Sally, what a fabulous report! You've really captured what a fun day it was, both in terms of the formal events and the delight of Garett's warmth and spontaneity. LOL, those moments with the little baby hedge hog were hilarious; poor Garett, the animals sure gave him a bit of a hard hard this year, but he was such a great sport. Like you, I tend to be more interested in the 'characters' than the 'actors', but I've found over the years that he's such a generous, kind individual, very sweet, that it's a real pleasure to see him. He was very relaxed this year, and seemed to have as good a time as we were having. And, like you, I really enjoy the the informal catching up with online friends. I'm so sorry I didn't know you might have wanted a ride down to the hotel -- I drove right by it after leaving the zoo, on an errand with StarWatcher! And I'm sorry that we didn't get a chance to chat a bit, too, or to see you later at the chalet. But I'm sure there will be other opportunities. Hope so, anyway. LOL, thank you for the 'the Arianna' comment! Made me smile. But, sweetie, we're all just fans of great characters and the wonderful men who play them, so please don't feel shy if we find ourselves with another chance to chat someday! (Of course, having said that, I need to admit that I'm a bit shy of meeting new people, too, and of just sticking out my hand and saying, hey, I know your name from LJ, so I've got to do more, too than just smile at people as they pass by!)

Thanks for taking the time to write such a neat report and for sharing your perspectives on the day with all of us!