Dear Cowboys and Indians,

Nineteen days until the kick-assinest chili cook-off event of the year. You're already planning on which cowboy hat to wear or how to wear your feathers, aren't you? I know. You're planning on just how much kick you're going to give your chili, hoping you win the prize for best chili in order to justify your competitive streak, I know. You're wondering just what the biggest prize is because it may mean free stuff...I know. It's okay, I'm not nearly as offended by that as you'd think, because that's how I was planning it, and I'm good at planning those kinds of things. The truth is, I couldn't be more excited myself the closer the day gets. Boys and girls, dare I say, "Yeehaw."

We've been cleaning up the backyard in preparation for the big day. You wouldn't believe the measures we've taken. The beer garden is gone, we removed it to uncover a dance floor. We've done some sodding, some weeding, and some heavy mowing. We now have a bar and some other fun stuff. We've been looking into getting a few haybales for sitting on and trying to figure out what we want to use for rootbeer. I have no idea what we may do if it rains that day. It's been threatening rain like insanity lately, right? I'm not just imagining that, am I?

Anyway, all that is to say: Woo! It's May!!!