Time for neighbors to get together

Yesterday was the hottest day we have seen on the Crystal Coast.  I worked our company's booth at the Swansboro Art's Festival.

We also went to a barbecue lunch that was staged as a fund raising event by some neighbors to help a cancer victim.

After that we went home with a few pounds of delicious eastern NC style barbecue we purchased right off the grill.

We put on Glenda's famous vegetarian baked beans and tried to relax a little before our scheduled neighborhood afternoon get- together for the official kick off of summer.

Some thunderstorms rolled through the area and and the scheduled golf cart parade seemed to disappear but around 4:15 people started gathering at the clubhouse for hot dogs and hamburgers.

As usual in these gathering there was an over abundance of delicious food.  The ladies had planned the event so that we wouldn't end up with duplicates so it really worked out well.

When our neighborhood was new in Roanoke, we would do something like this  two or three  times a year, but finding a spot was always a challenge.  It usually ended up in our cul-de-sac, but that really wasn't a great location since there was no shade and everything had to be hauled there.

We are a lucky to have a clubhouse and a pool in Bluewater Cove to serve as a focal point.  Having an event like the one we had yesterday isn't as much of an organizational challenge since the clubhouse is ready and waiting for some action.

When we left at around 6:30, there were still some folks hanging around and talking.  We did have one funny thing happen.  Towards the end of the event people realized that a couple in a black Lexus SUV had crashed our party.

They had ignored the "Private Community" signs at the entrance to the subdivision.  They saw a poster about the picnic and decided to crash the party.  The neighborhood is so full of new people that no one figured it out until they left.

Well we had plenty of food and no harm was done, I guess our hospitality was irresistible.

After the event we decided to brave the summer crowds for a dip in the ocean.

I was still warm from working the morning show.  It took a wave between the shoulder blades to cool me off.