KELSEYVILLE >> This year’s Wildflower Brunch organizer was having a hard time finding a celebrity chef for the annual fundraiser at Clear Lake State Park last Saturday.
Just when all seemed to be lost, two previous celebrity cooks stepped up to the frying pans and agreed to again prepare made-to-order omelettes.
Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), who owns a vineyard in Kelseyville, and his Deputy Chief of Staff, Brad Onorato, were the heroes who saved the day…and the eggs.
Of course it helps that organizer Madelene Lyon of Kelseyville is “good friends” with the Congressman, a relationship Thompson confirmed.
“He’s been here a few times,” Lyon said. “He’s very interested in this park.”
Saturday marked the 20th anniversary of the Wildflower Brunch, according to Lyon, one of the event’s two co-founders. Lyon has continued to organize the event, including this year’s brunch, a fundraiser for the Clear Lake Park Interpretive Association (CLPIA), of which Lyon is a long-time member and current president.
“I’ve been involved since the very first day,” Lyon said. “(The late) Thelma Dangel told me we should have some type of event in the park involving wildflowers. So I gathered some wildflowers from outside the park for a table arrangement and it just sort of grew.”
This year, Lyon again organized the food preparation for the brunch which has a menu that hasn’t changed for 20 years: made-to-order omelettes, fresh fruit, pastries, orange juice and coffee.
But why no other side dishes, such as country fried potatoes?
“We have no (cooking) space to serve anything else,” Lyon said. “But we have added more omelette fillings, including more vegetables and cheeses for vegetarians.”
Saturday’s brunch used 30 dozen eggs to make omelettes for about 150 guests, which amounts to 2.4 eggs per omelette. There were 20 fillings available, including meats, veggies and cheeses.
Lyon said she was “thrilled” with the number of guests who showed up on the warm and sunny day.
She added, “I want to thank the community for turning out for this event. Clear Lake is a wonderful park to have in our community.”
Thompson said that when Lyon asked him at the last minute to be, once again, a celebrity chef, “I jumped at the chance.”
The interpretive association provides a number of activities to supplement what the state park offers, activities Thompson praised. He said one of the reasons he came out Saturday was to see how beautiful the park is.
The congressman said of CLPIA, “Their programs are good for our community and they’re good for our kids.”
One of the brunch guests, Quincy Andrus of Kelseyville, said she is “dear friends” with Lyon and her granddaughters and added that she was enjoying the event, held is a grassy, open-air space near a parking area.
“We’re having such a wonderful time and couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day,” Andrus said. “We absolutely support the park and are fortunate to have it in our backyard.”
Her husband, Kirk Andrus, added, “We used to camp here with the kids.”
It was the first Wildflower Brunch for Rick Barber of Kelseyville who was invited to go by a neighbor.
“The breakfast is great,” he said while sitting with his wife, Laura Barber, and friends. “This is a great way to bring in the spring.”
Barber also expressed sentiments that many other brunch guests reported. “You can’t beat this weather,” he said. “I’m happy the rainy season seems to be ending.”
To sum up the morning, Barber said, “This is a fabulous breakfast. The food is wonderful and this is a beautiful day to have the event.”
The brunch is the interpretive association’s major fundraiser of the year. Money has been used to buy equipment for the park that the state can’t afford, Lyon said, and to build the park’s pavilion.
Saturday’s attendance of about 150 guests is about average for the past several years, Lyon said. The first brunch had 30-40 guests, with the high, a few years ago, of 280 people.
“I love nature. I love going through the park and seeing the animals and all the beautiful plants,” she added. “It’s such a delight to be in the park.”
While the park is open to visitors, some areas, including campgrounds, are currently closed while repairs and restorations are being made to land areas and infrastructure damaged by winter flooding. Among the areas open are the boardwalk, which is accessible to people with disabilities.
