Neal Kloepfer

I plan on being there. Don't mind paying the $6.

Betty Myers (Schaefer)

I am sorry to have to miss this lunch.  Sounds really special.  Social life is a lot of medical appointments still for John and in the wrong direction-----Las Cruces.  I am aiming for October's lunch.  Nothing on the calendar yet except the October lunch.

Saralou Burnett (Lagier)

Betty .. sending good thoughts to you and John.

Steve Komadina

Somehow I got deleated from the e-mails on new postings and have not seen anything since August 18th.  I talked to Merl Shafer tonight and he told me about the upcoming BioPark picnic and I so wish I could come.  Hope I start getting notices again.  Look forward to seeing everyone again soon.

Steven Brooks

I will attend the picnic sounds like fun

Pam Richardson (Williams)

Marty,

Pam (Richardson) Williams and Ron plan to attend.

Rhonda Beauchamp (Blech)

Martha Glantz (Farmer)

Ron and Pamela (Richardson) Williams, in background Joe and Gloria (Ruiz) Santana viewing the crane sculpture in the pond, Lynn Brosman Romero, Sandy Stewart Smallwood, Steve Brooks.

Bonnie Krueger Kelly, George Boyden, Tooey (Lanning) Boyden, Jerry Goffe

Hank Kelly, Phillip von Klemz

The early birds set up chairs on the pavilion near the gate to await the rest of our group. As the circle grew, we greeted Lynn Brosman Romero and Ron and Pam (Richardson) Williams whom we haven't seen in some months. 14 of us paraded to the Gardens, with Phil Klemz, our newest picnicker, towing our paraphernalia in the cart Jerry secured. (That sounds like an initiation into the group, but Phil volunteered!) We were then ushered on a round-about route to avoid the movie being filmed near my imagined destination.  It was a boon because we settled near the performance tent with lovely shade, as you can see.  

About 90 minutes later, we loaded chairs into the wagon and headed to see butterflies.  Everyone was snapping pictures as though we were professionals.  Then Jerry Goffe, the real professional, led some to the Dragonfly Pond, where a frog and bumblebees had replaced the "mosquito hawks".  On our way out, we took a short jaunt to the Rose/Wisteria Room...to see porcupines!  They were lounging in the thick vines overhead, not disturbed in the least by our exclamations! I asked Jerry how he could spot them so quickly. "Sometimes you can see the quills they drop as they crawl through the vines."  Sure enough, I spotted one on the ground.  Being an amateur tracker, I'd heard of looking for scat.  Jerry said, using his skills in alliteration, "We call it porcupine poop," as he pointed to the ground at some little round splats that hadn't been there when I picked up the quill....
 

The last of us drove away about 2:00. I heard exclamations, "Let's do this again!"  "I don't want to leave. It's so peaceful!" "Let's go to the zoo next month!"  And well we may--on the second Monday of October.  

John Criswell

Nice pictures Martha. Sorry I missed it. They remind me of going to the Annual Harding County Picnic held in Albuquerque with the Harding county pioneers who moved here after WW2. My Grandparents and their contemporaries. Now we are the old folks. Sorry,..... vintage folks.

Martha Glantz (Farmer)

John, was I ever so surprised by your post!  I was only practicing with the pictures, a rough draft so to speak. I deleted them with intentions of changing the sizes somehow.  Somehow...because I am computer challenged, they got entered.  It's a Thomas Edison learning curve for me...   (By the way, I would love to hear more about your vintage memories!)

SO, THE LUNCHEON'S EDITED VERSION WITH CAPTIONS IS BELOW JOHN'S POST, in its original position. I'm punctuating this with a picture of Helen S. Williams under her straw hat next to Neal Kloepfer.

Jerry Goffe

More Picture. That's what Marty asked for, so if you followed us to the Butterfly & Pollinator Pavilion after lunch, you may have seen these.

or

and if you stopped on the Ceremonial Garden and looked up you would have seen this.

Mama Porcupine

Martha Glantz (Farmer)

Jerry, what a treat to see these so close up! And my porcupine shot is not as clear, nor endearing. (I wonder how many times porcupine is paired with endearing...!). Thanks for sharing your many talents!

