|
The closing of an Autumn evening is like the running
of a hound across the moor.
Night is a good herd; she brings all creatures home.
On one fresh chilly evening in
November, friends from all around came down to the
River Bottom Saloon to
surprise their friend Danny for his 60th birthday.
Everyone knew that Danny was crazy about hunting, so
the saloon was the perfect setting for a birthday party
with a “big-game” feel. Throughout the
night he felt right at home—surrounded by family,
friends, and mosquito nets.
The saloon was decorated to make
it look like an authentic hunting lodge (without
the dust or the outlaws!) The
outside was draped with burlap fabrics, mosquito netting,
and other assorted hunting relics. Inside, the coziness
of the “hunting lodge” made the guests
feel as if they were in the foothills of some picturesque
mountain range in Las Pampas of Argentina.
Then, when the time came, the birthday
boy arrived and everyone hollered “Surprise!” and
his eyes were as wide as they could be, like a deer
staring
at headlights. For the next hour it seemed, he was
a hugging everybody. Stories about the big-game hunter
ensued, and of course a few lies were told. Just after
that, servers soon came in the room and passed around
lamb lollypops.
A little later in the eve, the drapes opened to the
main dining room. There the tables were decorated with
animal print table linens and textures such as velvet,
burlap, and silk. The floral centerpieces were made
of unique animal containers with fall foliage cascading
down like a trickling creek. A huge photo of the birthday
boy as a baby in cowboy boots drew a lot of smiles,
and a few surly-yet-good-natured comments from his
pals.
After the guests feasted on a variety of delicacies
including quail eggs, butternut squash bisque and
braised pheasant, the band kicked in, perking the
birthday boy’s ears up like a hound dog in
a possum patch. In honor of Danny’s heritage,
the band was a latin-inspired group that played high-energy
music that kept the party going late into the evening.
A little later, a few “Bunny-dressed” gals
sashayed over to Danny and presented him with a birthday
cake. They even helped him blow out the candles.
Then came the fireworks... his pals “roasted” Danny—poking
fun at him with a hilarious skit where they tromped
around dressed like animals in the wild. The whole
crowd laughed like a bunch of hyenas. Some enjoyed
cigars and cordials which were available in a corner
of the lodge, comfortably placed among an area of
couches opposite of the chocolate animals that were
given out to guests to take home as a party favor.
All in all it was quite a hoe-down in the hunting
lodge. And Danny was one happy hunter.
|
