Allen's Cay to Warderick Wells

Time to travel again!  Up early in morning to peruse the weather and the maps for where to go next.  Carefully planned out our next stop, a little anchorage just south of Highborne Cay after a stop at the fuel dock.  Pulled up the anchorage and left the very lovely Allen's Cay anchorage and the funny iguanas behind.  

(Met some very nice folks from Montreal, Merrill and Cindy of S/V Ambition on the beach the day before while we were snorkeling and had sundowner drinks with them yesterday.)

Our carefully crafted plan was in tatters as soon as we left the shelter of Allen's Cay and put the sails up - wait a minute, that's a south west wind, we can SAIL on that!  We can also make good time SAILING on that!  So, to heck with the plan and we headed south!  

This is following one of the rules (yes, it takes us a while, but we are starting to get it!), 'when the wind allows you to move, GO!'  

Rather than Highborne Cay, we headed for Warderick Wells - after selecting a variety of drop out points should the wind decide to disappear along the way.  It was a beautiful sail in emerald green water, so clear that at 20 feet you could still see the bottom!  

Managed to keep the sails up until mid afternoon when the wind died down and it got hot, hot, HOT!   Luckily, we weren't far from Warderick Wells.  This is one of the Bahamian National Parks, a group of cays clustered together surrounded by light azure water and white sandy beaches - no fishing or shellfishing allowed.  It is absolutely pristine.  We picked up a mooring ball on the west side of the island.  The water was so inviting that we jumped in as soon as we could get the dingy away from the swim ladder.  Snorkels on and we just drifted about in the cool water.  

Watched the boats come and go, had dinner after the sun went down and it started to cool off just a bit.  By about 8:00 it was dark, but still very warm - too warm to sleep in the back cabin.  The moon was out and when I had a wander around the deck, I could see right to the bottom - in the moonlight!  I watched a 2 foot long fish swim by.  

A high point of the trip here!  Still too hot to sleep down below so we took the cushions out of the cockpit and put them up front on the deck - right underneath the half moon and all the stars.  The sea was so still there wasn't even ripples, just gentle rocking from some residual waves.  We laid out on the deck in the cool air and gentle breeze, looked up and our view was the starlit sky from one end of the horizon to the other.  

Today was to be hot again so we got out the awnings to drape over the back cabin and cover up the cockpit enclosure - what a difference a little shade makes!  There's slight breeze and that and the shade keep it nice and cool inside the enclosure and the interior of the boat is cooler than yesterday too.  Won't help much when there's a lot more wind, but then it would be cooler anyhow.
 Went to Exuma Park Headquarters to check in.  There's another beautiful anchorage in front of it, water all shades of blue graduating up to white (where you will run aground as we did with the dingy this morning - have to keep in practice, I guess!) and it is filled with sailboats, just about every mooring taken.  We walked up to Boo Boo Hill where the sailors put their boat names on driftwood and leave them at the top of the hill to ask for good luck from the weather gods (we need to find some driftwood!), the view from up there was amazing.  Steve said this was the most beautiful place we'd ever been and I have to agree with him.

Back to the boat for a little swim, siesta and snorkel!  I think we might stay here for a while!

Party Weekend in the North

The trip home has been a good chance to get together with family and friends who we haven't seen in a while, in other words, a great excuse for a party! This weekend we had two, one for friends and one for family.

Friday night we had 10 people over for a Spanish night with Paella and lots (and lots) of Rioja. It was great to catch up with some folks we've met through and who have become part of our lives since I came to the UK and for Steve, even before that. Steve Moore (who worked for me when I first came to the UK and then worked for Steve at HMPS) and Karen, Ann Taylor (who worked for Steve and then worked with me at BAA), Sharon Milligan (an up and comer who did a lot of work for me at BAA) and Julie (Steve's sister), Steve's son Chris, Jess and Matt. Steve got out the square table which sat 10 very comfortably (and is the best for great conversations) and we had the best time! Non-stop talking from the moment people walked in the door, travel tales, general techno-geek discussion, along with life, philosophies and goals until 2 a.m!

After a rather slow morning (and a nice catch-up with Sharon), it was time to get into gear for Saturday's Italian themed party with the Hodgson clan. The menu for this one - Italian Hunter's Stew (a wine-based chicken cacciatore), my special lasagna, Panzanella and for desert, homemade Tiramisu. We had 14 at the table and managed to ensure that no one left hungry!

On Sunday, Stevie Special Bacon Butties started a perfect day of lounging around and doing nothing. No, I take that back. I started and restarted (and restarted and...) the sweater I am knitting. After ten (yes, ten!) attempts and some help from Jess (You're doing that wrong, Mom!) I finally threw out the first pattern and had my memory refreshed as to how to knit and purl (Thank you, Jess!).

And just to top off the weekend of foodie-ness, Jess made her famous roasted lamb with roasted potatoes for Sunday lunch! I love weekends like this with lots of good company, good conversation and good food.

