I'm back - Port Dover, Canada Day, Boat Parade

 All 20 radiation appointments are now complete and fatigue took over after about day 7. My weekday mornings were spent driving 3 hours (there and back) for a 15 minute appointment and my afternoons were spent napping.  Weekends were recovery time with some energy in the morning and not much in the afternoon.Not much got done but Nic and Rick (after he recovered from 3 weeks of pneumonia) helped out with garden maintenance and driving me in, along with other friends. The napping helped me still be able to sail 2 evenings a week. I am glad it is behind me and hope to gradually recover my energy level.

This was my first Canada Day in Port Dover as the first one was my moving day and the second one didn't really happen due to Covid. So Rick and I parked at the marina and

 walked through the commercial harbour, past the fishing tugs getting ready,

to sit on that side

across from the crowds on the pier side.

The lift bridge opened up and

we were treated to a stream of red and white decorated boats. The first with a huge flag and playing Oh Canada.

My favorites are the metal tugs, many of them built locally.

Turns out that it is a tradition to do a donut on the way out, right in front of the pier, and all the cheering crowds. At first I thought it was just the tugs showing off but everyone, big or small, power or sail, did it. Along with a horn if they had one.

They would do their donut, blow their horn and then head out into the lake, to mill around until all had made their way out past the lighthouse.

Not to be outdone, a Canada Day, Canada Goose, Parade.

All kinds

of

boats.

Big

and small.

There was no organization, or registration

you just showed up with your decorated boat and joined the parade.

Everyone on the boats seemed

to be having a good time.

At least one in the audience found it to be a bit of a bore

but personally, it doesn't get much better than sitting in a folding chair, feet on a rock, on a comfortably warm summer day, watching boats go by.

As we walked over the lift bridge, on our way to the dog show (another post), we saw them all coming back into the river.