2013's Finale (Oct. - Dec.)

October
   October was, gratefully, a slow month. We went on a club cruise to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, during which we enjoyed a chamber-hosted Octoberfest dinner. On Thursday night, we joined Carl and Linda for dinner at the Backdoor Kitchen (raves!!). On Saturday afternoon, I prowled the shops with Penny and Eugenia. At the Robin's Nest I bought a pair of crows to add to my collection (is this turning into a fetish?). Out in Island Studios' back yard. we watched the huge koi.   

Crows dressed up for the holidays.

The koi in Island Studio's backyard.

November
   We'd planned our kids' visit for months. When's the best time for all of them to come up? What should we do? What do we feed them? Where do we sleep them all? We finally picked Veteran's Day weekend because it would cause the least traffic problems and they could travel on a vacation day.
   We almost succeeded. Dana and Michael, Nick and Naomi, and Lisa and Kim all made the trek, first flying into SeaTac, then taking the two-hour drive to Anacortes. Actually, Nick arrive a couple of days earlier because he'd just gotten off a ship in Singapore or Japan, after chief-mating cars around the world for a couple of months. Naomi flew in from Galveston, where they live. (BTW, Nick and Naomi got married in August!)
   On Saturday, we took the ferry to Friday Harbor and had a family feast at the Downrigger. From there we drove to Roche Harbor. Lucky for us, the San Juan Island camel was out watching traffic with his best friend the alpaca. 



Joanne, Davy, Kim, Lisa,
Nick, Naomi, Dana, Michael

   While on San Juan Island, we drove everyone south from Friday Harbor to the windswept American Camp where we watched one leg of the 75-boat Round the County race (San Juans Islands = San Juan County). Near Roche Harbor, on the island's northwest side, we walked around English Camp. Both camps played important parts in the Pig War, which ultimately gave Canada Vancouver Island and the islands north of Orcas. The islands to the south became U.S. territories. English Camp is much nicer looking than American Camp.
   Sunday morning we all got up and drove into Anacortes town to have breakfast at San Juan Lanes and a couple of rounds of bowling. Breakfast was great, but the bowling idea partly fizzled when we discovered that it was league championship day that day, and there wasn't a chance we'd get even one lane.
   Plan B brought us over Deception Pass Bridge and into Oak Harbor, where we found the purple-faced Oak Bowl. Talk about the perfect place and way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Lots of people won games.

Nick and Dana

Davy bowling

After Sunday dinner.

Sunday night hanging around.

    The last weekend of November had us taking the ferry to Sidney, Vancouver Island, and driving to Victoria's Marriot Inner Harbour, where we were guests at the Capital City Yacht Club's commodore's ball. During cocktails, I noticed one of the drummers for the pipe and drum corps had on the most startling and intriguing garb. When I asked him about it, he said, "Yes, it's a real cougar. From north of here." Amazing, and kind of frightening! Turns out, Scottish drummer often wear skins to help bear the weight of the drum and to protect their clothing from chafing.

December

   On December 1, at our own Fidalgo Yacht Club's commodore's ball, Davy left his rear-commodore's duties behind and took on his vice-commodoreship (is that a words??)  We love our yacht club! It's filled with smart, adventurous people who cruise safely and earnestly to places few people would dream of going. And they love to party. They've taught us PNW tyros so much, and have at times saved us from ourselves.  We cannot thank them enough for all that they've given us.

   These have been the highlights of our year! We wish you all a merry Christmas, a happy Hanuka, a splendid solstice, a wonderful holiday, and a 2013 that tops all your other years!