dolphins and sunsets, perfect

 

Rita and I began our morning at the Dolphin Research Center.  It was my first trip this season, and a good time for me to renew my membership for another year.  That way, when y'all come down to visit us, I can get three guests in for free each time I go there.  We had a really enjoyable morning there.  We watched several demonstrations, saw a movie presentation about the rescue of Jax (the dolphin who been two fins and his tail bitten by a shark), and....

We got to meet Reece, the 11 week old baby boy to Momma Tirsi!  Awww....God love him :)

Tirsi is usually the high flyer that squeals when she jumps.  You can tell in this picture that she is still carrying a lot of her 'baby weight'.  The late night runs to Wendy's for chocolate frosty's must have gotten the best of her.  Or maybe it was the pickled herring.  At any rate, she is eating about 27 lbs. of fish, dispersed over five meals/day for her to produce enough milk for baby Reece.  Reece nurses for a few seconds every 20 minutes, around the clock for up to three years.  Exhausting.

Another pair, coming up...

And going down!

SPLASH FIGHT!!!

Reminds me of the Geico car commercial with the little piggy hanging his head out the window crying, "WEEEEEEEE!"  Only better!!!  Doesn't that just look FUN?!

While we were gone, the boys (Cap'n and Peter) finished up their electrical project.  We now can identify passing ships on our GPS chartplotter that are registered through AIS.  We can 'see' what type of boat they are, their location, and the direction they are heading.  No more figure eights in the middle of the Gulfstream in the middle of the night in an effort to dodge a passing cargo ship!  Thank the Lord, and THANK-YOU Peter :)  If you want to relive that frightening moment, visit last year's blog as we were crossing into the Bahamas. http://marquesa34.blogspot.com/2012/04/crossing.html  In fact, if you want to relive the whole Bahamas trip, and see the gorgeous Caribbean waters, start on this date, and work your way through April 2012. Nothing like a little escapism while its snowing and sleeting outside YOUR window about now ;)

At noon, Donnie had to practice one last time with the band (aka Five Sheets to the Wind) over at Bryan's.  I tidied up the boat, and made some hors d'oeuvres for the sunset sail.  AIS was 4:00pm.  We had Peter and Rita, and Danny and Penny along for the ride.  These two take turns playing the stand up bass- professionally.  When Penny is on bass, Danny picks up his mandolin or harmonica.  They are crazy talented, and very fun people to hang with.

This is Peter and Rita, our new friends from Maryland.  You probably don't recognize Peter here, as you've only seen the top of his head!  He's been hunched over our cockpit with wires, pliers, or a soldiering iron for days!  Great people :)

And these are our friends, Penny and Danny.  Danny is a sailor, too, so it was nice having another set of knowledgeable hands on board to trim the sheets, take the helm, and such.  I think it's safe to say, he was having a good time.

And this picture captures why we work like h**l for eight months.  Cap'n at the helm, with a bottle of wine to share among friends, laughing and telling stories, listening to music, and nothing but the sound of the water rushing past the hull of Marquesa.  This is the picture of peace and contentment...and NO stress whatsoever.  He deserves it.

And this is why I work like h**l for eight months...to be able to watch the sun set on the ocean, night after night.  I never get bored in looking at God's magnificent handiwork displayed.  I have snapped a thousand sunset pictures in the three years we have been spending our winter's here in the Keys, and I have a hard time deleting any of them.  Each one is a gorgeous seascape of light and color....

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way...

When sorrows, like sea billows roll...

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say...

It is well, it is well...

...with my soul.

In these sunsets, there is a stillness all around me, as Marquesa ghosts along through the water.  I feel a connectedness to the earth...to the moment...to my heavenly Father.  In the quiet of the sunset, I reflect on my life...the people in it, the friends, the family, those who have passed before me, my children, and grandchildren, my husband, my career, my health, my log cabin in the woods, my boat, my Simon and of course, my Willis.  I am so blessed.  I lead a blessed life.  I am so very thankful, and I must remind myself to never take it for granted. 

I just feel Him in every sunset, and He gets me every time.  Thank you, God.  My heart is full. 

God is so good, he's so good to me.

I feel like I've just been to church, y'all...G'nite, y'all!