Every 4th of July for over 40 years my family has gathered together on this remote beach on a barrier island of North Carolina for a week of relaxation and fun. My family was one of the first on the Island over 60 years ago and it’s now mostly developed. Some of our clan have houses there and most of us rent the same ones annually so it’s become kind of a tradition.

Needless to say it’s a week to look forward to in a special place with people who have shared a lot of memory making there. This year we kept with one of our common themes “Family, friends, and 8 x10’s” and Ty was there for all the festivities.

Here’s our matriarch “Great Granny Bland” pictured on the far right and whom is responsible for this branch of our family tree. My how she would be amazed at how it has grown and the annual reunion tradition has been honored.

Here’s a photo from on of the early reunions in the 50’s when everyone would stay together in what was affectionately refered to as “The Shack”. One room, no AC, no running water, and a block of ice brought over by boat from the mainland to keep the food in the icebox cool. The baby boomers seen here have kept the reunion alive and now many of them have grandchildren in similar photos together.

Here is a shot from this year and you can see Ty on the left fitting right in. Ty loves the beach and was right at home cutting up and promoting fun with the kids. Our group is well practiced in the art of lounging with cold beverages and boiled peanuts while watching the next generation frolic tirelessly in the sandy ocean.

Ty was having a ball.

Ty and I have been playing Frisbee, skateboarding and surfing together since high school so these activities played a big part of the week. The waves were great during the week and these sweet custom surfboards my cousin makes came in handy.

We gather together on Independence Day and parade along the road and up to the deck singing patriotic songs to celebrate those who have served to bring us our freedom. This is followed by the energetic fireworks show and lots of southern down home cooking.

All of the week’s activities build up to our annual talent show and this year was met with much anticipation. Individuals or groups somehow manage to pull it together and come up with some pretty entertaining numbers. Here is Ty leading us in a Devo bit as team Tyvex which seemed to bring the energy level up . Later Ty and I performed an original song we wrote during the week entitled “Bad Idea’s”. It’s a funny song that showcased some of the lore from reunion’s past and the infamous characters that we’ve all come to love for it.

I’ve always said that it’s the fastest week of the year but its always amazing how much fun we manage to squeeze into a week. The sun has set on our island paradise for another year at the family reunion and the 8 x 10’s show the great fortune we continue to celebrate with family and friends. Hey Ty, “See you next year!”

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