Our schedule is pretty relaxed. We rarely ‘get going’ on an activity before noon although there are plenty of things to do on an individual basis before our usually late breakfast. And then, after the event of the day, everyone is free again to do whatever they please.

Eddie and Eric seem to gravitate to the chopping block when they have a bit of spare time and that is just fine by me. But the girls have more eclectic interests. They explore, cook, do some personal matters, hike around and play with the dogs. That was true, anyway, until they discovered the oysters.

Now ‘free time’ is oyster-eating time.

They are pretty funny. They went down today to get a dozen oysters – for a snack! It was a medium tide. So, they came back, changed into their swim suits and went back to the lagoon and went a-hunting waist deep! Hazel was diving in four feet of water for oysters!

And, in classic fashion, she found two pearls!

Eric is small, slight, shy and quiet. Weighs about 100 pounds soaking wet. His first meals were remarkable because of the lack of volume. I swear he ate the equivalent volume of only a ‘small muffin’ at dinner. Less than a quarter of his plate was covered. I was wondering if the food was not to his liking. But, as it turns out, he just needed to get more comfortable with his hosts, the gweilo menu and, likely, the outdoor lifestyle. Tonight he ate two heaping plates of BBQ salmon and scalloped potatoes with Greek salad. Twice what I ate. And as I write this, he and Eddie are doing the dishes in anticipation of dessert! It is like a Wallaby has morphed into a T-Rex!

One of our neighbours and friends, Doug, came by and took the kids on a boat ride. They ‘toured the area’ and then went to see where he lived. Doug lives on a larger boat than the tour boat and, in it, he keeps his motorcycle. He lives at anchor.

Later, when we were all talking about our different lives, one of the kids said, “Oh, Canadians make the impossible possible!”

Naturally, I assumed they were talking about us and I beamed and puffed up my chest a bit. I thought we must be putting on a good show as it were. Looking for a bit more praise, I asked coyly, “Well, that is a nice thing to say. What do you mean exactly?”

“Doug! He built his boat by himself from wood he got from the forest and he puts his motorcycle in there as well! And it is all so beautiful. I would have thought that was impossible! I have no idea how he did that! He makes the impossible possible. I will always remember this!”

I have to confess that I feel the same way whenever I see his BMW sitting shiny and proud in the main salon of his sailboat.

Funny what ‘sticks’, eh?