Happy New Year 2011

Another year has come and gone, but we had a great night to say good bye to 2010 and celebrate the arrival of 2011. It started last evening with a fun and interesting cocktail party with some of the sailing club members at the gorgeous beach house rented by our new friends Syd, Helen, Doug and Sue. The views are spectacular from this round house named Wynne Rae, and you can see it on this link by clicking here.

At midnight there were fireworks over the harbor, but it took some time to get them all shot off due to technical difficulties. They were still quite impressive, especially the ones that spray out from the shore. It was like having a grand finale for 10 minutes at a time, with intermissions in between.

Following the fireworks there was supposed to be a Junkanoo parade through the settlement and there were even festive route signs throughout the streets. I was just too tired to go over to join the crowds and lively music, but Dave wanted to be a part of the scene, as did our 81 year old cruising friend Diane. The two of them went to shore to walk and dance with the ornately costumed musicians and drummers. Hundreds of people waited, and waited, and waited, but no one showed up!

By the time Dave got back to the boat I was fast asleep with my earplugs in for noise. What a surprise to hear about the Junkanoo this morning, and as we were talking about it and wondering what happened, a famous book came to mind...'How The Grinch Stole Christmas.' We had a great laugh saying if Dr. Suess called them the Who's in Who-ville, that makes them the Ho's in Hope Town! Immediately Dave put his overactive brain to work and came up with this great poem, which was read on our informative Cruisers Net this morning:

The Grinch Steals Junkanoo

The Whos down in Whoville
Had this happen to them
The Grinch stole their Christmas
like it hadn’t of been.

Now the Ho’s down in Hope Town
Were in the same plight
No one knows how it happened
Was it the day or the night?

They’d come near and far
To our magical land
To celebrate New Year’s
With their toes in the sand.

Our Junkanoo parade
It just wasn’t to be
Yet the Ho’s were all ready
And dressed to a ‘T’.

I saw the last ferry
Leave the post office dock
Inside was the Grinch
It was past one o’clock.

New Year’s Eve came and went
The weather was great
For the Ho’s down in Hope Town
Junkanoo would just wait.


Wishing everyone a very happy, healthy, and prosperous new year!