A race with a dolphin

A most magical morning!

This Labor Day Weekend, we decided to spend a few days on our little sailboat and go down to Biscayne Bay National Park.  It's only a couple of hours drive from our home with the trailer, and a great place for sailing.  The weather was beautiful, especially after the visit of tropical storm Isaac.  Of course, South Florida weather usually means afternoon thunderstorms which somehow we always escaped.  The storms usually stay to the West because of the tradewinds and rarely travel to the East over the water.

We did witness a waterspout touching down.  Thankfully, it was on the water.  The sailboat sailing just ahead of it makes for a striking picture.  I'm sure the boat was plenty ahead of the waterspout but it is not something that I want to experience.

Faster! Faster!!!

We had some great sailing Saturday and Sunday into the Bay.  12 to 15 knots wind speed and the boat was making good timing.  We had a rocky night anchorage at Elliot Key but the second night at Pumpkin Key, the moon was so bright and so beautiful.  There were two other sailboats spending the night not to far from us and the moon was lighting all around us.  When we awoke, the water was smooth as glass as the wind had totally died.

Once in a blue moon!

We decided to get an early start Monday morning as we wanted to sail about 20 miles south.  We were motoring to the channel out to sea when about 300 yards ahead, we noticed a pod of dolphins.  They were gently gliding in and out of the water as dolphins do, making that whoosh noise as they come up to breathe.  I walked up to the bow of the boat to sit and dangle my feet.  Imagine my surprise when suddenly four dolphins appeared swimming at the front of the boat right under my feet!  After a few seconds they veered away.  I was so excited but before I could turn around, another group came up to replace the others.  I was so close I I could almost touch them and I could see that the larger of the dolphins seemed to have three scars or markings near his dorsal fin.  He was rather large.

This group also swam away to the back of the boat.  I turned to my husband who was steering and I could see the dolphins right at the back of the boat resting as if they were tired from playing a game.  Suddenly, a smaller dolphin speed fast toward the front of the sailboat again and I started calling him taping the side of the boat.  The little dolphin jumped out of the water a bit and was looking at me. It swam under the bow too as if racing with us but then turned around to join his pod.  The group had stopped swimming as if waiting for the straggler to catch up.

What a sight!  It happened so fast that there was no time to take pictures!!!   I will never forget this moment!

Sunset over Miami after the storm

In the mood for jam ~ Star Fruit jam that is!

I have a beautiful star fruit or carambola tree in my back yard.  It gives me two pickings every year.  This season, my tree is loaded with huge, sweet, juicy, delicious star fruit. I am not sure if it's the rain (or I kind of remember giving it some fertilizer a while back) or the heat, but I have fruit galore!



I bring bags of it to the office, give to the neighbors, my mother, my sister, and anyone else that want it.  Every season, I make delicious jam with my star fruits.  It's super easy and so delicious. Here's how to make this delicious concoction:

For about 2 cups of jam, you'll need 12 - 15 medium to large star fruits, 2 cups of granulated sugar, and 1 vanilla bean (very important) cut into 2-3 pieces.

After cleaning the star fruits with a brush under running water, cut the ridges of the fruits (that's usually more stringy and green), then cut lengthwise into quarter and then cut again lengthwise.  Dice everything into small  pieces and place in a large pot on the stove.

Add your sugar and your vanilla bean.  Simmer on low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours to reduce the juice produced by the star fruits.  You'll have a thick and fraguant jam.  Let it cool and refrigerate.  It's delicious with plain 0% fat Greek plain or vanilla yogurt, vanilla ice cream, or simply on a piece of toast.  

While I will not give you the nutritional information of the star fruit, I can tell you that they are rich in antioxidants, potassium, and vitamin C.

A word of warning:  people with kidney disease and kidney stone should stay away from eating star fruits as they contain oxalic acid.  Patients that also take statins for cardiovascular illnesses should not consume star fruits as they can increase the statins dosage within the body.