Summer? What summer?

Waiting for the parade to start under the watchful eye of the elephant

 You know that point of time in your life when everything that seems superfluous has to go out the window in order for you to regain some semblance of control?  That's what happened to me, and consequently Hoosier Happenings, at the beginning of May.  It was an incredibly busy Spring with the campaign and then it was as if a dam broke and I was up to my eyeballs in work.  Not complaining by any stretch, but something had to give.

That something was my whole summer.  At least that's what it felt like.  And while I missed blogging, the fact is, I don't know that I had the mental concentration to make even a sloppy attempt at a decent post.  Here's my attempt, after a nearly four-month long hiatus.

May.  May brought with it the primary election for county commissioner, in which I was a candidate among four.  I could bore you with all of the political wrangling that took place, but I won't.  I will tell you that there was no one more surprised than I when the returns came in at the GOP election-watch, and I was on top.  Since the Democrats decided not to slate anyone at the end of June, I stand unopposed in November, and assuming I'll get at least one vote, will be sworn in in January.  I spent three days picking up my signs in May.  I plan to put out a lot less in October.

May also brought our family reunion and the departure of my brother's family for Fiji.  Work opened up for me in Lebanon, Attica, and Zionsville-which required a trip south.....and since I was in the area, it culminated with the first of three trips this summer in a kayak down Sugar Creek.  By the end of the month, I bought a truck.....this too shall be blogged.

June.  The Historic Michigan Road Association, along with the Indiana Lincoln Highway Association, hosted the Indiana Byways Conference for which a reception was held in our barn.  By the end of the month a group of six guys headed back to Sugar Creek and a 2-night stint in a tent.  This time, we saw two eagles.

On vacation in lil' Nashville

July brought parades in Bremen and Culver, marching alongside a massive elephant, and the 4-H fair, handing out snowcones.  Three birthdays.  One vacation which went way too fast.  And many more projects than I could count.  By this point, I realized I was missing summer.  I did have a pretty amazing experience when I walked into my Amish ancestral home, by pure chance.  That story will be blogged.  My wife went to Haiti, and I found another opportunity to kayak Sugar Creek.

At the state fair

August.  I provided presentations at two Indiana Landmarks events, one local event, and accepted National Register certificates on behalf of River City at the state fair.  More projects, which included an investigative trip on the River Queen, the Elkhart River Queen that is.  A return trip with an overnight stay in Lebanon.  Two more birthdays, including our poor old wiener dog who turned 15.  One more parade, in Bourbon.  And by the end of the month I had moved up to a big-boy phone.  I'm still trying to figure out how to use it.  I also went to drainage school and it lived up to my expectations....however, it gave me a chance to see an old friend in Plainfield that I hadn't seen in 3 years.  The new U.S. 31 also opened for traffic....also blog-worthy.  And no, I couldn't escape the ALS ice bucket challenge.

The fall looks almost as busy, but maybe more manageable.  Which should permit me to get back to blogging.  Meanwhile, it's blueberry time around here....and that offers its own busy schedule for parades, parties, and so on.  Have a great Labor Day, remember the worker who built this country, and I'll see you in September.