Last night it rained, and today there have been shifting patterns of ominous clouds (featured picture) and periodic distant thunder alternating with sunshine, but only one brief spatter of rain. Paula got up about 5:30AM and started a loaf of bread, this time (after re-reading the Yeast Breads section of Joy of Cooking) kneading it longer and using melted butter instead of oil. Once that was rising, she checked out the channel and beach area and discovered a second marina cat, this one much less obviously psychotic than the first.

Once Tommy got his coffee, he dropped Poltergeist down from the dinghy davits so that Paula could use the swim platform to clean and filet the fish that we bought yesterday. Paula likes to clean the fish herself for two reasons. One, it’s good practice and the remainder of the fish can then be used for other projects, and two, the fishermen at the wharf charge an additional $10.00 to scale and clean fish.

Once the filets were done, she separated the heads from the backbones and removed the squishy bits and the gills, and then put the backbones and cleaned heads in a muslin nut bag and threw it into a pot of water with sliced onion, carrot, parsnip, and celery, added some spices and lemon juice and simmered a fish stock for souse to be eaten later. She’s found that if you seal soups, sauces or other liquid foods in a Hefty bag and freeze them in a rectangular food container, then vacuum seal the shaped frozen bag and broth inside a Foodsaver bag, the frozen product will last a long time in the freezer without freezer burn or spoilage. Once the stock is thawed and reheated, you just throw in your favorite meat: fish, chicken, or sheep’s tongue, adjust the spices and your souse is done. She then rested and applied to, and was accepted into a new Facebook group called “Cooking on a Boat”. She has already found two recipes she wants to try, and one gadget she wants to buy.

Lunch was the new bread and almond butter with guava jam, plus sliced apples and pears on the side. Gotta love that produce!

Tommy, galvanized by his historical readings and their parallels to current events, worked on a draft for another article, and then used Poltergeist to clean some of the soft growth off of the hull and rudder.

We then took a walk around the marina and basically window-shopped all the good ideas we saw on other boats, and again saw some fun boat names and graphics.

Since Poltergeist was handy, we decided to dinghy around and visit by water the gated community next door. There are some beautiful homes, and others under construction.

Since Paula had been cooking a lot today, Tommy suggested we eat at the marina restaurant. Friday and Saturday nights there is a band, and they are quite good.