Last Sunday

So, Sunday was Easter. As expected, I didn't go to church. It's been 16 years since the last time I bothered.

Instead, I went to a brewery; a much more valuable use of my time.

It was McMenamins, in fact. Edgefield, to be specific. Now, If you're not from the Pacific Northwest, or if you've never even visited, then you won't understand. And frankly, I don't have the time or inclination to explain it to you in this post.

Suffice to say, they make good beer, good wine and good food. They have several funky locations, and Edgefield is one of their best. It is the former county poor-farm turned into a fine-wine bed and breakfast, with a golf course, herb garden, beer-friendly movie theater, and an old red garden shack turned into a scotch and cigar bar.

Fortunately, having missed the Easter egg hunt at the local park, Mrs G&T found the Edgefield festivities on line. We packed up and headed out, about 30 minutes toward the maw of Columbia Gorge.

Dozens of kids, divided by age, raced into the cordoned patches of grass, swinging pastel baskets and scrounged for chocolate candy eggs like lepers diving for alms... It took the monkey a few seconds of reckoning, but she quickly caught on.

While many of the snotty brats became distracted by the lure of their own loot, the monkey harvested on, teasing small brightly-colored foil-wrapped nuggets from the lawn. She was persistent. She was tenacious.

In the end, she did well. Though, with frequent swinging, the contents of her basket found their way to the ground. Strategically, I placed myself as the rear-guard, and scooped up the escapees that trailed behind her.

A leisurely brunch followed, and a walk around the grounds. The sky stayed blue and the rain didn't fall. well, at least until we got in the car to leave.

All-in-all, a good day.