Breakfast with the Martins and Other "Wild" On Board Entertaining.
As a family one of the things we always enjoyed doing a great deal in Idaho was cooking together and entertaining in our home. That almost always involved sharing a meal together. Cooking and meal planning on board has been a real transition, especially for Susan. Our galley, although quite large for a boat, still feels cramped. With limited food preparation space and the very limited availability of food products that means a much less diverse menu than we are accustomed too. None-the-less we have still found many opportunities to entertain and share life with others, again, very often over appetizers or a meal. A few of our guests on board over the last three and a half months however, have been a little more on the wild side.
One example was the Martins who just sort of showed up one morning. We are still not really sure where they are from or what their intentions were. They were, however, a delightful couple with both a tremendous amount of energy and cute as can be. They had a wonderful zest for life and seemed to be less concerned about so many of the little details of life. They chose to live and experience life at its pace as it was presented to them.
The night before had been restless for us. We had anchored in the only safe place on that section of coast but one that left us fully exposed to the ocean swells. As we rocked and rolled all night sleep came slowly and offered little rest. Yet as the Martins passed by the following morning it seemed only right to say hello and we soon welcomed them on board. Breakfast was simple, pancakes I think, but their constant chatter and energy was a real boost to our morning. Our weary night would have spread over into the following morning had the Martins not come by for breakfast. We took a few photos and said goodbye as we pulled anchor and moved on. Where they are now or what they are doing we do not know but we wish them well.
I am sure we have all heard of the term "gym rat". There seem to be similar individuals around yachts as well. There are folks who just hang out around yachts and can't seem to find or want to do anything not relating to yachts. As a society we do not generally like rats, even though in early maritime days they were considered a good omen on board. We have what we call boat geckos. It really is a pretty good name. You know geckos, they seem to have a certain whimsical characteristic and those sticky little toes and their tenacity seem to fit the observed behavior of the afore mentioned individuals. We have had two such "geckos" frequent Mima. Names have been left out to protect the innocent.
The "geckos" seem to show up most often around sunset during our traditional "sundowner" or during dinner. Go figure. I guess a free meal is always welcome. They have been much less talkative than most of our guests and just hang out with little to offer other than their presence. It has been a new and enjoyable experience for us to enjoy a guest most by their presence and less by their contribution to the conversation. There is something wonderful to be said for a presence that uplifts and encourages those around you simply by being together.
In my haste to tell you about our friends I neglected to point out that the Martins are actually a pair of Purple Martins and the"geckos" are in fact our two boat geckos. Yes we have wild life on board. They have been a wonderful part of the journey so far. I will save the 5foot boa constrictor that took up residency in the anchor locker story for later.
Take care and until next time fair winds, following seas, and live wild. The 4 Wheelers
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