He is sooooo naughty :)