On the looong walk back from the grocery store, drug store, and of course, the liquor store. That's our little pack animal Brianne.

Lunch after a long walk. Introduced Brianne to cracked conch and conch chowder.

Waiting for our fresh conch salad. When in the Islands you try all the Island foods.

Shop until you drop, or until you run out of money. We hit all the shops!!!!!

Ice cream! First ice cream we have found in weeks. Tastes great on a hot Bahamas afternoon.

Chilling in the Marina pool on a hot afternoon.

Kids will be kids!

Brianne on the computer on the fly bridge. Best seat in the house.

A dog gone good day

Today I decided I would do a dog blog. Today when we got up, well when me Cassie and Mom got up, Cassie and I asked if we could go to the beach today. The way we let them know is we go out on the swim platform and stare at Half Note, our family car. We get to go to the beach almost every day when we are in the Islands. Mom said when Dad gets up they have some things to do. Dad had to change some lights, make some water, Mom had to do laundry, and they had to clean the boat and get ready for our cousin Brianne who will be here Wednesday. I can't wait! Cassie and I went down and woke Dad up so he could get an early start. "Get up Dad, we want to go to the beach later!!!" Mom and Dad were great and got started after breakfast and were done by lunch. We stayed out of the way so they could get done sooner and rested up for the beach. We always know it's time to go because Mom and Dad go down stairs and put on their swim suits. Me and Cassie go back to the swim platform and wait. When they come up they always tell us to wait, but we can't wait and always jump into the tender first. We never get in trouble for it! Dad gets in the tender while we jump around like nuts and Mom hands the stuff to Dad to go to the beach, Mom gets us untied and off we go, me and Cassie in the bow with our ears flapping in the wind (Dad drives us there fast) and we know we will be at the beach soon. When we get there, well almost there, Mom always tells us to wait. What's to wait for, we're close enough. Cassie and I jump off the bow and swim the rest of the way. We love jumping off the bow! I'm always a good girl and potty on the front deck of the boat, but Cassie holds out for the beach. First thing she does is go potty, and then the rest of the day she hunts for fish. (she never catches any) Not me, I'm ready to chase that ball. (after a roll in the sand) Mom and Dad sit in the water or go for a walk, but not without me and my ball! After a fun day at the beach we all get back in Half Note (Cassie jumps in and I need a little help) and go back home. When we get home Dad hoses the salt water off us (and the sand off me) Mom Dries us off, and its time for a treat and a nap. Later mom will give me an aspirin because I get a little sore, but it is all worth it. Cassie and I love our Mom and Dad and our life on September Song. I wish we could stay in the Islands forever. Let's do it again tomorrow Mom and Dad!

September Song (It's a Dog gone good life) out
Godiva


That's my Dad. The anchor light burned out, so he had to climb up on the roof and change it. Are you done yet Dad? We want to go to the beach!

I love to roll in the sand when we get to the beach. It feels so good to be there. Dad tells me to stop because he has to clean it all off me when we get home. I pretend I don't hear him.

That's me, the one with the sand all over my nose guarding my ball.

That's me bringing the ball in from the family car so we can play

We met these kids at the beach. Why is it that when we see kids at the beach they are always digging a hole. They don't have a bone to bury.

That's my Mom walking on the beach. Ain't she beautiful!!

Don't look at my funny ears. I'll be right back, I got to go get the ball!!

Sure is a dog gone good beach Mom and Dad took us to today.

That's me and Cassie taking Mom for a walk. When she takes us for a walk we go potty. I don't know why when we take her for a walk she doesn't go potty.

That's my Mom and Dad. We sure do love going to the beach with them!

That's me with my mostest favorite thing in the world

That's my sister Cassie. She always chases fish. She never catches any! I chase the ball and always catch it.

That's my mom. She teases me sometimes.

Mom trying to hold on to my stupid sister while my Dad takes our picture. He sure takes alot of pictures!

YAHOO, A WAHOO!

