Position

Click to see our position today     http://fms.ws/5TH6g/17.77351S/177.18205E

 

We have not been very good about posting our location, partly due to technical difficulties.   We have been in various parts of Fiji since early May, will be heading to Kandavu, Fiji later this week for two weeks of very remote diving.

 

Mid August we will finally leave Fiji behind and head for Vanuatu, 600 nm west of here.

 

Short version:

    Location: Fiji

    Position: mostly missionary

 

And for all you Sarah Palin fans, teaching abstinence is almost as effective as prohibition .................... 

 

E

World Class Surfing in Fiji

Boats were up close to watch pro surfers ride

World famous surfers flocked to Fiji last week for epic surf waves caused by a distant pressure system. The surf was consistently 5-6 meters high for days  at Cloud Break reef and only professional level surfers were advised to ride. Well-known world champion surfer, Kelly Slater, was among those who came to surf. Many boats lolled in the surf nearby to watch this spectacular sight!

Kelly Slater in the curl

Rite of Passage

When your kid turns sixteen and gets his driver’s license, there’s that sense of relief because you no longer need to retain the “bus driver” title, coupled with  worry because you no longer know for sure where he is and that he will return home safely. On the boat, we have a similar situation.

When at anchor, transportation is required to go ANYWHERE – even if it’s just for a walk. So our dinghy is our lifeline to other boats, land and snorkel spots. Whenever Bear wants to see friends (which is always) we drive him on over. Well, today that all changed. Eric blew up the eight foot, inflatable dinghy with a 2.5 hp motor (which is much easier to manage than the fifteen foot Boston whaler propelled by 60 hp), gave Bear operating and safety instructions and set him free! Off he went to see friends on s/v Stray Kitty and to shore to swim in the pool. We haven’t seen him in hours….

Even though he’s only nine, life is simpler here….and it just got simpler for us!

Home for a Time

(Note: We were back in the states for a couple of weeks but have now returned to Fiji where we'll be until early August.)   

The 4th of July is a big to-do in the States, and we celebrate with gusto at our cabin in Wisconsin. Our lake puts on its own parade which draws about 200 people – half participants and half spectators. The parade route is about three blocks long and, in thin years, we have been known to walk the route 3-4 times to make it worthwhile! 

Ladies who Float

This year I joined with my “ladies who float” gang as we wore signs and did a routine with swimming noodles. Eric drove the decorated Jeep in commemoration of our previous Grand Marshall, Billy Meyer, who died this Spring. And Bear did the usual “spray the crowd with water” routine while also collecting candy along the route.  

Immediately following the parade, the gathering heads to the Millar’s for a BBQ where, once again to my dismay, I did NOT win the summer salad contest. 

The afternoon is spent in a boat parade through the chain of six lakes, stopping frequently to sing patriotic songs, have a water gun fight and jump in the lake to pee. We round out the day at The Flying Eagle for spectacular fireworks – not the small town kind you would expect but a real, mega display put to music. 

This year the weather was perfect, all our friends were there and we had a fabulous time!