A Chilling Summer Vacation

The group was informed that this night would be the first of the two dress up nights.

Bonney and Linda wait for the others to finish dressing.	The whole group at the Province dining room table. Note the ocean view while they ate. Back: Bonney, Mary Ann, Sherry, and Steve. Front: Rudy and Linda.

In addition to a fabulous meal, a cake was brought to celebrate Rudy and Linda's 35th anniversary. Several waiters came to sing around our table.

Rudy and Linda during the singing ceremony.	Mary Ann.
Mary Ann and Rudy.	Steve and Sherry.
Rudy and Linda celebrate their 35th anniversary.	All from the Province dining room. Bonney, Rudy, Mary Ann, Linda, Sherry, and Steve.

Can Mary Ann sing?

This was the first time the maitre d' came to visit the table. He had folded a napkin to resemble a mouse and carried it draped over his arm as if it were a pet. While showing it to Mary Ann as he was stroking it's head, he made the "mouse" lunge, making Mary Ann jump with a startled, "Aahh!" Everyone had a good laugh.

Sherry, Bonney, Linda, and Mary Ann.	Bonney, Linda, Mary Ann, and Sherry.
The Valley Girls at the white baby grand.

Not only was the food delicious, it was artfully arranged! Rudy loves to take photos of food.

Mary Ann shows off her meal.	Dessert: pear tart.

After dinner Bonney, Rudy, and Linda spent some time in the hot tub while Mary Ann watched and read her book. Apparently Linda didn't realize it was "skinny dipping" night!

Bonney, Rudy, and Linda in the hot tub.

While cruising Glacier Bay, some in the group ( Steve and those with good eyesight or active imaginations) saw a bear and 2 cubs. There was allegedly a whale or two, also. The ship went very close to the point where the glacier met the bay and stopped so we could hear the glacier ice cracking like thunder and watch pieces falling into the water. "Calving" is the thunderous phenomenon that occurs when salt water melts the glacier's snout and huge pieces of ice crack off the face. It's like going to see the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls and realizing that photos can't possibly do it justice.

Glaciers are blue ice.

It was cool enough at night for them to leave their sliding glass doors open to get fresh air-conditioning into the rooms. That was great. No bugs!

It took a full day before everyone made a request to unlock the connecting doors of the balconies. Then they spent a lot of time visiting and watching the world go by. This led to possible privacy issues since the sliding glass doors were left open most of the time. The sliding doors could be closed and drapes pulled when changing clothes. At other times, Rudy started the habit of hollering from his connecting balcony doorway next door into Bonney and Mary Ann's. His phrase, "Bonney, are you decent?" Her response was always, "No, Rudy. Come on in." They never did come up with a response for if she was in the middle of a private moment.

In the morning, Linda, Rudy, Steve, Sherry, and Mary Ann's watched a young arctic artisan, Samuel, who made all the ice sculptures on the ship. They couldn't tell until the end that the demonstration would yield and Indian Chief. It was amazing to take a lump of ice and "chip" it into something recognizable.

Ice carving of American Indian.

Steve, Sherry, Jane, Linda, Bonney, Rudy, and Mary Ann at the back of the boat.	Bonney, Jane, Linda, and Rudy.

Glaciers are cool!		Margerie Glacier in Glacier Bay.

Steve and Sherry.	Sherry.	Rudy.

The girls spent one afternoon playing a card game, "Murder", and just visiting.

It's too cool outsite. Let's play cards!	We played Murder. Bonney, Mary Ann, Jane, Linda, Donna, and Sherry.
Jane and Donna play cards.	Visiting with Donna.

Some in the group tried the line dancing lessons with varying degrees of success. The main problem was that the ship was rocking just enough to keep the dancers off balance, thereby forcing them to lose some steps. Or at least that's what it was blamed on.

In the afternoon, Sherry, Linda, Rudy, and Bonney played bingo. Sherry won the last game, a blackout, and pocketed the $500 jackpot!

Rudy and Linda wait for dinner.	Rudy loves his Coke.
Bonney.	Rudy and Steve ordered two shrimp cocktails each, at every meal. Linda watches him eat.

Donna and Jane stopped by on their way to dinner in the Bordeaux dining room.

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