Looking out past the back deck, I have spotted these twin fawns several times. Mom drops them off, like at day care, while she forages nearby. I believe she has told them to stay in place because they do not move until she returns, no matter how long it takes.
There have been three Memorials for former Kismet residents recently. These women were not homeowners but long-time grouper-renters: Helene H, Purple Lady, was honored at the Lawn House. Linda Barkan R., an avid tennis player in the 1970s and 80s, was honored by her daughter and friends in Bayside. The memorial for the Xanadu crew, organized by their friend and neighbor, Geri, took place in the community room of the Kismet Fire Department, where friends and families shared wraps and anecdotes. Judy, Gail, Martini Marsha, and Chef Joyce were charter members of Xanadu, the house a part of Kismet social life for close to 50 years. The group once convinced the former Surf’s Out bar to offer discounted drinks for Friday Happy Hours. In 2020, a Xanadu happy hour avoided unmasked crowds in town.
This was also a memorial to a Fire Island way of life that has largely disappeared. Recently documented by Newsday, the grouper experience flourished in the 1970s and on into the new century. It was an excellent time for mature single people with house parties, group dinners, and late-night dancing at the Inn and the Out.
Houses are now owned or rented, sometimes weekly, by families with children. Groupers and grouper lore are now a part of the Kismet story.
As we celebrate the community’s 100th anniversary, there is a desire to learn more about how Kismet became Kismet. Sam Wood is scheduled to conduct another fascinating historical tour of Kismet on August 9, covering developments on East and West Lighthouse and Seabay Walks.
The second annual House and Garden Crawl, organized by Kismet plant experts Laura and Mary, took place on the first weekend of August. After wild thunderstorms and torrential rains earlier in the week, the day was perfect for a walk around town. The Crawl began at Luna Sea where the group lingered for treats by Nancy and also Tallie of Lily Pad. The next stop was Krisha’s 2-story hidden garden, then on to Brown Sugar where Geneveve cultivated a huge vegetable garden. Donna and Scott at Soleil Monde have a garden of all white shells in front with traditional gardens and a Tiki Bar in the back.
The annual children’s Arthur Lem Kismet Kids Fishing Derby is scheduled for Thursday, August 21, with registration at 9:30 a.m., and a rain date of August 22. There is complete information and a signup at kismetsnapperderby.com, a new site created by Kismet’s LP Finn.
Also coming up for the busy Labor Day weekend, Kismet League for Animal Welfare (KLAW) will hold a raffle event on Saturday, August 30, and the Kismet Fire Department Auxiliary (KFDA) will be holding a Lobster Bash fundraiser on Sunday, August 31.
