State Fair

We had an amusing time at the State Fair over the weekend. I wouldn't really go so far as to say that our State Fair is the Best State Fair - or even a Great State Fair - but it is a funny one. From the 4-H participants and the Grange entries - produce, canned goods, photography and other 'art', sewing projects, flowers, lop-eared bunnies and cavies and chickens - the demonstrations and judging, where the kids (usually) get to show off their dog obedience training (some good, some not so much) and the size of their pigs - the whole thing just puts a smile on our faces.

One little girl was going to demonstrate how to make miniature 'burgers' out of vanilla wafers (for the buns) and chocolate mints and colored icing and coconut (mustard yellow, ketchup red and lettuce green) and her mother was so desperate to have an audience for her that I got nailed and couldn't walk away until she'd done the WHOLE thing. Mark wandered around the rest of the hall and made faces at me, the captive audience, but I wasn't going to let the little girl down! The Master Gardeners seemed to think we weren't getting enough 'brown' in our compost and the guy holding the reins for a very small horse thought there were probably some smaller horses, somewhere... yes, a lot to smile about.

But getting back to the judging...

They had cats. In several groups. Of course we couldn't resist. They seemed to be common household 'alley' cats, but they were being 'judged' anyway, so we stopped to watch. One group was just done and several people came forward to retrieve those cats and return them to their waiting cages so that the judging cages could be cleaned for the next group. Among the cat owners was a rather big guy in an inadequately sized t-shirt and big-jeans-with-no-belt who showed a little too much belly underneath from the front when he retrieved his cat. We sat down in the front row (maybe smiling a little over that but certainly maintaining some level of decorum) just in front of the judging table and the row of cages behind them that was facing us... and just as we got settled this same guy returned with another cat for the judging... turned his back to us, bent over to place the cat in the cage... right in front of us, mind you... and...

I really don't know how to tell the story. Handling cats is a dicey business and I can see where one wouldn't want to let go of the cat to adjust one's pants but nevertheless you'd think he'd have noticed that they had slipped so low that they were completely below the parts they were designed to cover. And you'd think he'd have noticed the sudden 'wind at his back' when he bent over to put the cat in its cage. He certainly didn't SEEM to notice. Mercifully, he had underwear on. Not boxers, mind you, but at least some full cotton briefs. Army green colored. To match his t-shirt. But I'd be remiss if "full" seemed to imply that coverage was adequate. Not to put too fine a point on it, but 4-5 inches of, well... Oh dear.

And there we were - not 4 feet from him. Sitting on little folding chairs right in front of the judging table we were, where another unlucky participant also had a front-row seat. This lady evidently knew the fellow though because after a pause in which she obviously wondered if maybe no one else had noticed - and in which she must have caught the looks on our faces, Mark's and mine, and realized that the cat, so to speak, was out of the bag - she said his name and remarked that it was a nice thing that his underwear matched his shirt. Without missing a beat - and still displaying his 'altogether' unabashedly while he fussed with his cat - he shot right back with "I did that for you."

The cat finally got settled in the cage and the fellow made a retreat, groping for the waistband of his pants which was, by now, completely out of range for him.

And we got the giggles.

Understand now, that Mark's sense of humor is pretty automatic. Certain things trigger certain responses and the 'crack of doom' as he calls it is one of those things that, in his view, is always funny.

He started singing "Blue Moon" under his breath.

We had to make a hasty retreat.

And you know - Mark is right. Some 30 hours later and it is STILL funny.

Eavesdropping

We are convinced that Madison Ave advertisers are eavesdropping on our conversations. Why else would ads with 'mistakes' in them be suddenly changed after we guffaw about them in our living room?

Take Quiznos, for example. For a long time their ads have someone saying "MMMMM, Toasty" while their printed slogan only says "MMMM Toasty." 5 Ms vs. 4 - see? The rhythm was off and it was just driving me nuts! So one day I mentioned it to the ditsy little blond girl struggling with making change at our local store. Very confusing conversation, actually. But about 2 months later another M had been added to the ad. Hmmmmm.

