We hear that the weather has been quite challenging along the East Coast of the US, but here in the Bahamas spring is hardly different than winter!  We have had some challenging winds down here this winter, and since that has not yet stopped perhaps that is our ‘lion.’

During the most recent week of strong winds, we have been in a little archipelago of islands that include Compass Cay, Pipe Cay, Little Pipe Cay, Thomas Cay, and Joe Cay. These little islands are either uninhabited or privately owned by very wealthy individuals, so there is no going ashore and no provisions. Everyday we visit at least one new beach, each with its own marvels. There are more beaches than I can count, as well as a beautiful mangrove swamp that we explored at low tide.  Pandora may have a more pronounced starboard list due to my shell collecting!

Now aren’t you just dying to see these starfish in more detail??  The local name for them is ‘cushion star,’ and they come in differing patterns of gold and deep red.  The patterns and colors strongly remind me of stitched shibori on fabric first dyed a light Brazilwood , then stitched and dipped into a deep madder bath.  They are truly stunning!

While we’ve been here I have spent my mornings knitting or weaving  baskets, then after lunch Bob and I go exploring.  We relax in the evenings and often share dinners with our friends aboard Ariel.

My basket collection is growing…. I have given away the bigger basket in this group, and I plan to continue making a number of the smaller ones.  They are just the right size for a votive candle, and the candlelight makes interesting patterns as it shines through the coiled stitches.

I am just a few rows away from the shoulder shaping on “Mary Tudor.”  Then it will be time to cut the whole thing open and try it on!…. before starting the sleeves and front bands.

It’s almost Easter, and that feels very strange.  During this time away I have missed both my sons’ birthdays as well as Easter.  It’s the first time to miss these occasions with family, and I have to say it is decidedly a drag…  Well, I guess there has to be a little rain on our parade…

Almost daily someone asks me why I’m sailing around without a loom.  It’s surprising how many people know about the little looms you might consider for traveling.  Inkle looms, tablets, little pot holder looms, and of course(!) rigid heddle looms.  What surprises me more than their knowledge of little looms, is their conviction that anyone could be perfectly satisfied with such equipment.  I simply cannot figure out how to describe why I haven’t got a rigid heddle loom onboard.  They all seem to think I just haven’t considered my options well enough.

I mean, really… I do have two drop spindles with me, and I enjoy using them!  But I would not have a rigid heddle loom with me.  I simply cannot explain that to myself yet, much less to anyone else.

Meanwhile, I have taken up my “Mary Tudor” sweater again, and it is a very satisfying and fulfilling project.  Alice Starmore really nails it every time with her designs.  They make so much sense, knitterly, that they practically knit themselves. If I understood why I’d be a prolific designer myself!  In spite of her reputation for complicated patterns, I find that I barely have to look at the charts…. well, I do look at the beginning of each row (I wouldn’t want to lead you astray on that!)…but really, her charted designs are so artistic while also being so logical, that myopic chart reading is really not required.  I’m above the armholes now, about halfway to the shoulder shaping.  I am loving every minute of it!

On one of our recent walks on Long Island, Bob very nicely collected some Silver Queen palm spears for me.  Spears are what I am calling the new shoot of palm frond that rises out of the center of the plant.  I visited with basket maker Nancy on Trumpeter, and she very generously guided me as I started 8 baskets.  When I explained to her that beginnings and endings are the crucial bits of learning any new technique, she was all about helping me learn the beginning at least!  She had a basket ready for ending so she showed me one ending.  I have now completed my first basket by myself, and it’s nothing to write home about.  In fact, I’m not even sure it’s worth keeping!  But for the moment, it is my vessel for holding all the chaff I cut off the fronds before weaving.  Maybe I’ll throw it overboard when I throw out all the chaff…

A few shots from our palm frond foraging!

There are wild and domestic goats everywhere!

And even on these desert islands, we find a few things in bloom.

My most recent cache of shells and sea glass drying in the cockpit.  Even when I’m looking for palm fronds, shells are always part of the foraging.

We up anchored today and headed north for Cat Island.  I did weave for a while before sea sickness overtook me.  Ugh.  My second basket shows a litte more promise.  I spent most of the trip sleeping after taking a half dose of Stugeron.  It was a long day of over 60 miles. At an average of 6 miles per hour sailing, it took us 10 hours to get here!  A bit slower than travel by car!  After the beautiful aquamarine waters of the harbors, ocean sailing in the Atlantic with depths of 6,000 feet gave us deep indigo water with white foam on the wave crests.

Cat Island looks quite intriguing.  Father Jerome’s Hermitage is at the top of the highest hill here, called Mount Alvernia.  That hill of about 260 feet elevation is the highest spot in all the Bahamas!  On the summit he built a monastery called the Hermitage.  From the harbor it looks like it’s sitting atop a huge mountain.  I understand you can walk up to it in about 15 minutes, so that means something is very wrong with the perspective.  I think it’s a fairly well kept secret that it’s all smaller than it appears from the harbor.  I think no one wants to give away this little secret so the surprise isn’t spoiled.  But if you can walk up to it in 15 minutes, it can’t possibly be as imposing as it appears from here!

Father Jerome was an Englishman, born in the 2nd half of the 19th century, who was an architect, and an Anglican, before becoming a Catholic monk.  He enjoyed designing churches on many islands here in the Bahamas in the early 20th century.  In fact, the photos of the beautiful church in Clarencetown on Long Island was one of Father Jerome’s accomplishments. He built some churches along with the hermitage and his retirement home on Cat Island.  I hope to have detailed photos tomorrow when we visit.

We are anchored right near the Batelco (Bahamas Telephone Company) cell tower on Cat Island and are making good use of some unsecured internet with our wifi booster.   Life is good!

Pandora’s journey is still here!