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| Today’s passage snack: Fresh mango with plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt; our favorite mango dish. |
Wayne licked his bowl clean. Wayne doesn’t lick his bowl clean; I do.
We weren’t even hungry. Its glistening orange goodness got us, and besides, who can trim a mango without sucking the pit clean, only to be dripping with sweet sticky mango nectar? From there….
“Oh man. That was the best mango I’ve eaten since Dominica,” Wayne declared, with obvious satisfaction.
Do you buy the old adage “You are what you eat”?
If so, if you’re ever in Marathon’s Florida Keys on a Saturday, load up with fresh fruit and veg from Marathon’s Saturday morning Incredible Fruit Stand. All volunteer staffed, the Incredible Fruit Stand is fund-raiser for the Educational Coalition for Monroe County (ECMC). Supporter of dance lessons, a skateboard park, culinary cooking classes, when you’re buying from ECMC you’re investing in community vibrancy as well as your health. “We provide what the schools don’t pay for any more,” explained one of the volunteers.
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| Marathon’s Incredible Fruit Stand volunteers. Thanks! |
For me, the Incredible Fruit Stand is first and foremost a great place to buy fresh, fairly priced produce, locally sourced unofficially organically grown when possible. Their delicious avocados are the size of a child’s football, with small pits and perfect, creamy insides that cooperate well with a knife. For flavor, I’d still prefer a Haas, but these smooth skinned sisters are pretty darn tasty, too.
I found out firsthand the volunteers care not only about their community and their produce, they have a soft spot for their customers, too. Seeing me laden with a full load of produce and two new pillows from Kmart, “I’m giving this woman a ride,” insisted MaryAnn to her colleagues. “Pray for my Mom,” she asked, dropping me off at Boot Key Marina. “I’m going to Michigan to see her.” I will, and told MaryAnn, “She has a nice daughter.
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| My purchase was but a small sampling of Incredible Fruit Stand’s selection. |
The fruit stand is across the street from Marathon’s Kmart / Winn Dixie shopping center. You can spot it by the cluster of regulars who know a good thing when they see it. In case you’re feeling a swell of appreciation for their efforts, feel free to learn more, and donate to their cause through their website, http://www.educationalcoalitionmc.org. Or support the scholarship fund for Mikee Jones, a regular fruit stand fixture staffed by a grieving Mom, finding a way to give back after the loss of her son when he was only 23 years young. Learn more about him, hear his music and maybe even pay for a song or two, http://www.mikeejonesmemorial.com.
Location, Location
Jan 29th2014. BAHAMAS. (N25.43.456 W.79.17.887). Left Alice Town North Bimini Bahamas 11:45 am Tuesday Jan. 28th over the Bahamas Banks, anchoring at 6:15 pm (N25.31.721 W.78.47.370), 38 nm, anchored in 15’. Resumed at 6 am over the Bahamas Banks, 56 nm arriving 4:15 pm at Frazer, Hog Cay in the Berries (N25..24.25 W77.50.80). Next stop: Nassau.
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| He showed up with a couple other dolphins around suppertime with a little audio prompting. |
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| Us, on our Pearson, on the Grand Bahamas Banks. |
We're anchored in 8-15 feet of water, depending on tide, in Magdalena Bay, Mexico. Remembering crossing the Grand Bahamas banks, and anchoring in the Exhumas tucked up against an island to the east, and a million miles of fetch to the west. Our water is a deep green from the mangrove estuaries to the north, but we miss the clear blue water you're in. Wallow in it.
OK, so I've been following your blog for a little bit now… Are you the "other" Journey that we recently met in Bimini? Did you come over to our boat Monday night to chat and I didn't realize you were the Galley Wench!? I think so! What a small cruising world 🙂 Glad to see you made it to the Bank. We are right behind you. We have a blog too if you are interested in the "other" Journey's adventures: http://www.sailingjourney.net Take care.
Tis true, the waters here are special! Magical, almost.
Seems you are enjoying a different beauty in Mexico.
We keep hoping somehow our cruising paths will cross in more than blogs and emails. Meanwhile, we enjoy following your travels!
Yes, Drena (aka our alter ego Journey — coincidentally, our prior boat was an O'Day), I am indeed the Galley Wench. We hope we catch up with you again before you leave the Bahamas! Enjoy your blog, too! Wishing you fair winds and following seas, or, at least, really good luck with weather windows.
nice one
Thank you!