Just Another Day in Paradise

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We left Great Harbor on Boxing Day and had a wonderful sail over to Devils-Hoffman, our favorite anchorage in the Bahamas. There was a light breeze and the seas had calmed down considerably since the last time we were out (thank goodness!) And as we pulled into the anchorage we were thrilled to be the only boat there. Devils-Hoffman is a perfectly protected, calm anchorage surrounded by many little islands with beautiful white sand beaches. The water is shallow on the Bank to the west creating crystal clear waters that vary in color from the lightest of turquoise to deep cobalt blue, with patches of green where the conch grass grows. It is stunningly beautiful and picturesque as well as completely deserted and quiet. So peaceful. At night we would go out on the deck with our bean bag chairs, settle down with a glass of wine and look at the universe above. So many stars and galaxies, satellites, and the Milky Way stretching across the entire sky. Totally awesome. So needless to say, we were more than excited to be here.

The first day we went to our favorite beach for a swim and then out to catch dinner, fresh lobster. Jay, all geared up with snorkel and spear, dove down and produced 2 beautiful crawfish. Unfortunately he had to let 2 other ones get away because there were a couple of lion fish hanging out in the hole. Lion fish are beautiful, but very poisonous to the touch. So we decided not to risk it and just enjoy the 2 tales for dinner, which we combined with a steak for a surf and turf feast- yum! Life is good in the islands.

The next day we decided to explore a new beach and found a couple of plastic lawn chairs there, which we carried out to the water and settled in to read books. The water feels so refreshing out in the hot Bahamian sun. We had packed a cooler full of beer and snacks and we just hanged out at the beach all day. It felt great to relax- like a true vacation (which is rare for us, believe it or not). And Kona was happy just swimming around and towards the end of the day he remember how to conch- good dog! He found a couple empty conch shells in the water and would dig them out and carry them up to the beach. This is something that our friends here in the island taught him last year, very useful. And at the end of the day we collected some fresh coconuts off the trees. I guess you can call it just another day in paradise.

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