4th of July Weekend

Rich and I headed out for Wapato (outside of Yakima) on the morning of the 4th of July to spend the weekend with Alex Wish at his Aunt and Uncle's home. We had heard rumors that the Russo boys were going to roast a PIG this year....and boy, were the rumors true. We arrived to see Nate, Ross and Tony tending to the Pig and working out the FDS (fuel delivery system) to add charcoal to the spit. Pam was the manager on duty! Rich immediately decided this is where he was going to spend his day too...and I made my rounds. Here is a picture of the pig once he had been burned twice and been pulled out of the spit.

The adventures during the weekend started at lunch when our friend Wilbur (the pig) started a little grease fire and we almost lost him, the tent he was under and half the orchard (well, maybe one pear tree). Not long after, Wilbur lit up the sky again, and this time he was ready to cool and be enjoyed by all. The Russo's famous BBQ sauce was a grand addition to the pig.

The fourth of July continued with a fantastic fireworks (all legal - right?) display by Gipp and Kirby. By far, the best I've seen in years. We enjoyed some cocktails by the pool while the fireworks lit up the sky. It was a great place to be on the 4th - celebrating with friends. The evening continued with some Cherry Bombs and many, many games of Flip Cup....before deciding it was time to retire for the night.

With the pig done on Friday, Saturday left a lot more time for the pool, volleyball and consuming some Rainier, Busch Light and Cherry Bombs. Marco, Alex, Rich and I took a trip to the store and stocked the Honder full to the brim...6 cases of Rainer, 2 cases Busch Light and some ice to last the afternoon...

Once back from the store, Alex worked on his famous wings, Rich and I our salads, and fun was had by all...except Pam who had a little accident that sent her to the ER. Left with no parental supervision, the bar for consumption was raised to a new level and the day went on...

Alex preparing 26 pounds of his famous wings!

Saturday night continued with more games of Flip Cup, some adventures in the pool (thanks boys - I needed to swim in my jeans), and more Cherry Bombs. This night was definitely how I remember (or don't) Wapato from my last 2 trips there....

All in all, the weekend was a blast and I think that Rich and I agree that it will be a while before we eat or drink like that again...Thanks to Gipp and Carol for being such gracious hosts and allowing us to do this year after year!