Spanish Wells
For all the walking we did yesterday, we only experienced the gorgeous sand and water along miles of beach. For some islands, a great beach is their claim to fame. Here, the shoreline is just one facet of what makes Spanish Wells so special. Today, we were very fortunate to visit with extended family while enjoying the company of all the super-friendly folks everywhere we went. Barry and I left Crossroads at 7:30 and walked into the harbor district. It was already busy with activity and traffic was zipping back and forth. While the majority of vehicles are golf carts, there are plenty of cars, small trucks, and scooters as well. On the other side of the concrete bulkhead, boats of all shapes and sizes were sitting still in the glass-like water. We could tell it was going to be a warm day. We met Katie and Jerold at Anchor Snack Bar for a great breakfast. Everyone inside knew each other and many "Good Mornings" were exchanged.
Following breakfast, Jerold took us over to see his fishing boat, Ocean Star. It is just recently back in port following the end of lobster season on March 31. The offseason is not all down time. Preventive maintenance is key on boats of every size. While still on the dock, Jerold showed us the jig for making new lobster traps. He then led us through all areas of the boat and we got a great appreciation for working life on the sea. I particularly enjoyed walking into the freezer hold where 60,000 pounds of bagged lobster tails were stored only a week or so ago. These tails may be on their way to your local Red Lobster right now. This tour was an unexpected bonus. Thank you, Jerold!
We made another quick detour to his home and he gave us a few lobster tails for our freezer. I cannot wait to fix them. We also got to quickly visit with Shelly as she worked on two cake orders for delivery today. Knowing we'll see her on Sunday, we left her to her craft and headed back to Crossroads with just enough time to do some boat maintenance of our own before lunch. Euleta came to meet us at Wreckers, the restaurant here at Spanish Wells Yacht Haven. It was another great meal and we shared stories of folks back in North Carolina. Last April this time, Euleta joined us States-side for Easter and we laughed at how each of our phones had been displaying "Memories" all week. Time flies. She came down to check out Crossroads before heading home for the afternoon. We stopped for a quick selfie on the dock, and kind of missed Barry. He was actually supposed to be in the frame and only appears to be photobombing us. After Euleta left, the clouds thickened and rain threatened, but we never felt more than a few sprinkles. We had an early dinner onboard and then took a walk around the eastern end of the island. The water was eerily calm under more fishing vessels and there was only a slight hint of a breeze.
Another reason I love Spanish Wells is all the beautiful flowers. It is such a pleasure just to walk down the streets and see all the colors in yard after yard. Multiple varieties of hibiscus stand out against the more subtle sea grapes and coconut palms. While many islands have roosters (and we did see three here tonight), these were the first mallards we have seen. Their head feathers are a bit grayer than the bright green plumage on the ones back home.
And, of course, there is bougainvillea in every color of the rainbow. I also saw white, but, for some reason, didn't get a shot of it. The Yacht Haven has a bougainvillea privacy hedge surrounding the pool. The various colors flow together against a lush green backdrop.
I could look at the cape leadwort, desert rose, and plumeria all day. The yellow blossom is my favorite. We looped around and returned to Crossroads right after the sunset as the brilliant orange in the sky began to fade. It was a fitting end to another beautiful day in Spanish Wells.
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