After the Bonfire in the Snow, A "Tropical Paradise"

Who is to say that if you have a spectacular bonfire in the snow on one night that you are prohibited from having a jacuzzi party the very next night? The evening was billed as "A Tropical Paradise," and it more than lived up to the expectations of participants...those who wanted to don a bathing suit and submerse themselves in the jacuzzi and those who chose to attend in their coats and mufflers and snow boots...which I thought were very helpful in negotiating the paths back to my lodging through the ankle high slush...as opposed to, say, flip flops which seemed to be de rigueur with the bathing suit set.

Famous for its AAA Events (Above Average Ambiance) the Holden Village Utilities group proudly sponsored another memorable party. And here you see them...Mark Rerucha-Borges, Daniel Sullivan, and Nancy Rerucha-Borges. Check it out. No detail was overlooked in turning the relatively confined jacuzzi area into a tropical paradise. There were the tropical costumes, and the tropical drinks (freshly made smoothies...some made with mango, some with raspberries), and tropical fruits, and tropical decorations...even tiki lights and beach umbrellas and a beach bar.

The night was cold. The water was hot. And PRESTO!! you have steam. Lots of steam. Steam that makes picture-taking a challenge. Here is one of the better ones.

And here is one that would make those righteous and more conservative souls in adjacent environs shriek, "I knew it! I knew it!" I agree that first appearances can be deceiving. This was good clean (HA-HA) family fun! A steam (HA-HA) cleaning!

While he did not actually get in the jacuzzi, Nick Gordon was dressed for a tropical paradise...or a bit overdressed, as the case may be.

[An aside: Nick is currently the Garbologist at Holden Village. Through his intrepid questioning and thorough research, he has located a recycling facility in Wenatchee that will take the paper we are recycling MIXED!! This means that we do not have to sort and separate office paper, newspapers, magazines, colored paper, chipboard, etc., etc., etc. Now it all goes in the same bin! For Holdenites, this is no less than huge! Bravo, Nick! You can wear those coconuts any time you want!]

Partially obscured by steam, the children of the village performed their version of the hula. Yes. Yes. Up late. Partying with the adults. Drinking smoothies...but it was not a school night!

Actually dressed for the weather, Holden Angel Andrea Mann raises a glass to her own good sense. (I know that I repeat myself, but the drink was a smoothie...a fresh fruit smoothie!)

[Another aside: A Holden Angel is a volunteer who lives a relatively short distance from the boat landing which provides access to Holden and who is often able to show up for work in the village on short notice and able and willing to work in a wide variety of positions to assist in fulfilling staffing requirements. Andrea came up for the Thanksgiving Week to help out in Housekeeping.]

Aidan, who along with his parents and his sister were here as guests for the Thanksgiving Week, investigates the contents of his glass of tropical fruit smoothie with a light stick. Turns out it was a tropical fruit smoothie!

Alas. The party marked the end of jacuzzi activity for the winter. The increasingly cold weather is not to blame for its closure. The decreasing amount of water in Railroad Creek meant ever-decreasing amounts of electricity being produced by the hydro. And it is electricity that keeps the water in the jacuzzi hot. The Utilities crew had to choose...a hot jacuzzi or hot soup.

The soup won.