That’s my spot !

Dude is sharing the anchorage with us and another 5 or 7 yachts here in fancy Huahine island.

It is Sunday, and the forecast is promising a beautiful day.

Dude is feeling like sailing to a different anchorage to enjoy the day.

But Dude is also very fond of the spot he is anchored here on this bay.

Dude doesn’t want to run the risk of someone else anchoring at the place where he currently is.

So, what does Dude do?

Leave something holding his spot at this anchorage, while he goes enjoy somewhere else’s beauty on the meantime – of course ! In this case, this very pinky blow-up flamingo:

The flamingo stayed there with pride and discipline, performing his duty of holding Dude’s spot at the anchorage. It was not just my attention that was drawn of course – with many people going there to check out the peculiar contraption floating steadily at the middle of the anchorage. Families with kids tried to take it with them, only to find with surprise and frustration that the toy was tethered to the bottom. Other kids simply paddled to the flamingo and played with it as if it were their toy for the day.

And so the day went, and the flamingo stayed put. Night came, and the next morning, and sailor Dude returned to the anchorage, to his spot, with the disciplined flamingo now standing proudly at Dude’s sailboat stern.

…..

As my hair grows whiter, I get increasingly amused by the idiosyncrasies of our species …