THE BAND IS OUT ON THE FIELD!

Beer #315 Geary's Pale Ale / D.L. Geary Brewing Company, Portland, ME

Good Saturday to you all!  It's another gorgeous fall day here in our 'hood, which we took advantage of by getting the dogs out the dog park to run around.  All went swimmingly until Picasso joined a cabal which was trying to eviscerate another dog.  In his defense, it's a bad call for a dog owner to try and bring a puppy to a dog park, particularly one that has issues with socialization.  Thankfully, everyone escaped unscathed, and a beautiful afternoon was not ruined.  Special added Saturday bonus?  After not carrying kirby cucumbers all year, my grocery store magically had some available today.  Rather late in the season (I guess I should thank global warming?) for homemade pickles, but I have one more batch underway right now.  Damn good day.

Good days require good beer, and today I'm going with a Geary's Pale Ale, from D.L. Geary Brewing.  In the glass, this beer shows off a clear copper color and a lingering white head.  Your nose picks up a floral aroma, with grass and malt, and when you take a sip you find lemon, sweet malt, and tea, with a nice, dry mild bitterness on the finish.  Thin and easy (hey, just like me!), this beer is a keeper.  If you see it, drink it.

I should talk to them about calling it "GARY'S". 

D.L. Geary has been a long time contributor to the craft beer scene, having opened their doors all the way back 1983, which was without a doubt the infancy of the U.S. craft beer movement.  David Geary spent time learning the trade in England and Scotland, and I think that shines through in this beer.

Thing to Think About Today:
College football rivals Cal and Stanford squared off today, and I'm sure there were plenty of highlights and great plays.  In the world of sports, spectacular plays happen every single day, without fail.  However, once in a blue moon, the planets and stars align just so to give us a highlight beyond comprehension, a play that transcends sports and becomes bigger than the game itself.  Thirty years ago, one such play happened in the college football universe, and is so well known for it's chaotic and miraculous ending it is simply referred to as The Play.

Oddly, they're both wearing helmets

Back in 1982, future Hall of Famer John Elway marched his Stanford squad down the field for a last second field goal to take the lead over Cal and lock up bragging rights for a year.  Well, not exactly last second - four seconds remained.  All Stanford had to do was kick off, tackle the kick returner, and then head to the locker room to celebrate.  Only problem?

Only problem was no one told Cal the game was over.  In a play that needs to be watched multiple times to be believed, their kick return squad morphed into a rugby team, using five backward laterals to keep the ball alive and moving down the field.  While this was going on, the Stanford Band started wandering onto the field for their post-game concert, only to find themselves as part of the madness of the final play.

Keep in mind this was before the era of instant replay - to this day, there are questions about whether certain runners were down and whether certain laterals were legal.  Both sides thought they won, and when the refs gave the final nod to Cal, a legend was immediately created.  I recall seeing this highlight as a kid and being completely mesmerized.  I still am thirty years later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfebpLfAt8g

"The most amazing, sensational, dramatic....heart wrenching... exciting, thrilling finish in the history of college football!!!!"