Day 206, Year 2: Dinner with Good Friends
Date: Friday, November 16, 2007
Weather: Partly Sunny Day
Location: Bundaberg Port Marina, Australia

Yesterday while we were in Bundaberg sightseeing, Arnie of Jade came by Windbird and left a note inviting us to come into town for dinner tonight. Arnie and Cam are friends we first met in the Galapagos and they just arrived in town from New Caledonia this week. We didn’t think we would be able to go in to have dinner with them as there is no public transportation back out here at night and the $40 taxi fee is just too much. But to our surprise, Arnie has already bought a car and he came out to
get us and brought us back home. Arnie and Cam have two beautiful daughters, Mollie and Nancy, and it was great to see all of them again. Our last time together was at Reva’s back in Whangarei. Idunne and Runae, and their twin girls Hetta and Marita, joined us for dinner, as well as Jan and Christina of Christina. Arnie and Cam will spend the next few months in Bundaberg and the girls will attend school here. Blue Marlin and Christina are both leaving next week heading slowly to Sydney for Christmas
and New Year’s. Blue Marlin and Christina are probably heading to Indonesia next season, as are we, but Jade is going back to Vanuatu and New Caledonia for another season. We don’t see each other often so we cherish the times when our paths do cross.

The early part of the day was spent varnishing and then I went into town to the grocery store with Paul and Marie while Mark stayed on the boat and made flight reservations for Justin and Jo to join us in North Carolina for my sister’s fiftieth wedding anniversary. We were trying to use our Frequent Flyer miles for one ticket and paying for the second one. This complicated matters and that was the reason for the process taking so long. In the end, Mark was successful and we are so excited that
we will have our entire family with us for the celebration. Justin’s wife, Jo, and our grand baby Sam will get to meet my whole family all at one time. And what a special homecoming for us. Spending a few days with family is the perfect welcome home.

I think I have mentioned that our friends Paul and Marie on Ranger have their Island Packet up for sale. The first prospective buyer came to look today and he obviously loved what he saw. He made an offer and Paul and Marie accepted. Closing will take ten days, but if all goes well, Paul and Marie will be “homeless” by the time we return to the US. Tomorrow Bob and Dianna of White Swan and Paul and Marie are coming to Windbird for dinner. We are going to make plans for our Thanksgiving dinner
next week and celebrate the pending sale of Ranger. I can’t even imagine life after Windbird, so I’m glad that is still a few years in the future.