We’ve been having remarkably beautiful weather here the past few weeks. The sun has been out and unrelenting. I love sunlight, but I don’t love being in the sun. Which explains my hat collection, long-sleeved shirts, dark glasses, and constant search for shade.
I’ve been called a vampire. The light hurts my eyes. I’m also one of those people who gets a sunburn just walking to the mailbox (thus the hats, long-sleeved shirts and dark glasses).

Self-portrait – hiding from the sun in the car
This weekend was no exception in the long run of beautiful days. Which was desirable for a CAMA event. They were having their annual Spring Power-Up. The Power-Up is a permanent fixture on our calendar – right up there with birthdays, holidays, and the other events we may not miss.

Tractor drag race
The shows at CAMA are incomparable because of the location, the scenery, and the available shade. We bring folding camp chairs, reading material and we’re all set. It’s very low-key. The Boy is old enough now to go off on his own without supervision. He’s with his people, he’s familiar with the grounds and we are superfluous, except as a means of transportation, food and occasional wish-fulfillment.
There was an air horn for $5.00 which he badly wanted, but had no money to buy. But, the Boy being the Boy, somehow ended up with the horn without spending a dime.

Look what I got!
How does he do that?
This year he crossed a threshold. He has had enough experiences at these things where the stuff that made him really happy a couple of years ago, is on the cusp of boring him. He’s too old to be enchanted and googly-eyed at being allowed to ring the bell in the engine, but he’s still too young to be allowed to run the engine. This is all very frustrating.

The guys hanging out on the engine
He’s in no-mans-land. Enter a “peer” of sorts. A young man in his late teens with the same passions as the Boy. We continue to run into him at these types of events. He was with another friend, and the guys sat around joking and talking shop.

I sat around reading, and trying to doze in the car for a little while.
I’ve been going through family photos again. There are a lot of photos of people dozing at various events. I’ve joined the ranks. I’m that old now.
I don’t know how I feel about that.
On the way home, we stopped at a German restaurant for dinner. The Boy did not want to go. He preferred to get his chicken tenders from the barbecue place. But go we did, and his tune did a one-eighty when he saw the bounce house on the lawn of the restaurant. I guess it’s good we had to eat outside.

Potato salad presentation
Yeah, he had a sucky day.
I had a beer.
We both passed out in the car on the way home.
I leave you with today’s moment of nature:
