(This article did not make it into the fall edition. It will be in the winter edition.)

Although I have attended HLWA functions in the past and even helped a little bit, I was never part of the main core of people and board members who make the decisions and do the planning and who I now just refer to as the HLWA party machine, because that is exactly how good they are at this.

This is how it plays out. First an HLWA member/property owner is approached and asked if they'd like to host the annual picnic. We said yes. Then a planning meeting is scheduled, and the time is used to come up with commitments as to who will provide tables, chairs, cooking skills, shopping, a theme, a menu, signs/advertising, manpower, etc., and remarkably all these generous people attending (about 12) quickly offered all the needed donations and commitments.

Phone calls were made and emails sent out to get all the food lined up, and a paper-flower-making get-together arranged, which produced about 70 flowers for the event.

Some of the borrowed tables, chairs and coolers started arriving a couple days prior to the event, exactly as requested, and some the day of, as requested. Everyone seemed to know exactly what was needed and how to help. This lake association has a lot of well-practiced partiers.

Party day arrives and starts early. There's the 8:30 arrival at Platts' garage to release the tent from its rafters. This is a procedure that worked beautifully with the four volunteers each handling their part. The party machine then rolls into its destination at 330 West Lake Street to begin setting up the big white tent and arranging and rearranging the tables and chairs - all done in record time.

Next, the decorating crew goes full steam - tables covered, centerpieces made, tent decorated - and flowers, flowers everywhere. The more we used, and we used every one, the prettier it got. It was a beautiful sight!

Now the guests and their beautiful dishes start to arrive, many reflective of our southwest fiesta theme. We enjoyed dips and three kinds of chili, tacos, enchiladas, beans and rice, chicken, many side salads, and lots of cool, fresh fruit. Desserts were plentiful, with margarita pie, Mexican brownies, Jack Daniel's cake, Kahlua cake, cookies, and squares - and, of course, sangria, sodas and more. The weather was hot, but the shade was plentiful, and a good time seemed to be had by all.

So if you get a call someday from the HLWA expressing an interest in your property as the next destination for a lake event - fear not. It's a long day for those involved and Joe and I were tired at the end, as I'm sure some of the helpers were, too, but you couldn't do it with a nicer, more generous group.

When it was all over, everything disappeared even more quickly than it had appeared in the beginning. No mess, no cleanup - everything was taken care of. The only problem will be when we have to host the next get-together at our house and the HLWA party machine doesn't show up. Are they busy around December 20 for my family's annual Christmas dinner?