Now, to my story. 
It rained for quite a few days here, everyday. Several long and hard showers. The dink would fill half way with water, making sun tea,from the leaves that blow into it. The water I would pump out was always tea colored. I am not used to being tied up with trees so near, almost overhanging the boat. The brown leaves clog the scuppers on the toe rail and accumulate in little pockets all over the deck and cockpit. When I took these pictures, it looked more like coffee than tea. Guess it is time to pump out the dink!
Now that I think about it, some of the branches DO touch the starboard stays - something that worried me when I was told the monkeys come over here sometime. That would be a disaster for me - to be boarded by the white faced monkeys, who will pick up anything and put it into their mouths, and knock over the chairs in the outside dining room regularly, while playing. But so far, they have avoided me. 
I have heard now that up on the hill, in the center of this 21 acre island, there is a large boa constrictor, who took a fawn several weeks ago - perhaps the one that posed for me with no fear in a previous post here, and easily could take a small dog or cat. Now, when I walk back to AF from the other dock at night, I worry that I might step on him or her, and get a nice bite for my troubles. (They should never have told me!) On that subject, I also learned a few weeks ago that there are crocodiles living here, but in the marshy areas inland. But is something new to worry about, when swimming. (I remember, just after buying AF, while tied up at the marina of my broker's at Salt Creek in St. Petersburg, that it was considered unadvisable to swim to clean your bottom, so far up this creek, as the alligators always came down in the rainy season, as the water was not too salty for them. But that is another story.)
So the daily rains got me down a bit - grey days in Paradise. Bored, if you can believe that, so I read, and was going through books left and right. Staying close to AF because the hatches were open, letting some breeze pass through, but having to stay attentive to close them up at the next downpour. I have bought a window air conditioner, to be installed somewhere, sometime. Jerry, the dockmaster here just installed one in a makeshift hatch board, and the other way is to take off a deck hatch and install the AC unit up on deck, blowing down through a plywood hole with a rain cover. (I cannot believe that I left behind 4 window units in Pittsburgh, never thinking that I might haave need for one a year later on the boat, since I have 2 marine AC units- heat pumps in fact.) But the current here at this dock is so bad, I don't think it would be able to start the compressor, or the varying voltage would cause an early death to the motor.
And the wait for this new throttle cable is driving me nuts now. They have supposedly made 2 or 3, but incorrectly, as well as trying to sell me one 'off the shelf' that wasn't even close to what mine looked like. And, of course, they 'repaired' my old one, cutting 3 cm from the inside, but not the outer tubing, making it almost worthless, without a bit of jury rigging. (I just learned something a few days ago: The phase 'jury rig' is a nautical term, which first showed up in print in the early 1600's. It applied to a repair to a mast or spar. Through common usage, it has evolved to jerry rigged or other adaptations.)
Sorry for wandering off topic so much. So back to my original line of thought. I must concede that my attitude was slipping. But, today, after doing a couple small chores, and reading a lot, I walked over to the resort beach for a 2nd time for an afternoon swim in the calm waters of the resort's bay, between the beach and reef. Yesterday, I swam for about an hour, or at least was in water over my head for about an hour, swimming perhaps 200 or 300 yards - crawl, breast stroke, back stroke, floating, and just enjoying the much needed exercise and stretching. So, I returned for a 2nd time.
Now that I think about it, some of the branches DO touch the starboard stays - something that worried me when I was told the monkeys come over here sometime. That would be a disaster for me - to be boarded by the white faced monkeys, who will pick up anything and put it into their mouths, and knock over the chairs in the outside dining room regularly, while playing. But so far, they have avoided me. I have heard now that up on the hill, in the center of this 21 acre island, there is a large boa constrictor, who took a fawn several weeks ago - perhaps the one that posed for me with no fear in a previous post here, and easily could take a small dog or cat. Now, when I walk back to AF from the other dock at night, I worry that I might step on him or her, and get a nice bite for my troubles. (They should never have told me!) On that subject, I also learned a few weeks ago that there are crocodiles living here, but in the marshy areas inland. But is something new to worry about, when swimming. (I remember, just after buying AF, while tied up at the marina of my broker's at Salt Creek in St. Petersburg, that it was considered unadvisable to swim to clean your bottom, so far up this creek, as the alligators always came down in the rainy season, as the water was not too salty for them. But that is another story.)So the daily rains got me down a bit - grey days in Paradise. Bored, if you can believe that, so I read, and was going through books left and right. Staying close to AF because the hatches were open, letting some breeze pass through, but having to stay attentive to close them up at the next downpour. I have bought a window air conditioner, to be installed somewhere, sometime. Jerry, the dockmaster here just installed one in a makeshift hatch board, and the other way is to take off a deck hatch and install the AC unit up on deck, blowing down through a plywood hole with a rain cover. (I cannot believe that I left behind 4 window units in Pittsburgh, never thinking that I might haave need for one a year later on the boat, since I have 2 marine AC units- heat pumps in fact.) But the current here at this dock is so bad, I don't think it would be able to start the compressor, or the varying voltage would cause an early death to the motor.And the wait for this new throttle cable is driving me nuts now. They have supposedly made 2 or 3, but incorrectly, as well as trying to sell me one 'off the shelf' that wasn't even close to what mine looked like. And, of course, they 'repaired' my old one, cutting 3 cm from the inside, but not the outer tubing, making it almost worthless, without a bit of jury rigging. (I just learned something a few days ago: The phase 'jury rig' is a nautical term, which first showed up in print in the early 1600's. It applied to a repair to a mast or spar. Through common usage, it has evolved to jerry rigged or other adaptations.)
Sorry for wandering off topic so much. So back to my original line of thought. I must concede that my attitude was slipping. But, today, after doing a couple small chores, and reading a lot, I walked over to the resort beach for a 2nd time for an afternoon swim in the calm waters of the resort's bay, between the beach and reef. Yesterday, I swam for about an hour, or at least was in water over my head for about an hour, swimming perhaps 200 or 300 yards - crawl, breast stroke, back stroke, floating, and just enjoying the much needed exercise and stretching. So, I returned for a 2nd time.Afterwards, I returned to the beach, and took a lounge chair, and a cold beer and was sitting and watching nothing. It suddenly dawned on me what beauty surrounded me. It first occured to me because the view of the horizon was blocked by a palm frond hanging down, waving in the wind.
Looking up, I saw that I was under a canopy of palm trees. Bam! It finally got through this thick skull of mine - Look at how beautiful this place is! I am in Paradise. Living my dream. Wake up! I guess I have been inured to the beauty surrounding me - this exotic place by just seeing it everyday - taking it for granted. What a nut!
Life is good.
Life is good.
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