This morning at 0730 when I got up

You see the sun shining on the boats, correct?
 

15 minutes later!

Winds came in at around 30+ knots and the rain started

pouring!  Now I know what you're thinking Michael....

but it's not true, it very rarely rains here and the sun is already

starting to come out again; however, it's still a blowin'!!
 

Brad Reid posted this picture on Facebook

and I must say it's a beautiful picture!  but I also must say...

I'm glad it's 74 degrees where I am, instead of 11 degrees with

a wind chill of -1 degree according to weatherman Mark Demski

also on Facebook! 

OH!!!....Gordon & Debbie who live south of Daytona, FL also

got 5" of snow last night....now that's getting a little tooooo close!

 

At least two people died in a fire in a Bahamas shanty town New Year's eve.

A fire in a Bahamas shanty town has killed at least two people and destroyed around 50 homes, leaving hundreds without shelter.  Assistant police commissioner Emerick Seymour said the fire began late on Tuesday in the Marsh Harbour area in the Abaco Islands, an overcrowded community of permanent residents, naturalised citizens and Haitian migrants.

The government said it was helping those affected by the fire and the cause was being investigated.
 

The US Coast Guard is assisting rescue efforts off the Bahamas after a freighter carrying more than 100 Haitian migrants capsized, killing at least 10 people.

Thank you to Debbie for sending me the link! 

 

 Houses along the shore to the lighthouse
 

 Hope Town Lighthouse

Virtually all of the lighthouses today are automated

However; the Hope Town Lighthouse has to be manually turned on

as the light is fueled by propane  (as I write this it is now
pitch black outside and the guy is late for work because the
lighthouse is not on!)
It is now 18:34 hours and the light is now on!

Hope Town (Elbow Reef) Lighthouse Stats

 

 Our anchorage...do you see us?
All of us are on mooring balls - no room to anchor.
 

 The cut we came through
 

Do you see how this cabinet was carved...

so that it fits nicely the circular staircase?

 

 Our flight up
 

 This dinghy
 

 made it to
 

Wooden Boat magazine!

 

 Here it is!
 

 In the middle of this picture you can see a small white object
 

 I told Bob I thought it was a sand dollar and
 asked him to go and get it for me
 

Can you see what he's holding?

 

It's the label off of a Sands Bahamian Beer

instead of a sand dollar!

 

 Post Office - Commissioner - Police Station all in one!

For a Bahamian to register a handgun it costs $750

An antique firearm is $300

A rifle is $350
 

 Another beach on the Atlantic side
 

Another beautiful flower

 

 and another!
 

 This photo was hanging in the grocery store...

It was the Hope Town VFC asking for donations

They are standing in front of the same engine that Bob

was standing on in a previous photo

and yes, we did make a donation :0)
We assume that after the 50 homes destroyed by fire in
Marsh Harbor that they will upgrade their equipment
and probably their training.
 

The fire house is a new building with old doors....

 

 Water fountain...pretty good idea huh!!
 

 Hope Town School
 

I didn't get a picture of the school the first couple of times we went

past it so I decided to go back and take the picture.  I left the groceries

sitting on the bikes while Bob went and got the dinghy...I was gone long

enough for him to load the groceries and bicycles on the dinghy...he is still

my #1 yak!

 

 Today was kind of a low key day. We went to the lighthouse early afternoon and then for a bicycle ride.  We definitely feel like we have seen all of Elbow Cay and we love this place.  Next year we will be staying here a minimum of a full week.  Decision has already been made!
 

We are leaving for Marsh Harbor in the morning providing the weather permits.  It's still blowing out here pretty hard but is supposed to calm down early morning with winds clocking around from the south.  Jayne and I are going through our boats and looking for anything we could give as a donation to the families that lost everything in the fire the other night.  There is a place in Marsh Harbor where we will be that will take the donations and deliver them to the families.