On Sunday my friend Amy V (I say this to differentiate her from my friend Amy G - heh, that rhymes) and I hosted our (almost) annual barbeque and bonfire at Golden Gardens park in Seattle. The day was gorgeous, and on a gorgeous day the views across Puget Sound are enough to keep you from thinking too much about how sooty your feet are getting from all that charcoal-blackened sand. After somewhat uneven and unpredictable weather this past summer, we ended up with one of the flat-out nicest days of the season - after Labor Day, no less!
We even managed to get the charcoal grill going without lighter fluid or any other fancy tricks other than some newspaper, a few slivers of "kindling" found on the beach, and Amy's special skill with extremely long matches. Guests had brought marinated chicken, beef and pepper kabobs, sausages, and hot dogs. Any of these items will, naturally, taste better when cooked over a hardwood charcoal grill on the beach rather than in the confines of your own kitchen over an electric burner.
The only unfortunate thing about the day was how few people were able to join us. While it was great getting to visit with the friends who came, I think we have to concede that this year's turn out was unusually low, so in the end it was more of a casual afternoon with a few friends rather than a real party. That's OK, but I can't deny I was hoping to see more people and enjoy a rip-roaring bonfire. As it was, we didn't even have a bonfire because we didn't get the wood we were expecting. All was not lost, however, as the few of us who were there in the evening snuck over to another fire pit that appeared to be abandoned, but still contained some glowing embers, so we could roast our marshmallows for s'mores. They're still delicious after all these years!
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