This morning we took a walk around the neighborhoods to the northeast of us. The homes were all of unique design, unlike the planned communities we often see back home. We noted finished homes (some with ornate tropical gardens), homes under construction, and homes that appeared abandoned and in poor repair all abiding next to one another in the same stretch of road. Most homes had placards bearing fanciful names for the homestead e.g. “Paradise Found”, “Seaside Siesta” and some also bore the name and occupation of the owner. We saw the home of the local justice of the peace. He had a monster grill and a beautiful garden and façade which made us wonder if some of the weddings and receptions were held right there. We also walked right past the Cuban Embassy. One home, which Leano had pointed out to us yesterday, was a previously palatial dwelling until the owner died and his children commenced to bickering over the inheritance. The house lay contested,  empty and subject to wind and weather. It almost appeared haunted as we viewed it from the sidewalk.

Yamacraw Beach fronted the road about a mile from the marina and people were launching kayaks into the choppy surf.

We also visited the Super-Value Grocery and bought some local pineapple and papaya before returning to the marina. We ate lunch on the boat and then went to the marina beach. A ray was swimming slowly back and forth across the shallows of the lagoon apparently unfazed by nearby humans. At water’s edge Paula met another marina guest who was with her family on their own Island Packet! We talked about boating, children, husbands, and she introduced hers to mine. The four of us plus one of their friends and crewmembers sat and chatted about our respective Bahamas adventures. They had a very interesting passage from Abaco with swells of 12-15 feet and winds gusts that topped out at 40mph for a while. Whew! They arrived safe and sound and appeared to have enjoyed the excitement.

The weather today was very nice, but we are in for more blustery wind and squalls late tomorrow and into Thursday. There is another major front approaching the northern Bahamas on the weekend, but it still remains to be seen if it will make its way south to the Exumas. We should know by Thursday, which will determine if we leave here on Friday morning or stay through the weekend.

Tonight’s dinner was surf and turf of a sort. We had steaks from the freezer, shrimp salad made from leftover shrimp from day before yesterday, mashed sweet potatoes mixed with plantains, and green beans. Oh, and Paula made virgin piña coladas in our little bullet blender, utilizing the pineapple we bought today.