Every June we sail Exit Strategy well out of the hurricane belt imposed by our boat insurance and nestle into a bay with like minded cruisers that hopefully has some marine services and an airport near by. We visited Bonaire first and then continued west to settle in Spanish Waters, Curacao. (Our Curacao experience is the topic of the next bog.) Being out of the hurricane belt does NOT guarantee that Mother nature won’t mess with you and your vessel, but it does offer a good degree of peace of mind that you probably will be safe.
Never the less- I always see the season as the perfect opportunity to fly back to the states to spend a couple of months with our family and, if time allows, friends. My time in the Midwest usually is a span of two months from mid-July to mid-September. Dan is keen on staying with the boat busying himself with small maintenance projects and has been joining me in the states for about two weeks. That will hopefully change in the future, though, as this year our youngest grandchild, four-year-old Genna, wanted to know why I “get to come for two months and Grandpa only comes for two weeks?”
These are the highlights of our visit-
![DSCN2022 DSCN2022](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidF9XqsrftLpAYZnH_tD1QeZWqZ-Vj9Afui26ZpTONiH4X0Vt2U5DCA92wqlBK7u-kJyT_sLFoMOrTAaOSxIdyo-0Pw1yGMw1qP6nCIC8ZmxjRtOGpx4KHTLt6iGmrwbaAAMddomiyXoJO/?imgmax=800) |
Maya, Genna, & Becky at Lake Michigan's shore |
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Genna & Maya with one of their many fairy houses |
![DSCN1991 DSCN1991](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FfSh89DWCac88hjZLrUfPFj0Qcg8wUJQvlXjn8zntbS4vKcd0bu9RYDqGj4kAe8rysgIdh3QTqCuVLNDeSe5gGyM_FE3t3xr5sRy0fTMRpTF9VIQuvrqSq8aVbu-LzkBrN5fHCZXSsww/?imgmax=800) |
Uncle Joe played "Grandpa" at the Van Buren Fair. |
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Watergun fight in Grandma Glista's garden |
![DSCN2150 DSCN2150](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXE45AYvBPjLl1LAwRHfs7UbDD0z0UeG7zkxuva6SzNOO5MGRL5K9HgTXmcU1Na2wkefnWo76PrWeV7oIIkmTyz4EicJhCMkTBL4sEbERwzGQ1g_TsvJwF-NC_eVE2BKmPvOD9tI_yva2/?imgmax=800) |
Tie-dyeing at Becky's with Julie and baby Chandler |
![DSCN2065 DSCN2065](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMexwlb6iV5DZY329AW46_9On7pKp-k2gpS8h7mY5QKHHbCZr4NdhMQayStKSEcUGCc8d5udLlFVw3pqar1FR9tKxQ7G_nod3A-dHBi9BDfu24T0wi4WA1jwVpJeOvvABJ3LV9xUlUstLK/?imgmax=800) |
Kalamazoo County Fair |
![DSCN2195 DSCN2195](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSeO3OYUQb5NDzTs49CZ8-WNyjOKXvE60SDFyMDNbOVKWYWqlBrNJUVWj2UPupMHMc7JNWz_K5pvOLtlC5BoOkh9vQMVcLOlo4fsOmrlYNX_cuE00rzRN9Zyk1oRPhzS-BedS6HLH3-srb/?imgmax=800) |
Surrounded by three toothless kids and Genna |
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Playing Scrabble with Grandma at Lee's |
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Fishing & CATCHING with Grandpa |
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Aslan was thrilled with Uncle Joe's heavy duty equipment. |
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Maya, Lyla, Aslan, & Genna lovin' on Bob & Joy at the dunes |