Then Hillshire Farms had that stupid 'military' ad with backyard barbecuing dads chanting a 'barbecue' chant which ended in the "when I say Hillshire you say Farm" ditty. There was another bizarre timing gap between the ditty and the response. "Hillshire!" "Farm!" "Go Meat!" The timing is critical and they just didn't have it. There were 3 or 4 beats between Hillshire and Farm. It was painful. But it got fixed. They cut the extra time out of the ad somehow. It is much better now. But only after WE complained - to ourselves!

The last one was the worst. Someone has created a new snack with nuts - you may have seen the commercial: a 'domino' layout of almonds or something on the video while the audio is expounding on the virtues of this great new "nut snack." That is the final wording of the ad - nut snack - but it somehow came out on the finished commercial as sounding like the second 'n' was missed. Not good.

But it is fixed now. They are declaring it to be just a 'snack' now. Nuts, presumably, are inferred. Almonds or otherwise.

I'm telling you - they are listening in.

And still more...

We're back from Glacier Park. Somehow it wasn't the easiest trip for me, which was too bad given the excellent company (Mark) and setting (the absolutely astonishing mountains, waterfalls, wildlife and flowers.) I kept forgetting things (my wallet, left on a rock overlook and returned by some wonderful people who were as concerned about getting it back to me as I was about getting it back - I love Americans! - my jewelry in the hotel room, my CAMERA in the hotel room...) and getting overblown impatient with a few of the less considerate fellow travelers (no, you can't drive in the middle of the road; no, the entrance gate to the park - with a line of cars behind you - is not the best place to carry on a long conversation with the ranger while the other line of cars - always the one I am NOT in - passes through the gate with ease.) I'm not sure where the stress came from but at least it didn't entirely mess up the trip. (Thank you, Mark, for helping me with it all. How did I ever get lucky enough to have you as my best friend?)

The first day we were there it was about 95 degrees and we found that the heat plus the much higher elevation (we live at sea level, after all) really made hiking difficult for us - frequent hikers that we are, notwithstanding. The next day we decided to take a boat tour that involved two boats with a short hike between two lakes - in a very, very heavy rainstorm, no sign of which was evident when we left our coats in the car and boarded the first boat. We were soaked, but not as soaked as we got the third day when we hiked in pouring rain as well as gale-force winds. But what the change in weather did for the views of the park - in the light, the air clarity, the shadows - was well worth the heat and wet.

But even on the 'rain + wind' day we walked part of the way with a lovely couple about our age who had stories to tell about picture taking and weather and hiking and two-headed anteaters - we enjoyed their off-again, on-again company as well as that of other hikers who checked on our health (my very heavy breathing) and whether we should keep going for the view in spite of water dripping off our pants and into our shoes.

We did see a lot of wildlife. On our first (hot) hike we came to the waterfall that was our goal and immediately sat down to put our bare feet into the icy water (glaciers, remember?) With a big sigh of relief we looked around us to enjoy the stream and waterfall - and there, just above us, right where we had been standing two minutes before, was a big buck deer. We were evidently sitting right where he wanted to cross the water. He stood there as if to wish us out of the way and then finally decided to cross on the other side of the footbridge. It was a wonderful "close encounter." We saw a group of mountain goats standing right on the road. We also saw a herd of big horn sheep - one of which posed nicely for us right in the parking lot. We saw the same herd again the next day and I got another amazing close-up, focusing on the view-finder and not the 'bigger picture' beyond the camera - only to find out that he was standing still for so long so he could take a leak. Maybe I can photo-shop the urine stream out of the picture? We really wanted to see a Hoary Marmot - just because of the name - but that seemed unlikely. Mark resorted to the old "stump-bear" trick of seeing something in the distance and just declaring it to be 'a bear' when it was probably just a tree stump - only this time with what looked to me like a rock on top of another rock. But at his urging I took a picture with the super-zoom on my camera and when we downloaded the pictures and were able to see them full-sized - sure enough - a Hoary Marmot!

The "Going to the Sun" road is undergoing major re-working. Mercifully. They are widening it, over many years of construction, to suit today's larger cars and less patient drivers, so there were construction delays that provided great opportunities to get out of the car to take pictures that could never otherwise be taken. Visitor numbers are way down in the park this year (gas prices and the relative remoteness of Montana) and so there was plenty of opportunity to park the car and hike, or just look at the views. From the picture of the road, however, you can see why some drivers were reluctant to stay on their own (outer) side.

