Christmas Day rehearsals

Christmas Day for the Titasey family has been the same for many years.  We open presents, if I have remembered to buy them, then pack up the boat.  We find a beach and plonk our stuff under a shady tree and spend most of the day in the water, cooling off or in the shade, eating, drinking and making lazy merry.
     We've mostly spent Christmas Day on Goods Island with the Marrington family, but last year, owing to increased urbanisation on Goods (there are four shacks now) we were pushed further afield (should that be asea?) and we discovered the beauty of Friday Island.

Wherever we are, we do lots of this.

Lots of this.

And lots of this.

We take a group photo.

And a family photo with our white son.

     In 1997, our family, though much smaller and pre-Marringtons, was on Tuesday Island, but that involved camping.  The logistics of transporting 6 people and our guests, that is, anyone left on TI who is missing family and want to join us, is too complicated.  So we need a beach close by.  In 2009 we stayed on TI, but we went to Front Beach and sat under the meke trees or swam in the full tide. That was a bit too close.  The rule now is the beach must be on a different island.
     The Marringtons left TI in April so Christmas Day won't be the same even though we will be spending it on a beach.  We've been rehearsing for Christmas Day by trying to find a beach that feels 'just right.'

This is the beach before Terry Beach. So, so.

This is Long Beach.  Very nice.

Entrance Island.  Quite nice.

Goods Island.  We really like Goods, but we need to find a different beach.

     We don't know where we'll end up this year, but it will be a beach.
     And next year, who knows?  We might be on the mainland, in a city!  Hell, we might be in the country or somewhere inland, by a river or a creek.  Nah.  That wouldn't be right.  We'll have to spend Christmas Day on a beach somewhere.  Now, back to the big question, which beach this year?