Thanksgiving Day 2011 started out with a great sunrise over La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. The crew was remembering back to our Thanksgivings here in 2008 and 2009 with fondness and reviewing our strategy for the 1500hrs Cruiser's Turkey feed put on by Club Cruceros. We reviewed the basics from plate management to allow for plenty of turkey to fit on the plate to desert selection. The kids were well trained, our bowl of mashed potatoes was ready and off we went to take our turn at the turkey trough.
Then disaster hit. We were given a ride by Bill on SV Wandering Puffin and in the turkey anticipation fog of war, we delayed too long in staking out a seat in the shade and ended up sitting at a table in the sun. Within two minutes we all were in agreement on what needed to be done. We would either find a seat in the shade or we would abandon our hopes of turkey and head for a taco cart! Moments before the "eject" button was pushed, we spotted some seats on a raised planter in the shade and quickly made our move, we were now staying for turkey.
Our friend Vickie form SV Southern Cross snapped this family photo of us before we had our shirts stained with turkey and gravy but we weren't in the gravy yet, we first had to survive the turkey line!
Anytime you try to feed 275 hungry cruisers there is a little commotion and perhaps a little chaos, but when the line started forming through the tables and chairs that were already placed way too close together, the mess started! As the line snaked its way through the cruisers already eating, the temperature seems to rise 20 degrees and the though of tacos started to rise to the surface. The nice bottle of 2003 Sarah made the wait bearable, and we finally made our way to the turkey trough and stuffed ourselves.
Jason was the king. He passed the tables full of greens and side dishes and arrived at the mashed potato and turkey table with an empty plate that was loaded with piles of turkey and smothered in "bucket gravy". We call it bucket gravy because a few days earlier on the morning net, the club was looking for volunteers to make the gravy. When someone came back asking if it was "hard and a lot of work" they were told how easy it was to "just dump the gravy powder in a big bucket and stir in the hot water". We laughed and laughed, but I have to tell you something, I put the bucket gravy on my turkey and it was great. I just hope the cruiser that made it didn't use his 5 gallon deck rinse bucket!
We had some good friends over for Movie night and then collapsed after a great day.
We awoke this morning to rain so all the folks here from Seattle are feeling right at home!