July 25th, the Apex of Summer on Peaks

The last Saturday of each July is the height of the Peaks Island Summer season. An utter explosion of events all over the Island all day long and into the night.

The Peaks to Portland Swim kicks off the day at 8:30am. Over 125 brave, hearty souls dive into the water at Peaks and hopefully emerge in Portland some 3 miles away anywhere from 55 minutes to three hours. Of course, each swimmer has a friend in a kayak paddling near by for the sake of safety. Of course that makes for one crowded boat coming into Peaks loaded to the gills with swimmers, friends and kayaks; a fine example of the Hong Kong Express. Then at 10:30am over 300 runners take off for a 5k race around the Island. Another boat load of humanity descending on Peaks. The Peaks Island petting zoo is definitely open for business today.

Filling in around all of this is Brad's bike shop doing its usual brisk business on a Saturday morning, one of many bake sales at the Library, the usual hordes descending on the Library for their DVD Saturday evening selection, an Art Walk, a walking tour of certain upscale Island houses and tonight a full blown Summer dance at the TEIA Club and the normal full boatload of cars depositing this week's new renters.

In the midst of all this, I found out my gas can was empty and the lawn looking like an alpine meadow awaiting a flock of hungry goats. Throwing the gas can into our grocery cart I wandered down to the Library and dropped off an article for the monthly newsletter and proceeded to stand in line for gas at Plante's between two SUV's; sure wish I had a picture of that but I don't. Wandering home between the runners, bake sales and Brad's bikes I simply kept humming the old Joanie Mitchell tune "you don't know what you got until it's gone, they paved paradise and put up a parking lot" Is it September yet????