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What a Great Saturday!

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“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything, than when we are at play.”
― Charles E. Schaefer

As much as I went on about being “lazy” the other day’s post, Saturday I definitely took advantage of all that was offered to me.  To hell with house-work, garden-work, work-work.

Though I had gone to bed at 2 a.m. (thank you, Linda for keeping me up late regaling me with your fabulous three months in Italy – I would call you names in jealousy but I cannot as I am so happy for you to have done this trip all by yourself) and woke up at 4 a.m. with a sudden sneezing/runny nose fit (I swear, it felt like a bug had gone up my nose and planted a cold there, with no gentle warning signs), I was up and at ’em at 8:30-ish, though I had at least another half-hour before my alarm went off to prepare for a day of sailing with my friend, Jean-Louis.  He has a lovely 25′ sailboat that he keeps at Pointe-Claire Marina.   By the time I did the stuff I had to do, I ended up leaving the house by 9:50 instead of 9:30.  Texted him to let him know I was on slo-mo and got a response of “no problem”.  He lives a hop, step and a jump from the marina so no biggie for him.  Turns out it was a good thing as the little tender they offer to get you to your mooring doesn’t start until 10:30 anyway.

We gathered all our stuff and climbed aboard.  Lovely boat indeed.  I was suddenly brought back over twenty-five years ago on my father’s sailboat “Footloose”.  Many happy memories attached to that beautiful Bayfield.

I knew we were gonna have some fun when I noted the sign just inside the cockpit… and J-L poured his home-made sangria into these insane 32 oz thermal glasses…

Cocktail Hour
Cocktails

So we left the marina in Pointe-Claire around11 a.m. and wanted to go all the way to Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, which is the most western tip of Montreal Island.  Both towns are part of the area known as the West Island (or as I like to call it, the Waste Island 😉 )  The wind was not the best and since we had some time restraints, we decided to motor out, knowing we would be able to make our way back by sail.  We had to stop in Beaconsfield (half-way) for gas and then continued on our way.

Jean-Louis really knows this lake, called Lake Saint-Louis, pointing out various areas.  When we were across the way from Dany and Giselle’s hometown of Notre-Dame-de-l’ïle-Perrot, I texted them sending them a picture with a “Hey!  I’m in your back yard!

View of Île Perrot

Apologies for the crappy picture.  I stupidly did not bring my real camera and, as nice a pics are with my phone, they suck big time when it comes to zooming, not so fabulous.

We had to “drive” through a canal – the water is so very high right now…

And finding parking… who’d a thunk it would be such a bitch to find parking for a boat?

We went through, turned around, went towards one slot but didn’t like it as it was on the point of the bay and would have had a helluva time with the currents, realised a space had opened up and got a great spot!

Some peeps hang out in groups so they can raft up.

We had lunch in a new restaurant called Taverna, a blend of Greek and Italian cuisines.  Sitting on the terrace, we froze our buns off but the food was decent.

Heading back, we had a good wind right behind us, so Jean-Louis opted for his genoa sail.  We flew all the way home.

Many beautiful homes and St-Joachim Parish of Pointe-Claire – a church that actually faces the water instead of the street:  originally built in 1713, replaced in 1750-1755, a third church was added between 1868-1881, the whole thing destroyed by fire in 1881.  The one we see now, was consecrated in 1885.

I needed to be back at the marina by five o’clock, latest, so I could take a shower and make my way to St. Lazare where friends were meeting for pizza before a benefit concert at Bar Chez Maurice to raise funds for palliative care for a local organisation.  Four bands participated but we were most interested in Cinema V – friends of ours being members.

The other bands were CHESS, RUSTY (with Cinema V guitarist) and LIKWID (with Cinema V guitarist, bassist and singer).

Each band played a 45 minute set with a 30 minute break and set-up for the next one.

So… little history lesson… Dany (drummer) and I were prom dates waaaaay back in 1981! For those of us who have been following me for a while, you’ve seen pictures of Dany, his wife, Giselle, and a few more of us.  We’ve always kept in touch but, in the last three years, more effort has been made.

How cute are we?
1st couple to be introduced

A few years after we dated, the band won a competition with the local rock station CHOM 97.7 and went to Japan… how cool is that?  Ya gotta love that ’80’s look…

Cinema V John, Marcello, Nigel, Dany, Radford

Now, all in their 50’s (just recently for you, Rad!) – all have aged rather well, if I do say so myself!

John, Marcello, Nigel, Dany, Radford

‘Course, I had to zoom in a bit on Dany…

As “groupie-wife”, Giselle, all sparkly-eyed, basked in her husband’s prowess… I kept trying to catch her as she watched Dany but I swear, that woman sees a camera, she instantly turns and smiles…

I figure I’ll end this little ramble with a snippet of one of Cinema V’s original songs…

To think they hadn’t played together in 26 years!

A few of the 10,000 things that make me happy and grateful

  1. Music concerts with friends
  2. Sunshine and wind on my face
  3. Sailing – had so missed it
  4. Taking the whole day to do stuff just for me
  5. Going to bed with ears still ringing from the musical night

 

 

 

 

46 thoughts on “What a Great Saturday!”

  5. In your ‘much ado about note-ing’ a day set adrift or dare I say swept away by a flirtatious wind rubbing against sail. Would seem you drifted through the day and into the night. High fives to playing in the wind and with old but young looking musical cronies.

    That all said, eighties hair will always have a place in the wig museum – as I get down on knees to pay homage to Major Hoople’s Boarding House. Quick hand me a band-aide and an air guitar.

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  6. I am always so fascinated by the fun and happiness you can immerse yourself in. It is a righteous gift to which you’ve paid your dues to get to. And for those of us (dunderheads) who find the concept foreign, you offer up those sangria barrels, aye . . . they are just . . just! That is the way to drink sangria, tell you what. I can relate to that.

    You write divinely when you just shoot from the hip on all things life and love. That is when your signature bon vivant comes out to play. In sunflower blooms.

    To sailing and sangria and most of all, to happiness

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Dear Dale,

    Wow…that was a packed out day. Thanks for inviting the rest of us with you for the ride. This type of writing is indeed your forte. Keep it up, my friend. ❤

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Rochelle,

      It was, but not in a zany, must do this and that, sense.
      I do thank you for those kind words. As one who, sadly, seems to have disappeared always said: That’s a “Dale post”!
      I will…

      Lotsa love,

      Dale

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    • Thank you, Ina. I truly believe it balances me. Those who work, work, work and those who play, play, play… are each missing something.

      I try to live my life to the fullest. No one knows how much time they have on this earth. I am not going to be a “shoulda done this or that…” 🙂

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