Playing The Field

Hello World, Happy September! Alas, there is no turning back now, and we realize that the stalwart Flag Brigade has put out the flags for the last time of the year on Monday for Labor Day, marking the unofficial star-spangled end to the summer season around here, as we pack away the flags for the winter. (Actually, Old Glory - what so proudly we hailed - stays up year-round in the library and sun porch, but only braves the outdoor conditions for Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day when the weather is accommodating.) Speaking of weather, it's not just your imagination that the intractable heat has seemed worse than usual, and we're all pretty darned sick and tired of it, I don't mind saying. I read a story in the news recently that corroborated what we've all been thinking, and it's not just right around here, either. Cities as varied as Cleveland, Detroit, Las Vegas, and New Orleans sweltered through their hottest summers in history, while all across the country, the months of June-July-August set records for the highest overnight temperatures, since they started keeping records in the 1800's, and I can tell you that it certainly felt like it. Meteorologists explained that it was the persistent high humidity responsible for that, since "temperatures don't drop as much at night when the atmosphere is humid," according to NOAA, and thanks ever so much not. After a mild winter, we're well on our way to the 3rd warmest year ever, with only 3 months left to buck that trend before the end of the year puts it in the books for good. Here I can't help but think that somewhere in The Great Beyond, the fellow who invented the snow plow lost a bet to the guy who invented the air conditioner, and once again, thanks not. On a positive note, we took advantage of the balmy conditions to visit our friends upstate for a pool party over the Labor Day weekend, and it was all that we could have hoped, and then some. We left early Saturday morning, and the traffic was no problem at all, arriving at our destination just about lunchtime, and none the worse for wear - especially considering that the air conditioning in the Aveo doesn't work, and it could have been a lot worse, I dare say. We dropped off our belongings in a hurry, turned right around, and headed out for lunch - this time at the nearby Capital City Diner, where we had never been before. Our waitress was a bit on the gruff side, but even she couldn't put a chill in my fried ravioli, which was excellent, and enough of a rarity in our travels that I am prepared to forgive a multitude of shortcomings on its behalf. Thus fortified, we were all set for a long afternoon of splashing in their exquisite pool, letting the cares of the day fade away, and having the oppressive heat work in our favor for a change. Not so fast! It turns out that our arrival in the area coincided with the Capital District Scottish Games on Saturday and Sunday, and even though we had just been to the Long Island version of the games the previous weekend, by golly, there's no such thing as too much bagpipe music or caber tossing for the likes of us, so off we went. We found them still going strong in their 39th year at the spacious Altamont Fairgrounds, and if the sea of vehicles in the open fields was any indication, certainly popular and well-attended besides. And just like last weekend, more highland dancing! More heavy-weight sports!! Over 20 bagpipe bands!!! Not to mention, tents upon tents full of Scottish food, clothing, knick-knacks, and books - plus more Celtic jewelry and clan paraphernalia than you could shake a proverbial stick at, and I ought to know. And yes, there was a bouncy castle and plenty of activities for the kiddies. And yes, there was also dog agility, birds of prey, jousting, livestock, and the ubiquitous clan tents. There were 4 stages with performances by contemporary artists such as Diamh, The Ceilidh, Colin Grant-Adams, The Brigadoons, Aaron Drescher, and the McKrells, which we personally had never heard of, but I'm sure they're popular in their own right. Unlike other events that we've been to, Altamont Fairgrounds is eager to offer campsites to its visitors, with very reasonable rates for tents, as well as electric and water hook-ups for trailers. For us, it was all very different and interesting, and we were glad for the chance to work it into our trip, as unexpected as it might have been. And let's face it, having my picture taken as a cow was just the icing on the cake (or kidney pie), as it were. By late afternoon, the heat at the fairgrounds was more than we could stand, and recalling the cool and refreshing allure of the pool, we flew back over there and jumped right in, just barely stopping long enough to change into our swimsuits first. You can believe me when I say that it was its own little slice of heaven on earth, and we lapped it up like desperate dehydrated castaways, until we got wrinkled and turned blue. Having spent most of the day on the move, we elected to stay at home for dinner, with some locally renowned pizza from Paesano's, and it really hit the spot, especially their yummy garlic knots. (Our friends have now been living 200 miles away from The Big Apple long enough that it seems perfectly normal to them to enjoy this urban staple not only with pineapple and catsup, but knife and fork besides, which would be considered a sacrilege in the five boroughs, I can tell you that.) We wrapped up the evening with a movie on their big screen TV, and then toddled off to bed in their guest room with their 2 friendly cats, although if their intent was to keep us awake, they failed miserably with me, that's for sure. In the morning, instead of driving into town to pick up bakery items, we decided to bake our own, and the folks at Krusteaz Cinnamon Swirl Crumb Cake did not disappoint, believe me. After breakfast, we thought we would give the local economy a boost, so we set out to do some shopping - although inasmuch as we went to the local Goodwill and 99c store, I doubt if our (meager) contributions to retail sales were exactly what the Governor's economic advisers might have hoped for, I dare say. Supporting local merchants can be exhausting, so it wasn't long before we were back at the pool, and glad of it, I can assure you. Having friends with a beautiful pool is a luxury that cannot be over-emphasized, and we were lucky to have such fine weather so that we could enjoy it to the hilt - or perhaps that should be kilt, under the circumstances. But all too soon it was time to hit the road for home, so we rounded up the Sherpas to get us all packed up and ready to go. Of course, Denny's on the way home was a particular delight of our travels as usual, and having Monday off was just the proverbial cherry on top of a perfect weekend. I see now that I have a multiplicity of frantic messages from the Governor's office, asking us to go out and do more shopping, but unfortunately, I realize that I left my sporran at the pool. Elle