Thursday, December 17, 2015

Trailblazers annual Christmas party

The group who met at the trailhead for a WET hike
Can you believe that twelve of us met at the trailhead for a six-mile hike in the rain before our annual Christmas party? I was a little surprised that I wasn't the only one. It was a gentle rain that met us at the trailhead, and after we set out, happy that the rain was so light, we realized that the farther we got from the starting point, the heavier the rainfall. The only person who was happy about it was Rich, in his rain skirt, hoping to shake out the final glitches for his rain gear. I'll bet you can pick him out fairly easily in this group.
Dark, wet, and colorless Lake Whatcom
Rain, rain, and more rain. I was soaked to the skin by the time I returned to my car after a six-mile hike. I went straight home to change and to pick up Smart Guy so that we could join everybody at Jacqueline's home for our annual Christmas party. Plenty of people showed up who didn't go on the hike, and we dug in to a fabulous potluck feast.
Plenty of wonderful food for a hungry crowd
Oh my! I enjoyed perhaps a half-dozen different salads, some fine rice dishes, along with wine and mead to complement our feast. And then there were the desserts, some of which I enjoyed with abandon. Doug brought his homemade incredibly good  blueberry pie. He made it from scratch, including the pie crust. Take a look here:
Chef Doug with his blueberry pie
I have to tell you that his pie not only looked wonderful, but it was, in every respect, just right. Not too sweet, perfect crust, and large enough to give almost every one of the thirty or so of us who were there a taste of it. I went back for seconds, but it was gone.
Carol, Chris, and Ginny chowing down
We enjoyed our wonderful party at host Jacqueline's home, and then we went back into the rain and to our own warm and cozy spots to finish out the day. It was truly a fine day, even if it was a little bit on the wet side. Maybe next week we'll get a  break.
:-)

17 comments:

  1. Ugh, I need to pick Chef Doug's brain! I've never been able to master a pie crust...much less the ability to make it pretty!

    What a wonderful party, despite the damp.

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  2. And a good time was had by all, form the looks of it! You certainly earned your dessert today.

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  3. You earned that dessert. I am so glad that despite the rain you had a lovely time.

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  4. Your hiking group always reminds me of my skaters group. The Christmas parties are awesome. Everybody is as excited as a little kid.

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  5. I agree, that was such a great party. And no such thing as too many salads. The more the merrier.

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  6. Your hiking group sounds like a lot of fun! What a delicious spread.

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  7. I envy Doug his beautiful pie! Doesn't look like he had to do any patching at all!

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  8. What a beauty of a pie! Looks like a cloudy miserable day that ended well with food and friends:)

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  9. Glad you had the time to go home to get warm and dry before meeting the others at the party. You must have been ready to indulge in all those delights that awaited you.

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  10. I'm only half surprised that many of you turned out for a wet walk--LOL! That pie does look just perfect! Glad Smart Guy got to come with for the festivities! :)

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  11. Only you could make me wish I was out there with you on an excessively rainy day. I love seeing your annual parties.. the food always looks scrumptious. As for that pie.. you sure earned a second slice. Maybe Chef Doug will make two next year. ;)

    Merry Christmas to you and yours, sweet woman. And hugs to you.

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  12. What a fantastic pie. Your friend gets an A+ for that beauty.

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  13. You and your walking group are inspiring. I had to force myself to walk with my friend this morning and it wasn't even raining. The potluck with good friends and great food is the perfect end to your day.

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  14. That pie looks beautiful. I do love a good pot luck. And, so admire that group of hikers. Merry Christmas to you.

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  15. That looks like a yummy feast and the pie looks superb. Well done him and you all for walking in the rain to get your exercise!

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  16. rain skirt - too cute! LOVE that pie! wow! a work of art! (and one of my favorite pie types ever!)

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