Big Fun on a Little Island

Monsoon-like rains didn’t dampen our enjoyment of Pirate’s Fest on Tybee Island, or the joy of spending this past weekend with great friends–old and new. I got down to Tybee and Nora’s Cottage on Thursday afternoon, in time to meet friends Linda and Cliff from Ft. Lauderdale. Linda and I grew up together in St.Pete, and have been friends since 7th grade. She’s even known Mr. Mary Kay longer than me–they were in 5th grade together! We walked down to StingRay’s on Butler Avenue for dinner, and the next morning gave Cliff a tour of the island on bike. We checked on the progress of The Breeze Inn, and were thrilled to find out we’d passed our plumbing inspection. Yay for new plumbing! After a yummy lunch at The North Beach Grill, Linda and Cliff went off to do more exploring, and Mr. Mary Kay and I ran some errands. Friday night we were invited to friends Ron and Leuveda’s for a pre-pirate-fest cocktail. You may remember that I’ve spent many weeks writing at their adorable Garner Cottage over the years. Tybee is such a great place for impromtu parties. Old friend Jacky joined us, and then our friend Diane Kauffman from Mermaid Cottages arrived with a crock of her famous spinach artichoke dip, Leuveda had other goodies, and Tom and I contributed a platter of raw oysters. After drinks, we all strolled down to The Strand, where the Pirate party was in full swing. We shopped at the Thieves Market, bopped to the band, and then headed over to Doc’s Bar, which was the scene of much fun last year during our chick weekend. This time we brought the guys, and had almost as much fun. Saturday morning, the fellas went out fishing and Linda and I junked our way around town. We were rounding the corner onto Butler Avenue when we bumped into a couple who were walking…..wait. A goat? Yes. A goat, on a leash. Only on Tybee. We ran into Leuveda at a garage sale being held by a gay guy who was down-sizing. I scored some great linen placemats, napkins and napkin rings. Just love gay guy’s junk–don’t you? Later, after we’d left, the guy asked Leuveda if Linda and I were “partners.”! It was a great day for junk. At another sale I bought three wooden chairs for my beach dining room–for ten bucks apiece, and on down the road, I scored a nearly new lawnmower, brand-new weed-whacker, and most importantly, an awesome beach cruiser bike–with the all-important beer coozie wired to the handlebars. I had to escort Linda to my favorite shops downtown, including @Home Vintage General on Broughton Street. Owner Liz Demos is just one of the cleverest, most talented women I know. Please make sure you drop by this fantastic shop when you visit Savannah. And bring money. After we left Liz, we visited her friend and fellow antique dealer Charlie Brown. Charlie has just moved his shop, C.H. Brown, to a new location, in the same building as E. Shaver Booksellers, my favorite bookstore in Savannah. If you have a fondness for antique silver, porcelain or great art, Charlie Brown is the man to see in Savannah. Back at Tybee, Linda got busy making us up for the big night at Pirate’s Fest. The guys weren’t too cooperative, but Linda and I had a great time playing Pirate and wench. We even got a standing ovation when we showed up for our dinner reservation at Sundae Cafe, our favorite restaurant on the island. While we were at dinner, the heavens opened up, and the Marshall Tucker Band outdoor concert was cancelled. So we went on home, and friends Jacky and Jan came by for a visit before we called it a night. All in all, it was a great weekend, rain or not. And now it’s time for me to buckle down and get through the revisions of THE FIXER UPPER before the end of the month.