Summer in SoOre

Summer has long been, if not my least favorite season, then definitely the season that I have the most issues with. For one thing, I am currently trapped in my apartment with the windows closed and the AC on, when it has been my wont for the last month to sleep with the windows open while enjoying the night breezes. Unfortunately, this is a little difficult to do when it's only supposed to get down to 70 degrees tonight. However, as uncomfortable as this might be, it is also the cause of long drives out into the country (not so easy in the winter when some of the roads are quite snowed in) and up to the steeps of Mt. Ashland:
It is also the time of gardens and flowers and evening picnics. And the Fair. Which this year was greatly improved from years past. They actually had a flower competition! And although the tatting guys weren't represented (a great loss, I have to tell you. The gentleman and his son have been doing it for years and have produced some of the most amazing stuff I have seen in any handicraft.), there were actually a couple of rather nice pairs of socks entered. I went with my parents on a Wednesday evening, the lowest forecasted temperature for the rest of the week. We actually went to the pig auction, since my parents' neighbors' kids were showing/selling their pigs this year. My dad knew the Grand Champion's dad, too. The GC sold his pig for $10,200!! That's something like $40 a pound. The pigs that we watched being auctioned were between $3.50 and $7.50.

As we wandered through the stalls I couldn't help but think that we really missed the boat not getting me into 4H. I totally could have married my farmer!! I probably would have had to reconcile myself to a life of country music (gak!), but I might have gotten to have a horse of my very own, which would have made up for it.