The last words in J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel “Return of the King” happen to be, “Well, I’m back.”

And so we are.

We arrived back home late last evening after a wonderful time had at the Jungle Jim’s Weekend of Fire event, knowing full well that the event was successful enough to be renewed for 2008. As you can see above, our amassed amount of products from the show will keep us busy enough tasting and reviewing until well after the next presidential inauguration! What you see in the above picture is the grand amount of stuff we have to try, and that doesn’t even include the case of Green Chile sauce from My Favorite New Mexico foods. Below is some closer views of what we have as well…

Our salsa and hot sauce needs will be filled by great stuff from Chooch & Pootan and Big Dawg Salsa, not to mention some other salsa goodies from Redd-Eye Brand as well.

On the other side of the panorama is some great pasta sauce from Csigi sauces, more amazing products from Nando’s, tasty mustards from Lee’s Hot Mustards, a return to the great products from our buddies at Torchbearer Sauces (plus a cookbook!), a couple of groovy hot sauces from Fat Kid Sauces, a damn fine BBQ sauce from Ole Ray Sauces, and even a bottle of the Habby Horse from DEFCON Sauces for us to take for a ride. Enough capsaicin to really hurt ya, but we won’t let it…LOL.

What show would be complete without picking up a few collectibles as well. On the left is the #1 bottle of the Special Commemorative Jungle Jim’s “Elephant of Fire” Bottle with the fatalli sauce (don’t worry, John, the check is in the mail!). On the right is the #33 bottle of the “Rejuvenating Elixer” from Fat Kid Sauces, which is an absolutely amazingly cool bottle. In the middle was a impulse purchase from the main JJ hot sauce aisle, which was a collectible “Beyond Death” bottle from Blair. A respectable, but not large in quantity, haul.

Last but not least, it was great to meet up with some fellow chileheads with whom we’ve conversed many times with or just know through the chilehead blogging world. DK, Blane, Ethan, Newman, and INCaneFan…it was great to meet ya. Dan and Mike from BLP Labels, great to see you guys again as well. That, plus a big thanks and cyber-hug to Bret Vitek from Jungle Jim’s for putting on a damn fine show. We know it was only the first year and the show was a “work in progress,” but we know it will get better with each year. Thanks!!!