Heat Is On; So Is the Fair

My routine changed a bit last night. 

Instead of the usual hanging around with doggies outside or going on a short drive to take pictures, I made quiche.

The process involved a couple of hours off and on in the kitchen, during which time I thought about the barn door but never went out to close it. 

Twas later, almost midnight, when I realized that I had forgotten to close that door AND remove Lefty's fly mask.

So, out I went, where KPND Radio Station 95.3 music was wafting through the night air.  As I reached the barn, the disc jockey was reading the weather report.  

When he said 107 degrees and then repeated that yes, indeed, he HAD said 107 degrees predicted for one day this week, I hoped that maybe I was really sleep walking and having a bad dream. 

The predictions for extreme highs this week vary a bit, even with the days, but a common denominator, regardless of the forecast medium, states 100-plus. 

So, I guess if we can survive until Saturday, we'll be okay.  I cannot remember EVER hearing 107 degrees as a forecast in this area.

Let's hope the disc jockey was having a nightmare of his own. 

Whatever the case, it's gonna be a challenge to fend off the heat each day from early afternoon through long after dark.  

With that in mind, I decided that my personal fan may get some use this week.  My sister bought it for me a few years back when I was announcing a horse show in extreme heat. 

The handy unit does work, albeit only briefly with each spray.  For those of us who don't have  a swimming pool or swimming hole nearby having one available may help. 

And, since I gave up on Big Blue backyard pools about three years ago, I'll be carrying my fan wherever I go. 

Adding to the misery of the heat is the increase of smoke all around us.  

We have a couple of fires, one to our west and another to our east.  Both have been giving the firefighters challenges and putting out a lot of smoke. 

Yesterday afternoon, when I came home from judging at the fair, the smoke created so much haze that I could not even see Schweitzer Mountain.  

Fingers are crossed that the fire season around here does not intensify with the dry, hot conditions of the next few days, and hopefully folks going to the woods will take greater care than usual.

We've been very fortunate the last several years with no major forest fires.  I hope it stays that way.

In the meantime, the fair yesterday was fairly (no pun) quiet, especially once the judges settled in to do their afternoon work. 

Action speeds up today with the official opening and a long list of activities.  Plus, many exhibits in the main building will be adorned with ribbons with the judging completed.

I learned from food processing judge Katie Crill that an award-winning jar of applesauce needs a little movement inside.  Otherwise, the sauce is likely to turn to apple butter. 

As always, it was a great experience reconnecting with several familiar faces which I usually see just at the fair.  

Generally, on a day like yesterday, one notices that hair is either gone or getting whiter and bodies are moving a bit slower than usual.

But the regulars with a few interns show up and do their duty of judging exhibits or assisting the judges.  In most cases, these volunteers will be doing so pretty much to their dying day.

And, of course, I avoid looking in the mirror, pretty much figuring that all those other people are making the same observations about me as I do about them.

Constancy!  Definitely a fair staple.  And, a fun reason to show up on judging day. 

I mentioned the quiche.  Twas that chard out in the garden that kept reminding me each day of late that it was time to make quiche.  

So the day before yesterday I went to town and purchased all the ingredients besides the chard and homegrown Walla Walla sweet onions. 

As soon as my outdoor evening chores were completed and purposely skipping dinner, I started slicing and dicing and cracking open eggs, thinking all the time, how good the quiche was gonna taste with a glass of white wine while sitting on the deck. 

No disappointment, especially because Bill showed up from a fishing outing just as the pans of quiche were coming out of the oven.  

He sampled and approved!

I guess one would say that we are experiencing the epitome of summer life----staying cool, eating fresh food and enjoying the annual events like the fair and The Festival which bring out folks from all over the county. 

This year it will all take some survival skills, but I think we'll do okay.

Happy Wednesday.

  

They say good fences make good neighbors.  Well, the fence isn't so great BUT it keeps CB on his side and Bert's cows on the other. 

There seems to be a mutual fascination society every morning when the horses go to the hay field pasture.