If you think we’ve had fun so far, this is the night we finally let our hair down.

After the Sunday afternoon public concert, everyone headed back to the hotel for the final party.

We arrived as things were in full swing.

A second (completely different) buffet, various tables shown next:

How Stacy Hobbs stays so slim…

While various announcements and closing thoughts by the host and others.

Bob Hartman gave another appreciation speech

I don’t recall what SB was saying, but this is what I love most – the inevitable and incorrigible impromptu hilarity.

How an American drinks

How a Russian drinks

After dessert, we did our semi-traditional raffle (Jaci and Linda sell tickets)

with the indefatigable Hiro choosing and shouting out the numbers

Tim Donahue gives back Hiro’s donated Japanese “Festival” fan, as he lives there and has plenty

They’re laughing because Tim Donahue kept winning the same fan (I think 3 times?)

My brother’s laughing because he finally got one of Tim’s fans

Kitty Wahlberg won the grand prize of free full registration for next year’s Gathering

And even before tables are cleared, instruments are coming out

Hiro also has a great voice and sang both lovely and raucous songs (somehow in perfect English)

I remember pounding on Ed Dowling’s wooden beat box for an hour (or perhaps it should be “beet box,” as that’s the exact hue my hands and fingers eventually became)

This was just one of the jam party areas, but all the photos I seem to have (perhaps others have been destroyed to hide the evidence?).  In any event, it went on until they kicked us out of the ballroom, then we went back to the lobby/bar area until who knows when.

We just didn’t want the weekend to end!

Next: Final farewells…

HGG10 blog series starts here