High Tide, Summer 2024 Part 2

 Today is a sad day for me.  August 31st feels like a turning point in shore life.  My sister, Lee Ann, left this morning and she is just one of the seemingly constant flow of people leaving over the last several weeks and into this weekend.  The population here mimics the ebb and flow of the tides we witness every day.  In July the population rises until we reach maximum capacity during the Games weekend at the beginning of August.  And just like that, people start leaving until the end of the month.  There are a few late summer arrivals, but summer definitely has a rise, a crescendo and a decline.  Cycles.  Everything follows a pattern.  The summer days get longer and longer and suddenly they get shorter and shorter.  The summer weather gets warmer and warmer, until it turns and now the air has a bit of a nip in it.  We have a daily reminder of the cycle of this place when we look out at the water.  

It is either coming in... or going out!

I already shared what the rising of the tide/population feels like.  High tide or maximum population is what we like to refer to as the Vortex.  The Vortex is when your immediate family arrives, and you have multiple generations in your immediate family.  It is when the empty nest fills to capacity with your kids and their kids.  This is what we look forward to all year.  It is also when some of us old birds have to adjust to our lifestyle.  Likely, everyone in the Vortex adjusts their lifestyle to a certain extent.  Meals are served at a whole new level.  First, there are a lot more people to feed, secondly, there are all of those "must have" meals.  The "must haves" include lobster dinner, lamb, grilled meat-fest, pancake breakfasts, and cooking every bit of produce we can harvest out of the garden just to name a few.  Everyone arrives with their own set of expectations.  We all have our "issues" that we deal with whether it be with space, meals, privacy, habits, likes, dislikes, expectations vs. reality, or just adjusting to communal life. Somehow it all seems to work.  

My Vortex! 
Table for 14...my seat is next to the cutie in front!

Some of us who spend most of the summer here joke together as the Games near and our families begin to arrive that we will see them when we exit our Vortex.  There are only so many hours in a day and spending time with family is priority when they are here which many times excludes socializing with the rest of the population.  Social interactions are intentional and less lingering than in the low season.  All things in their time.  

Not coincidentally, the Games coincide with the Vortex.  As if there weren't enough to fill our days and nights, let's add 11 competitive events plus one rip roaring barn party to a 3-day weekend!  If I've said it once, I've said it maybe 30 times...life goes on hold during the games!  Who has time?  This year was the 50th anniversary of the Games!  50 summers of various games being played, one extended family against another extended family, and I use the term "extended family" loosely, because this weekend includes many others!  On our side, the Browns, I can count 4 generations who have participated in the Games.  Impressive!  What a tradition!  I was a teenager when the first Games were played.  Now I am a grandparent and while I participated this year, I also got to see my grandchildren participate.  I never would have believed this day would happen back in 1974!  It was probably the farthest thing from my mind at the time!  The cute guy playing softball was probably more in my thoughts at the time.  

Siblings!  
We were here for the first Games and here we all are again!

The Games were epic!  Just imagine surviving this schedule!  Friday morning 8 a.m. 72 people played golf in a shotgun start at the local golf course.  Later that day there were the card and board games: bridge, cribbage, hearts and Trivial Pursuit x 3.  Saturday began with a Junior softball game, regular softball game, Frisbee Golf, Three-Legged race, Ultimate Frisbee and Volleyball on the beach.  Sunday began with a water relay (Canoeing (x2), Kayak push (x2), swimming x2, SUP x 2, Bocce Ball for 13 teams and finally the 50th Anniversary Rely with consisted of a mix of old throwback games and one new twist.  The relay began with horseshoes x 2, darts x 2, and Ice Cream run (eat an ice cream, run a course and tag the next runner who does the same), Skeet-ish shooting (shoot a flying frisbee with a water hose) and finally a historic puzzle where you had to place the activity in the decade it happened in the history of the Games.  That evening we drag our tired and hungry bodies to the grand finale.  This year there was a 50th anniversary trivia game that was hilarious and memorable!  Then...we DANCE!  This year the band Big Fish played for hours and we danced the night away!  Always one of the best nights of my year!  I love to dance, and I love these people and this place.

The softball participants

Going over Ultimate rules and spectators

Going over the Water Rely rules

The concentration was intense!

The Victory was sweet!
For a moment!

The Games ended dramatically.  It was decided that the results of the Bocce game would not be shared because if the Christies won, then it would all be over...but if the Browns won the Games would be tied and the final event would be the deciding event.  The Browns won the final event, the 50th Anniversary Relay and so the photo depicts that sweet moment when everything was possible.  Then we found out the Christies had won the Bocce game and won the Games 6-5.  We were so close...and yet so far away.

A good time was had by all!

And then we danced!
All of us from young to old and all ages in between!

The tide was turning but there were still a lot of activities after the games!  There was the Mini Olympics, the Sandcastle Contest, the Walk-a-thon and the Super Mini Olympics.  Not to mention a margarita party, our annual cousin party and one very emotional and beautiful event that requires its own post.  As I write this down and look back at my pictures, no wonder the time flew so fast!  We really were busy.  To quote Spirit of the West, "I need home for a rest!".  But not just yet!

I share this for your enjoyment, and for my memories. Every year is much the same and still subtly unique.  So many memories are made here and sometimes they all blend together.  It is nice to have the defining moments documented.