Christmas At Sea

[Charles Brennan]

Wow!    How did Christmas Eve get here so fast? 
Almost missed a TSBB tradition!! 

Christmas at Sea - R. L. Stevenson

The sheets were frozen hard, and they cut the naked hand;
The decks were like a slide, where a seaman scarce could stand;
The wind was a nor'wester, blowing squally off the sea;
And cliffs and spouting breakers were the only things a-lee.

They heard the surf a-roaring before the break of day;
But 'twas only with the peep of light we saw how ill we lay.
We tumbled every hand on deck instanter, with a shout,
And we gave her the maintops'l, and stood by to go about.

All day we tacked and tacked between the South Head and the North;
All day we hauled the frozen sheets, and got no further forth;
All day as cold as charity, in bitter pain and dread,
For very life and nature we tacked from head to head.

We gave the South a wider berth, for there the tide-race roared;
But every tack we made we brought the North Head close aboard:
So's we saw the cliffs and houses, and the breakers running high,
And the coastguard in his garden, with his glass against his eye.

The frost was on the village roofs as white as ocean foam;
The good red fires were burning bright in every 'long-shore home;
The windows sparkled clear, and the chimneys volleyed out;
And I vow we sniffed the victuals as the vessel went about.

The bells upon the church were rung with a mighty jovial cheer;
For it's just that I should tell you how (of all days in the year)
This day of our adversity was blessed Christmas morn,
And the house above the coastguard's was the house where I was born.

O well I saw the pleasant room, the pleasant faces there,
My mother's silver spectacles, my father's silver hair;
And well I saw the firelight, like a flight of homely elves,
Go dancing round the china-plates that stand upon the shelves.

And well I knew the talk they had, the talk that was of me,
Of the shadow on the household and the son that went to sea;
And O the wicked fool I seemed, in every kind of way,
To be here and hauling frozen ropes on blessed Christmas Day.

They lit the high sea-light, and the dark began to fall.
"All hands to loose topgallant sails," I heard the captain call.
"By the Lord, she'll never stand it," our first mate Jackson, cried.
..."It's the one way or the other, Mr. Jackson," he replied.

She staggered to her bearings, but the sails were new and good,
And the ship smelt up to windward just as though she understood.
As the winter's day was ending, in the entry of the night,
We cleared the weary headland, and passed below the light.

And they heaved a mighty breath, every soul on board but me,
As they saw her nose again pointing handsome out to sea;
But all that I could think of, in the darkness and the cold,
Was just that I was leaving home and my folks were growing old.

Merry Christmas, everybody,
Charles Brennan

[Riley Smith]

Merry Christmas CB. We're shaking things up this year and having STEAK but it's good that RLS tradition doesn't die. I always look forward to it.

[Spot]

Ayup.
Season's Greetings to All Here!

[Wolverine]

We too will be grilling a couple filets mignots for Christmas dinner. Tonight we just dine from a charcuterie tray.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE,

[Jim B., CD-25]

Merry Christmas, Charles, and thank you for that "Christmas tradition."  Wishing all the TSBB folks Happy Holidays!

No travel for us or our daughter and son-in-law this Christmas, since we now live next door to each other.  Well, we will be going to their house for Christmas dinner: Joan bought a prime rib, Steph is preparing it.  Family games last night and today.  And all the kitties get to play together (their 3 and our Murphy), while the Guide Dog for the Blind puppy that they are raising watches with interest.

Traditions change as the years pass.  My favorite Christmas image was more appropriate when we lived in the Tropical Tip...

[Doug SC]

Hoping everyone will keep their boat's hulls wet between now and next Christmas and today is spent with those you love.

[Captain Kidd]

Merry Christmas to all. 73 degrees here this week. Would like to sail but daughter visiting with grands and brought the flu with her. Ugh! Gonna get cold again soon. But still enjoying our time. Got a couple sailing related gifts (yay).

[Frank B.]

Merry Christmas to all!! Christmas will actually be celebrated today, 12/26 at our house.  One grand daughter tested positive for the flu last weekend, and so they delayed one day to give her at least 48 hours fever free recovery, hopefully no longer contagious.  For the last six years we are fifty fifty on at least one person having to go to the doctor, or in several cases, the emergency room over the holidays.  Trying to break that streak.

[Noemi - Ensenada 20]

Happy Holidays, all!  I hope these days are filled with love, and this year brings you only happiness.

Noemi