I am sorry for the late Posting, but the Blog Spot was down and I could not make that posting.

From Ethel Hewlett:
We are a soon to be a new CASI chili pod, 'Sunflower Pod'. We held our first cook off, in conjunction with a family reunion on Memorial Weekend. The CCO was held on May 29th. Other than being a little warm, the weather was great. It was held at Cheney Lake and State Park, Cheney, KS. It is west of Wichita, KS about 20 miles. It was a great camp site with lots of trees to provide shade.

Being as it was a holiday weekend, we were afraid that we wouldn't have enough cooks. We had 3 new cooks, and they placed in the top 10. The new cooks and many observers seem to be hooked on cooking and on CASI. The show teams were really awesome and unique. Two showteams were new to the CASI CCO scene. Some of the new cooks and observers are already talking and coming up with a schedule to attend more cookoffs in the surrounding area.

Thanks to Larry Velasquez from Mission, KS the RR for Kanas for coming and being the CCO ref along with his wife, Peggy. It was also exciting that Larry Velaszuez qualified for Terlingua at our first cookoff.

Chili Winners:
1. Jennifer Devenport
2. Larry Velasquez
3. David Hewlett
4. Barney Holleman - 1st time cook
5. Peggy Valesquez
6. Nancy Hewlett
7. Gil Hewlett
8. Ted Hoover
9. Marva Hewlett - 1st time cook
10. Richard Hewlett - 1st time cook

Show Winners:
1. Mad Hatters IV - Ethel Hewlett (captain) (new team)
2. Zing & Zang - Marva Hewlett (captain) (new team)
3. Mad Hatters - Richard Hewlett (captain)

POD ANNUAL AND CREDENTIAL REPORT:  I will be sending it our to the Great Peppers again this week.  You can also find it in the Research Center of the Web Page.  Thanks to all of you for your response.

NOTE:  Just a quick update from my house!  My Dad has survived another round.  He is doing as well as can be expected.  His mind is as sharp as a tack, but his body is not doing that well.  He still has some pneumonia in his lungs and is still getting IV antibiotics.

Tomorrow I go back to surgery on my toe.  The biospy that was taken a week ago show that the bacteria is still very much alive.  It has eaten the joints on both sides on the first 2 bones in that toe.  Tomorrow, the Dr is going to insert a wire and a anitibiotic disc (spacer) between the first and second joints.  If this works, in about 6 weeks he will do a bone graft.  I have another week in the Hyperbaric Chamber and will continue IV antibiotics until the problem is resolved and then antibiotics by mouth for several months after that.  The surgery is a trial procedure.  There is not a lot of technical information on this procedure a this time.  We are hopeful!