Lazy Days of Summer

Summer, the time of year here where everyone spends as much time outdoors soaking up as much Vitamin D as possible, taking advantage of the dry conditions to do all those things that our usual sogginess makes difficult, or not quite so enjoyable.

This weekend the agrifair is on in my old community, with the RCMP musical ride being one of the attractions. I just love their red serge coats contrasting with their black horses. I'll have to find out exactly where the musical ride is being held, indoors or out, so I can plan accordingly. My Mom has always revered the RCMP, probably because her father was a Northwest Mounted Police Officer (now the RCMP) when he immigrated from England in 1906.

Mom has a wonderful photo album of her father in uniform on horseback. One of my favourites is of him and a chief from a First Nations tribe at an expo, trading clothing. My grandfather looked hilarious in the chief's pants that were far too short for him.

My grandfather died of cancer when Mom was 12, having gotten hit with a piece of shrapnel in WWI, which they removed after they opened him up to operate. They didn't end up operating, other than to remove the shrapnel as the cancer had spread through his entire body. That's a young age to lose a dad, and it's no wonder she idolized him.

The RCMP musical ride must bring back memories of her father for her, and it's always a joy to watch their precision and formations on horseback. I remember one year, quite awhile ago, one of the officers fell off his horse during their ride. How embarrassing! He took it in good stride though, got back on and carried on. What else are you going to do?

Thankfully it's much cooler than it was earlier this week, which I'm certain is as welcome for the RCMP and their horses as much as it is for the audience. As Mom is 92 on the 12th, I'll take her to the ride for her birthday, providing she wants to go. She's not one to really like crowds due to her limited sight. She may not even want to go to the musical ride due to it, although I asked her a month ago and she said yes.

The agrifair always strikes me as the beginning of the end of summer. I noticed this morning on my bike ride, that along with the pungent scent of blackberries in the air, there was that certain scent and feel of impending fall. It's just a slight hint of it at this point, but it's definitely there.

There's always so much to do in the summer, between festivals and fairs and sundry other events, I'm not quite sure why they call them the lazy days of summer. I'm always so darn busy!