For perspective, bear in mind The Big Guy is 6'4" (That's him in the pic.)
We were in Bayliss Park in Council Bluffs to judge a BBQ contest (If you look hard, you'll see the competitors' tents set up around the edges of the park.) but I fell in love with the squirrel statues. They're all over the park. Other than size, they are very realistic looking.
I couldn't wait to get back to the house and show the pictures to our little niece. She and her parents had spent the week nursing a baby squirrel that had fallen from its nest and she was totally infatuated with squirrels for the week.
I got so wrapped up in checking out the squirrels, I never took any pictures of the contest itself !!
Seriously, it was a great contest. It marked the first time we've ever judged in Iowa and we met a lot of terrific fellow judges there. Once you are a certified KCBS judge, you can judge at any KCBS contest, anywhere.
Even 1200 miles from home, we worked with a contest rep we've been with before. All KCBS contests go by the same rules and procedures and judges all undergo the same training. We truly have a lot in common with these strangers.
I always leave a contest with the name and email of at least one new friend - and this one was no exception. My newest friend and I are exchanging recipes and ideas for using barbeque leftovers. (Yes, true bbq lovers have a lot of leftovers to use up!)
