A great Bowfest yesterday, the official end of the summer social season here on Bowen. This year was both more subdued and more fun. The perennial beer tent was gone, and with it was the phalanx of police officers that made last year's so - interesting.

In its place were a bunch of highlights including:

• A great teen lip synch won by my friends Calder, Davon and Toby who did a wonderful version of the Arrogant Worms' "The Mountie Song"
• More people watching the parade than I have ever seen, and more marching too.
  
• An adult lip synch that was too raunchy for description, and anyway, words would not be adequate to describe the winning entry. Let's just say it involved the tucking of a ten dollar bill into a pair of gyrating pants.
• An unfettered performance by Bowen's own The Naive, who also defy description. None of these kids could get into a restricted movie legally, but they play hits from the psychedelic era like they were there. No comment on their parents!
• A rambunctious visit from the Coast Guard hovercraft again.
• A two to nothing tug o' war victory by the kids over the adults, proving once again that we just have to promote a more active contraception plan around here if we are ever to stand a chance of pulling against the ankle biters and actually winning. Even with the firemen anchoring our side, we got killed by the crowd of pre-teens at the other end.
• A two-horse slug race which was over long after anyone remained interested in the result.

And just on schedule, the rain and wind arrived today as if to say, that's it, your short summer is over, lay in the firewood.

Props to the Mollineaux clan for hosting another great gathering.