Garnet reveals lucky charm

This is the last of a four-part series about the fun involved with attending a wildlife banquet.

The 2019 Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Banquet was held in February. We found a table and used a business card as a place setting.

Steve Hoffman joined us for a visit as we walked around the room He walked up to Garnet and rubbed her left forearm.

“Want to get some of her mojo,” he said.

Indeed, Garnet’s knack to win at wildlife banquets is well known. Doesn’t bother me one bit to walk into a banquet room and hear two or three people make a comment, which some might say is unkind or unpleasant.

“Oh, no, Garnet’s here,” or “There go the odds,” or “Garnet just arrived look out.”

Me? I just smile.

Back at the table, Steve and his wife, Deborah, had joined us along with Bill and Debbie Sieverkropp and Roy and Judy Warnick. This made a great group to visit and share stories.

Garnet and I played the various games and ended up in the raffle area, where Deborah was dropping tickets on the different items. Deborah asked about how Garnet was able to win so many things at banquets.

“I understand you won a Glock .45 and a Mossberg, two-barrel, 12-gauge shotgun at one,” she said.

“Garnet has a lucky charm,” I said.

Deborah asked more questions and, in the end, Garnet told her she had a lucky elk’s tooth. It was given to her by Dr. Fairbanks when she was his nurse.

The tooth, set in silver, is a piece of jewelry hidden on her person. Deborah asked to see it and the tooth was brought forth. She asked to touch it and Garnet said OK. The tooth was touched and admired and then returned to its hiding place.

Deborah bought one ticket on the hat game. Besides buying the hat, the game provided a chance to win a rifle valued between $1,500 and $2,000. When the ticket was pulled from the bucket, Deborah was holding the winning ticket. A yell of joy erupted from her.

This is when the battle began. Steve claimed the rifle, but Deborah maintained she bought the ticket, so the rifle was hers.

Deborah won many more items during the banquet, Bill and Debbie won a few and so did Roy and Judy. Garnet collected one item.

“Steve, do you have any elk’s teeth?” Deborah asked.

“Yes, I have a few,” he said.

“I want one,” Deborah said.

Garnet is now trying to get her mojo back, trying to have the charm of the lucky elk’s tooth pointed at her again.