Picnic Hide-n-Go-Seek

Church Picnic Update: Well, I called a friend for directions to this park I'd never heard of, because I have been driving past it's supposed location for ten years and have never seen it. My friend says, "Do you know where Freedom Park is?" Excited, I say, "Yes!" Friend responds. "Well, that's not where they're having it, but I really think they should, because everyone already knows where that is." Moving right along -- the next person I ask tells me it is in plain sight and he doesn't know why I've never seen it before. He confidently tells me exactly where it is. I drive there and it isn't. No park. Nada. There is a gymnastics studio, a parkinglot and a community center. No park. I drove around the block to the South -- very scary neighborhood, gutted, burned out cars and listing, windowless houses. No park -- and I wouldn't have stopped had there been one. So, I drove around the block to the North. The neighborhood was a tiny bit better, these listing houses had windows, and although ancient, none of the cars were gutted or smoldering. [Blocks in Las Vegas are a mile square, I did not venture off the main roads and into these neighborhoods.] I drove several blocks to a better neighborhood, pulled into the parkinglot of a 7-11 and used my cell phone to call yet another friend. She said that at the rear of the parkinglot between the gymnastics building and the community center I would find a lovely park, and that I should drive to the cluster of helium balloons, for there I would find the church picnic. She was quite right. I did find the church picnic and the park was truly gorgeous. I had no idea those huge buildings were hiding such a glorious green wonder in the midst of this concrete city. Oh, the other friend who told me the park was in plain sight? He came in about a half-hour after I did -- delivering the grills for our meal. He was sorry to be so late, but he couldn't find the park. Despite the confusion it really was a lovely day. The temperature made it to 76 degrees. The chicken wings, hamburgers and teriyaki beef kabobs were all yummy. Oh! So was the salmon and the mediterranean salad, the potato salad, the fresh watermelon, and about 6 different deserts I didn't sample -- not even my own brownies -- which the youth group made very short work of. All-in-all we nibbled and chomped and tasted for almost 2 hours! My next meal will be breakfast -- maybe.