It was our first morning at DaVilla and I was super excited about watching the sunrise on the Atlantic side.  I had hoped to wake up before the sun started to rise in order to get a pot of coffee started but I woke a little later than anticipated.   Luckily D had beaten me by a few minutes and had already made coffee so I was able to grab a cup and catch the sunrise.    Nothing makes me happier than slowly sipping a cup of coffee and watching the sunrise.   It is such a magical and peaceful time for me, savoring those last few moments before the day begins. 

    It was fairly breezy on the Atlantic for Easter Sunday so snorkeling in front of DaVilla was pretty much out of the question for the day.   D and S wanted to enjoy our new accommodations so they were not into looking for a calm beach someplace else.  J and I decided to just jot across the road to Alabaster Beach to see if it was calmer and if so do a little bonefishing and check to see if there were any decent snorkeling opportunities around the rocky edges on the far end of the beach.   

     It was low tide and Alabaster beach was dead calm.  We walked up the beach checking out all the areas they had cleared for the Easter Monday celebration.  Then we walked out into the calm water for what seemed like forever.  We did not see a single fish and the water never did seem to get much deeper than out knees, but it was spectacularly beautiful.  I snapped a couple shots of the beach then we headed up the road toward the rocky area.  
    We walked out to the point looking for decent access points to get in and out of the water and any coral formations that might be worth a closer look.  We only found one potential access point that did not look very easy.  We would have given it a try anyway but all we could see was sea grass so we figured it was probably not worth the hassle.  J tried fishing off the deeper edges of the point with no success, so we decided to give up on Alabaster. 
    The night before we had celebrated our move to DaVilla a little more enthusiastically that our alcohol rations for the Easter holiday had allowed for.  We knew all the stores would be closed, especially on Easter Sunday but we thought we would head up to Cupids Cay to see if Ronnie's was open just in case. 

    Good ole Ronnie's they're always open.  We hung around for a hour or so drinking beer and chatting with the locals.  They had a great time trying to teach J about their numbers game.  It is kind of like a Bahamian lottery where you guess a city (3 options?) then three numbers.   You come back the next day to see if your numbers are right.  J played a few numbers and got a ticket for the next day.   We stocked up on goodies on our way out, including a Ronnie's T-shirt, a Monte Cristo cigar (just for the fun of it) and a case of short neck Heinekens, which cost about $5 less than anywhere else.   We got lots of invites to the Easter Monday celebrations and said we would be back the next day to check our numbers.  

    After gawking and fantasizing about a few of the sailboats in the harbor we headed home to DaVilla with our treasures from Ronnie's.   We spent the rest of the day just lounging around DaVilla and going for little beach walks.  Just how a leisurely Easter Sunday should be spent.  We had a nice supper of salad, yellow rice and leftover fish from our exploits at CB.   After dinner J and I lounged in the hammock watching the stars and smoking our cigar.  We decided it was good as far as cigars go, but we are just not cigar smoking folks so a few puffs was all we had in us.  I brushed my teeth about 6 times before bed trying to get the taste out of my mouth, but it was still worth the experience.  

    Today was our big move from Caribbean Blue to DaVilla.   We were sad to leave Caribbean Blue because it had been such a great place and the weather on the Caribbean side had been so perfect the last few days.  But we were also super excited to be moving to the Atlantic side to our splurge house, where we could go for long beach walks and snorkel lively reefs without stepping in a vehicle.  The move was a little bittersweet because it meant we we down to only a week left in our vacation and none of us were thrilled about that realization. 
    Our farewell morning started out spectacularly beautiful, it was calm, clear and perfect.  We even had another pair of dolphins swim by while we were out on the deck enjoying our coffee and watching the tail end of the sunrise.  It was an incredibly serine morning as we just took it easy, soaking in the last of our time at CB.   Luckily we were able to take our time leaving since there was a break between bookings.  The owners graciously allowed us to stay past the typical check out time so we did not have spend 4 hours waiting to check into DaVilla with a car load of stuff.   

