Fair Weather

I am certain I've used that title before.  Maybe I use it every year, even.  But I just can't help myself.  I blame Joyce Dyer for my abiding love of the two-word, double meaning title.   And thank her, too, because they're just the best...

Because the weather-- it's actually been quite fair!  A mix of sun and clouds each day.  Pleasant summer temperatures, sometimes toasty warm, sometimes breezy cool.  Easy-living weather.  Toss-on-the-sandals-and-grab-the-swim-bag weather.  Vacation weather.


Also, today, we went TO the Fair!  And the weather was really just right!  There is such a thing as "fair weather," you know-- not too hot, not too sunny, but still pretty for pictures.

Today delivered.

We were looking for a way to spend the day with our beloved Bec, who is moving to Tennessee next week. We always love going to the Fair together-- but the Cuyahoga County Fair isn't til after her move date. Enter Summit County!  At first we were a little thrown off by the fact that these are not our usual fairgrounds.  But it did not take long for us to fall in love....

 What a great little fair!  No crowds, no lines for rides, no excessive heat-- but plenty of animals, every conceivable type of fair food, pig races and a gladiator demonstration.  Pretty much everything we could ask for.

The kids even got to play a midway game, even though we usually eschew them.  How could we say no to a game where you can win a bunny??  I have never seen midway games with bunnies ass prizes.  Only in Summit County, I guess!  

 We did not win a bunny.

We didn't even buy one in the bunny barn!

But we did get ride wristbands for the kids which was the best investment ever.  This "glider" ride was the fan favorite.  I think they went on it about 8 times? Despite what it looks like in this picture, it went crazy-high and was pretty intense.  Ivy was terrified on her first go, but encouraged by her brother, tried again.  The boy had this blissed-out smile every time he swooped around....

 And of course, the scrambler.  Jack gamely took the outside every time, and helped his sister up into the car.  I am not sure when I have ever seen these two work together so well, or be so supportive and kind to each other, as when they were heading off to enjoy these rides.


Hope for the future, at the county fair.

Other highlights:

While we were there, Becca found out that she got the job she was hoping to land.

It was exciting.

Pig racing.  Is there anything more American than this??

 A romantic "date" on the Ferris wheel as Becca took the kids in a different car.  Hey, you take alone time when you can get it.

Man, this is the life...

Settling in back in the real world.  We've been staying close to home this week, mostly with just our little group of four.  Unpacking, cleaning, learning how to cook meals for fewer than 24 people.

It's always a rough transition, leaving this:

A little photo-recap of our last few days at the point...
Plenty of boating.

 Time in barns...

 Touring houses...

 ...and surging waterfalls...

 Sailing races...

 Friends.

 Cousins.

 Victory!

 Games.

 Trophies!

 Conversation.

 Love.

One way to get over lake withdrawal:  visit another lake!  A midweek beach trip with my girl...

This weekend we've gotten back out and about for a few social events-- a pretty spectacular birthday party for a friend of Ivy's on Friday, and a trip to the Natural History Museum on Saturday...

The second painted rock this girl has found in a week!

I love this picture of the birthday girl's dad being the pied piper.  This family was impressive:  SO many games.  So many kids!  It was like they were running a day camp!  Fun.  Lots of candy.  And a great moment where the parents joined in the games for adults-vs-kids tug o'war.   It was ridiculously fun, even though the kids won.  Why do adults forget to play?

History Museum with Gram...

Saturday's forecast had promised storms which never materialized.  We hemmed and hawed about what to do with our evening-- so many events in this city this weekend!  Thought about heading to Edgewater for the big Metroparks Centennial celebration but, faced with prospect of crowds, we opted for Euclid Beach instead.

Turns out, we like our beaches like this:

All ours.

We had a simply magical 3 hours of sand and sun and calm blue water. I swam with the kids, splashing and playing and chasing with them, or just floating in the deep water, blue above and soft water below, riding on a gentle swell of waves.  We met the most marvelous collection of happy people as we wandered the beach.  A little girl named Katie who followed us to the swimming area and joined in our games, and her lovely mom who took our photo on the script-Cleveland sign.  The guy who fist-bumped Nat after he complimented their dog.  A Dutch family traveling across the country by RV, asking for travel suggestions as we watched our children build sandcastles in the sunlight. The delightful old black man smoking a cigar and blasting smooth jazz, reminding us heartily, "Man, this is the LIFE!"

I have decided I want that man to walk through my life at random moments.  Particularly those moments when he is most incongruous, and remind me again that THIS is the life.

Every bit of it.