They’re very creative here with names for the cays and anchorages. We’ve seen Cistern Cay, Little Cistern Cay, Little Bitty Cistern Cay (I’m not making this up), Hog Cay, Farmers Cay, Little Farmers Cay, Poor Betty Cay, on and on. Johnny Depp owns Little Bell Island. Heard there were pirates there.

And our Stocking Island anchorages include Monument Beach (under the monument on the hill) Hamburger Beach (where an old hamburger stand used to be), Volleyball Beach (where the volleyball nets are), Sand Dollar Beach and our current anchorage Honeymoon Beach. I guess the latter is because it’s a quiet little cove, romantic spot. We’re not honeymooners of course but they haven’t kicked us out yet.

Highlight of the morning was a visit from Rodney who runs the trash pickup/pump out boat. You hail him on VHF 18, that’s the channel to call The Pump Out Boat.

We are a captive market for pump out so he comes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and will pump you out and take a trash bag for $15. A deal!

Then we walked the Monument Hill again today. Yesterday we did it with new friends nearby who are from Apex, who go by the names Joy to the world and Ivan the terrible. They are taking a year off to cruise.

Anyways they had a friend who led us to the top of the hill and then back down to the beach for what ended up being at least a three mile hike.

The osprey atop the monument in his nest was not too happy to see us. He swooped down low I guess to ward off that crazy blue-eyed dog of ours.

Ziggy was unfazed. She was off the leash and had a great time racing around the beach.

“I’m free, yippee,” she seemed to be saying. But only for awhile. Back to the boat for a nap.

y