     The boys could only take so much down time so not long after breakfast they hopped in the kayak to check Levi Island for any lionfish that dared to return after the previous days hunt (only one was foolish enough).   S and I packed up the last of our things then grabbed our books and lounged around in the sunshine.   As lunch time approached the boys were still nowhere to be seen and we knew if they were out playing that long they would be starving when they finally showed back up.  We were trying to figure out what to make that did not involve messing up the kitchen, since we had already run the dishwasher and packed up all of our dry goods, when we remembered Stubbs BBQ.  We had tried to go every trip but we could never get the timing right.  S and I hopped in the car and made it to Stubbs just before noon so they still had lots of items to choose from.  We got two orders of ribs and two orders of chicken all with conch and rice and coleslaw.   Despite the temptation we managed to pass on all the other sweets and delicious items they had available. 

    When we got back to the house it was around 12:30pm and we could see the kayak way off in the distance making it's way back from Levi Island.  We set our lunch on the counter and got back into our lounge positions while we waited for the boys to finish their long paddle home.  The were ecstatic to find a giant plate of BBQ ribs waiting for them when they got back.  The food from Stubbs was absolutely delicious and we all thoroughly enjoyed our take out lunches.  It was a really nice treat especially after almost two full weeks of sandwiches for lunch. 

    After lunch we had another hour till our 2pm check in at DaVilla so we figured we better get in one last snorkel.  I was still a little sheepish about the jellyfish so S and I put our gear in the kayak and kayaked back out to where we saw the jellyfish-free bait ball the day before.  The boys swam behind us, on the never-ending hunt for more lionfish.  The bait ball was still hanging around the same spot so S jumped in for one last swim with all the baby fish and I decided to just hang out in the kayak.   Before we knew it it was time to start heading back, but the boys managed to bag another lionfish on the way back to the house.  

    By the time we got back to the house it was almost 2pm.  We took one last quick rinse in the outdoor shower, unloaded the fridge and headed to the airport to meet up with Art Nixon (DaVilla's caretaker).  Farewell Caribbean Blue, we thoroughly enjoyed every moment we spent with you!!

    Hello Davilla!!   For almost twice the price DaVilla was definitely twice the size.   Despite it's expansive size DaVilla was not nearly as well stocked as CB, but it made up for it with the amazing view.  The neighbors are very very close but they were nice people and respectful of our privacy and we tried to do the same for them.   After a quick unload and supply evaluation we came up with a little shopping list and the boys headed out to get some of the basic necessities, knowing that we would not have an opportunity for the next two days due to Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.

    As soon as they returned with the supplies the boys quickly made themselves at home.   D grabbed an ice cold Kalik and parked himself in his new favorite spot.  After a few hours of R&R we cooked up a nice meal of BBQ pork chops, baked potatoes and broccoli.   Then we spent the rest of the evening thoroughly enjoying the comfort of our new accommodations. 

    Today was Good Friday and sadly it was our last full day at Caribbean Blue.   Luckily the weather at the house was absolutely perfect so we were able to make the most of it.  We started off the same as most mornings, coffee at sunrise then breakfast of eggs, bacon and raisin toast from Island Farms and delicious pineapple jam from DaPerk.   This was the first morning where we were all able to just stay put and not have to get in the car at all.  We had stocked up on everything the day before, since we knew most businesses were closed for Good Friday.  It was a great relief to S and I that we did not  even have to make our, what seemed like daily, quick trip to the store. 
    As soon as we finished breakfast J and D hopped in the kayak and headed back out to Levi Island to try and spear some more lionfish.  S and I caught up on a little laundry, then lounged around and enjoyed the spectacularly beautiful morning.

    After a few hours the boys returned from their kayak trip with five lionfish and a lobster.  There was only a few days left in lobster season so they were glad to get one more before it was too late.   After lunch we decided to go for a "family snorkel" and check out all the rocky areas around Caribbean Blue.   You are not allowed  to spearfish that close to shore, but since the lionfish are invasive and that tends to be where they frequent we have always assumed that rule does not apply to lionfish so the boys brought their spears just in case.   Just as we were getting ready to get in the water a giant school of jacks and blue runners came tearing by.  They had come by a couple times already that morning so this time we jumped in after them to take a closer look. 