But - enough stories; enough pictures. Back to work!

And more...

Yes! We really got rained on!! Seriously wet, we got. But I have to say the place is beautiful in the rain - and beautiful in the clear air after the rain.

More of Glacier

Glacier National Park

Obviously I got all excited about pictures... Just thought I'd post a few from our drive today.

Update

I've been negligent. I haven't been posting anything to my blog at all - after passing my 3 year blogging anniversary, no less. But it's summer and I've been hot and busy and just not paying attention. So here's an update.

Farmer's markets in the area are just full of wonderful stuff and we have been to our favorite one several times for berries, mostly (although I am a sucker for kettle corn too, I must admit.) Our own tomato plant went nuclear on us and we have had to think of new, and taller, means to prop it up on a weekly basis. The peas that we planted are large and lovely but since I threw away the seed packet in an inappropriate fit of neatness some time ago we don't know what kind of peas they are and hence whether we are supposed to eat the pods too or just the peas, so there they still hang, on the plant, growing for all they're worth. The sunflowers are now about 10 feet tall and blooming like mad.

I discovered today that Squirrel (maybe not the same one as always, but who really knows) has buried corn kernels in the flower pots on the porch and now corn plants are sprouting amid the daisies. I've never actually seen that before - stem and 2 leaves, intact corn kernel, roots... We are still feeding hordes of jays and squirrels and now crows as well. The raccoons have been back a few times too.

We have a new hiking book which is leading us to lots of wonderful little trails near home. Last weekend we headed to a trail on the south side of Snoqualmie Falls where there was purportedly an observation area (with benches - all hikes should end in benches and good views) that looks over the falls and the lodge above it. And it did, sort of. Hiking books never manage to keep up to date on how tall the trees are between the 'viewer' and the 'viewee' though, so the view wasn't so much of the falls as it was of the lodge. Nevertheless - here is just the top of Snoqualmie Falls and the lodge.


We are getting ready for a little trip next week. We realized, a few weeks ago, that we could actually drive over to Montana - to Glacier National Park - in just a day! Who could resist? (We couldn't.) Mark was getting some extra time off, but we won't go anywhere that we have to fly to, or that is too hot, so this seemed to fit the bill. Glaciers would be very good.

So we're off on Sunday for a few days of hiking and picture-taking in one of the most wonderful National Parks - I'm so excited!

Really?

We are watching the incredible spectacle that is the Olympics on TV - the pageantry and symbolism of the Opening Ceremonies, the amazing sweep by the American women in a sport called "Women's Individual Sabres" that I didn't know existed, the gymnasts and swimmers and rowers with their incredible shoulders...

... and Bob Costas' toupee.

Good grief! Why would they let him on camera like that?

A picture to share

Among the sights, last weekend, as we toured the Northwest - here is Oregon's Mt Hood, in all its glory, as seen from the town of Hood River in the Columbia River Gorge. We were also able to see Mt. Rainier, Mt Adams, and Mt Saint Helens, along with the Olympic and the Cascade mountain ranges. Quite the tour. In spite of the obvious glory of THIS day, we got rained on at most of the significant points. Count on the Northwest for that!

August already!

I am amazed. It is August already. I thought I was paying attention but... evidently not. My sister came for a short visit last week and we had a busy week and weekend as a result. The weather didn't cooperate - in fact nothing really did - but we had a grand time anyway. I managed to lock us out of the house within a minute of getting home from the airport (security is tight at our house, and I'm an idiot) and we put on a bazillion miles for little benefit to go walk on some beaches in the rain. We even had a lousy 'seafood' dinner!

(I am losing my 'tour-guide' touch. I can't seem to get a grip on the distances involved in seeing sights in the Northwest - everything is big and far away. And I forgot altogether about things like high tide obscuring beaches and the fact that weather predictions are almost always wrong.)

So here it is, August already. Our 'crops' are thriving, our grass is browning, the dahlias are starting to bloom and we still haven't planned our summer vacation. We've eaten entirely too many blueberry pies; spent altogether too much time on chores. We're spiffed up, fattened up and positively full of vitamin D. (And 'fed up' - with summer traffic - as long as we are reciting things we are 'up' on...)

August already. How do these things happen?