August Musings

Here we are—smack-dab into August and all its activities. We’ve had a slight break in the weather lately, a little rain, some cooler temperatures, and my garden is looking a little less lack luster---what’s left of it. Since we last spoke, the elk have returned with a vengeance and stripped my gardens bare. Two of my beds have only a single bloom between them. I have lots of green, nearly leafless stalks and ONE flower.  One. Single. Flower. That is all. The elk have even stooped to eating my potted plants. I am set on erecting a fence around my backyard and am willing to twist the arms of friends to enlist their help. Y’all have been warned, so grab your gloves.

August also brings some of my favorite summertime activities; most notably Packwood Fire Department’s annual Beef BBQ and the Morton Logger’s Jubilee. The BBQ was last Sunday and was YUMMY as always. It is an amazing thing to see all the work the Fire Association puts in to pull off the yearly feast. This year, just as the clean-up for the event was ending the firefighters got a call out to respond to an accident. It’s an inspiring thing to witness people who have already put in a full day--or more--of community service hurrying off to offer aid and assistance to someone in need.

This weekend is the Logger’s Jubilee, complete with Community Theater at the Roxy, lawnmower races, a beer garden, a parade which includes --my personal favorite part-- candy tossed from the parade participants to the happy spectators. And of course the big logging skills competition that spans two days.

August is also the month that dear friends from high school come to visit and we all spend lots of quality time together—which means that we all turn into our 18 year old selves again and high-jinks will surely ensue. This year we are planning a tribute to Mama June and are busy locating our old scripts from speeches and plays that Mrs. Rowland coerced us into---I mean COACHED us through. We plan to present them in due time, so if I were you I would hit up the Blue Spruce every weekend just in case the Opening Night of the Mama June (Bug) Rowland Memorial Tribute happens to be spontaneously occurring. And this time, we promise NOT to steal the salt shakers...