All Is Good

Great Harbour Cay   

All of yesterday's clouds and precipitation were distant memories this morning. We welcomed the quick return of blue sky and sunshine. I texted with four family members in North Carolina about their busy day of putting flowers on the graves. Barry removed all the rainwater from the dinghy -- first with a bucket and then with the manual bilge pump. By 11:00 we were heading into the marina behind Sue and Larry (Beverly S). When we rounded the corner, a large Viking sportfisher dominated the view and blocked the dinghy dock. As we got closer we found just enough room to sneak around its bow and under its bow line, which was tied to a tree on land.  

While Barry disposed of our trash, I made friends with one of the locals. Sir Cat was very receptive to head scratches, but not so much to posing for the camera. Larry spotted a manatee swimming through the slips with a remora escort. We had seen a sign in the harbor to be on alert for manatees and we had seen one on our visit here in 2020. It is still, however, a surprise to see one of these gentle giants. A bit further down the docks, a large lemon shark was making its rounds. 

When we ran out of wildlife, we hit the road for lunch at the Beach Club. We arrived before noon with the idea that we had plenty of time to get to Seashell Beach by low tide at 2:17. Oh, how quickly I had forgotten that we were on island time and it was a holiday weekend to boot. We were seated at the last open table, but had to wait over two hours to get our food. We enjoyed the view, beverages, conversation, and a walk or two in the meantime. The staff was super nice and apologetic. The food was delicious. When we finished, our server took our photo with the myriad hues of blue water, just past low tide, behind us.  

There was no point walking to Seashell Beach on a rising tide, so Plan B was to walk south along the beach. The scenery was every bit as beautiful, just no sand dollars. I was glad to take a few photos of Sue and Larry along the way as a remembrance of their time in The Bahamas. Behind us, the clouds were rolling in. We left the surf and most of the sand behind us and all put our shoes on in preparation for the walk on the pavement. We were intrigued by the tiny houses under construction along the main road.

If you just want four walls and a place to lay your head at night while at the beach, this makes perfect sense. The sky was quickly darkening and we were all having flashbacks to yesterday's storm. As a light drizzle began to fall, a vehicle stopped to ask if we wanted a ride. Of course we said, "Yes. Thank you. That would be wonderful." We then realized it was the police officer. The super-nice gentleman took us the final mile to the marina and saved us from getting drenched. 

We waited under a tent for the squall to pass then took the dinghies back to the anchorage. Back on Crossroads by 4:15, I had a chance to check in and receive pictures from all the activities in Winston-Salem. Around 5:30 I got the text from Glenda that Paradigm Shift was in the channel and headed our way. A quick run from the master to the flybridge allowed me to spot them on the horizon. My smile confirmed all is good in our world. As they dropped anchor, I hit the shower to be done by dinner time. 

A colorful sunset topped off the day. Beverly S was in perfect position to add foreground interest. The sky began as a golden yellow and morphed to orange before finishing with a pink glow. As tomorrow is Easter, the full moon rose large and bright over Great Harbour Cay to the east.