Saturday, Day Three in Paradise

 Saturday, Day Three in Paradise

Saturday we woke up anchored by the beach to the Baths. I swam, Belle and I snorkeled.  A suitable shell still had not been found for the hermit crab. We did find these little puffballs though. Belle paddle boarded, Bunny sunned, Amazing SIL lounged. 

Aren’t these guys cute? 

Off the boat for a quick swim to the beach and an exploration of these giant boulders stacked on the beach. Imagine the forces of nature that rolled them, blew them, tossed them into these positions?  Volcanoes, hurricanes, ocean water and winds. Mother Nature never ceases to amaze. 

Big ol’ boulders. 

Kinda mind boggling.

Back to the boat and we were off to the other side of Virgin Gorda. Docked at Bitter End Yacht Club next to the most enormous yacht, we set off to explore the market, boutique and bar. More rum cocktails, a nap on the boat, I drew a bit. The hot tub was filled and even though it wasn’t warm yet, it felt amazing being bubbled in the cool water while the heat surrounded us. Bunny and Belle did their best to find out info on the yacht next door and possibly get an invite onboard.  Turns out it is owned by a Ukrainian oligarch that our miracle worker chef Amber had been on board with before, different city, different boat. They did not manage to gain access. 

The Amazing Son in Law in the hot tub with that giant yacht behind him. 

Bunny wanted on so badly….

Dinner was at the yacht club and the crew joined us. Bunny and Belle ordered us shots at the bar first. And cocktails. And then we ordered more food than we could possibly eat. More cocktails. We waddled back to the catamaran where I wisely headed to bed to read. The girls and ASIL headed for the hot tub. I think the crew disappeared and did crew things. I knew morning would come too soon for a couple of them….

Dinner Saturday night

And here we are, Sunday morning, Mother’s Day, sails up for the first time over to Scrub Island. Bunny is moving slowly, bummed that her favorite breakfast of Eggs Benedict was served the one morning she was …ahem… under the weather. 

Honestly, our food has been beyond. 

Sorceress Chef Amber works her magic multiple times a day. 

I’m looking forward to my Mother’s Day massage…..

And the hermit crab in my most beautiful spiral shell? I returned him to the wild. I really wanted to keep that shell but finally had to admit it was my treasure but it was his home. 

ABOVE DECK...Day 1

 ABOVE DECK...TRAVELING AND DAY ONE...

So, in order to earn my keep, I've been tasked with documenting our trip.  Easy peasy.

Except my morning started early Wednesday with a frantic call to the vet. Miss Mina, who had been doing so well, took a turn for the worse Tuesday night and quit eating and started missing the kitty box again.  I knew what had to be done...she was uncomfortable, her kidneys would not recover, and I did not want her suffering with a stranger or in a cage at the vet. A quick phone call and the vet snuck me in first thing.   She was the sweetest, prettiest cat I've ever owned and this is the first time since I was 5 that I don't have a cat and don't plan on getting another any time soon. 

Miss Mina, named by the BigGuy, found under a bush in Lampasas at 

the Sister in Law's farm on Ellery's birthday. She went from feral kitten to domesticated longhair 

in about 30 minutes.

And then off to the airport....

Props to American for getting me out of Asheville and into West Palm Beach ahead of the many storms that tore through North Carolina.  

Thursday morning bright and early (4:30AM!) we were off to the Miami airport to meet Bunny who had flown in from Albuquerque. Poor baby had left New Mexico the night before at 9pm.  A quick 2.5 hour flight to Saint Thomas, a driver to the marina and a water taxi to our boat and Voila! we are on the Lena catamaran for the next 6 days. 

Lena

in the BritishVirgin Islands for the next 6 days

Raf, our captain, and Amber, our chef, met us with Prosecco, flowers for me (Happy early Mother's Day!) and an amazing lunch.    Swimsuits were donned, sunscreen applied, and snorkels were snorkeled. 

Early Mom's Day for me!

Stingrays floated gently below us. There were sea turtles!!!  Tiny brightly colored fishies darted around the rocks. The girlies brought back shells. I lounged. Mitchell worked....

A fabulous dinner- Wagyu beef, Bao buns, Rice paper rolls- and then we headed out for a sunset run to Willie T's boat bar.  

Willie T's Boat Bar

Rum and Cokes- we are in the islands after all-fortified the girls enough to jump off the back of the boat. Used to be if you jumped off topless you got a free t-shirt, but they kept running out of tees so they stopped that deal.  Belle says she knows why women jumped topless- you end up that way anyway when you hit the water.

Back in the dinghy and into some caves where the last  pirate treasure was found in 1990-recent enough that maybe we could have found something, too, if it hadn't been PITCH BLACK in there.  

We watched the tarpon feeding around the boat in the underwater lights a bit before everyone faded. 

Skinny silver tarpon

Our first day done, everyone was in bed by 9:30pm. Sea air and salt water will wear you out.