Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

All those stalls in the market who list their farm address as Navan should tell you something. Things grow really well out here. Even with the horrible weather we've had this summer, my tomato plants are, once again, taller than I am. OK, I know that's not saying much, but still 5' plus tomato plants are nothing to sneeze at.

This year we have a wide variety growing in our little tomato plot at the end of the screen porch. Grape tomatoes, yellow tear drop tomatoes, large beefsteak, another large yellow variety. They'll be lots of fresh tomato pasta to be had, not to mention soup.

Summer afternoon, summer afternoon...

The two best words in the English language.

All of a sudden we’re having real summer weather. Monday it was hot humid and 33C (with the humidex), yesterday it was still warm but with scattered thunder showers, the kind where it pours but the sun is shining. Today, it’s just 25C but the sun makes if feel much hotter. I’m working at home because the girls are at riding camp again and it’s just too time consuming to ferry them there and then go into the office. Also because if I’m home I get to have lunch in the back garden. We acquired two Adirondack chairs for around the fire pit, and I must say, they are truly one of those things that were perfectly designed for their function. Deceptively simple, but low slung, comfortable and with wide level arms on which to perch cool refreshing drinks. Ours even have a round groove to put your glass in. Anyway, I took my sandwich, iced tea, and book out there at noon and sat under the dappled sunlight, and thought…ahhhh this is that the last 6 weeks were suppose to be like.

Village Fair

Friday, August 7

Ah...it's that time again. The Navan Fair opened last night. The girls look forward to this the whole year, to them it's sort of like Christmas in August, and like Christmas, they are always disappointed that it doesn't last longer.

The Navan Fair is -to my mind - the perfect little rural fair. There's livestock exhibits, horse shows, baking competitions, and entries for just about every type of garden or craft project you can think of. But when you are 8 (or 7 or 6 or 5), the real attraction is the mid-way. The girls are so excited this year that they've finally gotten tall enough to get on most of the rides. I watch them with my heart in the throat. A few of the ride operators have been there for years. We were chatting with the fellow who operates the merry-go-round last night and he remembered when the girls first came to the fair at age three.

Today is bracelet day (ride all you want for one price), and Murray has booked the day off to take the girls to the midway when it opens at 11:00. He'll be there with all other Mums and Dads from the village whose kids will be making themselves dizzy on the whirling strawberries, or scaring themselves silly on the Big Drop.

Tonight we'll build a bonfire in the back yard, roast marshmallows and listen to the Nazareth concert - one of the benefits - or not -of living just a block away from the fairgrounds.