What's Happening in Stonyford: Fun and games at picnic today

Community picnic is today.

It's being held at the Indian Valley School and sponsored by the Assembly of God church. There will be fun and games. And food, of course. It's a potluck; bring your favorite hot-weather dish. It starts at 11 a.m.

School is starting. It seems early to me. We used to go back on the Tuesday or Wednesday after Labor Day. Indian Valley Elementary, Elk Creek Elementary and Elk Creek High School start Monday.

Maxwell High starts Wednesday.

Seventh-graders will need a whooping cough immunization (dtap) to enroll this year. The immunization will be available at the Stonyford Health Clinic. It is open Fridays from 9 a.m.-noon.

IT'S HOT! Too hot to do much of anything. Fort Bragg sounds good. It would be nice over there. But we have a trip planned for later this season and can't afford to go twice. So we'll just hunker down and wait for it to pass.

We are going to take a break from some of the activities at the Grange. We'll postpone the Tuesday night dinners and the bingo until after Labor Day. We'll probably start again in the second week of September. I'll let you know.

Ice cream social is not happening on the 19th — my mistake, sorry.

Sew What!? ladies are hardier than most, though. We'll continue to meet, no matter the heat. Our younger quilters will be back to school, but we'll try to help them progress with their projects.

We had an old friend, Ted Mason, a Stonyford native, living on our place for a long time, until he passed at 102. He did caretaking for us. He would plan his day according to the weather. On hot days, we'd be up and out at 7 in the morning and done with his chores by 9:30.

He would set up a sprinkler, sit in the shade where there was a little breeze, and spend the day. He moved the sprinkler every hour or so, and moved his position as the sun required. Then after sunset, he might do a little more gardening or yard work.

When we wanted a chainlink fence, he started digging a couple of holes a day. Larry would get home from work and they would mix the concrete and set the posts. The next day was the same, and eventually the fence was there.

Too often these days, we want what we want, and we want it now. Ted taught us a lot about country living.