'TWAS AN ADVENTURE

When the sun set on Friday night, I was looking forward to an eventful weekend, and I sure wasn't disappointed!

On Saturday morning we moved the Wind Walker over to the Inner Harbour so we could participate in the Carol Ships parade. Here was our view when we got into our slip:

There were a few other decorated boats around...

And, as it got darker, the Parliament Building's lights came on...

But before the boat parade, we had another parade to attend -- the Island Equipment Operator's Truck Parade is nothing short of spectacular every year (scroll down to see some photos from last year)! It's been a tradition for River and I to go each year, and this year our friends Penny and Robin joined us, so that was nice!

This was our view while we waited...

And I don't know what sort of camera or camera operator took the pics on the IEO website, but this is what all of mine look like: :)

So back to the boat parade, but by the time we got back down to the boat (where Arica and her partner Jason joined us) the wind was blowing about 30 knots in the harbour. . . it was going to be a wild ride!

Indeed it was ... a sailboat in front of us had their dinghy flip upside down, which made it difficult to control the boat (so they almost 'bought it' on the rocks at Laurel Point right in front of us), and a kayaker lost his paddle and had to be lifted out -- good thing the Search and Rescue boat was part of the parade!

We made it back in one piece, VERY cold and somewhat 'rattled' by the drama around us, but with bellies full of chili and spirits full of Christmas -- at least mine was!

This is what Michael looked like after two days of boat decorating and piloting us in the pitch dark amid 20-odd boats in a 30-knot wind:


I'd love to show you a picture of our boat all lit up ... if I only had one. But suffice to say that it must have looked alright, because WE WON! I think it was 4th prize, but the category was 'Brightest Boat' -- and our booty is a night in a deluxe suite here and a $50 gift certificate for this place! Not bad, huh? (So that's our January anniversary taken care of!)

Participants in the Carol Ships get two nights free moorage, so we took advantage of that AND stayed an extra night because the wind was still blowing on Monday and it would have been difficult to get back in to our slip here in the marina. Sri came for a visit on Sunday, and we went for lunch -- I just loved these decorations in the restaurant:

Did I mention how cold it's been? How about minus six Celsius -- that's 20 degrees Fahrenheit, folks -- this is Victoria, BC, it NEVER gets this cold. But the Wind Walker doesn't have to go all the way to the NorthWest Passage to be an icebreaker -- we had to break out of the ice just to leave the Inner Harbour after two days! Check it out AFTER we got through it...


Yesterday morning I had to drive our son Jason and his girlfriend Kristen to the airport -- they are flying to Kelowna for an early Christmas with her family. So after I dropped them off, I drove to my favorite spot on the outskirts of Sidney...

... and knit until their plane went over my head...


Speaking of knitting ... I almost finished a pair of socks, and I finished the Leafy Hat ...

This hat is a much prettier color than this picture shows .... it's a greenish-grey wool gifted to me from Ruth Stewart, who designed the hat.

I also played with some Christmas coasters...


... which will make perfect little 'stocking stuffer' gifts. I'll be making several more, for sure.

Okay, I've goofed off long enough -- time to get back to work!