Starting 2012 in Grenada

Photo: Rainbow in Prickly Bay

We have moved around the corner (about five or so miles) from Prickly Bay, temporarily. We want to do a couple of days of driving around Grenada and so wanted to leave the boat tied up and plugged in, so we came to Clarke's Court Bay yesterday and Raconteur will stay here while we drive north to a B&B called Almost Paradise overnight tomorrow and Saturday. It's an interesting place, but no swimming off the transom so I won't last long once we get back on Sunday.

We have made a decision on how and where to install the solar panels - over the bimini toward the back - and so are waiting for the various parts of that project to come together. We are really looking forward to having a way to charge the batteries - and thus run computers, the fridge, and the fans - without running the gen twice a day. We are considering adding wind power at some point, but it has taken such an effort just to get the solar project kicked off, who knows when we might do that?

We did some entertaining this past week - Chris and Yanni on Magus, who hosted us when we were in Trois Ilets in May, then Vicki and Bob on FoxSea (we met them in Les Iles des Saintes, Guadeloupe, and re-connected in Chaguaramas), and finally Michael, Karen and Sam from Msichana. Sam is 14 or maybe 15 and planning to apply to Wellesley early decision this year - finally, a live one! She has been a "cruiser kid" nearly her whole life, and I think Wellesley will love her.

I've been enjoying shopping and cooking, but I'm doing a lousy job recording my efforts. I've made Pumpkin-Ginger Soup, Cream of Callaloo Soup, Curried Lobster, Stewed Lambi and Lobster, Sorrel (drink), Ginger Beer, Passion Fruit Nectar, Saffron Rice, Roasted Carrots and Christophene, Eastern Curry Dip, "Pizza Crackers" (pepperoni and cheddar on a Triscuit melted under the broiler), Lobster Broth (using the lobster carcass, carrots, potatoes, spaetzle)...really enjoying it. I tried breadfruit again - I love it when we get it in restaurants) - and again felt it was a failure (breadfruit salad, breadfruit undercooked, I think).
I will soon be out of real saffron, but I am going to need a care package from my sister at some point anyway so I will add that to the list. AND our supply of Trini channa and split peas (roasted and spiced, used at cocktail hour) has dwindled to a mere SIX bottles. Might have to go south again.

We are actually still doing some work. One of our old colleagues is joining MCP for a little while, transitioning to more flexibility, and helping us keep our hand in at the DoD. JP is working for our European client, and Susan is providing some advice to an old mentor. As I said to someone this week...as long as it doesn't involve a cubicle, life is good.