Catching Up

Well, it has been way too long since I last blogged. Apologies, apologies. I am still learning my way, timing, organization around here and that is part to blame; but mostly Ben and I have been very busy with very little time at a computer. From Wednesday the 26th to Friday the 4th, Ben's bosses (the house and boat owners- Milton & Alice) were in town with their son, his girlfriend, and good friend. They stayed in their house and we stayed on the boat.
Now would be an opportune time, I suppose, to share a bit about work life. Days before their arrival included prepping for them. Since Ben is the "Captain & Caretaker" and now I sort of assume a helper role as we figure out this thing, there is much to do. The house and boat had not been touched in a few months as Ben was in the states working on our new-old sailboat. So needless to say, they needed some TLC, test runs on equipment and such, as well as some love...so that is what we did! Groceries, house prep, boat cleaning, etc. to ensure a comfortable arrival and stay of his bosses. So in the days of their stay, we are often on "pause" to see what they want to do or what they may need. Since their son and friends were around (all in their 20's), it was a bit more of an active and adventurous trip! More boat trips=More boat prep and cleaning! Balances out I suppose...
Honestly though, his bosses are amazing! They are from Huntsville, AL and are quite the travelers and adventurers. They are humorous, thoughtful, intelligent, caring, and fun! Most times it feels more like family and they certainly treat us that way. Ben is so fortunate to have met his boss 14?yrs ago and been hired by him 5 years ago. And of course, we are both so blessed to be able to continue our lives together here with Ben still employed by them...

The Sea of Abaco (undone justice of color!)

So, back to adventures~ Snorkeling, spear fishing (lobster & lionfish), boating, deep sea fishing, serious & respectful discussions at dinner, bike rides, etc.
The snorkeling is wonderful here. There are so many reefs and various spots to see amazing fish and sea life. Large barracuda (I'm a bit scared of these intimidating creatures. On my first visit here in 2010, Ben and I were snorkeling and because my bathing suit had some gold shimmery pieces on it, we were STALKED by a very large barracuda. Ben literally had to square off and lunge at it multiple times to get it to stop chasing us. He was very close to us and even though he would stop for a few seconds, he would soon come up to us again. In all his sea life, Ben had never had anything like that happen, so it was a bit worrisome for even him, as he was focused on protecting us. Needless to say, I have acute PTSD symptoms when I see them. Luckily Ben is there and I can squeeze his hand when nervous and he can squeeze back for support. ) Parrot fish, Triggerfish, Yellowtail Snapper, Bluestriped Grunt, Spotfin/Banded/ Foureye Butterfly Fish, Moray Eel, Cushion Seastars, Trumpet Fish, Nurse Sharks, Squirrelfish, Spiny Lobster...just to name a few. Most areas are protected, so fishing and spearing happen elsewhere.

Proud to have him as my soon-to-be husband! We'll never starve! :)

On one excursion, before heading down to Pete's Pub & Gallery (world famous ~ and Ben is good friends with Pete's son, Greg; so we are treated like family by this amazing Family!), Ben helped the 20somethings do some spearfishing (I wasn't in the adventurous mood of swimming around with spearing novices). Ben speared 2 amazing spiny lobsters that we used in our dinner that night and then Ben and the others speared about a dozen Lionfish.

Beautiful but Venomous Lionfish

This is very important because these venomous fish are taking over the area~ they are an invasive species that also are quite predatory and their population is increasing rapidly (they can reproduce monthly!). They are eating the smaller fish that the other non-venomous fish eat and so these fish have to find a new home; they also can ruin the food web relationships that already exists and cause damage to reefs. To rid of these, we must kill them or hope the very large grouper and sharks eat them. One guy did get "stung" as he was trying to remove the fish from the spear. Their spines are venomous and when touched cause severe swelling, and more commonly vomiting, fever, sweating, dizziness, etc. (lethality is rare, but has occurred). But luckily, just the swelling occurred and he was even proud that it happened and he pulled through, no problem. (No thank you, for me!)
Interestingly, these 20somethings are also researchers by heart and schooling, so when we got home and removed the venomous spines, the fish were properly scientifically dissected to see what they were eating (grunts, crab claw, and the tiniest shrimp ever were found)...and then properly seared in cast iron skillets on the grill with garlic, salt, olive oil, and lemon.
Very Delicious appetizers before our dinner of Lobster Pasta that Ben and I made (light tomato sauce with garlic, olive oil, onions and a LOT of lobster tail meat). Yummers! Throw in some Bahamian bread from the Island Bakery and some Sauvignon Blanc... and the perfect end to a wonderful day...
We cooked several times for the family/friends; Ben's boss's wife cooked several times; and we went out several times (twice at Junovia's because they have the best cracked lobster and lightly fried grouper in Marsh Harbour)~ a wonderful balance overall!

Another adventure included a trip to Sandy Cay. Milton manned the boat, Alice and I combed the beach, a few others snorkeled, and Ben kept track and guarded everyone and everything (as he does so well). Many treasures were found and some to use for our wedding decor!

Sandy Cay Beach

The boat (42') in the distance

a rare beauty Small Trumpet Shell

millions of broken and intact shells

Found these little guys hiding under a board

One came out to check us out

These shells were about the size of my thumb nail

Just a hint of our collection

Beautiful Purple Sea Fan, driftwood, and Coral Piece

Organizing and cleaning the treasures

Super cute intact shell!