Red Jacket
12-11-2004, 01:54 PM
Christmas Letter XXXII
As the Chinese curse goes,” May you have an interesting year.”
It all started when we took off for Guana on December 17 to spend our first Christmas on the cay. Preparations had been made for the costumes of Grinch and Santa’s Dream Girl and the golf cart decorating scheme planned: four sharks pulling Santa’s sleigh which was abalze with twinkling lights. A progressive dinner at 5 venues with a golf cart parade. We came out on top at the parade and a couple dozen wanted their picture taken with us. It was fun.
The next event was not. Toby tripped on the downstairs concrete patio on March 21 and fractured his left femur just below the hip socket at 9:00AM. Guana rescue came running and he went to Marsh Harbour for X-rays and then medivacked to West Palm Beach and a three week hospital stay which included implanting a plate and screws and two weeks of rehab. Wheel chair bound, he flew home on April 13 and when he reached Bangor on a regional small jet, had to be removed from the aircraft by means of a fork lift. Wish there were pictures of this whole lash up.
While continuing rehab through June, the saying,” He who dies with the most toys wins,” was the modus operandi. On July 1, after extensive research on the web, he acquired a Radio Controlled Laser and showed it to some friends. It wasn’t long before the Downeast Model Yacht Squadron was formed with the first fleet being the Mt. Desert Island Fleet with 13 boats sailing on Wednesday evenings and Saturdays. Next summer on June 17 – 19 the Squadron will host the Region 1 championships. See www.penuryhall.com/demyc (http://www.penuryhall.com/demyc)
Spotting a Ford Model T touring car in Southwest Harbor one day, it wasn’t long before a 1921Ford model T Coupe was placed in the toy box. Dredging up some treasures from up-attic, the costumes were in place. The only items we had to buy were spats, a derby and a silk flower for Gret’s hat. Over the summer the T was put into perfect shape mechanically with several system changes.
Two other projects are worth mentioning: Raising $ 11,000 for Great Guana Cay Fire & Rescue and continuing efforts to block the Passerine development on North Guana Cay. See www.saveguanacayreef.com (http://www.saveguanacayreef.com)
This year Alden made a career change from being a professional rock climbing guide to carpenter. He joined a good small group of builders with a good order book and is enjoying it. He also has some private rock climbing clients he works with. For Christmas this year he is asking for a Lie Nielson block plane – the highest end plane on the market. Type in the name on google and see.Now that he is approaching 40, he seems to have a young lady in his life. Maybe….?
Skip and Annie are busier than ever at piloting and doctoring and raising the two girls now 5 ½ and 3 ½.. Emma is in kindergarden and Maggie is in pre-school. They are alll coming over this afternoon to make a gingerbread church – something we used to do years ago. Skip has refurbished a 26’ Navy lifeboat into one of the best family boats I have seen. Not fast ( 7 ½ knots ) but perfect for them. Skip also spent many days at book signings for In Peril, his account of the largest salvage operation in maritime history. Published by Lyons Press.
After the crazy Spring and Summer of broken bones, rehab and an increased chore load, Gretchen is convinced her toy box needs a lot of replenishing! Gretchen continues part time at the Kimball shop and serves on the financial committee of the MDI hiospital and the town Board of Appeals. Also, of course, her gardening is a never ending round of plant, tend and put to bed for the winter only to start all over in 29 more days on Guana. She also attended and enjoyed her High School 50th reunion in Fayetteville, NY and was delighted to reconnect with several old friends whose addresses had just changed too often. In 2008 she will join the Over the Hill Gang at her 50th at Skidmore.
There are probably other items of interest but they don’t rise to the level of general interest.
We leave for Guana on January 4th and will return on April 20th.
Have a very merry Christmas and a less than interesting New Year. .
As the Chinese curse goes,” May you have an interesting year.”
It all started when we took off for Guana on December 17 to spend our first Christmas on the cay. Preparations had been made for the costumes of Grinch and Santa’s Dream Girl and the golf cart decorating scheme planned: four sharks pulling Santa’s sleigh which was abalze with twinkling lights. A progressive dinner at 5 venues with a golf cart parade. We came out on top at the parade and a couple dozen wanted their picture taken with us. It was fun.
The next event was not. Toby tripped on the downstairs concrete patio on March 21 and fractured his left femur just below the hip socket at 9:00AM. Guana rescue came running and he went to Marsh Harbour for X-rays and then medivacked to West Palm Beach and a three week hospital stay which included implanting a plate and screws and two weeks of rehab. Wheel chair bound, he flew home on April 13 and when he reached Bangor on a regional small jet, had to be removed from the aircraft by means of a fork lift. Wish there were pictures of this whole lash up.
While continuing rehab through June, the saying,” He who dies with the most toys wins,” was the modus operandi. On July 1, after extensive research on the web, he acquired a Radio Controlled Laser and showed it to some friends. It wasn’t long before the Downeast Model Yacht Squadron was formed with the first fleet being the Mt. Desert Island Fleet with 13 boats sailing on Wednesday evenings and Saturdays. Next summer on June 17 – 19 the Squadron will host the Region 1 championships. See www.penuryhall.com/demyc (http://www.penuryhall.com/demyc)
Spotting a Ford Model T touring car in Southwest Harbor one day, it wasn’t long before a 1921Ford model T Coupe was placed in the toy box. Dredging up some treasures from up-attic, the costumes were in place. The only items we had to buy were spats, a derby and a silk flower for Gret’s hat. Over the summer the T was put into perfect shape mechanically with several system changes.
Two other projects are worth mentioning: Raising $ 11,000 for Great Guana Cay Fire & Rescue and continuing efforts to block the Passerine development on North Guana Cay. See www.saveguanacayreef.com (http://www.saveguanacayreef.com)
This year Alden made a career change from being a professional rock climbing guide to carpenter. He joined a good small group of builders with a good order book and is enjoying it. He also has some private rock climbing clients he works with. For Christmas this year he is asking for a Lie Nielson block plane – the highest end plane on the market. Type in the name on google and see.Now that he is approaching 40, he seems to have a young lady in his life. Maybe….?
Skip and Annie are busier than ever at piloting and doctoring and raising the two girls now 5 ½ and 3 ½.. Emma is in kindergarden and Maggie is in pre-school. They are alll coming over this afternoon to make a gingerbread church – something we used to do years ago. Skip has refurbished a 26’ Navy lifeboat into one of the best family boats I have seen. Not fast ( 7 ½ knots ) but perfect for them. Skip also spent many days at book signings for In Peril, his account of the largest salvage operation in maritime history. Published by Lyons Press.
After the crazy Spring and Summer of broken bones, rehab and an increased chore load, Gretchen is convinced her toy box needs a lot of replenishing! Gretchen continues part time at the Kimball shop and serves on the financial committee of the MDI hiospital and the town Board of Appeals. Also, of course, her gardening is a never ending round of plant, tend and put to bed for the winter only to start all over in 29 more days on Guana. She also attended and enjoyed her High School 50th reunion in Fayetteville, NY and was delighted to reconnect with several old friends whose addresses had just changed too often. In 2008 she will join the Over the Hill Gang at her 50th at Skidmore.
There are probably other items of interest but they don’t rise to the level of general interest.
We leave for Guana on January 4th and will return on April 20th.
Have a very merry Christmas and a less than interesting New Year. .