Nothing Much

Photo Gallery 2005 Fiji 2

With Michelle on her way home, we did laundry for a day and a half – sheets, towels, napkins, tablecloths, dishrags and every last item of clothing we could find. Nice to have everything fresh and clean. I have to remember to count four, not five, place settings whenever I set the table. Otherwise Wednesday was a day of not much note, except that the temperature and breeze were absolute perfection and it was a total pleasure just to feel the fresh air blowing over us the entire day, whether in the saloon, pilot house or cockpit.

We motored south from Denarau Marina to Momi Bay, a trip of an hour or two. Momi Bay had a mangrove forest on the water’s edge by the reef and a huge resort was under construction on the overlooking hilltops. We snorkeled on the reef where the visibility was murky due to the mangroves, but we did come across an enormous moray eel, and also a bright yellow with purple center Christmas tree worm, which I had not before seen in person – only in Anouk’s digital Christmas card she sent us this past year.

Christmas tree worms are little tubeworms that live in burrows that they drill into coral. Each worm has two feathery crowns shaped like little one-inch tall Christmas trees in a myriad variety of bright colors. When they sense danger they retract their crowns quickly back into the tube and slam a trapdoor shut to hide, so photographing them requires a somewhat stealthy approach.

Dinner was served in Raven’s cockpit, followed by a game of Mexican Train (a variety of dominoes), with Rod the winner and Carol a very close second. Jan – we have a technical question for you – can doubles be played on the first train?