Martha Glantz (Farmer)

 OCTOBER LUNCH: Monday, 10/11.  We will meet at the ABQ Biopark (aka Zoo) at 11:00.  Cost will be $5.50.  Bring your chair and lunch, although you can buy lunch at the cafe past the stage.  We will probably sit in the park near there, with facilities being available. Jerry is arranging to have a docent lead us on a short or long tour of the Africa exhibit which begins near our lunch site. He will have a wagon and place to store our chairs while we tour.  Come enjoy a bright NM fall day in a place brimming with art, culture, and life in so many forms!  RSVP HERE so we can arrange with the Zoo.

Sandra Stewart (Smallwood)

I will be there.

Steven Brooks

Helen Stambaugh (Williams)

I will come too.  Thank you

Gloria Ruiz (Santana)

Joe and I will be joining all of you, looking forward to seeing everyone. 

Jerry Goffe

I'll be at the zoo too. If anyone would like a free admission ticket, just let me know and I'll puit your name on it.. Mamma Hippo is excited for us to see her new baby. She yelled "GREAT" when I told her you all were coming down to see her ... see photo.

Susan Thompson

Jim and I will be here there. Sounds like a great day. 
susan

Betty Myers (Schaefer)

Susan and I just had a garage sale today so I will be able to stay over for the Monday lunch.  I will bring John and Susan.  Yvonne Maher is going to try and make it as she would like to see as many of you as possible before she makes her big life-changing move to  North Dakota to be close to family.  I am RSVPing for her.

See ya'll then.

Steve Komadina

I learned at Balloon Fiesta when i met Lorraine Barth's daughter that she had died late last year from non-alcohol related  liver failure.  I talked with her at the last reunion we had at the country club and she was having health issues then.  Time continues to pass.    

Rhonda Beauchamp (Blech)

Martha Glantz (Farmer)

Last month’s lunch at the zoo had a dozen of us enjoying the park, a hike to see the elephants, and for a smaller group, a brief tour of Africa.  The baby hippo made its appearance, a white vulture displayed its 6 foot wingspan while the rhinos mimicked large boulders as they napped. Betty Myers Shaefer quipped that we earned a new name—once called Hornets, we have the new title of Highland Turtles—slow and steady was our pace, except for conversation!

John and Betty Myers Shaefer, Susan Myers Puckett, Ruthie and Mike Wartell.  We were so glad to see both John and Ruthie on the mend!

Gail Stark's signal didn't pause my trigger finger.  (Jerry Goffe has that professional control, however, he was in a long lunch line and missed this posing.) Steve Brooks and Sandy Stewart Smallwood on either side.

Yvonne Maher joined us for the day--a farewell before she heads off to live in North Dakota.  Sandy and Helen Stambaugh Williams shared laughs of the past..and present.  North Dakotans are in for a treat!  We will share.

Phillip von Klemz with our guide, Sandy, and Susan on the African "yellow brick road".

Martha Glantz (Farmer)

Our NEXT HHS BIRTHDAY LUNCH:  NOVEMBER 8, MONDAY, 1:00pm at CENTRAL GRILL AND COFFEE SHOP.    The second Monday is upon us!  Since it is getting cooler we will be dining inside.  Our original time of 1pm is reinstated.
     This month we will need to RSVP here so I can give a count to the restaurant.  But we have a new twist ala effects of the shutdown.  When I asked the owner about being able to serve up to 20, he replied that he has half the staff he used to have. So we made an arrangement—our folks will go online to choose what they will want. So, when you RSVP, include your order.  I will take him the list on Saturday morning. If you cannot rsvp by Saturday, you can still come, but your order may take a little longer to arrive.
    When you go to the website, you will see that this restaurant has won an award for making over 15,000 meals for programs during the shutdown. What a good local place to support!   AND I have it on good report that the food is GOOD!
    So, here’s the routine in brief: 
1.  Go to https://centralgrillandcoffeehouse.com/  to read the menu. 
2.  Once you decide, RSVP to me here or by private message by this Friday night, Nov. 5.
3.  On Monday Nov 8, come for lunch at 1pm.  The restaurant is on the south side of Central in the first block east of Rio Grande, east of the small police substation.  It is not an auspicious building so look for the sign.

Susan Thompson

Jim and I will be coming to the lunch.  We would each like to order the 3 beef taco meal. 
Thanks. See you Monday.