July 3, 2014 Barbados

The man in the moon off the balcony!

White sand beaches and blue water!

Sailboats at sunset

Towel animals on parade ready for the 4th

Crabby

Monkey see

Barbados

         Ugly dock, flat terrain, warm, humid, tired, exhausted; time to kick back. South American coast not far, the Caribbean and Atlantic meet at the edge of the Sea, few hurricanes here. North Carolina is not so lucky. Read and write, exercise and walk, swim and bathe; after all this, we eat, sleep and are merry.

In Touch

         Missing family, friends, our dog; this is why only twenty-five percent of older cruisers would retire permanently on ships, the rest are so connected in meaningful relationships they can’t bear being out of touch. Biting the bullet we buy twenty-four hours of unlimited online connectivity. Messages fly through cyberspace in search of family and friends.

Animal Towels

         Who thunk it? Clever, fun, entertaining! Everyone loves animals, at sea, next best thing: bring them alive in towels. Cabin stewards, experts in the art, watch morning guests departing for breakfast with smiles; every now and then congratulating them on their handiwork. We decorate our two favorite guys with patriotic red, white and blue ties.   

Smoking on Board

         Two decks down, wafting upward, the smoke rises to nostrils. Oh how culture changes, security acting on Debbie’s alert, march to source. Nearly two decades past, smoking permitted on and within all decks was stifling, sent daughter Tina to infirmary with serious asthma attack. Today, only remaining smoking niche, the casino. Hopefully none some day!

The Cosmos

         At sea magnificent collection of stars overhead; the cosmos sparkles, constellations march across the night sky and the moon spreads on the surface of the water. Breathe in; breathe out! Take it in; give it back! We come and go, this form and that, waves rise, fall, return, the cosmos and the sea in love.