With heavy snow earlier in the week, we were relived when Mother Nature gave us a break for a few days and let it warm up into the high 40's.  Enough to melt some of the foot of snow that fell on Monday.  Crystal Clear skies greeted us with the dawn this morning.  Cooks wasted no time in setting up and lighting their stoves for the 4th Annual Downtown Holiday Chili Cookoff.  With cooks from Nebraska, Texas and Colorado the cookoff was well represented.  Setting up our Booths right on Main Street, we had the perfect vantage point for the City of Golden's Annual Downtown Holiday parade, which passed right in front of us as we cooked!  As the distinctive smell of chili started to fill the air, the parade started to roll.  Everything imaginable was in this annual holiday event, culminating with the arrival of the Jolly old man himself, Santa Claus.  Many a holiday shopper stopped and visited with chili cooks and sampled their culinary art.