   We swam after them for a little while watching them dart this way and that, the eventually they moved on.   We poked around a bit, sometimes heading out deep and sometimes moving closer into the shoreline.  The snorkeling is not as spectacular as some of the Atlantic beaches we go to, but there was still plenty to see.   It seemed that the jellyfish population had definitely multiplied since we our last snorkel on the Caribbean side a few days earlier.   There were little jelly's and sea walnuts EVERYWHERE, they were impossible to avoid.  We stuck with the theory that the little ones did not sting and the larger, potentially stinging moon jellies were at least few enough that we could avoid running into them.   We basically just plowed through the little ones trying to keep them off our faces, but every now and again I would feel a very mild short lived sting on my legs and I did my best to just ignore it and try not to acknowledge that some of them really did sting.

    Eventually we made it to an area where there was a giant, jellyfish free, bait ball stretching about about 25' in either direction.  The bait ball was pretty amazing, all those little tiny fish seemed to form one giant organism that slowly moved among the rocks and parted when you swam through.  S and I spent at least 30 minutes just floating in the bait ball watching all the tiny fish.  I cant really describe why we though it was so amazing but it just was. 
    After we finally started getting tired of swimming around in the bait ball we decided to work our way back to Caribbean Blue.  S and I slowly started swimming back while J and D followed, keeping a close eye out for any lionfish that might need eradicated.   Not long after I spotted the largest lionfish we had seen yet and pointed it out to D.   He speared it and I dove down to make sure there was not another one hiding under the same rock.  When I surfaced a jellyfish just happened to be right near the surface exactly where the collar of my top was.  It went right down the front of my top and when I went to try and dig it out I smashed it against my chest.  I had doubled up that day with a rash guard and a shorty wetsuit so my top was really tight and there was not much room to reach in and remove the jellyfish delicately.  I was definitely getting stung and it very painful.  Eventually I got it out and yelled I've had enough of these $@#$#@ jellyfish I am out of here and swam back as fast as I could.  S saw my entire freak out and relayed it to they boys, who had been diving for lionfish, then headed out after me.  She struggled along trying to keep up with my frantic Adrenalin and pain fueled hi-speed swim and made it back not long after I did.  By the time I got close to the house the pain had dulled quite a bit, I think that my frantic swim had thoroughly flushed off the sting.  As soon as I got to shore I struggled to strip off the shorty and rash guard then ran to the house for some ammonia.  I coated the sting in ammonia (after-bite) chugged a Sands Light and went back to the water to meet S.   By then it was pretty much down to a very dull stinging sensation but there was no way I was going to get back into the water and swim back to where we left the boys.  They were still nowhere to be seen and we assumed they were probably still fishing where we had left them.   S and I figured they needed us to come back with the kayak to pick up their fish so we grabbed a couple more Sands Light's and headed off to find them.  They were in the exact same spot, as we had suspected, so we picked up the two lionfish they had speared then slowly escorted them back to Caribbean Blue.   

