Oh where as the summer gone?

        This time of year we all seem to be wondering where the summer has gone.

        I am one of those people. We haven't really had that stretch of hot days, we had a 50 degree day in August, and now we are less than a month from school starting.

      "Where has the summer gone?" is the question most asked around town.

    I am not sure how to answer that question, other than by just looking at a calendar and shake my head.

  I know we have had enough rain. I haven't missed a lawn mowing.

I know it has been warm enough, the air conditioner hasn't stopped for much of the summer.

      I also know it has gotten cool enough in the middle of the night so that the air conditioner can get shut off.

  What a weird summer it has been.

        In our business here a lot of things revolve around the school, so summertime is a welcomed sight.

      During the summer months we have a little bit of a break without the school activities.

But we have not been without summer activities.

I had a chance to watch the varsity boys basketball team compete in a tournament at Wisconsin Dells.

    No, Royal Myers, I did not unleash my mighty white  husky body onto a water slide. Just wasn't time. They told me they would need a few days in advance to drain some of the water so I didn't flood the parks upon entering the pool.

  Insert (Royal chuckling).

       But I did find my favorite store of all-time...The Beef Jerky Outlet.

   This place is a haven for beef jerky addicts, like myself.

      They had dozens of different kinds of jerky, and you could taste test every one.

        I brought Jeff Wagner in with me. He isn't the jerky contisour I am, but he did try quite a few. I was proud of him for that. We were on a Diet Coke trip to McDonald's when I mentioned the Outlet!

    I found quite a few of the tasty meat morsels I fancied, so I pulled out the debit card and came away with a few pounds of various meat delicacies.

     We are fortunate in this area because we have a number of places that make great beef jerky. Nusbaum's Meats has some very quality jerkys, which I enjoy.

       But the Jerky Outlet is one of a kind. They make stuff you never would have imagined. I may have to ask Dan if he can implement some of those interesting seasonings.

   Needless to say, the water-free Wisconsin Dells trip wasn't a total loss. The kids played well and I enjoyed the two days away.

I also had a chance to watch a lot of baseball, with the District Legion Tourney being played in Waterville.

    The local team didn't fair as well as they would have liked, but I think everyone who attended felt the event was very well run. Hats off to Sam Stier and the dozens of volunteers.

    Last week the 14U softball team had a chance to compete in a National Tournament in North Mankato.

      Last year they played in Kansas City, so being close to home I thought I would go watch a couple games. We have some very talented softballers coming up through the ranks.

     They finished 7th overall, which was an improvement from their 25th place finish a year ago.

    Fall sports start Monday . My son Jayson is a junior. I can remember back when he was the manager for the football and basketball teams.

        Wow time flies in our kids' lives, just like this summer has. Enjoy what we have left.