Fair Weather

130 years ago, some very bright folks decided there needed to be a grain exposition in Winston-Salem. Several decades later the exposition had expanded and became known as the Piedmont Tobacco Fair. Fast forward to today and you have what is currently known as the Dixie Classic Fair. When the fair comes to town, I always try to attend. I first attended the fair about 27 years ago with my dad and a handful of older brothers. This is an event for everybody. Whether you love animals, music, food, games, art, or carnival rides, this is the fair to go to. In my opinion this fair rivals the North Carolina State Fair. You can't beat this year's highlight event: Demolition derby and figure-8 racing. Whatever draws you in, you can't beat the Dixie Classic Fair. Thank goodness we had nice weather on our trip!

Color it Cool

As the weather begins to slowly change from hot to cool, evidence mounts all around that autumn is in the air. The evidence begins to fall as leaves, changing colors as quickly as they change the landscape. This is my most favorite time of the year, aesthetically. Every year I get excited to see the trees go through their magical transformation. It leads to a cool, at times unpleasant, season, but with the benefit of beauty. While the signs of new growth promote the idea of newness and freshness with the onset of spring, the colors and coolness of fall bring to mind wonderful smells of soups, pumpkin pies, and hot cocoa. The big warm, fuzzy blankets return, and out of the closet come my favorite sweatshirts. Ahhhh, welcome, fall.