Flying Squirrel in Ecuador

I have finally finished this round of varnishing the woodwork on Avventura. What is in all probability my least favorite of all boat chores is done for atleast six months now (hopefully I'll get a year out of it) after I put the last three of five coats on the outer rails today. Also fixed a leak in my inflatable dinghy and began planning in more detail the voyage ahead. Considering the fact that I couldn't start working till around noon due to an early morning rain and unsettled skies most of the day it was a productive day's work.

With the day's work done it was time to relax and find relief from the heat. After reading a bit by one of the yacht club's five pools (there are also five condo complexes here and a sixth being built) I started to wander back to the boat where a group of Ecuadorian kids were jumping off a wall into the water in the marina. Though the jump was only some eight feet, it looked like the perfect opportunity to introduce the Flying Squirrel to Ecuador, so I joined in the fun, and quickly had the group playing a sort of follow-the-leader. Whatever I did they had to copy. One of the boys was fearless and despite belly-flopping on a dive swore it didn't hurt (he also said he was the surfing champion of the group). I got a kick out f the fact that they called a flip a "matar" and was proud to have taught the group of kids the art of not only the Flying Squirrel (thank you Mudgett), but also the Can Opener (for you, Johnnyman). The kids couldn't seem to keep from belly-flopping on the Flying Squirrel which produced many a god laugh.

Tomorrow it's back to work polishing the stainless, making sure my dinghy patch holds, and whatever other odd jobs I can drum up.