I popped out of bed at 5:30 with plans to do some cooking while the house was still cool in anticipation of a picnic in the park on the 4th of July. I started some bread dough to make cabbage burgers, a favorite of our family and easy to eat at a picnic. Yum Yum.
I read the paper for a while and noticed that Washington Park near Denver downtown had some music at about 11. That would be about right. I hurriedly made some chocolate cupcakes, deviled eggs, put the beans that had been soaking all night in the crock pot and started the mixture for the cabbage burgers by browning up some ground turkey, then added cabbage and chopped onions. By that time the dough was ready after giving it a couple of punches and a rest. I rolled out the dough, cut it in squares and filled the center with a heaping spoonful of the turkey-cabbage mixture. The sides were pulled up and pinched close, then in the oven they went. After frosting the cupcakes and loading the food in the picnic basket we were ready to go.
I thought how fun it would be to have colorful 4th of July plates. To my surprise, there they were in the picnic basket from last years 4th of July picnic.
We left the dogs at home as it was going to be hot one at around 95 – 100 degrees. No use making them uncomfortable in a crowded park.
We drove to Washington Park and noticed that the park was very quiet with normal activities of people walking their dogs with some staking out their territory for picnics. Coolers were rolled in or hauled in wagons. Up went the volley ball nets around each gathering until the open space started to fill in.
We settled at a heavy cement picnic table under a grouping of glorious catalpa trees. Those are the trees that have delightful white flowers in late spring and big leaves that provide so much shade on hot summer day. This was near the portable band shell that was being set up for the evenings concert.
It was so quiet and peaceful in the park. We enjoyed each others company and watched from a distance at the goings on from other families and friends gatherings.
It was not even noon, but we couldn’t wait to dig into the food. It was yummy and really hit the spot especially the cupcakes. Jamie took a walk over to the lake. Stan and I enjoyed the military planes flying over our heads in formation.
The cell phone rang. It was Jamie letting us know that the action was over in the children’s park. A quintet was playing and kids were lining up to parade their decorated bikes through the path. Little kids had their bikes all decked out in red, white and blue crepe paper steamers on their handlebars and woven in the wheel spokes. It was all so cute.
As the temperatures creep up to the 100s we gathered our gear, stopped off at the grocery for some ice cream and headed home to enjoy the rest of the day inside with the air conditioner blasting.