Also this past "vacation summer" we got some socializing and visiting in:
The off-season started with a stop in Ontario on our way home, to enjoy the joint party for Steve Wojcik's birthday and Brian Jeffrey's retirement. Steve is married to Kendra, our niece, while Brian is Kendra's dad, married to Lorna, Dawn's sister.
Brian and Lorna have purchased a C&C 38 in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia; so
you'll be hearing more about them as we continue to blog this sailing season. We stayed with another of Dawn's
sisters: Valerie, who, with husband Rick, treated us absolutely royally during
our stay.
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| Lorna, Brian, Steve & Kendra |
Once home, Laurie made quick arrangements to canoe
the Renous River with brothers Mike and Ken.
It was a great 3 day excursion, albeit with some hard work in heavy
winds.
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| Laurie, Mike & Ken |
With the "people of the cove" we got together for some fantastic friday night
barbecues.
We had great food, great friends, hilarity, and sometimes a little
drama.
Our travel was minimal, but included a trip to St.Andrews, New Brunswick with Paula and Brian of S/v Magique, who live in Saint John. Their boat is presently
in Bonaire, near Venezuela, so we missed them in our winter travels along the
Windwards and Leewards. They try to talk us into catching up with them as the
head west, and we try to convince them to come back east. Hard to say how this
will end...
While together in St. Andrews, we enjoyed sharing a really cute
cabin at Seaside Beach Resort, supper at Harbour Front Restaurant, hiking along
the old railroad trail beside the sea into Chamcook Bay, a tour and lunch at the
and historical sites, and looking into all the neat little shops. It really was
fun, and something we'll do again.
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| Brian, Paula & Dawn |
We also got to Buctouche to visit with Laurie's Aunt Marian and her family for
her 94th birthday.
Besides enjoying many members of Laurie's mother's family
there, we enjoyed sharing a cabin with his sister, Laurene (Lolly), and biking
some pretty fantastic trails.
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| Marian and Beth |
Brother Paul and his wife Alida, presently living
in Calgary, visited us for a few days as well, and it was a good excuse to get
together with other friends and family.
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| Scott, Agi, Paul, Alida & Tina |
The last really big item for the time in New Brunswick (although we're still
here) would be the visit from Steve and Maria of S/v Aspen. This is the couple
we visited last fall in Colorado. Aspen is still in Turkey, which has been
their base of sailing and touring operations forthe last sailing season. They
regaled us with their amazing travels. I would highly recommend their blog:
http://syaspen.blogspot.ca/ which includes fantastic pictures of sites in
Turkey, Greece, and Israel during the past year,and of course their adventures
travelling around the world over the last three years.
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| Laurie, Dawn, Maria & Steve at the "Old Boot Pub" in Gagetown, NB |
