Fair Harbor

Fair HarborBy Emily S. BrafmanIn May I start having dreams that I missed the whole summer! Fall is upon us. Swimming and sailing lessons are over. No more quiet mornings on my deck. The ocean isn’t waiting for me.I wake up startled because I’m sure that the summer hasn’t even started. I’m obviously relieved when I realize it was only a dream and summer is still ahead of me. Well today my nightmare of summer being over feels very real. I am writing the last column of the season. It will be on stands for all of you to enjoy during the season’s last hurrah, also known as Labor Day weekend. For the first time in many years I will be cutting my summer short to be beside my husband as he undergoes spine surgery on Sept. 2. Please think happy thoughts for Michael as you read this.Sailing awards were given in Dunewood, a big event that marks the end of the season. This is my second summer attending what I now know to be a big deal. The sailing instructors are pretty amazing and have given my kids a great experience. They make paper plate awards that represent a memory they have of each child. There were many laughs and they do a great job. As we were riding home under the sunset, I could hear music from the bay in Fair Harbor.We live on Central Walk and it sounded like the music was coming from the firehouse. Sadly, I couldn’t go down to sunset because my daughter was under the weather. I sent my son Nicky down to investigate. It turns out that the amazing Rich Mahogany Band was playing a concert from a barge in the middle of the bay! I was able to hear the whole concert from my house so I can tell you first hand that they are quite a talented cover band.They played some amazing songs that brought me back to some great memories of my 20s! Upon further investigation I found out that this was their 10-year reunion at the Fair Harbor dock. This, by far, was one of my fondest memories of sunset in Fair Harbor ever! Ten summers ago I was very pregnant with Nicky. We were celebrating my husbands 30^th and there on the dock was a huge stage set up for a concert. I recognized the band members, but back then I guess I didn’t know their name. It was a great night and little Nicky bounced around in my belly to the sounds of Billy Joel.Last night I sat at home listening from afar, remotely receiving pictures from the event from friends. My favorite photo shows Nicky way above the crowd on a wagon taking in the sounds of Rich Mahogany as a big handsome 9-year-old boy! I really hope they make this a yearly tradition. Fair Harbor loves music and a concert from the bay with the sun setting in the distance couldn’t suit our community better!I always say that nothing much changes on Fire Island. It is the best part of summers here. It is a place where we can rely on the fact that all of our traditions will remain the same. Our friends will be waiting for us on the beach or at the bay. Annual parties will be planned. Firehouse events will be on posters. It has been amazing reporting all of these events to you for the past two years but I must say that as a community columnist, the fact that things don’t change is quite a challenge.The only way to keep our Fair Harbor column fresh and filled with new perspectives, is to pass on the torch. So I have decided that this will be my final column for the Fire Island News. I hope that you have all enjoyed reading my work and that I have been able to put a smile on your face. Thank you for the many compliments I have received and thank you for your kindness and support. I look forward to reading the Fair Harbor column next year so please if you are interested contact Shoshanna McCollum at editor@fireisland-news.com.Enjoy the last days of summer and make sure to say hello if you see me around town. Thank you so much. – Emily Sunshine Brafman