Ox Roast Memorial Day 2008 — Extras

This post is purely self-indulgent. I said in yesterday’s that I didn’t expect many people to try to make it. This time, there’s not even any food. It’s just the best of the rest of the photos I took at the Ox Roast.


First up is the steam coming off the pool at 5 a.m. I’m glad I was busy with the ox, otherwise I would have had to explain to my kids why I didn’t want to go swimming. On a day that barely made it to 70 degrees. Brrrr.

While we were getting the ox started, Hal got the pool ready for the first full day of swimming of the year. (It opened after noon the previous day.)

The beach club is on a hill leading down to the lake. It stays in shadow for quite a while after downtown lights up.

What is it with boys and fire?

Here’s Ana (Hi sweetie!) playing with her freind Caroline.

And Winnie. (Hi to you too!) In the lake. Which was 60 degrees. BRRRRR!!!

“Oh look, refugees have swum ashore from a tanker.” (That’s Jack and Katie with Winnie.)

Despite the smiles, Winnie and Katie were shivering like crazy.

Ana decided to bail and head up to the pool. The heated pool. Smart girl.

The crowd was already pretty good by quarter after four.

Even the pool got pretty busy.

Winnie got in line early for some of the crispy goodness from the ox. Notice that it’s cold enough to wear a jacket, but she insisted the lake wasn’t cold. Riiiight.

Skipping ahead a few hours …

The beach gets really popular around dusk.

The whole side of the hill gets crowded, too.

Okay, some of them stay up in the pool.

And why does everyone come down to the beach?

Yup, sunset over the lake. Even the carving crew stops what they’re doing to come down.

This guy goes flying every couple of weeks, weather permitting.

When you get really lucky, the sun breaks through a low line of clouds right on the horizon.

We got lucky.

People know when it’s almost time, and they all show up. It’s like this most clear nights all summer.

And that … is it.


I’ve got one more day’s worth of pictures from the Ox Roast. That’s the leftovers for lunch the next day. Nothing spectacular, so I’m going to post it on Saturday when (hopefully) people are outside enjoying the spring.