Company Picnic

When I was growing up the company picnic meant dads playing softball while moms kept the kids "seen but not heard" by stuffing us with hotdogs and ice cream sandwiches. Well times have changed. Dave's company holds a 3 day macho fest. The only time anyone else has made more noise than this group's annual picnic was when a Rave moved in the next dune over.

the sound system (minus the huge speakers)the HD movie theater (rained out)

This year they took over a State park along a small river. Friday, until early evening was sunny and warm. The dogs got to swim in the river and go for hikes in the woods. Friday evening through Sunday saw record rainfall. The dogs got to go out on potty breaks.

Dinners are a competition with a generous budget. This year's theme was North vs South. Stores Eugene south were the Confederates. Salem north made up the Yanks. Friday night the South went deep south. Only the sides of mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing and greenbean casserole were not deep fried. Everything else from the imported alligator, pork bellys and crayfish to the turkey, pumpkin pies and ice cream spent time in the bubbling peanut oil.

deep fried turkey

deep fried pies

deep fried ice cream

cardboard "fort" for the kids

and of course Southern Comfort.

After a hearty breakfast Saturday morning, the guys went skeet shooting in the puring rain. This was not your ordinary skeet shooting. One of the weapons was an AK47 assault rifle. Games for all were played after the victorious, skeet killing, guys returned.

find the green jelly bean in the cream pie (adults played too but the kids were much cuter) hands free donut eating
and move the cookie from the forehead to the mouth were three of several games

Saturday night, the North team tried to go pure Yankee. They rented a commercial meal truck to prepare and serve their summer fare. Unfortunately the truck broke down ten miles out of town. The driver stripped the truck of all but the grill and left it by the road. This is a serious contest after all. The generous South loaned the North tables, grills, deep fryers and generators. We knew we had won this battle and did want to eat.

Saturday afternoon kicked off with cotton candy (does not hold up in rain), popcorn and snowcones. The Margaretta, adult snowcones were quite tasty. Competition is heating up.

Dinner was an All American fare of hamburgers, hotdogs, deep fried onion rings, deep fried tater tots (hey isn't deep frying a southern thing?) and apple pie. No wonder these guys were concerned when the South brought out the crayfish and alligator.

We awoke Sunday to more rain, a soggy, collapsed cardboard fort, wet tents and sleeping bags...you get the idea. Another hearty breakfast everything was packed away. After the last truck, trailer and motorhome left, Ma Nature could once again restore peace to a grassy clearing next to a opal river.