    We all lounged around for the rest of the afternoon and sipped cocktails on the deck while enjoying our last evening at Caribbean Blue.  D cooked us up lobster and sauteed lionfish along with yellow rice and broccoli.  After the sun had set we took our chairs out by the water to do some stargazing.  I don't know if I have said this before but the night sky on Eleuthera is just as fabulous as its beaches.  There is so little light pollution on the out islands that the stars so vibrant and bright you can see things you never would at home.  We spend hours staring at the sky mapping out the constellations and waiting for the occasional shooting star.   It was a bittersweet night for us, being our last at Caribbean Blue, so we were doing our best to slow time as much as possible.  We were excited to be moving to a new place on the Atlantic side the next day, but we loved CB so much that we were sad to be leaving.  DaVilla was our next destination and it was our big splurge so we were really excited to see it, but moving also meant that we were down to a week left in our trip and we knew that week would come and go way too fast.   We were all getting sleepy but putting off going to bed so it just wouldn't end.  Right when S and I finally decided we just could not stay up any longer I saw a little green flicker in the water.  I pointed it out to the others and we all scoured the water too see if we could see it again.  Then all of a sudden there were hundreds of them, just little green flickers all around the water right by the surface.   They would start then stop then a bunch would flicker all at once.  Finally one got close enough to shore where we could get a better look at it.  It looked like a little green spiral spinning around it the water, sometimes it would be clearer and other times it would look cloudy.  J ran and grabbed a flashlight and we shined it into the water.  We could not see much but what it looked like it was the sea walnuts producing the green light.  In the daytime you could see this iridescent area in their bodies that looked like florescent rope lights weaving around up and down their sides.  We decided this was the same thing, only at night they glow green.  It was amazing, you could see little green dots everywhere.  The show lasted less than 5 minutes then it slowly faded out with a little flicker here and there, and by the time 15 minutes had passed it was all over.  It was the prefect little send off after two blissful weeks at CB.  S and I felt guiltless about calling it a night after that but D and J stayed up sipping whiskey for another hour or two still trying not to let the night end.   They never did see the sea walnuts flicker again. 

    One of our absolute favorite beaches on Eleuthera has always been Whiteland Beach.    We made a short visit to Whiteland at the beginning our trip but it was so windy we could not enjoy it, so we moved on in search of a calmer beach.   We knew we wanted to get back there again before we left and had been waiting patiently for the weather to cooperate.  Whiteland is not sheltered from the wind so you it is best on a dead calm day.  The cold front still had not passed us by so it was still quite cool out, mid 70's, but there was little to no breeze on the Atlantic side so we decided this would be our day to try Whiteland again.   We lounged around the house a little than longer than usual relaxing and enjoying the view while waiting for the weather to warm up a little.  I think we had fully embraced the Eleuthera feeling by this point in our vacation and were really taking things slow.  
    We finally motivated and made it to Whiteland around lunch time.  It was just as beautiful as ever, the wind was calm and the sun was shining, despite a few clouds.   It would have been a perfect day for snorkeling and frolicking in the water, except for the air and water temperature were just so darn cold (by tropical standards).  S and I decided it would be a book day for us as we were not too enthusiastic about getting back in that cold water.    J and D decided maybe if we went for a beach walk we would all warm up enough to get in the water by the time we got back.  The four of us really enjoy our beach walks so we can typically make the best of the cool or windy days as long as the weather is good enough for a long walk on the beach.   
   

    We decided to head to the northern end of the Whiteland were there was a tidal creek system where we had caught a few fish in the past.  It was a beautiful walk!  S and I looked for shells while J and D tried kept their eyes out for bonefish and barracuda.  When we finally got to the end we were sorely disappointed to find that the creek system was no longer there.  It looks as if the last hurricane deposited so much sand at the creek entrance it could no longer flow freely between the ocean and the creek system.  You could see a chain of dead mangroves where the creek had dried up.  This discovery took Whiteland down a notch on our list of favorite beaches.  One of the main things we loved so much about it is it had something for everyone.  Fishing for the guys, a fabulous beach for for walking and lounging, and places to go snorkeling.   Although the snorkeling is not great, there are a few decent spots and it made up for it with the fishing and the spectacularly beautiful beach.  I guess it is just a spectacular beautiful beach with decent snorkeling now, oh well you cant have it all.

