Picnic in the winds

My last political picnic was some eons ago, in Chicago. A friend was a precint (that's how they say it) captain for the Democratic party and he needed numbers to prove his value. Twas great fun; Riverview Park. Hot, in the middle of summer. Hot dogs. Beer. Potato salad. Lots of grubby Chicago pols. My memory of that picnic reminds me of the wonderful political rally music in Virgil Thompson/Gertrude Stein's opera, The Mother of Us All. (FYI, it's about Susan B. Anthony). This Sunday's political picnic was a more Western version of the classic American pastime. Except for the wind. Close to gale force.

Examine all the pictures -- you'll see blowing hair in almost every one. And the wind added a chill factor, as well.

However, there was great music -- Western-style, of course -- by the Cheektones who regularly play at Coyote Joe's.

And the candidate --Georgene Lockwood -- sang, too. But then you may have heard her sing folk music and play guitar or autoharp on Acker night.

The setting for the event: Watson Lake Park in the Granite Dells. Look closely -- those are huge granites, a popular challenge for rock climbers.

But the purpose of the picnic -- electing Georgene in the September Republican primary -- was front and center. Even the dog sports an in-your-face Lockwood for supervisor button. Buttons as well as magnetic signs for cars were available. Curiously enough, the law limits the period during which signs can be stuck in the ground -- but says nothing about vehicles such as the fine period pick-up truck below. (It belongs to Bobbi, who shows up in the comments here.)

I hadn't seen this part of the park for a long time; it was grand to see all the water this winter brought us. The lake had been very low and showed ugly white bathtub style rings on all those rocks.

Do note the white caps, thanks to the winds. This is unusual; as a rule, the lake is quite placid. A splendid place for birders, too. It's a stopover point on a minor spring and fall migration route for water birds.