Sunrise

Yes - this is the sun rising. We got up early this morning to let Emily say goodbye to the puppies before school. All 3 have been adopted and will go off to their new homes tomorrow morning (Emily won't see them as she will be at her Dad's). We have a few fun videos to post from the weekend but we think this sunrise deserves a post of it's own.

No We Are Not Keeping Them

I know you are doubting us right now because we are obviously madly in love - but they are all up for adoption and nearly ready. Know anyone?

Emily and Lieutenant



Mark holding The Princess



All of them growing up...

Fish Are Jumping

Lisa-Marie here - I know there is probably a quick and easy way using my Mac to edit this video and only keep the end part where you can actually see the fish jumping and don't have to experience all of the dizzying zooming that I was doing - but I am not friends with my Mac yet and am not spending time with him (at least I am assuming it's a him - he's stubborn and willful like a few other men that I know), so therefore you will have to get sea sick as you wait for the good bit.

The fish and seagull video was filmed at the request of Mark only so he could say to my Dad - "the fish are jumping in to the seagulls mouths but you still can't catch one!", to which Dad replied something that is unprintable on the blog but included the frequently uttered words "...only a bloody Scotsman".

But there's more... yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day here. The ocean was as still as a lake for most of the morning. Tricia came to pick up Ali from her sleep-over around 11:00am and casually threw out a challenge we could not refuse. It was such a beautiful day why didn't we row our little dinghy down to their house? It's not far and the ocean is so calm today. Emily spent the trip diving off the side of the boat to get in some good snorkeling and then taking a little nap when she got bored. Mark and I alternated rowing but it was mostly Mark since I am so obviously an unfit under-exercised weakling. We arrived at John and Tricia's house (barely) after and hour and 40 minutes of rowing - Mark has blisters on his hands - only a few seconds before an amazing storm hit during which you couldn't see more than 4 feet in front of you out on the ocean. Can anyone say... lost at sea? I have attached the route we took and advise no one try this at home!

Scots Omen

In the midst of the finale of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, it was very appropriate that The Bahamas should host their own 7-a-side World Cup last Sunday. For his sins, and we can't really fathom how it happened, Mark was in charge of putting together a Scotland team for the event. Mark eventually managed to cobble together 4 true Scots and then had to rely on Bahamians with Scots last names (not a difficult thing given the Scots propensity to "land" in all corners of the world). So there were 9 countries represented in total and split into 2 groups then play-offs. Here's the setting: the sun was baking down all day and kick-off was at noon, all the younger teams were out limbering up well ahead of time, the Scots team appeared from the shade right at kick-off decked in their navy blue and looking like they would rather still be in bed having their fried breakfast. You would think this would end in typical fashion with the Scots as usual leaving early with several players failing drug tests - but no, not this time.

In a ground breaking start, the Scottish team beat Brazil (the first game) then went 3 games undefeated and advanced from the group stage for the first time in World Cup history. Unfortunatly the gallant Scots succumbed to very able (and young!!) Bahamas team (the eventual winners) in the semi finals. Anyway, here is a picture of the Bravehearts before collapsing from heat exposure and retiring for a (several) well deserved beer. (Pic to follow)

Now if that story is not inspiration to thump Holland at Hampden on Wednesday then I'll eat my Dutch cap.

Puppy Feeding Time

This video is for Maggie as per Michelle's request. They are eating us out of house and home - well OK that would if we regularly stocked goat's milk. They are probably twice the size they were when they first arrived.

The Bizarro World of Nassau

Just when you think that you are exiting The Bahamas "twilight zone" - Rod Sterling appears from nowhere to haul you back in. There is story in today's paper that you may have trouble believing. The amazing thing is not that it is true but that the press deemed it newsworthy enough to stick on their front page. It really sums up The Bahamas - its inefficiencies, the bureaucracy and the laissez-faire attitude. We sometimes think that the sun and sea air combine to gnarl the brain.

The story goes under the heading: "Prisoner never escaped, police now confirm". You probably get the drift already. Anyway what happened was that a dangerous criminal was taken downtown from the notorious Fox Hill prison with a bunch of other prisoners to his court hearing. No slight matter - the guy is "up" for armed robbery and possession of dangerous drugs! While in custody in town he "escaped" by apparently "walking out of lockup" and vanishing into thin air. Bahamian PC plod immediately sprung into action issuing an "all points bulletin" and carrying out an island wide manhunt. This went on for 48 hours. Well, I guess just as the police were about to chalk up another unsolved mystery it appears that the "escaped" prisoner was identified in his cell in jail! How come I hear you ask - was it some kind of David Copperfield illusion or Caribbean voodoo.......I'm afraid not.

What happened was that the prisoner felt it was time to break his custodial monotony and give the police a wrong name at round up at court. The cops accepted this, threw him back on the bus to jail (even though his "new" name wasn't on the roster) and started looking for the "fugitive". A day later, after "conducting an intensive inquiry on an individual who was in custody who fit the description" of the criminal (I couldn't make this up) the police made the connection. And all was well again in Nassau.

The coup de grace at the end of the article states that in addition to armed robbery, the prisoner "will also be charged with deceit of a public officer." Obviously not a difficult thing to do!

Our Foster Children

As many of you know Emily is active in an organization here in The Bahamas called "Proud Paw". "Proud Paw" focuses on the spaying and neutering of dogs - educating dog owners and children as well as collecting strays. Yesterday we received an emergency email. A dog owner had gone to the Humane Society and dropped off 3 newborn puppies that he didn't want anymore. The Humane Society did not have the resources or staff for tiny newborns and every 4 hour bottle feedings. They are now with us until they can eat solid food (that is unless Ow continues to be so freaked out he can't eat in which case our old grumpy cat comes first and they will have to go).

Here they are #1 - a boy (we call him hungry boy, Emily calls him rooter), #2 - a boy (no name yet, he's the unfortunate middle child) and #3 - the little girl runt ( Lisa calls her Princess).