NOT DONE WITH POETS COVE YET

Just in case you're reading this blog and you're jealous that we get to do this, I have to tell you that it's not ALL fun and games out here cruising the Gulf Islands. Last night -- well, more accurately, about 3 a.m. this morning -- a wind came up. Within half an hour, the entire anchorage was abuzz with activity! Everyone was out checking their anchors,shining spotlights around to check their positions ... and dragging anchor and having to move.

Our anchor held (we've learned a thing or three from past experiences, lol), but several folks had to re-anchor ... in the wind, in the dark, and 'on a wing and a prayer', more or less. There was lots of colorful language to match the sounds of anchor chains being hauled and motors starting up.

Been there, done that, other times, other anchorages, and it's not fun. Even when you re-anchor, you don't trust your anchor and you're awake until daylight anyway.

We were back snug in our beds and asleep before 4 a.m., and had a great time watching and listening to the 'circus' in the bay while everyone got re-settled. I even knit several rows on the gift shawl.

Today we are back in at the pool and hot-tub under another hot and sunny sky. Our original plan was to weigh anchor tomorrow and move on to Cabbage Island, but we've decided to stay a few more days. One of the fun things about sitting at anchor is watching the daily changing of the 'cast of characters' in the bay. Every morning between 8 and 11 a.m. the boats head off out of the bay -- and by about 1 p.m. new boats have come in and taken their place on the buoys. These folks went by us this morning...

How cute is that?
And this family was our neighbor for the past two days...

This was a Dad and his two daughters, and we imagined that maybe he was a 'weekend' dad. It was obvious that the two girls had been sailing for probably most of their life, and they were all having lots of fun. (So if you're the Mom, and you worry when your ex- takes your daughters off sailing for the weekend, you don't need to -- Dad was wonderful, and the girls were having a delightful time).

This was one of two identical boats sailing out of here this morning ... (the other one was too far away and I cculdn't get it into the same frame):

Then last night our very favorite-ever boat on this coast came in to the marina here...

She's called 'Lazee Gal' and she's out of the Vancouver Yacht Club. She's a Grenfell, maybe 1940's, and was featured on the cover of Pacific Yachting magazine several years ago during a time when I was doing a lot of writing for them. We see her somewhere every few years, and are still in awe every time -- an absolute beautiful classic boat!

So ... we're not done with Poet's Cove yet...


But there's no grocery store here, so tomorrow we'll dinghy through the canal (between South and North Pender Islands) to Port Browning, where it's about a mile walk to the shopping centre. And the path has huge blackberries the whole way to pick for our dessert!

On the needles: turned the heels on Gibson's socks, and I've done about a foot on the gift shawl. Life is good!