Abandonded Dinner Party

Before the Covid-19 pandemic hit I was in the habit of meeting with some of my old high school buddies (every other month) over a meal at a 50s-style grill. Now that that is out of the question, I thought it might be a fun thing to meet outdoors where we could converse with proper social distancing. The pavilion pictured above is in the Anoka Nature Preserve, a pleasant area removed from the hustle and bustle of more congested parks. I sent a feeler out to the organizer of the regular meetings, he couldn’t find enough people interested, my plan came to naught.

Looking at it again, I realized that the thing that probably killed the deal was that the pavilion was 400 yards away from the parking lot. There are too many replaced knees and hips, too many worn out feet from a lifetime of standing, and too much inactivity in general for the guys in the group. It made me realize how fortunate I have been with my health—a 400 yard walk is only a blip compared to my usual perambulations.