It was time for a week at the beach which excited us all. We did our last errands, made the stop at Sam's Club and headed down to this year's beach house which was a bit tiny -- aka a mouse house, but was extremely well located. As opposed to previous beach years, I was tamer about photo ops and so this story will be shorter than those of previous beach vacations. Michael and Carolyn had been at the beach, so they stayed for Saturday dinner as Suzanne Ben and Sarah acclimated to the house while Michael and Carolyn posed for the artistic photo and Lucy and Jane were in the kitchen as the vegetables were spread and Ben posed though he was less interested in the wine than the pretzels and no one seemed interested in the deathers in my hat as the corn was shucked and the gin and limes were brought out for the gin and tonics (no diet tonic) which led to a group toast as the corn was prepared and Carolyn opened the Tapanade even as I explored the view while Jane and Lucy came up to the deck to inform us that dinner was served at the table with various seafoods French fries more fish mozarella and tomato cocktail sauce which made for this beautiful plate for me even as the college bound girls ate at the table and the rest of us spread around the living room with less light

and then more light

before Catherine Marchetta brought out the fudge and we chose our pieces while finding the right light

Sunday began with a look at Suzanne's injured foot as Ben showed his teeth and I poured the Uncle Sam's into my bowl and then after some time at the beach, we came back for cocktails and sauce as we admired Suzanne's pills and we took our pretzels and dips up to the deck where Suzanne and Ben were happy as more food seemed to bring Sarah and Jane into good spirits before we assembled the salad and lit it up while I tested the cigar Jane had found in a close up.

Monday began with a photo study of the cigar

and then a survey of the vegetables we had brought from the farm

before I went to look at the remainder of the sandwich that looked like Abe Lincoln (you need to squint a bit) and Ben and Eddie were ready to join Suzanne and Jane at the dinner table as Eddie Ben and Sarah admired the foods

before darkness fell on our pictures though a flash made Eddie me Suzanne Jane and Sarah seem happy with the crackers we ate.

The next day we went to the beach but took no beach pictures. In fact, there were no beach pictures for the whole trip, an unusual experience. Eddie Ben Jane me and Jane watched the food as Ryan amused himself and us and Claire seemed to be enjoying her drink as we took an abstract picture or two and then focused on the food

as everyone dug in and enjoyed.

Wednesday was the day of the cigar. Eddie tried it as Ben ate some food and I had a mango margarita as the cheese was opened and Ryan and Sarah gathered at the table while Ben and Eddie were at the other end of the deck

even as Ryan did the cute 3 year old thing and in the food John appeared as Jane spoke on her cell phone and John tried the cigar before it came back to me to Ryan's amusement as Claire and Eddie watched and the others enjoyed the cocktail hour

as this movie recorded the ordering of the pizza. while Eddie and Ryan and Eddie and Ryan prepared us for the darkness before the pizza arrived and looked good enough to eat

The next day, Suzanne's foot was feeling better, so we walked

until Moustache Bill's came into sight and then after the requisite photos of John and Jane at the Diner and ahead of the lighthouse we went inside where Jane and John Benjamin Suzanne and Sarah and I ordered our drinks and after admiring the menu and posing for these portraits of myself taken by others

and then pictures of Sarah Suzanne John and Jane Jane Ben and the emblem on my shirt, we were ready to dig into our breakfasts

before going to the Island Store.

After a day at the beach during which Ed arrived, Ed and Sarah posed together and apart as Sarah and Ed and then Ben checked out the food and chips as Suzanne was amused by my phone as John and Jane posed for many pictures

before I headed down tot he grill and fired up a variety of meats for a meal designed to please anybody as I gathered my veggie burgers and the chicken and steak kept the others happy.

Friday was a fishing day, so we headed to the other boat (not this one) as Ben and I and Sarah and Ed observed the lighthouse as we passed and then we shot at the shore and water towers as we admired the bait and neighboring boats while Ben caught a starfish and my baited hook brought back pretty views though like the person next to us, all of our bites were too small to keep. When we got back to the house, DrLen and Judy had arrived and so we took photos of them checking email and before we knew it we were back from a delightful week at the beach and I was taking this photo of Tom Breidenthal.