The last week of summer

I hate to admit it, but this is the last week of summer. For me, anyway. The end.

It ends (for me) next Monday, Aug. 11, when high school football practice starts. The kids wear only helmets for the first three days (no, they aren't naked out there; you take me way too literally) and can put on full pads starting on Thursday.

It's a fast pre-season. They have a scrimmage on Aug. 22, and the first games are on Aug. 29.

So I'll be following that, and girls volleyball will start, too. So, essentially, this is my last free week.

Time is ticking away, so I'm out to make the most of it this week. First up, on Wednesday and Thursday, I will return to that clothing-optional beach south of Green Bay. S and her husband will be there. This time my wife will come along. I asked her about it on Sunday, and she said she hadn't decided; I took that to mean she would stay home. (She didn't go the first time I went there, last month.) But Monday, after work, she said she'd come along for the ride, "as long as I can keep my shirt on." I told her, "No problem."

We'll get there Wednesday afternoon, put up the tent, enjoy the little pond there (it's on a former farm) and enjoy the rest of the day with S and her husband. They will have a campfire at night. On Thursday, we'll take everything down, pack it all up and drive back north. We may do a little shopping in Green Bay, but not much. From there, we'll drive back north to visit the nursing home and my mom. Then we'll go out to dinner--it's just happens to be our anniversary, and we have a favorite place for a steak dinner.

By the way, my wife prepares the directory for the women's club at her church. They were going to hold a planning meeting Wednesday to go over changes for this year's booklet. She wasn't sure whether she could get out of it. I said she should simply explain to them, "It's our last chance to go to the nude beach this summer," and they would understand. Honesty is the best policy, right?

Over the weekend, I'm going to be covering events at a local festival. They have a number of things going on, and that's going to consume a lot of the weekend. But we also want to go to a powwow that takes place at the old Indian village west of us, about 40 miles away. We've been to powwows there several times, and they are always colorful, exciting events. A lot of fun with the camera. But this other event just sucks up a lot of time over the weekend. And the events are in opposite directions from our home. That doesn't help, either.

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As for the Ren Faire last Saturday ... we had a good time there, and it was a nice day. I took a bunch of pictures, and I'll work on them tonight. Hopefully, I can get them posted before driving south on Wednesday.

Incidentally, while I am following "As the Favre Turns" in Green Bay, I don't plan to stop at Lambeau Field or the practice field during our trip. To put it simply, I've got more important things to do. I like football and I like the Packers. But spending time at that farm with my friends is way more important to my happiness.

(Note to self: Remember the bug spray!)