Pre-Memorial Day Barbeque at Cayuga Lake

For Sunday's evening meal, it was time to fire up the grill. Of course, I had nothing to do with firing the grill up, or for any part of this meal really. Other than taking some photographs and heartily enjoying the food itself. The burgers awaiting their moment in the heat.

This green bean salad is deceptively tasty. It looks all simple, but the lemon/pine nut wonder that is the dressing really is just too much deliciousness to talk about. I love green beans to start with. Their crisp snap, the slight sweetness....but add an extra layer of flavor on top and you've gotten something golden. Or greenden.

I think H. prepared the salad.

The meat pile. Burgers, hot dogs, sausages and veggie burgers for the non-carnivores.

There was also warm potato salad, which was no joke either.

Turns out that it was one of H's friend's birthdays. Somehow they managed to make a cake during the day without anyone being the wiser. I thought I had been traipsing in and out of that house with some frequency, and would have noticed if it began mysteriously smelling like chocolate cake. But it turns out that cakes can be stealthy.

The table from another vantage point.

And another lovely fire to round out the evening.

All Sunday I rued the fact that the next day was Monday. While some would simply be thankful for the extra day (and perhaps even capable of taking a moment to remember the actual purpose of Memorial Day), I was already thinking about the inevitable packing up and driving away. It's far less sweet to drive away from the pretty as it is to drive to it, and Sunday was slightly smirched by this inability of mine to completely live in the moment. But by night fall, with a boisterous group, great food and a few brewskies, I was able to just enjoy the evening and save the angst for the next day.