Summer 2013

      Well, we are still in Grenada this summer.  It really has been fun so far!  When we started the trek back down the island chain, I was a little reluctant to come back here for another hurricane season.  I didn't want to be bored.  Well, I can say that I have been anything BUT bored!!!  Our days and weeks are full to the top!!  We spend days doing boat projects and social activities to the point, we meet ourselves coming and going.
      One event that we took part in this summer was a dinghy concert.  We had heard stories about the one we missed last year so we couldn't miss this one!  I am posting a link to watch a video of part of it:
http://youtu.be/39rR0OKVZG8.  It was a mass of dinghies tied to a couple of barges and a steel pan drum concert.  Everyone should attend one if they ever get a chance.

The Dinghy Concert

     Twice a week, there is volleyball at the marina close to where we are anchored.  It is a sand court and we have some really fun times playing.  Darrell is quite good and I am improving.  Size IS a factor, however.

Volleyball at Secret Harbor

      This week Carnival is going on here and we have not been to any of the festivities yet but plan to attend a parade tomorrow.  Pictures to follow.
      Saturday afternoon, we went to a Hash.  For those of you who don't know what that is, it is a non-competitive social and running club.  You can google it looking for Hash House Harriers.  Anyway, we aren't runners but they meet every week in Grenada at a different location on the island and walk or run the trails.  We went on a bus with ten other cruisers to Grenville for this hash.  It was attended by tons of people - numbering into the hundreds.  Cruisers, locals, and college students come to participate.  We walked 1.5 hours at a pretty fast clip up and down hills and across a river.  Afterwards, there are drinks for sale and local foods.  Since we had never been on a hash before, we were considered "virgins".  We got a certificate and in a ceremony at the finish, we were sprayed with beer.  It was a lot of fun!!

Hash Beginning

The End of the Hash

After our "Beer Bath"

      The next day, we went with our friends Scott, Kim, Heather and Ryan (their daughter-in-law and grandson), Bruce, and Jan to Seven Sisters Falls.  This was another "hike" up a muddy trail to get to the waterfalls.  They were beautiful.  We picnicked and swam then started the hike back down the mountain.

Seven Sisters Falls

      In between all of these social activities, we are ticking off items on our "to do" list for the boat.  My next project is to sew a dinghy cover for Bruce and Jan's dinghy.  Then, I get to start my own project of replacing the bimini and dodger on Alibi.  Once I get these two projects completed, our boat should float a little higher on her waterline.  That fabric has been in Jim's quarter berth for too long!
      Today, I am placing an order for our water maker.  We have been wanting one for quite some time. This will give us the freedom to go some places that we haven't and the boat and crew are looking forward to an unlimited supply of water.  With the extra solar panels we put on last year, we should have enough energy to run the pumps to keep us supplied with water.

Hikers to the Waterfalls

      We are making new friends but sure do miss some of the people we started this trip with last year.  I guess that will always be the case - cruisers coming and going.  In the meantime, we are getting in better shape physically also by swimming (Darrell goes every morning for 30 minutes with friends) and yoga (we go three times weekly).  So don't worry about us getting bored down here - you ought to come for a visit!
      I almost forgot to tell you about the dinghy raft up we did for the last full moon!  We had hors d' oeurves and told some tall tales while several dinghies were tied together drifting across Mt. Hartman Bay.  Might have to do some star gazing again soon!  And as I was going thru pictures, I found the ones that I took when Darrell played in his first ever Cricket game.  They are teaching him to play one rule at a time - lol!!