We were standing in the back of the Pony Express Pavilion on Saturday night when Steve Reynolds said to me, "This is what I like about living in Carson City."
Up on the stage, the Drifters were playing a medley that had us all laughing and clapping and tapping our feet. It was the conclusion of the Boys & Girls Club annual barbecue, one of those events that does indeed remind us what we like about living here.
By that time maybe a couple hundred people were left in the pavilion. Too bad more people couldn't have stayed, because the Drifters put on a memorable show. It helped to be old enough to remember the hits they sang, but it was a top-notch performance no matter what your age.
Earlier, people bid some astonishing amounts on auction items.
If I remember correctly, the winning bid for dinner for eight at Adele's was $4,000. A less appetizing dinner -- at the Carson City Jail, hosted by Sheriff Kenny Furlong and Justice of the Peace John Tatro -- went for something like $3,500.
There were plenty more, too. Thirty-one live auction items, and I don't think anything went for less than $500.
People weren't looking for bargains at this auction. They were looking for ways to donate money to the Boys & Girls Club, the same way the Pinon Plaza and Carson Station and lots of other businesses and individuals had donated food, liquor, goods, time and money to make it happen.
Recently on these pages have been printed a few letters about the difficulty of scheduling fund-raising events in Carson City. The plain fact is there are tons of them.
Tonight, for example, is the Brewery Arts Center's annual Beer Tasting, which will draw several hundred people to have a good time, bid on some auction items and raise money to help keep the Brewery in the black.
Through the summer, not a weekend goes by without competition between several events -- usually a big tourist-type function in Reno like the Balloon Races or the Rib Cook-off, a special attraction in Carson City like the coin show or Rendezvous, traditional weekends in Virginia City or Genoa or Dayton or Minden, and a full slate of draw around Lake Tahoe.
Add to those the barbecues, auctions, yard sales, car washes, golf tournaments, wine tastings, home tours, etc., etc., put on by organizations and clubs to raise some money, and it's enough to make your head spin.
And I haven't even thought about the frequent get-togethers like the Kiwanis Club's on Saturday, when volunteers will head out to the Carson River canyon just for the privilege of cleaning up other people's trash, or all the kids' sports events all parents must attend.
So much good stuff going on; so little time.
Last month, Jenny and I took a vacation without leaving home. We went out every night, had fun every day and never drove any farther than Reno. The month before, we entertained my niece and her husband in much the same way, running around Lake Tahoe and Virginia City playing tourist.
Sure, it's nice to get away and see new places. But for entertainment and relaxation -- and coming home to sleep in your own bed every night -- I like to stick close to home for one vacation a year.
The problem with all this activity, as the nonprofits point out, is that they'll worry every time whether they're going to draw enough of a crowd to keep the doors open. Many, like the Boys & Girls Club and Advocates to End Domestic Violence, bank on one big fund-raiser a year. Others, like the Landmark Society, are out there plugging away on many different weekends.
The best thing to do, as Joy Evans pointed out, is call the Carson City Convention & Visitors Bureau before you schedule an event. She does keep a calendar that helps you decide which date is best.
You can also check with us here at the Nevada Appeal. We keep a running calendar of every event that crosses our desks -- and that's a load.
I can pretty much guarantee you won't be able to pick a weekend date with no competition whatsoever (except maybe in January or February), but at least you'll have an idea what you're up against.
Of course, this is really a good problem for a city to have. Even if it's at a relaxed and comfortable pace, Carson City keeps hopping.
Anybody who tells you different isn't really paying attention.
