May 18, 2015:

Merriam-Webster’s 4th definition of the word special is “being other than the usual”.  I guess you could say that cruising on Nancy Lu fits that definition of special.  There are also experiences cruising on Nancy Lu that are special within the experience of cruising.  I’m going to share some of these “other than the usual” happenings, places, sights and things from the last few weeks, and even further back.  This blog post is pretty much a way to use pictures and share experiences that didn’t fit into my last post .  I want to get it posted before Mark and I experience the next 7 special days.  We’re having three visitors during that time—Claire, our youngest daughter, and her two friends, Kay and Olivia!!  These visitors actually fit Merriam-Webster’s 2nd definition of the word special, which is “held in particular esteem”!!  I’ll share all about our time with them in my next blog post.

Of course, the happenings, places, sights and things that I want to share here were made even more special because of the special (2nd definition) people with whom we shared them.

 

SPECIAL THINGS:

 

Back in April, in the little town of Esperanza, Vieques, SVI, Mark bought me a beautiful necklace crafted by a local artist!  This was his early birthday/Mother’s Day gift to me!  It is crafted from brass and a semi-precious sparkly stone of some sort.  I picked it out at the gift shop of a little museum there.  I love it and have worn it quite a bit since then!

 

That same day in Esperanza, we got chocolate ice cream for two!!!!

 

On the way to the grocery store where we got the ice cream, we came across two huge mango trees heavily laden with fruit.  As we were staring up into the branches, a man with a special grabber asked us if we would like him to pick a couple for us.  We said YES!!  I don’t know which was better the mangos or the chocolate ice cream!!

 

My artist friend, Sylvie, crew on the all-girl boat, Glass Slipper, made me this awesome paper weight made from a piece of coral that she found.  She didn’t intend for it to be a paper weight, however.  She told me that I was to make a wish and throw it into the ocean.  I just COULDN’T do that!  It’s too special (Merriam-Webster’s # 1 definition of the word special: distinguished by some unusual quality;  being in some way superior)!!

 

It’s been a long time since I’ve had anything in my little window-vase.  I found this coconut palm leaf and beautiful yellow grape tree leaf on the ground when we went ashore from where we were anchored in Trellis Bay, Tortola, BVI.

 

I got this bracelet/anklet at Aragorn’s Studio at Trellis Bay, Tortola, BVI.  It was handmade by an artisan there.  I couldn’t resist taking a picture of it on the way to Long Bay, Virgin Gorda, BVI.

 

I also got this SPECIAL piece of art.  It’s a birthday present from my parent ‘cause I used the birthday money they gave me, YAY!!  This piece of pottery, which is different on every side, was crafted by a local artist and was inspired by the artist Aragorn’s gigantic fireballs made from old metal buoys.  You’ll find a link to learn more about him further down in this post.  I plan to use my Christmas money from Mama and Daddy to purchase an end table so that I’ll have a suitable place to display it at home!!

  

SPECIAL SIGHTS:

 

I didn’t expect to see two cute little dogs on top of a house in Esperanza on the way to the grocery store!!  (There seems to have been a lot of specialness in Esperanza that day)

 

Many of the Islands that we visit have wild goats roaming the hills.  I saw this one on the Spanish Virgin Island of Culebrita on a hike up to see the lighthouse there.

 

 

 

This sea gull flew right along with Nancy Lu for a while as we reluctantly left our anchorage at Long Bay on Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands (BVI).  Every once in a while he would take a little rest on our man-overboard-module on our stern rail.

 

I never get tired of seeing sailboats silhouetted against the sky surrounded by the sparkly ocean!  This sight was also as we were leaving Long Bay, Virgin Gorda, BVI.

 

 

 

I also never get tired of seeing chickens wandering around every where.  The rooster in the first photo was at a posh resort’s outdoor restaurant at Leverick Bay, BVI.  The hen in the next picture was at the same restaurant.  The chickens in the photo on the right were at Aragorn’s Art Studio on Tortola, BVI.

 

These are Turks Head cacti growing on a cliff face at Peter Island, BVI.  BTW, the Turks of Turks & Caicos get their name from this kind of cactus.

 

SPECIAL PLACES:

 

One of the favorite anchorages of our time in the BVI was at Long Bay.  It was quiet with really nice snorkeling and not many other boats.  The photo on the right shows one of the places where we snorkeled there.

 

Everywhere you look in and around Aragorn’s Studio/The Local Art Center http://www.aragornsstudio.com/index.htm is a feast for your eyes!!  I spent my birthday money from my mom and dad there!!

 

We did a short day anchorage at Fallen Jerusalem.  One of the main tourist attractions in the British Virgin Islands are the Baths on Virgin Gorda, and it is well worth the visit.  We’ve been there 4 times, so we decided to pick up a mooring for a little while at a little island just southwest of there.  You can see the famed Baths in the background of the last picture.  The boulders on Fallen Jerusalem don’t form quite as interesting tunnels, caves and pools, but we were the ONLY ones there, and the snorkeling was nice.  We may or may not have worn out swimsuits .

