We've coined a new phrase here on the good ship Madcap! I'll tell you the story of how it came to be.

One day last winter, as I was doing my usual breathless run from the cloakroom to the hairstylist's chair at the York Street Spa, I heard a voice say, "Beth??" The voice (and good memory) belonged to Susan Pringle, from Halifax, who was in town visiting her daughter. Susan's husband, Al, and Jim were colleagues back in our Halifax days, and although the two men met from time to time during the course of their work at Department of Justice, I hadn't laid eyes on either of them in over 15 years.

Susan and I chatted back and forth as we got our respective heads shampooed, cut and styled, and by the time we parted that day with each other's phone numbers and email addresses in our pockets, we carried hopes to connect again in Cape Breton where they have a summer home.

And so it was that yesterday we met up with them in the Bras d'Or Lakes. We anchored near Marble Mountain, they drove over, and despite a mix-up in pick-up points that gave Al a little extra rowing exercise, we made a successful rendezvous. Al and Sue, along with their daughter Jennifer and her husband Arthur came aboard for a fabulous sail across West Bay. It was a glorious day with the sun shining brightly, fluffy clouds in the blue sky, a 10-15 knot wind that was NOT sur le nez. We fell all over ourselves catching up on each other's news, finding Pringle family landmarks, talking about this whole sailing adventure of ours, hearing about their life as part Halifax/part Cape Breton residents with their own exploration plans, learning what Jennifer and Arthur are up to ...and trying to navigate somewhat accurately at the same time!

We eventually anchored behind Pringle Island - a sweet little anchorage - dinghied ashore where Al's brother picked us up and delivered us to the Pringle summer home perched high on the mountain. Oh, what a view!! Oh, what a lovely home! It was the perfect combination of serenity and sparkle, of colour and texture and light. More conversation flew back and forth over a delicious lunch, and by the time we headed back to the boat we felt really connected again.

The wind was still good and the weather was fine as we cruised by the Crammond Islands and then flew along under our main and yankee sails to Cape George where we anchored for the night.

What I find so wondrous about this whole thing is that old synchronicity at work. The chance meeting in Ottawa, the hours full of laughter and sunshine and conversation, topped off by a magnificent sailing day with excellent winds. This was the kind of time that stands out in memory, and that we treasure always.

It was a pringle kind of a day!