Fishing

Brotherly Love & Island Fun

Last month, my brother, Darin, came for a visit and stayed with us for two weeks.  What a lovely time!

Darin had not been to the island for several years – far too long.  Like many of us, he let Life get in the way, and – before he knew it – years had slipped by.  But, oh how sweet to be reminded how much he loves his island home!  Because he, too, grew up knowing and loving this special place.

Of course, the first thing that struck him as he flew above the Exuma… Continue reading

What?! Seasick?!

I am 41 years old, and I have never been seasick. Ever.

Until Saturday . . .

A Beautiful Morning

Saturday dawned into a beautiful morning. Beau and I had several projects to take care of – a typical Saturday morning – but we both commented on what a pretty day it was. A good day for fishing. Perhaps later in the day after we finished a few things.

As Beau started to walk out the door to tackle his first project, he hesitated, “Maybe we should go fishing first.”

Indeed, fishing is best early in the morning. So, off… Continue reading

Island Kids

I love our island children.

I don’t have children of my own (and my beau’s children are grown). So I get my “kid fix” from spending time with the local island kids. Due to the small size of the community and the relaxed, interactive, island lifestyle, it is my pleasure to see these children almost every day – far more often than I was able to see cousins or friend’s children in the hectic, far-flung States.

Beau and I brought all the kids over for an impromptu cookout and swim one weekend afternoon last fall.

One of the benefits of… Continue reading

A Perfect Day (Fishing, Snorkeling, Conch Salad)

A few weekends ago, I enjoyed A Perfect Day.

It was a weekend morning and absolutely beautiful.

Morning sky.

Leaving with friends, we piled into a boat and headed out to sea just before 9:00 a.m. for some fishing.  Into the deep water on the east side of the island, we baited the rods with ballyhoo.

Ready to cast.

The boys fished off the stern, and the girls lounged in the sun on the bow.  After we had trolled along for a while with no luck, we pulled in the lines to check them.  Sure enough, somebody… Continue reading

Regatta Photo Tour

My Dearest Better Lifers, thanks for your patience as I get caught up after a whirlwind regatta!

As you know, I’ve had Regatta Fever and have been posting Champion Sailboat Journals, Sailing Videos Clips and more. Finally, I have sifted through more than 600 personal photographs of the race week to cull them to a far-more-manageable 59 to share with you. These pics capture the essence of an incredible week. Of course, NOTHING can convey the excitement, adrenaline, pride and sheer pleasure of being there, but I hope to give you a taste.

Just one picture of many you’ll… Continue reading

Fishing Trip, Without The Fish

Ahhh, the Better Life! It’s all a state of mind. I mean, here I am, in the most beautiful, pristine, idyllic setting one could wish for, and I STILL get caught up in a frantic flurry of the almighty Things To Do. On a typical day this week, for example, I started my day at 6:30 a.m. per usual. It quickly turned into a day of blog posting, social media responses, catching up on overnight email, starting laundry, walking the dog, hanging laundry to dry, mopping the floor, cleaning the bathroom, paying bills online, making lunch, visiting with my beau… Continue reading

Hunting Large Sea Snails

Recently, I wrote about an evening boat excursion, which included hunting large sea snails. I promised a fuller description of what that entails, so here you go!

By way of background, I was never a huge fan of escargot (snails) when I would occasionally encounter them at a fancy restaurant in my former life in the States. (However, if you saturate anything in butter and garlic, I’m likely to find it tasty!) So, when an island local offered me bites of an even bigger Bahamian variety a while back, I was even less keen. However, in the spirit of… Continue reading

Delicious Fish Dinner

Good morning! I was thinking of you all as I cooked dinner last evening, so I decided to snap some pics and share my delicious fish dinner with you. Now, I’m no chef, and this is not a food blog. BUT this fish makes me happy, so here you go. 🙂

The real dinner process starts in the sea, when my beau and his buddies spear-fish hogfish or grouper, or when we catch mahi mahi with a rod-n-reel. After they clean everything, I help package the fish fillets in gallon-sized Ziplock bags and seal them tight. The best seal… Continue reading

Bringing Home the Bacon (Spear-Fishing)

One of my favorite things to do – and it’s great for my food supply as well – is to go out diving with the guys. (For the record, my use of “the guys” is not a gender-biased oversight! Here, it refers to a group of male buddies. Also, while there are notable exceptions, women aren’t typically the divers in this community.)

Around here, “diving” usually means free-diving and spear-fishing, rather than scuba-diving (although visitors do that, too). I am not a diver since I haven’t mastered actually staying submerged under the water, clearing my ears well or shooting a… Continue reading

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