As coyotes howled outside under star-lit desert skies, St. Paul Katie taught the locals a lesson in No-Limit Texas Hold 'em, closing out three tables by 8:30 p.m. This singular triumph was witnessed first-hand by Sosie and Bill Shearer, who had motored in that very day in the family van, loaded with supplies and vintage sufficient for an indefinite stay at the nearby Rolfsrud Bros. Casa de Golfo.
While Katie stacked her chips, J.D. the dog snoozed in the car and Sosie, Bill and Stan drank beer and ate sandwiches, accompanied by a curious mustard/pickle- based version of potato salad favored by Arizonians.
Today's Ash Wednesday schedule will take a more religious tone, with the penitents slated for a pilgrimage to the famed San Xavier del Bac Mission in Tucson, a day of observations downtown and candlelight vespers at the El Minuto cafe in the barrio.
The San Xavier del Bac Mission was built between 1783 and 1797 by the Tohono O'odham tribe, under the direction of Spanish Franciscans. The mission opened Tucson's first public school in Nov. 7, 1864. There is no record of the monks teaching the Indians to play poker or run casinos.
