Happy Boxing Day!

Around here, while Christmas Day is over, we're still in holiday mode until at least January 7th, the day after Three King's Day. When I first got to Culebra, Christmas wasn't really that big a deal, which was pretty nice in a lot of ways. Not that commercialism runs rampant here, it didn't then and it doesn't now. But I liked living where a holiday was really celebrated for what it is supposed to be about, whether I believe in it or not. 

Of course, there are those three camels that are left hay in shoeboxes under the beds of girls and boys for gifts (a special present for the good ones, something akin to dirt for the naughty) to be left in exchange...

And, don't forget what today is. Happy Boxing Day!! 

Christmas yesterday was a round of seeing friends throughout the day. First to the beach where we were late arrivals but the food was still plentiful, and we got there in time for some strumming and singing.

A rainbow greeted us, after a fast rain swept in on big winds
That obviously didn't last long.

I took this photo twice, wondering what kind of bird kept sweeping through, but it was a football. 

A joyful noise

Because what's more classic than palm trees gathered over an open beach?

We stopped for a respite where I got to share in some coquito, which is liking having Christmas on your tongue (one of our hardware stores sold homemade coquito this year, in a number of flavors...try getting that at Home Depot) and then moved on to the next party.

It's always good to have a brief catch up with people
you usually only see in passing.

The last stop was to see some old friends who had all the family together from points north. With all their babies. Imagine you have three children. Then imagine they all have children in the same year. It was a beautiful baby city, with cuteness everywhere.

Once I got home, I remembered a house along the bay I wanted to take a photo of, its lights cheering the nights. First I had the settings wrong, but it was such a great error I'll let you see it anyway.

Martini and drinks glasses, with straws included. 

This is what I was really trying for. It looks better from across the bay though.

I missed the rising moon, but she was shining bright, with only a few drifting clouds to keep it interesting. I also missed the parade, being at the other end of the island and enjoying the moments while time slipped away. Even for Culebra, it was too late to catch it  Next year!

Oh Christmas Moon, Oh Christmas Moon

Have a solicitous Saturday. Do something serving your servers.

Happy Boxing Day!

Boxing Day. As sure as the 26th follows Christmas Day, we'll always have Boxing Day. Well, we won't have Boxing Day, since it is a British holiday, when tradesmen are supposed to be honored by their superiours (can that be any more British?) with small gifts, ie. 'boxes'. Of course, in many households, it is simply the day after Christmas, sighs of relief as mad shopping resulted in hoped for smiles...or not. The birds were cooked, the pies were baked, stomachs were overfilled, Or not. For families in Newtown, CT an especially odd Christmas with families united in bizarrely shared grief resulting from madness. Merry Christmas.

Here on Culebra, the sun, after playing shy, came out, the water painters arrived a bit late, as is allowed on a holiday, with deepest greens and blues getting priority, banks of dark clouds never bringing rain to us, thankfully.

I got to spend the day with friends aboard the Purple Houseboat, where good food and drink kept coming in with each arriving welcome guest. Thankfully, there were no unwelcome guests, not even a mouse.

In case you are wondering, not all of the Seven Dwarfs are ticklish. 

There was noshing and taking quick dips 1) because the water felt wonderful, if a bit cool and 2) to pretend we'd done something exerciseful -am I the only person that took a mini nap? I think so - water and boat gazing with chats in between. And then it was time to head into town for the parade.

There are two large ships in the harbor. The Amistad and the Virginia

If you are into nautical history, and some present good work, it's worth your time to read a bit about these ships. We arrived just as the lowering of the flags was occurring, and for a flash second, it was a 'taken back in time' moment.

The parade was supposed to start at 5, which we knew meant we could expect waiting until at least around 6, so we got there around 6:30-sh. As it turned out, there was still plenty of time to wander around seeing friends and people watching. The question, 'are they really coming?' became more frequent as 7 neared, arrived and passed. Getting onto 8, we could hear them; yes, they really WERE coming!

Santa and his entourage were, naturally, the first to arrive, with salsa filling the air, along with the horns of vehicles blaring and a lot of laughter.

Cartoon characters came next. I'm not real tuned in to cartoons, so I can't say exactly what was going on here, but it was, as most things go on Culebra, interesting and fun.

Mocko jumbies danced

The children's float was great. After waiting for hours, the kids were still happy and tossing candy for all they were worth. I don't think anyone got hurt by the handfuls of sweets tossed, but I'm pretty sure if you are in need of a candy cane or six, you can find them all over downtown today.

Yes, I love the mocko jumbies! Thank you, Norman, for working with these guys!

It all dissolved into a party at the plaza. Of course.

One man asked how they would get the floats and many, many golf carts driven by, as one driver said to me, crazy people, out of the plaza. It was a question none of us who live here had thought about and I'm sure he wondered why we all started laughing while trying to explain, and then giving up assured him that it would just happen as it happened.

As I walked home, a few elf driven golf carts flew by, with waves and smiles, back to the Elf Cave, I imagine. It was a good Christmas. If I had someone who brought me newspapers, acted as a doorman, helped make my life better working for me, I'd give him or her a box of something, no doubt preferably filled with a certain greenish paper item. Instead, I gave CWIM an extra helping of wet food in addition to her dry and re-strawed the chickens nesting boxes. They were gratefully puzzled.

Life is good. Be nice.

Have a know it's still a wonderful world Wednesday. Do something wisely.