The Luau. What can I say? It was alot of hard work and it paid off...our biggest crowd yet - around 1500 total and around 400 campers...pretty out of hand. Most importantly, it did not rain. The charities made money and all was good. Next year we will have quiet time much earlier and perhaps some water so hundreds of people don't get carted off to the H. We had, for a first, not one but TWO people carted off to H to get bandaged up for some form of laceration to the head and another for falling off the mechanical bull(?!) and breaking her arm (sorry, it was supposed to be a damn surf board). Bull=Luau??? Anyway, BOTH were GIRLS, BOTH got patched up and BOTH RETURNED that very night. Girls are badasses. I like them. 
 
Some successful runs in Raleigh, a nice surprise to see so many people out. thanks! and another good run at the pit in nags head. Though we drove down the same road in Rochester that the original wedgy war took place, no wedgies were waged. More good shows up in NY - four days including more generous crowds in Rochester, Buffalo and NYC...an interesting hilite being LONG ISLAND. Beautiful day at the Maritime Museum, where the charity event was to raise money for an old oyster sloop call Priscilla. Pretty cool restoration effort. neat museum. go if you're up there. Anyway, nice day until we're finished setting up and back in town getting food when the blackest clouds rolll in and wind whipped (yes, it whipped.). We hoped in the van like a bunch of Storm Chaser geeks and headed back to the museum where our gear was sitting stupid on an outdoor stage facing the ocean and the wind that was whipping. The clouds were as black as night and I wanted them so bad I could taste them.... 
 
Anyway, we got there in the nick of time. Nick was putting tarps over the gear and all was good. It rained and stormed; we scrambled like hearty deckhands and felt cool because men feel cool when they have to work in storms. The lightning started coming and the good crowd that braved the now-receding raindrops was corraled into the museum by a rather official-looking guy with one of those whistles that only dogs and deck swabbin' Navy ladds can hear...I forget the name of it...a bosunt? a guuntsle? a dog whistle? Anyway, he had a white beard and was blowing a whistle so no one argued with him and dutifully went inside. We stayed outside and gaurded the gear. That's what men do. 
 
But then we ate in the library. Cool old room surrounded by books about the sea and tropheys from sailing victories. Big ship's wheel too. The museum used to be an estate owned by the family that owned Singer sewing machines. They donated the land and it became a Maritime Museum in the '60s. We ate Greek food and it was very good. I was getting a strong desire to start mending some olde fishing nets. 
 
We were clearing the stage because the rain stopped. Soon as we did, it rained more. People were drinking under the gazebo, so they didn't seem to mind. We finally made the decision to move the party inside a Marina bay/hanger where there were about 10-12 old sailboats on display, making it the coolest CL setting to date. People shuffled in, all of us like wet rabbits from Watership Down. We went bare bones acoustic with a vocal PA and had a great little show to an appreciative crowd. (There should be some silly video forthcoming). A good time was had by all. At one point, they offered us empty beer cans...it's just the way it's done on The Island...has been for generations. 
 
The show was over and we emerged to a beautiful, breezy-starry night outside..oh well, it was too late...The night was already ours, because hell hath no fury like a Leaf soaked. 
 
By: Barry