Farmer's Cay Exumas

Farmer's Cay, in the Exumas, is one of our favorite places to visit.  I can say the feel of this place has changed somewhat since my first visit, but it is still at the top of my list.  The people are the best.  We have grown to love them and they call us 'family'.  It is always good to see our friends here. 

 

Lunch is usually at Brenda's. Brenda has a small cafe right off the docks and serves lunch and dinner.  Cracked conch is our favorite, but her conch fritters are good too.   Ali used to run Ali's Bar, but is now retired and occasionally helps his wife.  Both are dear to us and we enjoy spending time with both of them.  Ali still loves to fish, and we usually join him for a day or two of fishing while we are here.  We were able to snag a few keepers this go round, and gave them to the locals.  

Our dear friends, Brenda and Altimus

Ty's Bar and Grill is on the bank side of the cay with a sandy beach that offers  the most beautiful sunsets around.   During the day, excursions from Nassau brings in tourists for a quick stop for lunch and beach volleyball.

The dock comes alive when the mail arrives, bringing in supplies from Nassau.  It's always fun to watch the activity.

 

The conch shack located on the dock offers fresh conch salad, and you can watch the green sea turtles while enjoying your salad.

 

As you can see, it does attract tourist boats. 

 

 

Farmer's Cay makes us feel welcomed and the beauty is beyond words.  We always love coming here to visit.

Until next time...

Enjoy!

Quick Trip Home!

While this is a slice of heaven here on earth, I do get homesick for NC.  So I opted to fly home the later part of February for a quick visit, while the captain attended to some boat maintenance chores.   

During my visit home, I was able to check on our house sitters, (happy to report all is well there), and spend a few days with my mom and dad.  Also, was able to hang out with my son and spend some time with my daughter and son-in-law and my sweet, sweet grand daughters.  I think they get more and more angelic each time I see them.  

The days flew by and before I knew it, it was time to head back south and jump back onto Sun Daze.  

 

We have been fishing, snorkeling, and wandering around the middle of the Exumas.  I think this is my favorite part of the Bahamas.  Nice anchorages, beautiful waters, and great people.  

Others are enjoying as well, got a pic of this couple as they were being lifted up on the para sail.  Looks like a lot of fun!

 

We are enjoying lazy days of warm sunshine, and calm anchorages.  The weather has been really nice this season.  Calm and smooth...the way I love it to be.  No rocking and rolling, just gorgeous boat weather.  

Won't be long and it will be time to head back home for the end of this season.  My how the time flies.  

Until next time...

Enjoy!

Under the Sea

Most of our days here are spent in the water.  The Captain is a spear fisherman, but I am content floating along looking at the life under the sea.  Not a lot of writing in this post, just a few pics of what we see once we are in the crystal clear waters of the Exumas.

Coral Head

Speared lion fish

The lion fish is reported as a destructive menace here.  I have read that the lion fish can devastate up to 80% of fish in a coral reef in less than 6 weeks.  Their stomachs can increase 30 times its normal size, and they have no known predators here.  So while I am not a spear fisher, I do point them out to the Captain whenever I see one, so that we can help the coral reef in getting rid of a few.

Green sea turtle

Me looking down

A beautiful example of living coral

Me trying to catch up to the sea turtle

Sargeant Majors wanting some free food from us

Me trying to "pet" the fish

sting ray trying to bury himself in the sand

And a beautiful Eagle Ray as we were heading back to SunDaze

Just a peek at some of the lovely sites we see while swimming around.

Until next time...

Enjoy!!!

Michael's Visit

Our nephew from Germany came for a 2 week visit!  Michael has joined us in the Bahamas a few times over the years.  It is always wonderful to spend time with him and we enjoyed having him visit this time as well. 

We took him to our favorite spots.  Farmers Cay, Black Point, Staniel Cay, and further north to Shroud and Norman's Cay.

 

The days were filled with exploring in and out of the water.

 

Michael has gotten really good at free diving and was going down at least 20 to 25 feet.  He takes after his uncle with regards to his underwater skills. 

We also took the dinghy into the mangroves around Shroud Cay.  Lots of little waterways through the island that leads to the ocean side.  The mangroves are often nurseries for sharks, rays, and turtles. 

 

 

  

Of course, we also had fun on shore.   The Staniel Cay Yacht Club is always a fun place to bring our guests for some local fun, food and island drinks.

Time flew by too quickly and soon it was time for Michael to head back home.  We enjoyed our time together, and hope he had a blast!

We miss you Michael!

Until next time...

Enjoy!

Bahamas Update

We made it to the Abacos on Christmas Eve Day, rather that evening.  Checked in with Customs and Immigration the following morning and then had our first lunch in the Bahamas.  The weather was beautiful and we relaxed at the marina for a day before heading out.  We typically head toward the Exumas and we were ready to get sailing in that direction, as the Abacos can be a little on the chilly side this time of the year.

But we did may a few stops along the way...Green Turtle Cay was one.

I am a sunset and sunrise picture taker.  The colors always amaze me and I am thankful for each one that we are blessed to see.

 

The following days were spent motoring or sailing (depending on the wind) and stopping along each island or cay (pronounced "key" here in the islands).  And we take every opportunity to get into the water.  Spearfishing is the captain's favorite thing to do here.  While I am not a hunter, I do enjoy snorkeling and diving along side and watching the underwater life.  When the seas are not conducive to fishing, we are busy with life on land.  Beach combing, mingling with the locals, exploring and sometimes simply doing nothing fill our days.  It is very easy to get into island time here.  We often ask each other..."what is today?" because time does slip away and run together. 

 

We have enjoyed the festivities of Bahamian races, local fundraisers, and various happy hours.  Each island has its own charm and characteristics that make them a bit different from each other.  Always fun to stop and revisit.

 

At the end of the day, we stop and remember how blessed we are and take in the view.  It goes by so quickly.  

 

Our leisurely days here are flying by.  While we love it here, we do miss our family and friends back home.  I am planning a short trip home soon to see my parents, kids and of course my granddaughters....miss them so much!!!  I also want to check in with our house sitters.  While we keep in touch regularly with everyone, I still want to see everyone!!!

So until next time....

Please enjoy!!!