Better sit down and hold on because there is so much news my fingers are on fire.

Deb and Alan Polackwich arrived with Jessica and Doug Erickson and kiddos, Adam and Anna, from Richmond, Va. Fresh from three weeks in London, they toured Iceland for three days en route home. Alan has officially retired from his county attorney position.   

Now, Deb and Alan’s son, Scott, and wife, Rebecca, and daughter, Rowen (1), and Rebecca’s nephew are here from Oregon for 10 days. This is baby Rowen’s first visit to the Isle.

Jim’s daughter, Elisse, from Naples Fla., will have a quick sit down in whatever bed is available.

Even with all the action, the Morrells are having a devil of a time trying to take their annual family picture.

Anne Morehouse and Mary Hulbert arrived with Emma, her friend, Julie and dog, Hannah. They are looking forward to having their long-time friends come and stay across the path at the Mackenzie-Loughridge Cottage.

Glen and Cindy McCandless had a surprise visit from their friend from home who stopped by while traveling from Portland with his son. Walter Sherrill is a pilot for a Charlotte-based company and son, David, and Luke McCandless (both 16) have been best buds forever. Morgan and her friend, Cal Hardee, will be making an appearance soon.

Nan Bogart introduced me to Rick Koziel. He is here from Scituate, Mass. with wife, Patti, and kids, Ani-Kate and Zachary. They have been renting in various cottages for many years.

Kate and Cormac Seely and dog, Ali, drove from Minneapolis for a week to join sister, Emily, and husband, John Thomas, from Apex, N.C.

The noise of saw and nail gun emanating from the Germain Cottage over the past week is due to a major construction project. They apologize for disrupting the peace of their West Shore neighbors. They are looking forward to putting away the tools and welcoming John and Betsey Harris from Dublin, N.H., for a surprise visit on Tuesday. It seems they are renting Rachel Carson’s house in Southport.

Betsy Welty wrote to say she has a watercolor of the IOS pier shed and dock on display in a Gallery in Denver. Note cards with that picture are for sale in the NeKrangan II, with the proceeds to go to the LIS.

Rachel Welty surprised us all when she finished her first half marathon, the Triple Threat in Massachusetts, coming in fifth in her age division.

The Annual Meeting opened with a bang and a veritable flush. The hot topic of the evening was: Should we have a latrine in the Casino? What kind? Compost? Traditional flush? It took a record hour and 35 minutes to say yes, and vote on the style.

On Sunday morn the gods blessed us with a beautiful day for the Annual Mixed-Up Tennis Tournament. Oddly, there were more people watching from the benches and lawns than were in the tournament.

Maddie Loughridge and Asa Welty ably pulled double duty, playing and running the day in Elizabeth Pierce’s absence. It was wonderful to see the playground full of youngsters, Peter and Carol Burvill pulling catering duty, supplying cold watermelon to all, a gymnastic display to equal Cirque du Soleil by Alexa Stevens, while a contemporary/lyrical dance concert was being performed by Gaby Pierce and Anna Miller, with Lija supplying the music with her iPad.

After a sweaty final round, Claudia Stevens Bogart and Ian Welty prevailed over Asa Welty and Duncan Reece. Congrats to the 2013 Champs!

Sturgis/Schwenk cousins visited from Bellevue, Wash. and stayed in the Swift-Kelley Cottage from June 28-August 2. Mom, Linda Schwenk Myhrvold, and daughters, Daphne (14), Francesca (13) and Geneva (12) enjoyed walking the island and an overnight to Islesboro.

At 4 p.m. on a blustery and rainy Sunday afternoon, many of us gathered at the Casino to celebrate the life of Alice Carter Sturgis Grady who passed away on July 4, 2013. Family friend, Loretta Weeks of Beverly, Mass. played the piano for the service and Rob Ayer led the prayers. Her son, J. Grady of Washington and daughter, Carrol Grady Johnson of Knightdale, N.C. and members of the Sturgis Corner Cottage welcomed all islanders. Sarah Coulter Magruder, daughter, Anna Sturgis Stancil, and granddaughter, Riley Stancil (5), made the trip from N.C.

Susan Bean celebrated Alice’s fortes: shopping and pets. Peggy Ayer spoke of Alice’s love of genealogy, and when, at 6 years old, she had surgery to repair the bones in her shoulder, which was probably the reason she decided to become a nurse. The rafters shook with the glorious voices that were raised in her favorite songs.

In a sweet turn of events, Will Mackenzie shared the piano duties for the Sunday Service honoring Sue Bogart with Anna Miller. She played the entrance music quite deftly, and was given a round of applause for her performance. The evening was an amalgam of most of the services Sue had led in her time on the island. The theme of the evening was the poems that were Sue’s favorites. Some memories of Sue were shared by Matt, Rob Ayer, Judy Miller and Will Mackenzie. As earlier in the day, many voices were raised in song of Sue’s favorite pieces. She had quite an impact on so many of us islanders.

Remember the Penny Party is Saturday, August 10 at 7 p.m. Please get your goodies to the Casino in the early afternoon, and be sure to come early to get a good seat and buy and cut your tickets.

At 10:30 a.m. on Saturday is the Children’s Work Party to walk the rocks and help clean up our special island. Bribes will be offered!

Please get your news to the next columnist.