Yes, the mahi slayer landed two wahoo at the same time. Well OK, one then the other because I can't reel two poles at the same time. My first catch of the day was a four foot barracuda. I hate that when it happens. It's hard to get them off the hook with all those ugly huge teeth. A while later I was up on the fly bridge while Stephanie was down stairs in the head and we passed through a weed line. I thought, here we go, MAHI. All at once both poles went zing at the same time and Stephanie is still in the head. I pulled back the throttles and ran down stairs. One fish had taken out most of the line so I fought it first while the other pole kept zinging. When I got the first fish close to the boat I thought it was another barracuda. Nope, It's a WAHOO! After getting the first fish in, I worked on the second which had taken out most of the line. Fighting two fish that size was tough, but I got the second one in. YAHOO, TWO WAHOO! What made it even harder was the fact that we were in the Atlantic and had 7 foot rollers with an occasional 8 or 9 to make it even more interesting. I have never caught a wahoo, and to catch two at the same time made it even better. I think it has something to do with the lucky fishing hat that Doug and Tammy gave me. Needless to say, we had Wahoo on the BBQ for dinner that night. I'm all out of breath after telling you that story!
We have been to so many new places these last few days that we haven't been before because this is our first time in this part of the Bahamas. It's alot different than the pristine remoteness of the Exumas, but it's still all good. I can't say it's better than the Exumas, just different.
I am sitting in the pilot house with a cool breeze coming in through the pilot house doors looking out over the beautiful, historic harbour and settlement of Hopetown sipping on a Captain Morgan and Coke in this paradise they call the Bahamas sending you this blog. (got Internet in the mooring field) I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If I am dreaming, DO NOT DISTURB!
We're headed to an anchorage in the AM, we'll be there till we head to Marsh Harbour to pick up the beautiful high school graduate coming in to join us. We may not have internet there, so wait for us, we'll be back.

September Song (WAHOO) out
Bob


September Song on her mooring in the historic harbour of Hopetown.

The Historic Hopetown lighthouse. It is still lit with a kerosene lamp each night.

The first landing spot of the Loyalists in 1785

Beautiful streets of Hopetown

Old settlement home

This is actually a lane.

Flowering tropical plants in all the front yards

You never know who you are going to run into in the Islands. Chet and Linda on 'Cygnet" fellow DeFever Cruisers, were poking around in one of the stores waiting for the bread to come out of the oven at Vernon's Grocery (that's another story) when we ran into them. We chatted for a while and then decided to meet for lunch at Captain Jack's. Great goombay smash. Too many of those and they will punch your lights out, but they are so good.

A fish frenzy under the dock at Captain Jack's. Do you suppose the waitress throwing the leftovers in makes them go nuts?

Beautiful flowers everywhere on this Cay

OK, the other story. This is Vernon's Grocery. Vernon's is a must stop when in Hopetown. Vernon bakes fresh breads all day that are to die for with about a dozen different types to choose from. OH, Did I forget the fresh backed pies and home made jams, the ones with the wax on top? Tonight for dinner we are going to have fresh bread with Vernon's home made pineapple jam, and for dessert we will have fresh baked coconut cream pie with real baked meringue. We are so bad!!!!!! But it is so good!!!!!!!!!!! We may not even use plates for the pie, just a fork and pass it back and forth Bahamas style. You who have been here with us before know what I mean.

Yes, we do get up early enough for the sunrise. I can't tell if the sunrises or sunsets are more beautiful. we'll call it a draw.

The landscape changes quickly in the Islands. Soft sand beach to rough cut-your-foot-on rock.

Can you tell where the high tide line is?

It's hard to capture the beauty of this place in a photo.

When we left Spanish Wells we saw this creative no wake sign. For mercy sake, NO WAKE, thank you.

Bringing in a wahoo out in the steel blue waters of the Atlantic. What a thrill, especially in 7 ft. rollers.

Had two wahoo on at the same time and got them both in. First wahoo I have ever caught. I know what we are having for dinner tonight!

To celebrate my first wahoo catch, Mother Nature put on a show that evening at dinner.