We have been dry as a bone on SA for going on two months, but that changed Saturday afternoon, thanks to Kari.  It always rains when she tries to have a party, especially a birthday party.  It was Li’l r’s birthday party that triggered the deluge.  Six or seven little girls showed up anyway and the puppy-themed party, originally planned for outdoors, was confined to the house.  Joyce, Barbara and I were invited and we braved the shrieking for some hotdogs and cake.  I think the little devils, uh, angels enjoyed themselves.  At least it sounded like they did.  Kari was wise to limit the time to 4-6.  When it came time for parents to pick up their children it was raining still so Chris stationed himself at the gate and called Abigail when a parent drove up.    Abigail and I teamed up to escort each little girl under an umbrella so that they were delivered to their parent reasonably dry.  We have learned to avoid letting people drive down to the house, especially when the ground is wet.

Saturday morning Joyce, Barbara and I attended the Wildcat Bluff Nature Center fundraiser.  It was a cooking competition among half a dozen local restaurants.  The chefs were supposed to use at least some ingredients that might be found at the nature center, such as wild plums, prickly pear leaves and/or fruit, lizards and toads, and so on.  The neighbors and the Lopez clan also came so our family had a pretty good showing.  We were expecting small samples but were presented with entrees.  I paced myself to I could visit each booth and sample everything.  The chefs really outdid themselves and their offerings were delicious.  Oh, some appealed to different tastes better than others.  Chris liked the roast dove but I found it too gamey.  There were pork ribs, grits, biscuits, gelato, jalapeño thingies, and some very tasty deserts.  I tried to find out what was in the various dishes but I don’t remember much of what I was told.  I do remember I liked everything I tried.  There was a panel of judges that awarded a trophy to the winner they selected and the attendees also voted on their favorite.  This was the first fund raiser of any kind for the Bluff since the hiatus and the weather was cool and a little rainy.  Nevertheless, we had a good crowd and, hopefully, raised a little money.  I suspect I am not the only one encouraged to visit the restaurants represented there.   I plan to seek out even the establishment serving coffee.  These are people trying to get a coffee shop going and maybe they’ll offer a good alternative to the chain stores.

Joyce and Rebecca weren’t there when I got home Friday evening.  They had gone to fetch some dinner and returned about the time I emerged from a much needed shower.  The rest of the Zbindens were in Lubbock watching Abigail and her mates demolish the Lubbock Coronado team.  I spent the week on a tramp that took me to Great Sand Dunes and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Parks.  It was a good trip.  Everything fell into place and the attractions met expectations.  I will expand on this in a coming post.