Another Labor Day weekend has come and gone on the Island. The week saw a gathering of Islanders that is, as usual, a full house in most cottages.

Niki Patterson reports that Sarah Van Hoogenstym and her boyfriend Alex Ramos were in Maine for a week, visiting from Philadelphia. The group came to the Island with Sarah’s mom, Niki, on Wednesday and Thursday, August 21 and 22. It was a short say but the weather was beautiful and so the group took numerous Island walks and the young people kept up with their running. Alex even convinced Sarah to jump in and swim off main dock a few times. Sarah is currently in training for the November 30, 2013 Philadelphia Marathon.

Sarah and Andrew were also at the Island the second week of July, but had rainy and foggy weather that trip. Of course, it didn’t interfere with their running. Andrew won a NH 5k race in July during the heat wave, and he plans to run the Maine Half Marathon in October as a training exercise for the Philadelphia event. He also ran the Cape Elizabeth Beach2Beacon 10k on August 3 and although he had been injured for numerous weeks previously, he finished 50th out of over 6200 finishers. This race is always a “reunion” for many Maine runners who ran against each other during high school and college, as well as road races in more recent years.

Sarah is starting the second year of her MSW and Temple University and will be doing a 3-day-a-week internship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia beginning in September. Alex is starting the third year of his doctorate degree at Penn and spent July in Israel at an archeological dig.

Niki and Neil have spent as much time as possible on the Island this summer, although Neil had shoulder surgery in early August and hand surgery in late July. The Island has been a great place to rest, relax and recuperate.

On the West Shore, the Stu Parsons family enjoyed the week before labor day with the beautiful weather and visits with the Nivens and Morrells. Stu and Kathy were up from Cape Cod. Oldest son, David, flew in from Hawaii where he works on renewable energy projects for the state Public Utilities Commission. Second son, Geoff came from NYC where he conducts market research analysis for Sachs Insights. Twins Tim and Susie canoed over Sunday evening; Tim coming up from the Cape where he works as a Natural Resources Officer for the town of Yarmouth and Susie down from Burlington, VT where she’s just completed her degree at UVM in Environmental Studies. A final note on birding. The Parsons reported that their list of species spotted over the week is 68!

On Point Pleasant, the Reeces report that last weekend, Susan and Chuck Soucy, Ellen Reece’s parents, joined the Reeces along with Ellen, Cam and Owen. For the Labor Day weekend, Hugh’s wife, Erica, welcomed Erica’s parents, Peggy Burns and Richard Tubman of Concord, MA and Erica’s brother, Max Tubman and friend, Chloe Grigri of Philadelphia. They all had gathered with Erica and Hugh at the Mackenzie/Loughridge cottage. Max brought along the “Hectacopter” drone he had make. This is a remote controlled mini copter with six rotors and six motors to which he affixes a video camera. It was exciting to watch this drone in action above the Farmhouse and to watch as it took an aerial video of the participants at the farmhouse picnic. Everyone was mesmerized.

Edna Stoddard tells that she welcomed her daughter, Linda and husband Tony Harper and their son, Mark, and “granddog,” Brie from the U.K. After a week of R&R they will take up residence in Maryland after several years living in England. The Stoddard cottage really filled up when David and Deb joined the group on Sunday.

The annual farmhouse Labor Day picnic, so enjoyed by all of us over the years, was held in beautiful weather and was attended by 103 guests, which we believe is a record. As always, the Morrells were gracious hosts and hostesses and everyone, especially the many children, enjoyed themselves thoroughly.

In addition to the usual members of the McClennan/Phillips family, the past weeks members included Stephen Phillips and Amanda Phillips and husband Dimitri Kastritsis in residence. Amanda and Dimitri will leave the Island to take up new lodgings in Washington, DC where Dimitri will begin work as a Visiting Fellow at Dumbarton Oaks. They are both looking forward to this new opportunity. It is always nice to have those family members with us who do not get to the Island as often as we would like.

The Sunday Evening Service, our final for the season, was conducted by a number of members of the Ladies Improvement Society. The idea came from Brenda Bowen who thought it would be interesting and even moving to bring back some history of what the Ladies have accomplished over the years on the Island, by delving into the minutes of the Society. Judy Miller then suggested that current members of the group who would be here might each participate by reading portions of these minutes. The theme emphasized the role of the Society as a “social, spiritual, historical, journalistic, eleemosynary and literary people’s action group.” Brenda as presider, showed us how much the ladies, past and present, contribute and have contributed to the fabric of the Island.

Some 11 ladies of the Society, seated on stools flanking Brenda, each read portions of the minutes which Brenda wove into a fascinating story of accomplishment. There service was interspersed with hymns the lyrics of which were all either written or translated by women, and the service was introduced by Michael Smith playing Fantasia on Ave Maris Stella (Hail Star of the Sea) by Jehan Titelouze, a 16th century French composer. The piece sounded beautiful on our ancient and honorable organ. The Service closed with an evening prayer from the Episcopal Compline Service and the closing hymn, Now the Day is Over. It was a wonderful evening and end to our summer services.

News from the Island for the next two weeks will be gathered and reported by Sue Woolson, so all are requested to get their notes and information to her.