From festival to festival

The week was sandwiched between two local festivals: in our own town and the neighboring one. First the three-day Upland Labor Day Festival, the 'grand finale' being the parade on Monday morning (as grand as it can be in a small town.) It is the one weekend a year that 4-wheelers are allowed on the streets. Skye and his friends had fun running around with ours, and Matt (Kayla's boyfriend) brought his.

Taking Zion for a ride

Zion, our youngest grandson, was so fascinated watching the parade that he hardly noticed the candy.

The Upland Garfield statue was installed in time for the festival. Jim Davis, the creator of the famous feline, was born in our county, so in his honor a unique Garfield statue was designed for each town.

Of course, the Upland cat likes ice cream and stands next to Ivanhoe's!

The painting class started up again after Labor Day and I reviewed leaves along with the new students.

Most of the week was cool and rainy. From a sizzling Saturday we went to a chilly gray Monday. By Wednesday, our builders were laying the last shingles in the rain.

I was out and about Thursday and stopped at daughter Leah's to pick up some clothes for Skye who spent a few nights with us. She had her beloved Czechoslovak doll on display. Thankfully it had not been stored away in our attic or it would have been destroyed in the house fire.
It is especially meaningful to Leah because her birth mother's family were refugees from Czechoslovakia.

This was an awfully busy week for Mike, yet he did not want to miss the fun of participating in the Matthews Covered Bridge Festival. Due to the rain, we did not set up the tent the day before. Friday morning early we drove our loaded cars to the site of the popular festival in the next town. Hours later we had finally opened all the boxes marked 'ceramics' and unwrapped the multiple layers of bubble wrap, tape and paper to discover and display all the many pieces that survived the fire.

This choice pot from the last firing was found buried in the muck. Twice through the fire brought out some new tones.

I'd like to use these colors (and pieces?) in the newly decorated house.

This post would not be complete without a few State of the House photos.

East/North side

Front, west side

South side

East side

After three days at the fair, I wasn't quite ready to compose my weekly post last night. I'm hoping the saying holds true "Better late than never" (Mejor tarde que nunca.)