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This past weekend was the weekend of the Drop-Off. Which really has all the same makings of a normal Trick except we get to walk away and not watch people wipe their chins with their sleeves as they suck shrimp tails off one another's plates.

This particular destination was set to be in one location, but at the last minute had to be changed due to the increase in the number of guests. We were given the address with an assurance that the location was easy to find, and was only a few more miles than we had planned.

And I suppose if I were a Sherpa the location would have, in fact, been easy to find. But since I gave up that job 8 or so years ago due to a bad fall on Kilimanjaro I seem to have lost some of my Mountain Navigation skills.

*sigh*

The trek up to The Trick was fun in that The Partner and I had some time to talk and play Slug Bug on the journey up the mountain. And with much positive affirmations and rubbing on the dashboard of The Van (The old girl had a tough time pulling that hill), we made it to the top of that very steep incline only to find the road narrowing due to the large volume of cars parked on the shoulder.

We knew we found the spot when I noticed a small opening in the trees and three now-deflated balloons tied to a crooked mailbox post. The road through that small opening was narrow - too narrow for The Van to maneuver and we made peace with the fact that we, too, would have to park on the road and pray a nice man with a pack horse would cross our paths for what was bound to be a long haul to where all these people were.

To backtrack a little I need to share the fact that I am not much of an outdoor person. I mean, I take that back. I am. I love the outdoors, it's just not the wilderness I am so inclined to be in. We are so blessed in the Pacific Northwest to have some of the most beautiful mountains and nature trails in the world, but I would be lying to say I am an avid hiker who packs in three miles to pitch a tent by a babbling brook. I love to go camping, and I will even sleep in a tent as long as it sits next to a big motor home with a satellite dish. And I really prefer a nice shady state park with cozy campfire pits and clean bathrooms and no threat of an ax murderer dragging my body off into the night. (Yes, I am that dramatic.) So my requirements for being in the great outdoors involve a nice bathroom, a good place to build a fire and a place to charge my ipod. A nice country store close by is nice. And, a pool isn't a bad thing. Or, let's be honest, a hotel.

So back to this narrow road...

The Partner and I stood looking down the road realizing that there were thick trees as far as the eye could see, and us with a van full of heavy pans and platters. We saw a lot of walking and heavy lifting. We opted to lock up the van and start walking to see what we were dealing with. The day was gorgeous, but walking in the "thicket" as they say (no idea who 'they' are...) it was a bit dark. But the smells were incredible - and the plant life was gorgeous. And it was so quiet - too quiet, in fact. It gave me the uneasy feeling like we were being watched. We found ourselves walking down and speaking in a whisper, as if to not draw attention to ourselves. No one wants to wake up a rabid squirrel, after all.

After walking for what seemed like an hour (real time: 5 minutes, tops) we finally heard voices. And when we came around the corner and up a little hill we found everyone - and we realized why they choose this place. We walked in to the most gorgeous meadow I had ever seen. We both gasped a little, not expecting this little oasis, and stood in wonder for a minute at how gorgeous it was.

And everyone was so happy, and I can only attribute that to the clear mountain air and the gorgeous flowers. Whatever it was, it was catchy. Within minutes we had 10 volunteers ready to come back to The Van and help us load in. And with everyone in such a good mood no one noticed that I tripped a little (read: slipped on a rock and dropped to 1 knee) and managed to brush it off quickly.

The location was stunning, and I could not think of a better place for a gathering like this. My only concern, besides lack of reasonable bathrooms, was the fact that these people planned to be there until dark - which means they would have to walk back out to the road - in the dark.

The Dark - add that to the list of things that scare me, along with Velveeta cheese, snakes and rabid squirrels.

Oh, and Sasquatch.

And, you know, running out of vodka.

Posted by Foodwhore at August 8, 2007 11:43 AM

Posted by: Kevin at August 8, 2007 01:41 PM

Posted by: Suzy at August 8, 2007 02:52 PM

Posted by: wendy at August 8, 2007 05:48 PM

Posted by: No-Nonsense girl at August 8, 2007 08:26 PM

Posted by: french tart at August 9, 2007 10:37 AM

Posted by: Sage Cat at August 9, 2007 11:36 AM

Posted by: Blue Zebra at August 10, 2007 08:55 AM