Against all odds, the Petaluma Mail Depot has made it to its fifth anniversary (and Maureen, the fiery-haired proprietor, her 30th birthday, more or less). Can you think of a better reason for a party?

I didn’t think so.

Complete with butt-shaking music by funk band A Case of the Willies (Wow!) and a mindbending performance from the lovely Solimar and her troupe of fire dancers (who will be back at the Mail Depot in two weeks for the annual Burning Woman Celebration), this was a blow-out to beat all blow-outs, showcasing Petaluma as a city that really knows how to party. After all, what other city in the USA can one watch the mayor boogieing down to James Brown's “(Get Up I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine” (and let me tell you, our mayor can dance!)?

Quote of the night: "Oh, it's a mail place, not a bar."

I’m going to let the pictures (more or less) speak for themselves…

( Party people pictures can be found behind the cut... )

Behind the scenes at Our Best Friends: Hannah and Maddie plan their halloween costumes. They're thinking of trick or treating as Daisy and Violet Hilton.