Three Beautiful Things 05-20-2023: Mirror Pond at The Beanery, Social Hour at The Lounge, Cooling Off On Christy's Deck

 1. Finding the weather too hot to sit outside this afternoon, Debbie and I took a seat inside The Beanery and yakked for a while. I like that The Beanery often has at least one beer on tap from Bend, OR and today was no exception: today they offered the great Mirror Pond Pale Ale, an old school, reliable, expertly balanced beer from Deschutes. Deschutes has been brewing Mirror Pond Pale Ale for thirty-five years and I love its straightforward crispness, its reliance on a single hop, and its delicious wedding of bitterness and subtle caramel sweetness. 

At 4:00, The Beanery started serving sandwiches and Debbie and I split a good sized Hill Street Grinder packed with delicious lunch meats and other ingredients piled on a delicious hoagy bun. 

2. We decided to rocket up the hill and stop in for a drink or two at The Lounge. We settled into a couple of stools at the bar and learned from Harley that the Elks Roundup was successful. I checked in for a few minutes with John Sevy and Dick Listoe who were in good spirits and having a fun party at their own table. We got to chew some fat with Cas and I enjoyed my new favorite ice cold beer, the good old Mountain Fresh Rainier. It's easy to drink, low in alcohol content, and connects me back to when I first started drinking beer in the 1970s. 

I guess today was a Jethro Tull beer drinking day for me: I was living in the past.

3. Back home, Debbie and I got a text message from Christy. She was home after an afternoon honoring and celebrating the life of Kris Hinkemeyer. Her house was hot. A friend had given her a bottle of Crown Royal. She wondered if we'd like to cool off on her deck and enjoy a taste or two of whiskey.

So we did.

The night air began to move in, bringing welcome relief from today's heat, and we yakked about a bunch of stuff. We looked back on Grandparent's Day at Pinehurst Elementary some more. Christy told us about the service and reception for Kris H. We learned a bit about Christy's gardening plans. Riley and Gibbs enjoyed being out on Christy's deck with us and this spontaneous party helped bring our easy day to a cool and enjoyable end.