Bahamas - Daily Rhythm

About the time that our plane touches ground in Treasure Cay is about the time I shove my cell phone deep into my purse, not to be heard from until we take back off for the US. The phone is useless there (for the obvious reason that I don't get cell reception) but the other not so obvious reason is that time or at least telling time (which is the other main function of my cell phone) is of little use here.

Back in Nashville our daily rhythm is always molded by a schedule - school start time, dismissal time, dinner time and bedtime. And for the most part these activities come and go at the same time each day. Not that I am a slave to the clock, but she and I hang out quite a bit every day.

But in the Bahamas, that sort of schedule just doesn't work. The Bahamians clearly don't stick to one as the phrase "island time" pretty much means whenever someone gets around to it. So our rhythm changes to match the tides and the sun. In the morning, at low tide we walk across the street to the Windward beach. This side of the island faces the US and so shielded from any large waves brought in by the Atlantic. Most days the waves are about as rough as a lake. With clear blue waters and no pesky waves to contend with we search for treasures on the beach.....


Then either lunch at home or at the Coco bar serving up tasty, tasty, conch fritters. And the view isn't bad either.


After lunch it is off to the main beach - located next to the condos on the Leeward side of the island. This is generally our first contact with any other people, though usually maybe 20 people if that, on the beach at any given time. The larger waves are great for diving into and floating on.


Or occasionally we may hit the pool.


Dinnertime is whenever exhaustion sets in and the sand has been rinsed off for the day. There were nights when I looked up to see that my kids were still up and playing at nine at night. Unheard of at home.

Then it is off to bed to do the same thing again the next day.

The Bahamas - Treasure Cay

For most of you (if not all), you know that we are lucky enough to frequent the Bahamas every year or so, as Raif's parents live there most of the year. When we tell people that we are going to the Bahamas, they at once think of Nassau or Freeport and their minds run to casinos or all inclusive resorts and the like. Our Bahamas couldn't be further from that. So for the next few posts or so I thought I would educate everyone on our Bahamas and who knows maybe it will intrigue you so much that you will want to join us next time.

Raif's parents live in a town call Treasure Cay, located in the Abacos chain of the Bahamas. The Bahamas contains thousands of islands, most of them uninhabited. The island is considered a 'family island' which basically means no casinos, no large hotels, mostly Bahamians and ex-pats like the Erims who have bought vacation homes and second homes.

From the brochure I read in the Treasure Cay airport (which by the way is about the size of a three car garage) TC has about 15,000 inhabitants. It has 3 restaurants (if you can consider a beach bar serving hamburgers a restaurant and none of them are anything to write home about) and 1, yes 1, bar. There are two smallish condo complexes to rent to the casual vacationer. No major hotels - nothing over 3 stories anywhere. The majority of the island is covered in houses - the vast majority are occupied probably less than half the year by snowbirds from Europe, Canada and the US. Add this all up and you have an island with not a lot going on and not a lot of people.

Treasure Cay has pretty much one main road that goes along one beach and one small road that goes along the other. With two roads and everything within 5 minutes by car and with gas at around $5.00/gallon the vast majority of travel is done by golf cart. They have even gone so far as to start a golf cart drive in once a week in an old parking lot. There was a big turnout last week - there were about 4 golf carts and about 15 people or so who walked over with lawn chairs. And mind you that this was a big holiday week - with both 4th of July and Bahamian Independence Day so the island was more crowded than usual.

So what does one do on an island with seemingly nothing going on.....stay tuned.

Hasta La Vista....

We are off to the Bahamas for a much needed vacation.... See ya in a little while....

The World's Dumbest Animal

This woodpecker has been pecking at my windows all morning. I shoo him away and he comes back one minute later and starts again. He is driving me insane. I love nature but if he doesn't realize the futility of his efforts he may be getting to know Raif's BB gun soon......(j/k).

Austin...

What can we say about Austin....we got to spend the weekend with people who are more family than friends. We laughed til we cried and stayed up til the wee hours of the morning just talking and drinking. Had some incredible food and a lot of fun in the water. Oh and the kids were around somewhere too....

The bonus of the trip was a chance to see our friends Steve, Elissa and Reagan again and get to meet their adorable new daughter Abbie.

Hudson on the dig for dinosaur fossils

Here you can see the different parenting styles....Hudson nicely sitting on the rock...my children smack dab in the middle of the water fully clothed

I intend to bring this picture out again roughly the time they both hit high school....

Just chillin'

Reagan hamming for the camera

Raif giving Elissa a break, getting to know Abbie and reminiscing of days gone by....


Page and I and our redneck airbags...

Is This How VanGogh Started??

For the second year in a row I took Quinn to art camp at Cheekwood. Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed - we had the same teacher as last year and so we did a couple of the same projects. Quinn however, was not disappointed in the least. She had fun coloring, painting, gluing and even getting to do a clay project.

What I enjoyed most was a whole week of one-on-one time with my daughter.


(Quinn's interpretation of Van Gogh's starry night)

Recital Video

Here is what you have all been waiting for....the debut of Quinn (and Raif)!! And yes, the voice at the beginning and the end is Greyson.