This was such a fun day!  We woke up early and just hopped in the boat to ride down to Las Palmas where they would launch it.  I sure could get used to the warm weather...even getting up in the middle of the night and walking outside is pleasant and comfortable.  Anyway, it was another beautiful sunrise that we were able to enjoy out on the water as we headed out to fish. 

Alberto, telling the bait fish guys what we wanted for the day....a big bag of sardines and ballywho and two live fish.

They started catching right away...skip jack and trigger fish...nothing they wanted to keep.  

Then Mark got a good bite...he handed me the pole and I reeled in this nice tuna! 

It went kind of dead, so they started trolling.  Katie was up next and as soon as Alberto heard the line zzzzzzzzz, he grabbed the pole and handed it to her.  She could tell right off it was something big.  It took the line and just ran with it.  She would reel, then he would run it out again.  This went on for quite a long time, then all the sudden, we saw a big sailfish splashing out of the water way out there. It was so cool!  It would dance across the water, then dive down deep.  I tried to load the video i had taken, but it was too long so I'm going to figure out how to break it down so I can put it on here.  Anyway, she kept reeling and after a good fight, he ended up pretty close to the boat. Beto was ready for it and grabbed it by the bill, pulling it onto the boat. He hollared at Kate to grab the tail.  She did and we snapped some pictures, then he slid it right out the other side of the boat and it took off with a splash.  We were all just like "OH my gosh did that just happen???"  That was so cool!

We took the tuna back to Marks place and Alberto cleaned them and got them ready to eat. Mark, Kevin, Beto and Kate were all about eating it raw, but that just doesn't appeal to me.  I tried a bite of it, but the texture gives me the willies.  I was grateful that night when Mark cooked it up just right on his brand new stove.

Marks floor is really neat.  It looks like the ocean.  Kelley (once again cannot sit around) kept it spotless.

The full moon was pretty incredible rising up over the ocean.  These pictures don't begin to capture it's beauty

 We had a wonderful dinner that night with Mark, Kevin, Alberto and Ann.  The tuna tastes nothing like tuna in a can.  So yummy!  Ann and Kate made a delicious salad to go with it.  

I felt bad for Mark sometimes, wishing he had some family down there to be with, but after spending this time with him, and meeting friend after friend that just drops by, I realized he has a family in these good people.  They really pull together as a little community and are always helping each other out or just stopping by to say hello and shoot the breeze for an hour or so.

We had a lot of laughs that night...they are some great people I grew to love in the time we were there.