Aftermath

July is our busy month, and it was exceptionally chaotic this year.

After over a decade of pestering my siblings (pre-kids, even) to come out and attend the Oregon Country Fair with us, they finally did.

Taking advantage of this rare occasion that their entire family would be in one place at one time, my folks decided to piggy-back on those plans with their own to celebrate 50 years of marital bliss.
So the Monday after closing the gates behind our annual SHOW guests, we packed up the dog & CAM's brother (coincidentally, also visiting from Ohio) and headed out to Lake Creek Lodge's, Camp Sherman, OR  many different cabins my mother had reserved back in October (quite lucky, we were told, to find so many, so 'late') for the remainder of the week.
I'm not used to being around a feral hoard and subsequently wasn't an ideal aunt, but I was glad they made it out from The Heartland to what I consider to be the best part of the country: seeing how we live.
Though personally not a great fan of Bend nor the High Desert, that many of them discovered the spectacular hiking and nature offerings there was also a plus.
CAM even schooled some of the youth on Squatching techniques with positive results!

Always the procrastinators misjudging our time frame, CAM & I were setting up the backyard right up until the first group arrived Thursday afternoon.
I'll admit we bit off an awful lot more this year with the new chix coop (Pt. 2 coming to a blog entry near you soon), months old mulch pile (see: chix), plantings (again: chix), the new deck and a slew of other projects to get everything together for our yearly shin-dig.
I didn't want to pretty it up too far in advance with putting in new flowers and landscaping the front steps, etc. because we allow our hens free range on the property.
That means they tear the shit out of things before we're even finished with the work (looking for bugs, worms and other goodies, mmmm.) Chicken helpers.
But because the coop was behind schedule, we were unable to relocate them to their new, permanent home until 2 days beforehand.

Thus, in addition to the regular work that goes into hosting, there was the extra effort of getting it MOTHER ready.
She and my father visited the summer we moved in, a mere 5 months post-purchase, while in the area for an alumni excursion.
As one can imagine, a lot has changed in that amount of time as we must continually de-previous occupant the place. (See: deck)
I wanted to proudly show off our accomplishments and improvements, but there was too much activity swirling around us, so it never really happened that way.
In fact, all of the weekend is one big, blur from which I'm only now decompressing.
As I clean up the house, tidy the yard, put away crafts and toys and all the rest up until SHOW '14, I'll leave you with some photos of the event.
And maybe next year, CAM & I will actually be able to relax and enjoy it a bit more.

The 'Hospitality Tent' goes up, soon to be filled with all sorts of treats (an *entire* box of Blo-Pops!) and a most excellent keg of Deschutes c/o Dan.

Those tall tents by the creek at the backside of the property are not overnight accommodations as some nit-wits thought (Cincinnati non-camping peeps), but rather our answer to a Honeybucket.
The White Trash hen hutch has now been removed to a less conspicuous spot behind the shed to serve as a hospital/quarantine/new bird area and the well-fertilized land is soon becoming the new garden.

Creating a community of joy!

[Photo credits to Rachel M. & Rachael J.

Especially grateful as I took very few of the week-end.]

CAM sharing stories & casts from the Epic London Track Find with a fine group of gals. (Two first-timers and three of whom have been attending from birth on!)

Dashboard of our Officiant and Oldest friend (aka Chicken Boy)- a most unique and amusing man.

Newbies Lunchmeat & Brother D gather round the fire for roasting and revelry.

Much to the Buckeyes' delight- there was lots of Euchre playing (and smack talk) occurring this year; two tables going!

Taking advantage of S'mores on this side of the Cascades. (Burn ban=no fires)

Niece Lily, new on the scene and getting into the spirit.
(W/ Sister Marge, face painter extraordinaire.)

 Sarah's up next growing her Fair garden costume. Helpers include V & 1L.

Most excellent participants gearing up to make a stylish splash.    

Amy B. at the paint table with an important morning beverage.

Well behaved hammock children w/ Zabby Dog.    

The siblings have arrived.
Photo-bombed by Alex & Catie, trying her best to be a hippie, not Richard Nixon.
Here, Josh sports my favorite, new 'O', as opposed to the scarlet & grey he usually wears.

              
 
"Where did the log go? The large one that used to cross the creek? Then it was swiped to the shore?"
Discussing nature's dynamics.
(It's since moved downstream around the bend to the neighbor's piece of the Long Tom.)


V being the ham she is getting goofy.

SSS at the Saturday morning Bloody, Buddy table (we take them quite seriously.)

1L w/ mom, Diane.

 

At the actual fair, with Greenman & The May Queen

The whole fam damily: JuJu & PaPa's brood on the Metolius River

It was a hell of a week. Thanks, all! Peace & Love

*Apologies to the many whose mugs aren't represented here and to those who are but wish they weren't!