I drove to the County Fairgrounds this morning and checked my entries. I won First Prize in Acrylic Painting ("Autumn Poplars") Second Prize in Acrylic Painting ("Handley Vineyards") and First prize in the "Pickles & Relishes" category of canned goods with my Hungarian Chili Sauce! Those three are my only entries!

Then I browsed the exhibit buildings, got a corn dog and ate it while viewing the Rabbits, Chickens and Ducks (also had geese, doves and turkeys there.) I was looking at a chicken that seemed to be in some difficulty. As I stood there, she laid an egg!

Net fair. I left as the clouds were starting to look bad, but it still hasn't stormed here yet. We are supposed to be under a TS watch, and I have to go to a funeral home at six p.m. I will carry an umbrella. Behind the clouds and the front lurks the cooler and drier air. The humidity is awful, worse than Panama.


I hate to go to funeral homes. Tonight at 6 p.m. I must go. It is far too hot to dress up for it and stick a noosetie around my sweating neck. I think I will wear something dark and simple.

What can you say? I just grasp hands with the widow and cock my head with a frown. No words.

When my "time" arrives, I hope my friends gather with my ashes in somebody's back yard and drink till the sun comes up. No neckties, either. Maybe play a CD of the Moody Blues or Cat Stevens.

And pour the remnants of my single malt Scotch into my ashes, please!


I forgot to mention Michelle. Michelle and I met again at T.J. Willie's yesterday in the bar. It had been quite a while since our paths had crossed. She was there alone and had just asked the bartender if I still came around. I walked in and sat next to her and we talked for two hours. I am going to take her over to the fair later this week for a long walk and some more talk.

Like I once said, she takes my breath away.

Oh, well, like I also said, I'm not chasing anyone. But...