   
    After our walk we made some lunch and re-evaluated the possibility of heading into the water to do some snorkeling.  It was a no on all four counts, it was just too darn cold.  After lunch D, S and I sat around, read and listened to the surf while J headed on another beach walk in the opposite direction just to make sure there were not any fish out there he might have missed.  He came back empty handed and we discussed our plans for the rest of the afternoon.   We decided it would be a good night to splurge on dinner out.  We unanimously chose The Beach House.  J and I had our rehearsal dinner there not long after they first opened and they did an amazing job.  We all loved the food and atmosphere so much we make a point of going there at least once every trip.   We decided to head back to Caribbean Blue, clean up and relax a bit then head to the beach house around 6ish.  We had not needed reservations in the past but since they are only open for dinner two nights a week now, we figured we better call and double check.  We called around 4pm hoping for a reservation around 6 or 7pm, but all they had left was 9pm.  We inquired if they left openings for walk in's and they said maybe you will just have to come and wait and see if they can find room for us.  Oops I guess we should have planned better, it is so hard for us to commit to anything on vacation.   We never know when we will feel like going out dinner so reservations tend to be one of the last things on our minds.  We decided we better go a little early just to make sure we got a table.  We arrived a little after 5pm and sat at the bar.  The waitress said if we wanted to eat at the bar we could, but they would stop serving at 5:30 so we needed to order right away.  We were not hungry yet but we figured we better take the opportunity while we could.   It turned out the waitress was wrong and they don't serve food at the bar at all.    That was OK with us since we were not that hungry yet anyway.  We told her we were perfectly happy waiting and taking in the view from the bar until a table came available.   

   
    S and I had a few generously poured glasses of red wine while J and D sampled the limited Bahamian beer variety still debating in which was better Sands or Kalik.  The Rum Runners were playing and we thoroughly enjoyed the music and the atmosphere while we waited.  They eventually managed to find us a table around 7pm.  That worked out perfect for us since that was when we wanted to eat anyway.  We were in no hurry so the wait did not bother us and we were very grateful that they even managed to squeeze us in at all.  I think the only reason they did have room is that the Fish Fry was being held that same night (Thursday) instead of Friday since it was Good Friday.   We definitely now know that you HAVE to make a dinner reservation ahead of time (not a few hours) if you want to eat dinner at The Beach House.  We ordered our favorite, the jumbo shrimp stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in prosciutto along with some Conch fritters, calamari, grouper fingers and some salads.  W definitely got our fried seafood fill but it was all delicious!!!  
    After a great night and a great meal we headed back to our vehicle and found a little surprise.   When J opened the door there were two giant cockroaches (Palmetto bugs) on the front seat.  He tried to scoop them out but they dashed in the car somewhere.  It was dark and we could not find them again to try and get them out so we did our best to pretend they were not in the car on the way home.  We were very grateful that Caribbean Blue is so close to The Beach House.   We left the car windows open so they could escape and then denied the whole experience happened every time we got back in the car.  Thankfully we never saw them again!!

Well after a full day of R&R at Caribbean Blue we were ready to hit to the road and find another great new beach to explore.  We were starting to run out of unexplored territory so we got out "The Book" and picked a beach we had not been to yet.  Nope I am not going to tell which one, that would spoil all the fun, you will just have to try them all yourselves.  The book mileage and our vehicle mileage definitely did not match up but we still found it with minimal trouble.  

We figured since this beach was in The Elusive Beaches of Eleuthera it would be a busy place.  Lucky for us that was not the case, it was just another fabulous deserted beach.   I think part of our luck with deserted beaches, besides the fact that Eleuthera is known for them, is that we arrive early.  We are usually on the beach by 10am at the latest, before most of the other beach goers have left their homes.  We are early risers and like to have a full day on the beach and still make it home in time for cocktail hour. 

We did not know what to expect when we got there but we were very pleasantly surprised.  You could tell the water was shallower here then many of the Atlantic Beaches, around 15-20ft deep all the way to the outer reef.  The shallower water made for a spectacular view from the top of the dune where we parked.  The water was that spectacular bright Caribbean blue that is so hard to believe is real in photographs till you actually experience it for yourself.

