Happy New Year!

The Pineapple Express rains from the Pacific have soaked Costalegre (Happy Coast) for the last six days leaving behind rainfall records, deserted campgrounds and lush, green hills. Between squalls we were swimming, scrubbing barnacles off the hull, making wet dinghy landings at Tenacatita beach or playing bocce ball.
 

To celebrate this first day of the New Year about 20 cruisers gathered at the beach palapa for a festive lunch.  The restaurant’s specialty is a fish filet wrapped around fresh shrimp, smothered in a decadent almond cream sauce. It’s a meal that is to be enjoyed slowly, each morsel savored for it fills you with satisfaction.  Nora Ephron once said that when it comes time to have your last meal you may not know that it’s going to be your last meal and you won’t want to make the mistake of ordering a tuna melt.  Well, this thick, sweet fish filet and its rich sauce would never be a mistake so if it had turned out to have been my last meal, it would have been worth it.

This morning, the fleet celebrated the return of the sun by holding the annual Biathalon consisting of a swim ashore from Harmony, the boat of Tenacatita’s Unofficial Mayor anchored about 1/3 mile from shore, a run along the beach and back, then a return swim to Harmony.

 

I teamed up with Coral, the almost six-year-old granddaughter of the Unofficial Mayor.  As I swam into shore, I tagged her and off she splashed down the beach and back at top speed, her legs nothing more than a blur and sending me off with a head start for the last leg of swimming.  Her awesome performance propelled us to a noteworthy finish.

 

 

We began this New Year with our favorites: exercise, good food and good company while anchored in a lovely bay.  Likewise, we wish you a New Year filled with all that brings happiness and contentment to your lives. 
Feliz Ano Nuevo 2014!