Dear Nauts!

It is summer. And by the time we see you next, it will be official. And now that Curtiss has returned from his leisurely European sojourn, it’s time to get back to work. By which, of course, we mean the opposite of work. Our June dinner — as we (sorta) work to get back on schedule — is a tale of conquest and royalty, as would befit our good Prince Calleo. It’s a story about a Queen and her suitors, and it begins in a magical land called Pointe Verde…. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Queen, who was Hidden Away in a dark dungeon with stoves and smokers. She was not a prisoner, though, except perhaps only to her whims. She did what she wanted, but not what we wanted. And even when we praised her and beguiled her with gifts, the Queen was wise to our cunning tricks and sent us on our not-so-merry way. We were crestfallen, and pined for her affections. And then, suddenly, the Queen and her Hideaway were no more. Seasons passed, winters and summers and winters again, and we looked in vain for our Queen. We seeded the soil and called upon the heavens, and our prayers were answered. Like Lazarus, the Queen returned, to a sleepy southern ford where she is neither first, nor second, but somewhere in between. And we prevailed upon her yet again, but again she resisted — until Prince Calleo, harnessing the Square of Four, became her master and foremost patron (a Mayor, if you will) giving her no option but to do his bidding. And thus she relented. And the time now has come for us to feast upon her table. And you will come (RSVP) and partake in this repast. And you shall eat until your bellies are full, and drink until your loincloths fall from your loins. And, finally, there will be much rejoicing. Oh, and do look sharp for your Queen, you subjects: time to show off your summer finery.