We did our usual routine of finding a shady spot then unloading all the stuff, cooler, chairs, kayak, snorkel gear, etc.  After we set up our camp for the day and applied a thorough layer of sunblock we hit the water.   The temperature was still cooler than normal so we stuck by the closer reefs knowing we would get cold and have to go in before too long.   Luckily the water was clear and this area had some really great reefs close to shore.  We saw so many fish, parrotfish, grouper, schoolmaster and mangrove snapper plus tons of fun colorful little wrasse's.  There were some great coral formations too, so many different types of corals and sea fans.  There was not a huge area to explore close to shore as there was only one really good coral-head that close in but it was a fantastic one.  S and I stuck it out for much longer than we had anticipated, despite the cooler water but as usual the boys stayed it a good hour after we had gone in.  Once we got out of the water we were absolutely freezing, the breeze had kicked up and the clouds rolled in.  I was curled up with a sweater on and a towel covering my legs and still shivering.  When D finally came out of the water the sun was starting to peek out but he was still shivering so bad he was chattering his teeth.   It took us all at least 15 minutes of chasing pockets of sun to finally start to warm up. 

We figured eating lunch would help us warm up so we made the usual sandwiches and polished off the rest of the leftover ceviche for lunch.  After lunch the wind died down and they sky cleared up so we all decided to go for a beach walk to get ourselves nice and warmed up before hitting the water again.  J and I headed North and D & S headed south.  I filled my pockets with sea glass and sea shells as we walked.  Eventually we hit a rocky are that was impassable with bare feet and had to turn around.  On the way back I spotted a small school of bonefish.  J rigged up his rod and after a couple of casts had a bonefish on the line.  As he was reeling it in the others kept following it, almost all the way up to shore.  These bonefish obviously have not seen too many fishermen.  It was the first and only bonefish of the trip, but it was a beautiful fish nonetheless. 

After our walk we decided to it had warmed up enough to get back in the water and check out some of the farther out reefs.  The water never got much deeper as we headed farther out and the shallower water made for really great snorkeling.  The water was crystal clear and the sky had completely cleared up so the visibility was amazing.  We snorkeled around for hours exploring a multitude of scattered reefs.  The outer reefs were also full of fish and the boys were wuite successful in their afternoon hunt.  They wound up with two grouper, a schoolmaster, a mangrove snapper and two lobsters.  Not bad for a hard days work in paradise.  J finally let me use the go pro so I don't have any pictures to share of our second snorkel of the day, and I still have not had time to edit the videos, but someday I will share them. 

After our long hard day we packed up the car, said goodbye to our new second favorite spot (nothing tops Parrotfish beach) and headed home.  We had worked up quite an appetite so we made up a small batch of fish tacos, along with grilled lobster and yellow rice.   We enjoyed our wonderful meal on the deck of Caribbean Blue with a glass of red wine while we watched another sunset in paradise.    

We woke up to a perfectly calm day at Caribbean Blue, finally!!!  The decision was unanimous, we were finally going to spend an entire day at  "home".  The boys immediately delved into a plan to get get some  fishing and  snorkeling in around Levi Island.  As soon as breakfast was over they were suited up on their way to Levi Island in the kayak.  Since it was still fairly early in the morning S and I figured we better get  our shopping duties out of the way.  We were getting low on just about  everything.  Our first stop was Island Farms where we stocked up with 2  more loaves of olive and herb bread, a loaf of raisin bread, salsa, salad dressing, marinade and lots of fresh veggies for salad and ceviche.  After  spending about $60 we figured we would make it till the next bread day (Friday).  On the way back through Governors Harbour we stopped at Eleuthera supply for a few necessities, then did the liquor store rounds grabbing a couple more bottles of wine, more Riccardo coconut rum, a bottle of whiskey and a case of Heineken, Kalik and Sands Light.  Yes our liquor bill was much more than our food bill, but come on we were on vacation in the Bahamas.  

