So, this is it?

So, this is it? Competition #25 and the end of the American Freakage Tour 2017? Where did the year go?

It seems like just yesterday I was getting our inventory together for our first cook in April. You know, the cook where we got rightfully spanked on our horrible brisket turn in. Yeah, that one with the 5 in taste and tenderness. Back then we thought brisket needed the most work. Little did we know about the p❤rk journey that was about to unfold!

Have I really seen kale through 3 seasons, learning the hard way that spring and fall kale are WAY better than summer kale?

Did I really trim 625 pieces of chicken over the course of our season?

Did those extreme lows and awesome highs really happen?

Even though we’re at the end of the season, I still feel a ton of energy to get out there and keep dialing in p❤rk. Oh yes, that was quite a journey this season with p❤rk. It was a challenge like no other.

Speaking of p❤rk, today we packed those last three butts into the cooler along with all the other meats for this weekend. And lifted totes, lots of totes. Cooler and totes. I guess that means we just sherpa-ed them out to the garage for the last time this year?

I’ll admit I was just a tiny bit sad when I did the Wednesday Shuffle for the last time. Sad to have mixed the last injection. Realizing I was scraping my last chicken skin. Packing the last rubs.

So, this really is it. We’re headed to Osawatomie, KS, for the Border Wars BBQ competition. It will be the closest we’ve ever been to Mr. Freak’s hometown of KCMO. So one last bash, then it’s Smoke Freaks: Out.

Until then, Freak ON!