"OH CANADA"

Last year Beach House was in Bequia for Canada Day.

We celebrated on Dream Maker with the crews from seven other boats. It was a small bi-lingual affair with about a 50/50 Anglo/Quebecers representation. We all got along fine and enjoyed ourselves.

This year Canada Day Beach House was in Grenada. The Clarke’s Court Bay area is our summer home where there are several anchorages, marinas, restaurants and bars competing for our meagre dollars.

In Bequia I flew our large Canadian flag up high. In Grenada I opted to fly it low and at the bow because the boat in front of Beach House only flies the flag of his 'country' – Quebec.  

Let's just say - we’ve had words

The call went out from Clarke’s Court Bay Marina that Bob, who owns the marina, would provide a turkey for a Canada Day dinner. Canadian cruisers, and anybody else who wanted to come, would provide the rest on a pot luck basis. As an added incentive there would be Happy Hour bar prices.

It was a typical Canadian event. No one really wanted to be in charge and everybody was happy to be fed and have drink or three.

Our gracious Texan friend Miss Kitty brought out the turkey and the stampede was on.

Well maybe not stampede. Being polite Canadians we all stood in line and said "I’m sorry" a lot.

And then we sat politely and ate what we were given.

One of the Canada Day traditions is the wearing of red and white.

If we were handing out awards, Phil would have won the hat contest.

My contribution was to take the maple leaf from one of our badly tattered flags and sew it onto my shirt. Everybody had something.

Despite the very wet and windy weather, which was inspired by a Tropical Wave passing just south of us, we all had a good time.

Thanks Bob, Miss Kitty, Jenny and Charmella for making it happen.

In signing off I’d like to leave you all with a quote from Sir John A. MacDonald.

 “ Let us be French, let us be English, but most importantly let us be Canadian."