Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Friends

Cruisers meet lots of other cruisers while cruising and living aboard.  I think Isle of Hope Marina, just outside of Savannah, introduced us to the majority of our cruising acquaintances.  Many others lived aboard there, and of course Pam and I met them.  IOH isn't that big.  And being strategically located on the ICW, many snowbirds stop there and we met them too.

A fact of life about cruising is that people come and people go.  You become friends with others, and get close to them, and then they, or you, leave.  It's how it is if you live this lifestyle, and you need to deal with it, as sad as it may be.

Just yesterday, I heard "Ahoy Drift Away!" from outside.   It was Larry and Jeanette and their dog Callie from Wye Not, nice folks we met at IOH.  They were traveling by and stopped at Brunswick Landing Marina to check on a friend's boat, and thought they'd pop by to say hello.  Sadly, Pam was working and missed them.  They're nice folks, and as they came aboard Drift Away, our dogs did their overwhelming doggie OMG IT'S A DOG!  I LOVE DOGS! dance and prance and chaos and butt sniffing which ensued for the next ten minutes.  Just close your eyes... imagine...  yep... there it is.

Surprise visits are always fun. Bob and Janet, folks who also lived aboard at Isle Of Hope on their sailboat King of Salem, also popped over for a visit.  They're at Gold Isles Marina now, not too far from here, within biking distance.  What a pleasant surprise.

Jon and Renne' stopped by once.  They were at Brunswick Landing Marina on their sailboat when we first arrived. We met them on our first day here, July 4th.  We invited them up on the flybridge to watch the local fireworks since Drift Away pretty much blocked the view from their boat.  They're now at Golden Isles.

Bob and Lynda came for a visit on their way driving to Florida where they purchased a winter home.  We first met them at Isle Of Hope.  They were transients who stopped because their little dog was very ill and having seizures.  Sadly, the dog passed, but Bob and Lynda enjoyed the camaraderie of the IOH live aboard gang and decided to stay a bit and we got to know them.  Nice folks.

So cruising and living aboard isn't just about the scenery and wildlife you see along the way.  It's meeting people and making new friends.  Unlike things, a person can't have too many friends.

You know that old saw about things, right?  As comedian Steven Wright so pithily said, "You can't have everything.  Where would you put it?"

Very true.  But that doesn't apply to friends.  You can have all of those you want.

Which reminds me of a toast first brought to me by my old (very old) friend Andy...

Friends may come, and friends may go.  And friends may peter out, you know.  But we'll be friends through thick and thin, peter out or peter in.

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