Stranded In Texas

...with a good woman and a bad cold. We went out to Estero Llano Grande anyway and reconnected with some friends from past years.

Among them was Huck Hutchins. A heavy cast on his right foot, he was stranded on the pond deck, propped upright by a pair of crutches. After a sincere exchange of greetings after not seeing each other for nine months, I directly cut to the chase - the foot. "Jeez Huck, what the hell happened?" ... long pause... "You mean no one told you? Well, I suppose I may as well tell you myself. I was right here on the deck greeting visitors, and someone asked how I was. I was good! I jumped in the air to click my heels together (illustrating the leap and click with his crutches) - to show how great I was ya know. I guess at 71 years I can't jump high enough anymore because my right foot kinda got caught underneath and I came down on top of it."                 I thought about that, an old man who felt so good that he jumped up in the air to click his heels together. "That's great Huck, at least you weren't doing something stupid."

There were a lot of birds about. We walked the park and I took a few photos.

On the way home we met Paul and Carolee at the Blue Onion for some great food and a La Fin Du Monde ale. Later, back at the apartments Paul came over for a Surly Cynic, a Minnesota Saison Ale (in a can) which has a 90 B.A. rating - certainly a very good beer, but in the long run those Belgians really do know how to make beer.

- Live well, be well, - Gunnar