If you're filling in your social calendars for the week, don't forget the fund raiser for "Buddy" Lamothe on Saturday. Lasagna dinner for four - can't beat that! Click on the poster here for more details.

Also, Joe's Ponders, don't forget the last meeting of this season is on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the pavilion. Even if you haven't been able to get to one of the other business meetings, try to attend this one for a wrap-up of the summer activities and a chance to say goodbye to friends who will be leaving soon for warmer climes.

We will have Ice-Out tickets at the meeting - the envelopes with the name of each member family are presently still at Hastings Store, but we will have them at the meeting so those of you who haven't picked yours up can do so. It will save our having to mail them out, which takes a bite out of our profit from the contest. If you don't pick yours up, expect a knock on your door next week when Bill, Diane, Fred and I will be canvassing both sides of the pond to try to deliver tickets to you before you leave camp. We do enjoy chatting with you as we make the rounds to deliver tickets, but also understand that the four of us have a lot on our plates, too, so it will be a big help and save us time and postage if you pick up the tickets before you leave.

I've heard from several people who really appreciated the slide show of the Danville Fair and the short video we posted yesterday so you could hear the Bel Aires. I was particularly interested in reading the report in the Caledonian Record about people's impression of having the fair at the school. I wasn't surprised that some people seemed to think it worked out at least as well or better than having it on the Green. One thing it doesn't do out there, I expect, is increase the traffic flow at the local stores much.

Saturday afternoon as we were coming home from Cabot over the Plain, I looked out across the fields towards our farm and remembered what it was like when I was a kid. They had Danville Fair earlier then, I think. I remember that before I was old enough to have real responsibilities during haying, I was in the parade. I don't think I was in it more than once or twice at the most, and I don't remember it with any great joy. What I do remember was a few years later when my city cousins and I were all expected to (literally) pitch in during haying season, we knew we'd only get to go to the fair if there wasn't a lot of hay down that needed to be put in the barn. It all depended on the weather, of course. Some years we were pretty well finished with haying by fair time, but other years no manner of pleading would get us released for a day at the fair if there was hay to be gotten in. I don't remember ever going in the evening. I guess that wasn't as much fun as the daytime horse pulling, watching young boys chasing a greased pig or grown men trying to slither up a slippery greased pole to get the money attached at the top. If we'd been in the hayfield all day, evening was time for a dip in Joe's Pond and an early bed time - we didn't have much energy left after working all day.

I was invited to go with friends to other fairs a few times, but I didn't care to do that. It was usually really hot and I always got sick on the rides. Danville Fair was the only fair I really enjoyed, and that hasn't changed in all these years. It could be because it's small and there's a real sense of community; plus, I look forward to seeing long-time friends there, and usually meet some interesting new people, too.

Tomorrow night we are going to Bill and Monika's for dinner. Monika's mom, Floriana, will be leaving to go back to Africa on Thursday. Bill saysthey are going to miss her - she's been a big help and lots of fun to have here during the past two months. We think she may be ready to get back home, though. We'll know more after tomorrow, but I expect now that the weather is cooling, she will be more than happy to get back to the warmth of her own country. It's been a pleasure meeting and getting to know her, and we'll miss her, too.