I'm not really sure whether the last month or so has been really busy or completely dead. I've kept more or less occupied, but then I'll have these long bits of boredom when I don't do much besides watch TV.
The ten-day Iowa State Fair was in the middle of August, and I went both weekends. Friends from work were with me both times, so we took in as much as we could, including but not limited to: corn dogs, miniature horse carriage shows, life-size butter cows, gyros, ice cream, big bulls, one-man-bands, draft horses, llamas, mullets, $10 quarts of beer, antique tractors, new stock trailers, double bacon corn dogs with maple syrup, fiddle and banjo contests, and stationary engines. It's been a month so I've probably forgotten a couple things. The banjo contest was won by an acquaintance from the sessions who hadn't even brought his banjo; he borrowed one from another competitor and entered the contest on a lark. He had brought his fiddle for that contest, and offered to loan it to me if I wanted to enter. I had just come to watch and hadn't even thought about playing as my bow was at a fiddle shop getting rehaired. I considered it for less than a minute, but declined. After I bought my corn dog wrapped in bacon and fried again, a stranger sitting on the curb advised me to pour maple syrup on it. Realizing I had nothing to lose, I obliged, and was delighted. I avoided carnies at all times.
I still ride my bike around to stretch my legs out a couple times a week, but haven't been very adventurous about it of late. I should be encouraged by the cooler temperatures, but still need motivation.
It's started to feel a bit like fall here. Some leaves are dropping, but they've looked a little haggard most of the dry, hot summer anyway. Like I said, temperatures are cooler, 70s and 80s during the day, as low as into the 40s at night. The first frost is supposedly a ways out yet.
I've done a little riding the last couple weeks with Jesse Munk and Tyler Schiferl, engineers I work with from Minnesota and Nebraska. Both start colts and train horses during the warmer months and are far and away much handier than I am, so I'll learn whatever they'll teach me. They haven't put me on anything too tough yet. Jesse also had a small bunch of ewes and lambs this spring and summer. I went with him two weekends ago to watch his lambs sell at the livestock yards in Colfax, about a half hour away.
I had no plans Labor Day weekend, so I called Jesse to see what projects he had going. He, his wife, and two young girls were on their way to visit his parents in Austin, Minnesota for their family's Labor Day tradition of learning about a country, and he invited me along. I was happy to be away for even a day, so I thank the Munks for their hospitality and welcoming attitude.
Tyler and his wife Jamie have also invited me to a couple very musical get-togethers at their house, and I was more than happy to provide my little bit of musicality. I get a little lost in the contemporary stuff and usually just wind up listening, but it's great stuff to listen to. I'm convinced the Schiferls have the prettiest spot in Iowa.
