Friends For Ever

A person is blessed to have a few friends to walk through life with.  It is always wonderful when it is a long walk together.  Jim and I have had that with first meeting when I was 12 or 13.  We went to high school together (a grade apart) and then to different colleges.  There were years that we were out of touch only to find one another, laugh and step right back into times of friendship.  My sister calls him our "Halfie" because he is half of a brother.  How fortunate. We haven't known Masa quite as long (he's not quite as old!!!) and we immediately loved him as well.

You can imagine how thrilled Doug and I were when Jim and Masa joined us on the boat this year.  Only one problem - the time was too short.

Dinner Anyone?

Masa's First Halibut...Delicious

Salmon and Catchers

Calm Waters

And All of This

Fond Farewells 

Big Fish and Acts of Courage

Rick and Beck were no-particular-schedule people this spring so they joined us for a transit from Port McNeill to Shearwater enduring Cape Caution and another challenge that remained  not photographed but will long be remembered by those aboard.  As we rounded Welch Rock into open ocean we broke a towing cleat and set the fishing boat adrift.  Everyone donned life jackets.  Jan took the helm and with Doug's guidance slipped the SeaDrifter down the back side of a wave.  Doug hooked the fishing boat with a hook.  He and Rick manhandled the small boat along the swim step.  Doug held it fast and Rick climbed aboard firing the 140 hp and falling into line behind the SeaDrifter.  There were extra rations of rum for all that evening.

Safety

Nice Fish, Rick

Another nice Ling, Rick

Another Beautiful Canadian Sunset

Hooked by Doug but Landed by Jan

50lbs

Mila's Coat

Can you find the monster in the background?

The Greatest of Gifts is the Love of Family and Friends

Please meet some of our greatest gifts....

Introducing Jude:

I'm quite the fisherman.

I am a surfin' kind of guy

I love my little sister but sometimes "borrow" the toys Nana knit her.

Here is Taryn: 

Mommy and me looking out over PV

I Wanna Iguana....maybe not really.

I am planning to break a few hearts

Abby, Rory and Eli:

Aunt Jan reserved Cinco de Mayo as her holiday and brings us cool  stuff from Mexico

We are generous and sent toys to Maria's daycare.  Eli volunteered to send the scary monkeys  east.

Julianna:

Julianna will fill the new shoes that Grandma Jan knit for her.

Fast Forward thru Mexico

We were blessed with another wonderful winter in Mexico with visitors, guests and our dear ExPat friends who gather in Puerto Vallarta with us.

Old friends from work....  So I was thinking of my friend, Janna Lee, and wishing that we could have connected for lunch as planned.  Impulsively, I sent her an email asking her to come to Puerto Vallarta for lunch.  Instantly, she replied, "Where ARE you?  We are in PV!"  The four of us had a great lunch at one of our downtown hangouts.

Janna and Jan laughing once again!

Soon after Linda Stone who taught with me in Manson arrived on a cruise ship.  We spent a delightful day together exploring the remaining Day-of-the Dead art and chatting regarding Maria's new venture.

Painted with cans of spray paint on the cemetery wall

Down by the iguanas

How tall were you?

Doug's sister, Becky, and her delightful husband Rick came to visit in January.  Enjoyed our time together.

Becky and Rick's first trip to Puerto Vallarta

 Brunch at Elizabeth Taylor's Puerto Vallarta home.

Fun times together.

Lunch at the Elizabeth Taylor residence.

This was a year of significant birthdays which duly require great celebrations in Puerto Vallarta.  

Our friend, Sharon, never forgets anyone's birthday but didn't want a party for herself this year.  NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, SHARON!!

Happy 40th!!!!

Happy 17th!

Our dear and elegant friend, Carolyn, celebrated a significant birthday with many friends and family. She explained to me that it was just the sh-ts to be 17 in a much older body.