A friend of mine has a tradition of fishing on Thanksgiving. Sounded good to me. Fish in the morning and eat in the afternoon.
This year I tried to recruit the boys to go with me. They’d been in the “winter” and quickly passed. My oldest girl, however, was all go.
We fished just below the Deer Creek dam at the top of Provo Canyon. It was cold — I was cold. My little 11 year old girl froze her little fingers and toes off. But as you can see from the picture, she sure looked cute in the waders and boots. I was glad we caught a few fish to show for our efforts.
“Twas’ the night before Thanksgiving, and all through the dwelling, everyone was laughing and giggling and yelling.”
We enjoyed a Thanksgiving Eve dinner at Grandpa and Grandma Baldwin’s house with the Babcock family. There were seatings in the kitchen, the living room, and the master bedroom. The food was yummy. The entertainment was funny.
Watch the movie for a recap of the night, which included food, conversation, and games. Watch for a future slideshow showcasing the talents of family members during “The Sack Game.”
But the highlight of the movie, by far, is “Grunt Piggy Grunt.” Enjoy
Our last port was Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. It definitely had a “U.S.” feel to it. There were more American establishments and American surfer-looking teenagers working at the beach. There were a lot more big, fancy houses. Yet it also had an international, Caribbean feel to it. The best of both worlds?
This day was the only one where we experienced rain. The impending storm teased us right up to the point of dragging our lounge chairs on the beach to a desirable spot. The heavens then let loose for about 15 minutes, getting everything wet. The trees were not the kind to protect you (or your stuff) from weather. But we certainly weren’t cold. The rain was as warm as the ocean water. We figured that we may as well get in the water while it rained. We were already drenched. It felt great.
The Ultimate Island Experience was very touristy. We learned that Blackbeard’s castle is actually not a castle that he lived in. The United States built it to attract tourists. It is also housed within hotel grounds. So that was a bit disappointing. However, the period houses were interesting and were, I believe, authentic. And the 99 steps were certainly not as long as the steps we climbed in London. But they were charming. All in all, a very charming island.
I was able to talk Abby into singing the other day while we were driving. She sings the classic Mary Had a Little Lamb and adds her own twist in Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeep. I captured a voice note on my phone and converted to play here.
After a second day of cruising, our ship docked at the port of Philipsburg, St. Maarten. The island is actually split into two. One side is controlled by the Dutch and is spelled Sint Maarten. The other side is controlled by the French and is spelled Saint Martin. The ship port is on the Dutch side.
We took a bus ride over to the French side to a 300-year-old former sugar plantation, Loterie Tree Farm, and enjoyed their treetop adventure tour which consists of a series of zip-lines, rope swings and bridges suspended from platforms mounted in the trees. It was fun. No picture taking, however. There were guides down below who would get after you if they saw you pull out a camera. They certainly got after you if you slowed things down.
Upon returning to “St. Maarten,” we took a water taxi to the shopping area and started to stroll along the boardwalk. It wasn’t long before I had to stop. The heat, beating sun and humidity took their toll. I needed shade. So we relaxed on the beach and in the water for an hour or so before heading into the shopping district to visit stores similar (or the same) to those of the previous two islands.
I did learn one thing however. If you see something you like, buy it. Don’t assume that it will be on the next island. It may not be and you will therefore have to settle for something less.
Great picture taken by Kendra while staying at our place this summer. Kendra is a talented photographer with a great deal of creativity. She sees things that I overlook.
Brad and I were talking about how funny it is that we don’t mind listening to Dallen and Jed’s electric guitar lessons or their practicing. Right now I’m listening to Dallen and Brick Williams (his teacher) playing Pink Floyd’s “Time” from the Dark Side of the Moon album. One of my all-time favorite songs. I love “Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton, and I am just becoming a fan of Muse. Okay, so AC/DC is not a band I would personally listen to, but I can handle their music. I’m familiar with it.
I think that our generation of parents are more tolerant of guitar and drum and other “rock” instrument playing by our children because we know a lot of the music and already like it. We grew up with it. In a similar situation, my Dad would have come into the room with hands over ears, body rocking back and forth and moaning sounds coming from his mouth. Times have certainly changed.
A friend of mine has a tradition of fishing on Thanksgiving. Sounded good to me. Fish in the morning and eat in the afternoon.
