We were all looking forward to the occasion. After all we had missed out on the annual BBQ last year because of covid but this year, we were not in a tight lockdown and most of the condo residents had been fully vaccinated. I looked at the sky as I changed y clothes and wondered if the thunderstorm we had been promised was about to arrive. However we had been forecast to get storms for days and they hdd missed us. Maybe this one too would pass but it was getting ominously dark outside and it was only 5:30.

I considered taking a jacket or even an umbrella but rejected both. It was too hot to wear a jacket and the umbrella might be a nuisnace. After all, I was bringing my walker which could double as a seaat if necessary. The sociial commitee had done a great job of decorating. The tables were covered with white cloths and there were flowers in vases on each table. The whole backyard with its pretty flowerbeds looked lovely and festive. We met our neighbours at a back table under the pergola. Some clever people decided to sit under full cover and they were the lucky ones. A few drops of rain fell through the leaves above us but they were not bothersome. Then the few dfops started to get serious and we decided it really was going to rrain. The thunder claps helped us tomake that decision. .

WE escaped to the nearest sun umbrella as there were four of them set up above tables. Then we crowded together with seven other people trying to stay slightly dry. It was a lost cause. Eitherr your front got wet or your back got wet or you could roatate and keep both sides damp.

The rain became a torrent and we looked at the poor guys trying to set up the bbqs to cook the food. One of them wrung out thewater from his t shirt while I watched. There is a point when you are so drenched that it doen;s reslly mstter how much more it rains as you cannot get any wetter. I did wonder what was going to happen to the extra food as the crowd was about half the sizs as had been predicted. Only the hardy stayed. A man with a phone showed us that the storm was eventually going to pass but it took a long time to get that message, There were inches of water on the stones on which we wer standing so out feet were as wet as the rest.

The storm did pass and we heard to rattle around in the east and boom over the lake. The organisers said we could eat. First we had to wear plastic gloves to get our plates and bun. I do not know if you have ever tried to put on pastic gloves over wet hands. It is tricky as the fingers do not want to slide into the right places. I managed to sort of wear and then chose my bun which was of coursre damp. I had elected to eat chickken rather than beef and I added salads. Then it walked around to get the ndiments. The pickles. tomatoes and relish were swimming in pools of water in their various conntainers so I fished out some with a fork and added them to my soggy plate.

>LIke many others, we chose a drink and then trooted off with the food to our apartment to eat it as there was not enough room under cover. Inside I stripped off my wet clothes and ate my cold anddamp dinner. Actually the chicken tasted good so it was a shame it wasn’t a hot piece of meat. To complete the rather disastrous evening the Blue Jays lost to the White Sox. Our neightbour kindlly went downstairs about halkf an hour later and collected some dessert squares for us.

I guess the good thing about the occasion was that the thunderstorm cleared out the humid air and now there is a fresh breez coming through thr window. It is a blessing after the stagnant ir we have been enduring this week and the very high tempertaues and humidex. The nights have been tough as I cannot imagine what it mjust have been like for people with wir condtioning. We are fortunate.

So that was the BBQ for 2021. It is in line with the other tnings that have ben hsppening this year. Why are we surprised?