No February blues here

No February Blues here!

Where oh where did February go. Temperatures are 26-29 (low to mid 80’s) every day with only one day of rain this month, of course that was the day we left all the doors and windows open! It was also the same day that I told my brother who was visiting us from Calgary, that it never rains here. At the time the rain started we were at Honeymoon Beach to celebrate the wedding of some new cruising friends aboard “Artful Dodger”.  We will have the opportunity to meet this new couple again in Port Credit this summer. Even more special was that our friend Christine on “Felix the Cat” was performing her first ceremony as an ordained minister.  We all waited until the rain passed and huddled together to try to keep the bride dry. After the ceremony we had a reception on the beach complete with rum punch and freshly baked cookie and lemon square that the groom had baked. At the ceremony I also had the pleasure of pleasure of meeting a couple from Switzerland that had taken a year off to cruise with their kids. What an amazing experience for these two young children ages 8 & 12. A few nights before I met another couple who had taken a year when their daughter was born to cruise during the maternity/paternity leave.  Their little girl was such a gem and entertained us as she put black olives on her fingers.   Like all of these other people we have met, this is as well a special and treasure time in our lives.

We are ever grateful for the new friends but the best part of February was reuniting with old friends.  Dalton and Louise from “Pendragon” passed by our boat and shouted hello when they entered the harbour and anchored next to us. What a great feeling to see them again after 5 years.  In the dinghy on the way back from town I spotted “Cheetah II” and met up with them at the social after beach church on Sunday. Dick and Jane (yes really their names) have spent the last 4 years in the Caribbean and are going back home for a year to catch up on family ties. Jane has been making stunning jewellery from sea glass and silver. I was shocked a few days later when she took off a piece that I was admiring and handed it to me and said “I may not see you again so I want you to have this piece”.  I wanted to buy it but was reminded that you can put a cost on friendship.   We are so fortunate to have spent time with our dear friends Ed & Marge on Margaret Lee. We have followed their travels since we met them in 2005 and at 65 and 70 they show no signs of slowing down. When we were not cruising, Ed kept us entertained with his monthly email of their adventures allowing us to be with them in spirit.

I have enjoyed teaching aqua fitness classes on the beach in the morning. The class was sometimes organized and quite often filled with singing and laughter.  Deserving a special mention are Charm and Run-Around Ron on “Bout Time, Tex”.  And like most Texans they have hearts as big as Texas.  Ron’s “art of running around” can only truly be appreciated as a boater having cruised the inter-coastal.  Charm (yes her real name) and Mary on “High Noon” from Toronto agreed to take on the aqua fitness class after I leave.  Mary suffers from terrible arthritis so it is amazing that she enjoys the class so much that she is now leading it. Other regulars at class were  Judy and Mike aboard “Sea Sharp” from Fredericton, NB  and at Sand Dollar beach for appetizers and hit it off right away.  Mike suggested we call the class something “manly” so we changed it to “man-ercise” and the class filled up with men, including Mike .  

Yoga another first! We climbed to the gazebo on the hilltop on stocking island for an evening yoga class offering by a visitor aboard “Sea Yawl Latter” (from Texas ofcourse).  Half of the class were men, which was surprising considered I tricked Ted into going by saying that there would be other men, but I never thought there would be so many. The view was absolutely breathtaking and so peaceful. What a great introduction to Yoga!

The George Town Cruising Regatta is starting and the boat count has jumped to 360+ boats.  As the regatta starts we make our plans to leave and start heading north. This way we can enjoy the quiet harbours without the throng of cruisers headed north.  After two months we are ready to leave. We stay for the final meet and greet on opening night of regatta to say our good-byes to new and old friends. Time to go cruising again!