In a reception prior to the Nebula Awards Banquet, Grand Master Anne was given a cake with a sugar photocopy of the cover of her first Pern novel.

Centerpieces for the Nebula Awards Banquet featured stuffed dragons nesting in fake flowers inside flower pots, in honor of Grand Master Anne McCaffrey's famous dragons After the banquet, the dragons were auctioned off to raise money for the SFWA medical fund. I won one and named her Loith in honor of multiple (and 2005) Nebula winner for best novel Lois McMaster Bujold. I got to sit next to Lois during the banquet.

Three time Nebula winner Lois McMaster Bujold accepts the 2005 Nebula Award for best novel for Paladin of Souls. The podium dragon looks very happy. On a society page note, Lois wore a stunning wire wrap necklace displaying all of the pins given to Hugo and Nebula nominees. This custom was started after I won my Nebula in 1989. Now that they are giving jewelry, I will have to write better books and try to win more awards.

Anne's younger son Todd salutes her on behalf of his grandfather the Colonel in a moving presentation of her Grand Master award in which Todd recognized all of those past friends and relatives who contributed to his mum's success. Todd is now writing his own novels in the Pern series. The first, a collaboration with Anne, was Dragon's Kin. The new solo novel is Dragon's Blood and it's very good.

Following the presentation, Todd and Anne's granddaughters Amellia (L of Todd), Eliza and Ceara Rose salute their grandmother with a "threadfall" of sticky string.

2005 Nebulas with Todd holding Grandmaster Mum's award for her while she holds the podium dragon. From L to R behind are other Nebulas and either the winners or those accepting on their behalf.

Same Lineup, except for the last lady who got cut in half, different pose.

Nebula Award winners being silly.

Prior to the Nebula weekend, Todd McCaffrey had a birthday party at Benni Hana's. Here he blows out the candles on the "Ace Double" cake made for him and Anne by Jody Lynn Nye (also a McCaffrey collaborator, wearing a red dress) while Rennaissance woman musician, songwriter, and science fiction story writer Janis Ian looks on. The cake said Happy Birthday Todd on one side and Grand Master Anne on the other side in tasteful turquoise, yellow and purple icing and was absolutely delicious.