Becoming a British Citizen

Today was the citizenship ceremony and I am now officially a Brit! I'm still an American too since the US allows dual citizenship - how great to be a citizen of my two favourite countries!

This is the culmination of about 6 years of work. We started out with a work permit which was applied for by the company I worked for when I came to the UK in 2002. That initial one was tricky to get and we ended up having to prove to the UK government that I had a unique skillset (which was true enough at the time, there were not many Six Sigma practitioners). After leaving that job, there was a bit of a scramble because I wanted to stay in the UK, but without the work permit (which came with the job) the right to remain disappeared. However, you can stay in the UK if you are married to a British citizen which I was because I'd already married Steve. So I applied for and received a marriage visa which gave me the right to stay in the UK. From there the next step in the citizenship journey was to get the 'indefinite leave to remain' which meant I could stay (you guessed it!) indefinitely. The final step is citizenship and for that you have to apply, provide 20-ish pages of documentation, take and pass a citizenship test (which was surprisingly difficult), and be interviewed. After all that, your application is reviewed and if you pass, you get a letter in the mail stating that along with the invite / instruction for the citizenship ceremony. The final, final step will be to get a British passport, but we'll wait until tomorrow before embarking on that journey!

My ceremony was in Blackburn and Jess had hers today too, in Windsor (so she's now a Brit too). They did a really nice job with a good presentation and the Mayor there welcoming people to the country. There was an oath and a playing of the British national anthem (which sounded surprisingly like 'My Country, Tis of Thee (I have subsequently found that the melody of this American patriotic song is the British national anthem)). Steve and Eileen were there, along with about 20 other people who were also becoming citizens.

After the ceremony, Eileen had us to her house for a lovely celebratory lunch. Along with flowers, she gave me a card:

Congratulations, Katherine and Jess. Having become fully fledged Citizens of Britain, you are now allowed to:

1. Whinge about the weather at every opportunity

2. Stand patiently in a queue, even though there doesn't seem to be any need to wait

3. Talk to whoever you stand next to in the queue, or sit next to on a bus, starting with a comment about the weather

4. Let it be known that the only people allowed to criticise Britain are fully fledged British citizens

5. Go anywhere in the world and expect everyone to speak English

6. Wear an anorak on any occasion, preferably with green wellingtons

7. Refuse to be known as European

8. Automatically deride whichever political party is in power at the time

9. Be ready at all times to accept an invitation to have tea with the Queen

10. Proudly sing 'God Save the Queen' and 'Land of Hope and Glory' (waving the Union Jack) at every opportunity

The day ended with dinner out at a traditional English pub, the Clog and Billycock. Our favourite, right across the street.

First Visitors and a Sunday Sail

Bill and Joe were our first visitors to our new boat home. They came for an afternoon sail as we did a trial run to test out all the systems and changes we've made. What a great day for a sail! It was sunny and pretty warm (light sweater weather) with a light breeze. We weren't screaming along, but Steve was able to get all three sails up and the motor off.

One of the things I like best about sailing is the moment when you get the sails up, they fill with wind, the boat starts moving of its own accord - and then you shut the engine off! All of a sudden it's wonderfully quiet and all you hear are the wind and the waves. Bliss.

Bill and Joe are good sailors and we had a lovely run out onto Tampa Bay and back again. After a successful docking (oh, I do love those!), we had cocktails on the deck and a leisurely dinner below (chicken with white wine sauce). It was a very cozy evening down below and really nice to catch up with some very special friends.

Birthdays!!!

Part of the fun this time of year is celebrating our bithdays! This year a joint celebration was held at Northcote Manor and it was fantastic! Not bad for turning forty-mumblemumble and forty-mufflemuffle!

Scotland Leaving Do

After two years with the great folks at the BSC in Scotland, it's finally time to go. They threw me a leaving do (my first since these aren't standard in the US) at Citation in the Merchant City in Glasgow. Attendees were Amanda, Malcolm, Ann, Sharon (all in the first photo) and Graham, Jon, Robert, James, Rob and Nicola. Amanda gave a lovely speech which left me close to tears and they all chipped in for a beautiful pin.

I'm feeling very nostalgic about leaving, it's been a great experience. Both sad (to leave) and happy (to be going sailing!).

Our Anniversary in Chester

This year we went to Chester for our 5th anniversary and stayed in a rather 'Fawlty Towers' hotel. Upon our arrival we ordered tea - it was on a platter that took two people to carry out!

Wales Rendezvous

We were invited to a James Bond night at Steve's work in Wales. Got all dressed up in our eveningwear and definitely looked the part. However once we got all dressed up, we realised we didn't actually want to go to a big party. Change of plans!

Instead we had a romantic dinner for two at the Celtic Manor, the gourmand tasting menu with wines to match. A lovely quiet evening, just the two of us!