A Gold Medal Visit Sept 5-7

We had been coordinating a rendezvous since our departure with neither one of us completely sure we could make it happen.  Pat was my dragonboat coach in 2010 when we came back victors in numerous categories and I have the 9 medals (7 gold I believe) to prove it still hanging.  Oh, and she and I look the same … to the point that we would even confuse ourselves for the other in photos!  We haven’t seen each other since!

We left Fundy in the morning with Hurricane Dorian battering Charleston, our home.  So far we’d been so fortunate – lots of rain and wind but no flooding!  The big moment would be at the day’s high tide yet to come.  Feeling encouraged but tentative, we got on the road to St. John and the city market there. 

The drive was beautiful.  Driving through the balance of Fundy National Park, we got to the easy drive on the highway and straight into St. John and a visit to the City Market.  We wandered and had lunch and got back on the road planning to arrive in St. Andrews for a dragonboat practice Pat was coaching that afternoon.   

That’s when news arrived . . . WE DIDN’T FLOOD!   Really - MIRACULOUS!!!  With a significant flood history at our property and a storm perfect for a repeat performance, we were pretty distressed about what we were in for.  Giddy with gratitude and relief, we arrived in beautiful St. Andrews and parked at the nearby Algonquin Hotel to walk to Katy’s Cove.   

Pat and friend and fellow paddler, Sherrie, arrived not long after and the “sistas from other mistas” were reunited!  We met some of the paddlers from the newly formed club, a lively and enthusiastic group.  As the boat sitting on dry ground, practice was canceled due to the low water and we headed up to Pat’s place “on the mountain”. 

WOW!  What an amazing property!  An artist and a hearty athlete, Pat’s house was perfect for her persona - strong and beautiful.  The view was unlike any I’ve ever seen, high on a hill over a wide stretch of water.  We spent the evening over food and wine catching up on near 10 years of history and getting to know Sherrie who we knew was an instant friend.

We set the alarm for before sunrise and bundled up to watch the show.  Still thankful for our fortune at home, we welcomed the day as nature showed its glorious and gentle side with a spectacular sunrise.  We eased into the day with coffee and morning chores before heading over to Ministers Island for a hike.

Using a large sandbar only accessible around low tide, Ministers Island was the summer home of the “force behind the Canadian Pacific Railway”, Sir William Van Horne.  Pat dropped Sherrie in town and then dropped us to wander this large island with all of the stately amenities due royalty.  We took every minute we had to wander before needing to be back across the sandbar.

That evening the dragonboat team had a wildlife watching cruise fundraiser we were excited to be a part of.   With a little time before we needed to go, Pat took Sherrie and I for a walk up the mountain on a magical seldom-used trail with thick mosses covering the forest floor.  Back from our excursion, we headed for the fun night ahead.

The newly formed St. Andrews Dragonboat Club was a fun and diverse group of people.  42 of us climbed aboard and off we went with high expectations and a fully stocked bar!  The St. Andrews area of New Brunswick is so beautiful and being on the water was a special treat.  We had fun getting to know some new faces, enjoying homemade appetizers and local music and even sighting a few whales along the way! 

If all of that wasn’t enough, the price of admission included a wonderful BBQ dinner made by members of the team.  Held in the local yacht club’s tiny waterfront headquarters, we enjoyed the cozy setting and ate (and drank?!) too much before calling it a night and heading back up the mountain.

The next morning dawned dark and stormy with Hurricane Dorian finding its way all the way up the coast to pay us a visit!  We huddled inside near a crackling fire watching the building storm over the cove.  Trading pictures and recipes as well as my homemade granola for Pat’s  
homemade banana bread, it was time to say goodbye.

With our previous relationship being coach and team member, our visit together had transformed us into friends - and we had Sherrie to add to the list too!  Hoping our paths wouldn’t take another ten years to cross, we waved goodbye as we headed down the mountain to the adventure ahead.