WOW! Has it really been that many days since I posted an update to my longwinded, never ending, almost interesting trip report saga? I just can't believe it!

Well, we have been doing a ton of diving and having a great time. About 14 friends and acquaintances arrived on Bonaire last Saturday, so we have been busy (I really don't have 14 friends, so most of them are "acquaintances"). Some of these folks are repeat visitors but most are first timers. We have been doing the "Bonaire Tour Guide" thing and really enjoying it.

Its fun to hear someone say "That was a great dive. Thanks." Of course, we had nothing to do with the dive - that's Mother Nature's doing. But we like to think we steered them in the right direction and gave them some tips on entries, conditions, and what to look for. I love showing people the great things that Bonaire has to offer.

Anyway, on to our diving. The schoolmasters are still there, and they seem to be getting bigger. Leslie thinks I'm crazy, but she also thinks "Family Guy" isn't funny. So, I can't trust anything she "thinks".

I actually found a second anchor at Karpata. It's obvious that it has been there for many years, but I had never seen it. It is actually very close to the one we all know about, just a few kicks south and a little left, buried up in some coral. I think I may have found a third one - it was over the next "ridge". If so, one half of it is completely covered with coral. What struck me was the way that the coral came to an almost perfect point on the other side. The lines just looked too straight and perfect to be done by nature. Make sense?? Any anchor experts have any comments?

The highhat: we saw one. I don't know how common they are on Bonaire, but I'm not sure I have ever seen one. Leslie and I were arguing about it underwater. I saw it and pointed it out to her. She gave me the "drum" sign. I shook my head "no". She then gave me the "emphatic drum" sign - after all she's the junior marine biologist. Undaunted, I shook my head "no" again. Well, to prove herself right (or more correctly, to prove me wrong) she took a picture of it. When we looked it up in the book later, I was right (I love that phrase!). It was a highhat!

The queen arrived today - what a mess downtown. I was getting into the water at Bari Reef this afternoon, and someone - a local - asked if I was going to go see the Queen. I said, "No, she'll have to catch me on the next trip." I don't think she appreciated my sarcasm.....

But the Queen's arrival did get Ruth out of her house. I marked the tires on her car and noticed that it had not moved since a week ago Sunday when she went and got a half gallon of ice cream. However, after the Queen arrived this afternoon, I noticed that Ruth's car was gone.

So.... she's either acting as the Queen's private chauffer, or she's on the run. Is it really a coincidence that when the Queen arrives, all of a sudden Ruth is on the road. I highly doubt it!

Two more days of diving left. Leslie has been having some problems with her full face mask, so I'm not sure how the diving is going to go. I am helping the "Illinois Entourage" on the Hilma Hooker tomorrow morning, so that should be interesting.

OH! We saw TWO Spotted Eagle Rays at Margate bay today. Hard to get any better than that.....

Elizabeth, our daughter, still can't find us on either of the WebCam threads. We were at the bar cam on Monday. I had a brown "Drake" shirt on and Leslie had a pink "Drake" shirt on. Of course we were too far away from the cam for the "Drake" to be readable. Apparently, Beth has forgotten what we look like......

In honor of everyone suffering from PBD, we promise to continue to have a great time. What else can we do??

Thanks for reading and thanks for the support.

Dave & Leslie.

I was wondering who chalked my tires! I met the Queen last time she was here--lovely woman, and we had a lot to catch up on. Sheesh, even the visitors know what I do here!

Be on my back terrace by 11:20am today, and you'll see her at Kas di Arte (bldg directly south of us, on seaside).

Dave, there are several anchors at Karpata. Walt III knows a lot about them. He'd be the one to ask. Walt, you out there?

Ruth, you should at least move your car every couple of days to throw folks off...heh heh...how's the trench coming? Is it finished?

Trench finished, but they never came back to repair the fence & other stuff they broke. Not that I expected them to. I am a bit concerned about the home-made manhole cover they created, out of about a ton of concrete--it's right in front of my driveway, crumbling away.

Someone should just wash my car, instead of watching it. I can't move it every few days-that'd entail getting out of the house, AND my pj's. Which reminds me-nap time!

ps--Queen waved to me as I stood on my back terrace, and her bus pulled away from Kas di Arte (yes, driving north on the one-way/south seaside street). I was waving my Dutch flag (and in my pj's-which today are blue, but I figure my hair is always the right color for the Dutch Royalty).
;-)

We need to find Ruth a job.

huh?

Dave, Lester,
Well "Next week" is "this week" and it is time to come home. Sounds like you had a great time.