 

SPECIAL HAPPENINGS:

 

 

May 10 was quite a special day for me!!  I woke up to a beautiful morning anchored in Cane Garden Bay,Tortola,BVI along with our buddy boats.  I was so honored to be included in a Mother’s Day event put on by all the kids of our buddy boats, UNO, Ally Cat, and Glass Slipper, PLUS the four kids visiting s/v UNO with their parents!!  It was the cutest, most heartwarming and delightful happening on a boat I’ve had the pleasure to have been a part!  Coleen of s/v Glass Slipper met me with a refreshing glass of juice as I stepped aboard UNO from my dinghy.  She then led me to the bow where the girls had set up a mani/pedi station!  They had also set up hammocks for the moms and laid out towels to warm in the sun, ready for us to dry ourselves in case we wanted to go for a swim.  The pampering began with our feet soaking in bowls of water as we soaked in the girls’ cuteness!  My technician was Sophie, one of the visiting daughters of UNOs guests, Michelle and Jube.  The boys of the bunch participated, too!  They topped off our drinks and helped make and serve us our choice of grilled cheese or tuna melt sandwiches for lunch!  What a special morning!!  I think Steve on UNO deserves a thank you, as well as the children, for helping them pull off such a wonderful celebration for us moms!  Not only did I enjoy being pampered by some awesome kids, I also enjoyed the company of some awesome fellow-moms.  The only thing that could have made the Mother’s Day celebration more complete would have been to see the faces of my own three wonderful kids!

 

 

 

Mark and I had been invited to a birthday dinner for me that same night (my birthday) aboard Ally Cat!  What a treat!  By this time, all of us buddy boats had moved  to another anchorage at Little Jost Van Dyke.

 

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My special surprise gift was a little flute concert given by my birthday buddy, Ally!  The musical selections were “Ode to Joy”, “When the Saints Go Marching In”, “For the Beauty Of the Earth”, and “The Yellow Rose of Texas”, which Ally had chosen especially for me and practiced for a whole week!  I loved it!!

 

 

 

Ally’s flute concert was not the last surprise!!  Everyone had planned to have birthday cake on UNO!!!  Mark didn’t get a picture, but the cake was delicious with candles and everything!  I felt so special, and I was so happy to celebrate my birthday with this group of wonderful people!!

 

Another special happening a few days later:  Mary invited us and Ally Cat, the two other buddy boats anchored at Long Bay, Virgin Gorda, to Glass Slipper for breakfast one morning while we were anchored at this peaceful anchorage. She served delicious homemade cinnamon rolls and banana nut bread!

 

I’m sad to say that posts including UNO, Ally Cat, Bueller, and Glass Slipper are coming to an end .  They’ve all headed for St. Martin and beyond.  We’ll be staying in the USVIs and BVIs this year.  I look forward to keeping in touch with these special people, though.

 

On a happy note—We are reuniting with some of the other Chat-n-Chill Rat Pack that got stuck for a while in Dominican Republic.  It was so nice to see s/v Sandra Louise at Caneel Bay, St. John,USVI yesterday!

 

 

And guess who we saw working on the tour boat moored behind Sandra Louise, topping off customer’s drinks…Igor from s/v Vonn Dutch!!!  He’s putting in his training time while  getting paid before he captains the ship!!  This was his dream in coming to the Caribbean!  We’re happy for him!

 

I’ll end this post with a miscellaneous special something…

We met this couple way back in Salinas, Puerto Rico.  They just bought a house on Cedar Creek Lake!  They’re going to be there this summer; I’ve already invited them to Cedar Creek Bible Church!  It’s not everyday that you meet a cruiser that even knows where our home town is much less has a house there!!  Now that’s special!

 

Where we’ve been since the last blog post-from Nancy’s Lu’s log:

May 7, 2015 Cinnamon Bay, St. John USVI to Francis Bay, St. John USVI

May 8, 2015 Francis Bay, St. John USVI to Soper’s Hole, Tortola, BVI—to check in

May 8, 2015 Soper’s Hole, Tortola, BVI to Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, BVI—did some awesome dancing to the music of Quito and his band The Edge—that was special—loved sharing that experience with Lars and Jackie on Bueller and Sylvie!

May 10, 2015 Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, BVI to Little Jost Van Dyke, BVI

May 11 2015 Jost Van Dyke, BVI to Monkey Point, Great Guana Cay-for a short day stop to snorkel

May 11 2015 Monkey Point to Trellis Bay, Tortola, BVI

May 12 2015 Trellis Bay, Tortola, BVI to Long Bay, Virgin Gorda, BVI

May 13 2015 Long Bay, Virgin Gorda, BVI to North Gorda Sound—Saba Rock and Leverick Bay—we had a lovely, fancy, adult, dinner with UNO, their guests and Glass Slipper

May 15 2015 North Gorda Sound to Haul Over Bay, Cooper Island, BVI- spent the afternoon laying on the beach

May 16 2015 Manchioneel Bay, Cooper Island, BVI to Peter Island, BVI

May 17 2015 Peter Island to Nanny Cay

May 18 2015 Nanny Cay to Soper’s Hole- to check out

May 18 2015 Soper’s Hole, Tortola, BVI to Caneel Bay, St. John, USVI- dinghy to Cruz Bay to check in to US

May 18 2015 Cruz Bay to Red Hook, St. Thomas USVI- to pick up Claire and the girls

WE NEED TO SLOW DOWN, HUH!