February 3, 2022- This evening was devoted to honouring a good friend, on her birthday. My practice has been to at least extend greetings to those whose special days come to my attention, and how much more to those close to me, to help make their days memorable, in whatever way is appropriate.

For this occasion, dinner at our local tapas restaurant, El Gato Azul, filled the bill. I have never had tapas, per se, finding this evening’s fare very much the equivalent of appetizers. The chef and his crew offer several dozen items on their tapas menu, along with a well-varied listing of entrees. We each selected seafood items as our entrees, enjoying side salads and a tapas item, giving each of us a taste of the tapas crew’s considerable gifts.

This restaurant is one of the few in Prescott where reservations, made at least a week in advance, are of the essence. It is also a place in which people dress, albeit business casual, for the occasion. There was a hearty crowd, mostly couples and foursomes, with single diners (“the regulars”) seated at the bar. We had a table in the larger dining area, sheltered by sheeted plastic in the colder months, and an open patio once things warm up. We were comfortable this evening, despite the frigid air that has hung around outside for the past several days.

We talked of several things, over the course of ninety minutes, from home maintenance-always an issue, it seems, in this transitional period between solid construction and the rush to throw up housing that meets immediate needs-to arcane aspects of personal astrology, a topic about which I comprehend very little. (I do, however, see how cosmic energy can set off, or settle, a person, depending on one’s energy path.)

I look forward to several outings with this friend, over the time to come, and to other visits to El Gato Azul.