This morning we explored the beaches and rocky shoreline of the anchorage in Poltergeist. Paula saw a heron perched all morning on a rocky promontory and wanted to try fishing there, figuring if the heron was hanging out, there must be fish. She got a lot of practice casting, but no bites. We didn’t see any grassy areas to cruise the edge of, it was either swimming pool-appearing sandy bottom, or limestone rock.

We took the dinghy to one of the beaches, and then the wildlife showed up. A large ray, apparently snoozing on the bottom. Later, we saw some large gar and a few minnows, and a nurse shark, again lazing in the shallows, but no catchable fish.

Undaunted, we explored a few other areas then headed into the government dock, where one of two weekly supply boats had docked. People were unloading huge packages of large frozen fish. A few men dumped one of the frozen masses in a cooler and attempted to thaw and separate the fish in anticipation of cleaning at the fish tables. Paula felt better. If even the locals had to import fish… We docked Poltergeist on the other side of the dock from the giant supply ship.

On land, we headed for Lorraine’s Café, where we had a terrific lunch: Fried fish sandwich for Tommy on delicious bread and cracked conch with lime for Paula. Fries accompanied the main dishes. Just after we ordered 12 tourists came in accompanied by their Captain. This was one of those fast-boat excursions from Nassau that catered to the hotels: Atlantis and Bahama del Mar. We fell into conversation the Captain as he we were eating. He explained that each day at 8:30am he picks up as many as 30 guests. He takes them to Allen Cay to feed iguanas for a half-hour, then to Pig Beach, to feed the pigs, then to Lorraine’s for a buffet lunch, and then to a sandbar, to splash and snorkel and take pictures and lay in the sun-if not already sun-burned- as several of the folks we saw already were. Then it was an hour and a half boat ride at 50mph back to Nassau to arrive at 5pm. He confided that almost everyone falls asleep on the way back. Price for this whirlwind tour? $360/ticket.

After lunch, we tried to find The Garden of Eden, a driftwood and found object garden that we read about in the guidebook, with little success. The two signposts in town pointed us in opposite directions. After walking back and forth a ways, we stopped to ask a woman plaiting thatch palm into purses and hats. She gave us explicit directions that included going “three houses down after the government clinic, and past the house with the goats. That’s my son’s house, and the Garden is just past that on the left.” We bought a few of the plaited items and she thanked us. We found it, and it was an arid, slightly eerie place. Created from fantastic shapes of driftwood and compilations of stone on a limestone and sand base, it was quiet and had a lonesome feel.

On our way there were a profusion of fast lizards and lots of butterflies, and the breeze blew making sighing sounds through tall pines. We saw folks going about their daily business at a relaxed pace, and saw another group of women plaiting thatch.

By now, with full bellies, and having walked around, we decided to check out the grocery stores to see if new produce had come on the boat. Adderley’s was empty of customers or proprietor as before, and there was no produce. Having learned from the ice cream girl of a few days ago, we went around back, and found the grocer sitting in the shade with two friends or family members. He told me there would be no produce until Thursday when the other supply boat comes. He noticed my straw goods. “Where did you buy those?” Paula answered: “From the woman whose son lives in the house with the goats.”

“Ah,” they said, nodding, “Frances.”

Back at C Ghost we had virgin Pina Coladas to celebrate our successful day, and both had a short nap. Right now, a parade of four paddleboards, a mother, her children and a small dog in a pink life-vest are making their slow but excited way across the anchorage. It is calm, and the boy children are as much in the water as on the boards. We can hear them laughing and shouting. The little dog is picking her way from one paddleboard to another, visiting all the children in turn.

Tonight’s dinner will be meatloaf, with bacon and garlic gravy. Paula is going to try to dig out a can of yellow squash which she plans to serve with chili and lime. Canned peaches and pineapple will round out the meal. The brownies are gone, alas, but Paula has the ingredients to make carrot bread-hopefully tomorrow