Always There For Me

I took a drive to Cambria the other day to escape the heat and smoke filled skies that are locked in here.   Smoke continues to drift down from the big fire near Big Sur and 100 degree temperatures keep it very oppressive.   I crossed my fingers that my place of calm (and fresh air) would be as welcoming as always.

There were tourists around, but not a lot.  Kids were crawling and bopping around like they do, getting out that energy that kids carry around with them.   I watched one girl, probably around 8 years old,  practicing her little hip hop dances on her own while her mom took cell phone photos.   The girl would do something funky, talk to herself and smile.   In her own little world.   As was I.

Cambria never disappoints.   It's always there for me.

Halftime

If you think about Summer as June-July-August, we are halfway through.   Summer activities, festivals, fairs, family vacations are all in full swing.   In our area, the California Mid-State Fair kicks off this week.   It's always had a small town feel with some long time traditions that people look forward to.   The fair always kicked off with a cattle drive through town.   I believe last year was the first year ever that it won't take place.   I don't remember the reason but I think it had to do with the gathering point becoming unavailable because the land had been sold.   Sad that another symbol of this being ranch country has gone away.   

Another thing that has changed this year for our fair is that they will now be conducting metal detecting scans.   *sigh*   We all know what they're looking for.   Weapons.   We are a county of small communities that have seen the growth of gang related activities.   I'm sure in light of all the violence and attacks on policemen, there is a concern about that as well.   

I hope everything goes smoothly at the fair, that everyone enjoys the great concerts that hit the stage, and the food.   Oh yes, the fair food.   I didn't go to the fair last year but will probably walk through the exhibits this year.   And yes, even though I've been eating more healthy recently, I must have something that is absolutely sinful and decadent.   The cinnamon rolls are unreal.   That will probably be my indulgence.   If they ever take the cinnamon rolls away from the fair, there will be hell to pay.   The lines are long, the rolls are fresh from the oven, and they send you instantly into a sugar coma.   But who cares?   It's the fair.

We had a few things on our list that we wanted/needed to complete early in June.   They didn't happen in as timely a way as we'd hoped, but the third of three should be completed this week.   We'v been going through a refinance and it has dragged into the most ridiculous process you can imagine.   After the past 3 weeks of sorting through the delays and lack of communication, it is supposed to finalize very very soon.   As we suspected, there was an incompetent employee in the middle of it all, and we were informed yesterday that she was let go for not doing her job.   

And so it's halftime.   I haven't been out with my camera much.   I have been riding a lot and that's a good thing.   Erik has been trying to keep our trees alive in spite of a county-wide gopher invasion this year.   We have lost nearly all of our fruit trees and they are now trying to kill our Pony Plums.   Over the weekend our 20 Fuji apples on a young tree completely disappeared....overnight.   There are pieces of branches on the ground and we suspect a deer came through for a snack.   I feel sometimes that we're out on the prairie and fighting against the elements at every turn.   Crazy.   We'd like to have a nicely manicured property but it's expensive and frustrating.   But we persevere.   And cross our fingers.

So life is always a mixed bag, isn't it?   All the horrific things going on in our world, yet people just trying to enjoy life and experience the Summer fun for themselves and their families.   My wish is that things quiet down and the second half is more peaceful than the first.