Bug boat be gone

December 8, 2015

In years past, we have always teased that if we get skunked fishing, we would have to eat Top Ramen for dinner. This year we have seen dozens and dozens of lobsters, groupers, trigger fish, and conch and have made no attempt to shoot them with anything but a camera. That is because we have planned meal after meal and have not had the energy to prepare the meal and end up eating Top Ramen or something even simpler. We have stayed at Manjack because John has not wanted to get too far away from Green Turtle where we can procure medicine or he could go in to the clinic if needed.

guess what this is

The clinic is staffed by a nurse who gathers information and then faxes the information to a Dr.  The Dr. then makes a recommendation for treatment and faxes orders back. We have been treated twice at the island clinics. Once two years ago when John had a leg wound that got infected and three weeks ago when I went in for this same illness that John now has. Both times we were treated immediately, professionally, and the cost was very low (extremely low if you compare it to the U.S.). The biggest problem I have is that the nurses are still very subservient to the Dr. so I can’t tell her what I have and how I want it treated (which 30 years of critical care nursing allows me to do in the U.S.), because she just tells me “we’ll see what the Dr. says”. I also don’t get to talk to the Dr. in person so I can’t tell him/her my diagnosis or treatment either. If I come away without the proper treatment for the problem, then the trip to the clinic was worthless. John and I are extremely reluctant to go to the Dr. even when we are back in the U.S. because 99% of the time, it can be handled at home. However, we aren’t foolish either. If you have strept throat, you need an antibiotic. If you don’t have the right antibiotic, you need to get it. If you go to the clinic and walk away without the right antibiotic, then you should have stayed home and continued the homeopathic cures you have been trying.

Is there a Dr. in the house?

Last night John said he wanted to go in to the clinic so you know he must have been feeling very bad. This morning when he woke up he say’s “let’s move to Crab Cay”. Crab Cay is about 5 hours from Green Turtle Cay. We did some morning chores and hung around long enough to make sure he was not just showing bravado, but really feeling better, then motorsailed to Crab Cay. Within minutes of anchoring, he took a nap. I think he really does feel better, but so do I and my energy level is still pretty low. 

I pretty much know all the great lobster holes near Crab Cay, but we still have two in the freezer and it makes no sense at all to fill the freezer with stuff you can get every day. I do want to get wet and get some exercise and possibly get some pictures for the blog so I don my wetsuit and go looking for action. The visibility is poor so pictures are out, but I do get to swim against the current so I am getting exercise. Then John says “we could have lobster tortellini for dinner” and wham..1 of three (because Kiwi gets her own now). Then home for a very nice dinner of lobster tortellini and the first episode of Sons of Anarchy. 

Chicken parmasean meatballs

We have done a bit of complaining about the weather, but truth be told, it has not been the weather that has prohibited us from our usual activities. It has been a bit windier, but the wind generator is working well.  The sky has been more overcast than not which has caused us to use our generator more as the solar panels haven’t been able to keep up with our energy usage. It has rained some off and on, but that has allowed us to keep up on the laundry and take hot showers. Overall, our biggest limiting factor so far this year has been our energy level. I also need to remind myself that poor weather here still means I am in a bathing suit most of the day and not in snow boots.

Come on out Kiwi

Kiwi seems to be starting to relax more and spend more time with us instead of her hiding spots. She is becoming a lobster monster and greets us when we return to the boat with the dinghy. She expects that we have brought her something. She chases the bat moths in the cockpit at night and sometimes even lovingly brings one into the cabin to show us what a great hunter she is. It is a bit hard to sleep with a 6” moth fluttering about your head and a cat flying about the room trying to capture it. 

Still looking forward to improved health so we can socialize, play cards and games, get seaglass, have picnics and bonfires. Anxious to set up our own golf course and play some golf. We definitely want to do some SCUBA diving and take long walks on dirty scavenger beaches.

Also looking forward to the guests that will be coming.