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Sun and SURF at the LIGO Summer Party!

Sun and SURF at the LIGO Summer Party!

- Contributed by Ryan Tischler

Our LIGO Summer Party was held this year on Saturday, August 2. We reserved two picnic tables at Ocean Park Beach in Santa Monica and set up camp beside the warm white sand. The blue sky above was dotted by only a few opaque clouds, and the sea breeze led one to realize that "body-surfing will be GREAT today." Our party was arranged to begin at 10am--early enough to get good parking, late enough to enjoy your morning coffee or bagel or donut or... well, you get the point.

Above - Scenes of fun in the sun and sand from the LIGO Summer Party.

Cindy Akutagawa was first to arrive, with party co-organizer Ryan Tischler soon to follow. Our LIGO SURF students, for whom the party is in some ways a farewell gathering, showed up in familiar fashion--i.e., in packs--while other LIGOites and their families arrived intermittently throughout the day. We kept it simple, with finger foods and a couple of coolers with ice and water. The shade was a welcome refuge for most, but for others no trip to the beach was complete without a bit of volleyball, catch, sun-bathing and, of course, a swim in the refreshing ocean. An assortment of pictures from the occasion can be seen here.

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