Holy Dante's Inferno! Is Kachemak Bay blessed or what? Yeah, it rained for the first day in weeks, and right on schedule when the cruise ship Volendam docked. Honest, dear visitors, we've had fantabulous weather. You shoulda seen Thursday last week -- or Wednesday, Tuesday, Monday. Really, just like the Betster pleaded for, we needed that rain.

Out East End Road, cowboys, ranchers, fishermen and an ace division of bulldozer operators had endured days of near panic and dread, not knowing if the Mile 17 fire would sweep up the box canyons and destroy a thousand dreams. By pluck, luck and divine grace, they dodged the unimaginable. As always, our local firefighters swooped in to save the day, with some solid back-up from the yellowshirts. Not every home could be saved, but considering what could have, should have or might have been, whew.

People who remember the Mansfield Road or Tracy Avenue fires did a little pay-forward on this one -- making soup and sandwiches and giving the firefighters some vittles a bit more tasty than meals-ready-to-eat. Paying those fire service area taxes on the next bill ought to be easy. You don't need a "your tax dollars at work" sign when fire engines line the road from McNeil to Voznesenka.

It's a time for remembering this weekend. Memorial Day honors those lost in generations of wars, from Bunker Hill to Tora Bora. We take the weekend off to play, to get our summer tourist season going and to catch big fish, but come Monday gray veterans will play "Taps" and salute their fallen brothers and sisters. Put a poppy in your lapel and wherever you might be on Memorial Day, pay a little forward to those who paid everything by not forgetting.

Pay a little forward by playing, too, because soldiers and sailors, Marines and pilots, died so we could live normal lives free of tyranny -- free to live safe and secure. Play hard, play safe and play free, maybe with some of these Best Bets:

BEST 100 YEARS ALREADY? BET: Not only is the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge one of the most widespread refuges in America, it's also one of the oldest. Help the AMNWR celebrate its 100th birthday today with a Homer Chamber of Commerce mixer from 5-7 p.m. at the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center. Start off the Kachemak Bay SeaFest, too.

BEST HANGIN' IN THE HARBOR BET: Most of us will wander through the harbor a few times this summer, if only to catch a water taxi across the bay. Know your crabber from a seiner? Want to learn the inside scoop on historic boats? The Pratt Museum's popular Historic Harbor Walking Tour starts this weekend, with tours at 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The tours continue through the summer. Admission is $5.

BEST ALL BOATS ALL THE TIME: Speaking of boats, the annual Kachemak Bay SeaFest starts today and runs through Monday. SeaFest central is at the barge basin on the Homer Spit, but there are events all over town. Don't miss the Kachemak Bay Wooden Boat Society's show Saturday and Sunday or the Sea Chanteys and Tall Tales at 7 p.m. today at the Salty Dawg. For a full schedule, visit www.kbayseafest.com.

BEST IT'S ALL RIGHT JACK BET: So there's this guy named Jack who uses the name "Ernest" -- or is it "Earnest?" -- when he's in the city, except that his friend Algernon kinda likes the name, too. Misunderstandings ensue. Hearts are broken. You know the drill: it's a traditional mad cap Oscar Wilde comedy. Carolyn Norton directs the Pier One Theatre production, opening at 8:15 p.m. Friday at the little red theater on the Spit. Shows continue at 8:15 p.m. Saturday and next weekend.

BEST ROPE THAT DOGIE BET: Big cities might have their high school musicals, but here in cowboy country, we have a High School Rodeo. It's the first ever, and you can share the history at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Kenai Peninsula Fair Grounds in Ninilchik. Fill up on some grub before the rodeo with a late breakfast courtesy of Ninilchik Emergency Services and its big pancake breakfast from 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

BEST PULSATING PALATES BET: If that pancake breakfast wasn't enough, check out the second annual Chili Cook-Off at Cottonwood Horse Park out East End Road. The official park opening is at noon Monday, with raffles and other fun stuff. Proceeds benefit our local equestrians.

Homer's Best Bets