Finally we made it back to Caribbean Blue, grateful that all the responsibilities were over will and we could chill for a while.   Caribbean Blue is in a fantastic location, you have a great view of Levi Island and you can see Cupids Cay in the distance off to the right.  The closest houses are a couple hundred yards away so you feel pretty isolated, plus it is just a quick jaunt to Governors Harbour when you need supplies.  Honestly of all the places we have stayed Caribbean Blue is definitely one of our top 3, it's position in the top 3 depends on which one of the four of us you ask.  It is hands down the most well equipped house we have stayed in, they have everything you could need.  Honestly when we moved to DaVilla we were almost a little disappointed in the lack of extra amenities compared to Caribbean Blue.  It was the little things, extra sunblock and bug spray left by other renters, citronella candles and mosquito coils, lots of dishes and kitchen supplies, wine glasses, water bottles, a water filter, soap and sponges, good cookbooks, island maps, etc.  They seemed to think of all the little things that make your stay much more pleasant.  Everything was really clean and comfortable and it was a great layout for two
couples.   Plus you had an amazing view from the front deck.  The  only downfall was there was really not much of a lounging area by the water.  It looks like they had sand there at one point, but it must have blown away.  We saw some outlines in the rock so maybe they are building a larger area or putting a little cabana by the water.  That would be fabulous!!

 Well anyway I digress sorry.  So as we were pulling up the driveway from our trip to town we thought we could see the boys out snorkeling in front of the house.   We saw what looked like black fins rising up in the water, like they were diving down after something.  As we were unloading the car we kept seeing the black fins, but no sign of D's red fins.  We soon realized the kayak was still gone so it could not be them.  We watched for a while from the deck and when we looked closer we realized it was more dolphins cruising around in front of the house.  It seemed like every time the water was calm in front of Caribbean Blue the dolphins came by at least once.  It was really wonderful. 

After watching them for a little while we put away the groceries and headed out toward the water with our books and lawn chairs.  Eventually the boys came back a little after lunch time after a very successful 4 hour excursion.  They bagged themselves 4 lobsters, 1 grouper and 3 lionfish.  We love lionfish and since they are an invasive species we would ideally love to predominantly eat lionfish while we are on Eleuthera.  We mostly find them on the Caribbean side so since wind had been blowing on that side so frequently they had not had an opportunity to get into them.  

We cooked up some sausages for lunch, and had a few cerveza's.  Once the boys had re-fueled and cleaned their catch of the day and I got a batch of lionfish and grouper ceviche marinating we headed out for a "family snorkel".  The water in front of the house was still pretty cloudy and churned up from all the wind of the past week so the snorkeling was not that great.  We did see a tiny school of squid but otherwise the water was full of sea walnuts and little jellyfish, with a few moon jellies mixed in.   We ran into the same thing out last trip.  It seems like there are a lot of these tiny 4" clear jellies with little blue spots in the middle on the Caribbean side in March/April.  We had swam through clouds of them last time and never got stung so we were not too worried about it this time and we could avoid the moon jellies easy enough.   It was still a little unnerving and since the water was so cloudy anyway S and I did not have much of a desire to spend that much time in the water.  We were still experiencing a cold front so the water temp was pretty cold, even the air temp had been in the 70's and overcast.  We had been in the Bahamas long enough to acclimate to the temperature so we were freezing, where if we were still in Montana we would think it was summertime. 

 S and I bailed on the boys and headed up to the house for some spunky monkeys and took turns warming up in the outdoor shower.   That is typically one of our rental requirements.  I cant think of many things I enjoy more than a nice warm outdoor shower.  The two nicest showers we have found so far have been at Blue Palms and 2-Sisters, because they had nice little enclosures around them.  But for what CB's shower lacks in privacy it makes up for with the view. 

The boys soon returned and we settled in for cocktail hour with a grouper and lionfish ceviche appetizer.  For dinner we grilled up the lobsters on the BBQ with some magic seasonings that D doctored up then served them over fresh green salad from our visit to Island Farms and topped with fresh croutons made from the old bread heels.  It was a heavenly meal and a great relaxing day at our home away from home. 

I use the lionfish ceviche recipe out of the Lionfish Cookbook.  Modified with the produce that is available on Eleuthera.