Thursday, May 19, 2011

FLASHBACK - "DRIFT AWAY"


Sure. There are chores to be done no matter where you live,
but life on the water is slow, easy and social.
Here’s how we spent some lazy afternoons last fall in Grenada
– drifting away.

Calivigny Island at the south end of Clarke’s Court Bay
is privately owned and home to a very exclusive resort.


The beach is lovely, but our gang of cruisers only needed
the beach for dinghy parking.

We'd bring our noodles and coolies and while away
an hour on many afternoons, drifting around together.
    
What a perfect way to cool down
and share the ups and downs of our day.
Give us salt, sand and palm trees. Life is good.
Ashley, the canine member of our group, really needs
to learn how to relax.

The Calivigny beach gathering was quite a regular event
during September and October. Just to change it up a bit,
Cynthia from Minx organized a dinghy drift.

Fourteen boats arrived, turned off their motors
and tied up to each other.

I know you’re wondering why we all look so very tense.

As our dinghy raft-up drifted with the current in Clarke’s Court Bay,
we chatted, enjoyed munchies and sundowners,
and sang away our troubles.

  Life is a lyric. Humming a few bars is fine too.

On another memorable afternoon, we were treated
to some real music that arrived in Clarke Court’s Bay – by boat.
And we all attended – also by boat.

Meet Madison Violet and their 1st Annual Grenada Dinghy Concert.

This award-winning Canadian duo has been developing their sound,
and a following, over the past ten years.
Lisa and Brenley played guitar, mandolin, ukulele
and fiddle at various times throughout the concert.

Lisa, on the left above, is Ashley MacIssac's sister. Some serious
fiddling genes in that family.
Their vocal harmonies cross several genres
– country/folk/Celtic/pop sounds delighted a happy crowd on a beautiful day.
We look forward to the 2nd Annual Grenada Dinghy Concert this fall.

Working with these pictures has been quite bittersweet. We’ve shared such good times with many wonderful cruisers and some of them are heading Stateside to resume a land-based life. Friends may drift in and out of our lives, but the memories of shared laughter remain.

Good luck and much love to Cynthia and Mike from Minx ---

--- to Sam and Margie from Encantada ---
--- and to Heidi and Bill from Act III.

Camp Grenada will miss your dancing feet and smiling faces.