Yeah, August 1 seems early to me, too.

However, they have off a week in October, November, 2 weeks in December, a week in February, March then schools out 3rd week of May. It’s Year-’Round School here. The week in October is vital, because it’s Fair Week, and when peanuts and cotton are harvested. Statesboro is still country enough that many of the high school students work their daddy’s farms and have to be off during harvest. I don’t have a problem with that. It’s probably what #3 will be doing. The school tends to look the other way during the fall, as long as the student’s grades are good.

Fair Week is the Social Event of the Season, starting with a HUGE parade, and then the Fair itself, straight out of National Geographic with pig and cattle contests, pickle competitions, Coconut Cake Bake-Offs, the whole nine yards. Also a carnival for the kids- ferris wheel, games of chance, opportunity for girls to scream and press up close to their feller.

The parade itself is worth the trip if you want to see a Jen-You-Wine Southern Style Festival. Yes indeed, there’s the Antique John Deere Club, the Antique Allis-Chalmers Club, and the Antique Massey-Ferguson Club. Then there’s the Contemporary John Deere Club, Allis Chalmers CLub and Massey Ferguson Club. You’ve never seen such a conflagration of farm equipment.All driven, of course, by every politician between Savannah-Macon-Athens-Waycross. There’s the Beauty Princesses, from Teeny-Tiny Miss CottonBoll (18 mos-2 yrs) to (no joke) Miss Turpentine, who could go on to Miss Georgia and ultimately Miss America. We have Miss Peanut,Miss Boll Weevil, Little Miss Southeast Bulloch County, Northwest Bulloch County, and Statesboro. There’s the cast of whatever play is being held at the Emma Kelley Theater. This year I believe it’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”. The students of all 3 Dance Academies will be parading with tutus and sparkle wands- except for the ones who are riding the front of their cousin’s four-wheeler as Young Miss Natural Gas. All bands are present: Portal High, all 20 of them; Southeast Bulloch High, larger at about 30 members; Statesboro High, still more at 75 members; and Metter High with their enormous percussion section and 3 instruments. Georgia Southern University Band thrills with the skill of the majorettes and shiny horns.

Everyone who isn’t in the parade goes to watch. Blankets are packed, and boxes of chicken aquired from Bi-Lo or Popeye’s, dogs are leashed and places are claimed early under trees and in the shade of buildings. The whole thing lasts over an hour. I have the great advantage of Little Martha. The top goes down, the dogs get on the dashboard and slobber on the windshield, and we all hoot and shake politicians hands. Since 2008 is an election year you can bet they’ll be out in force.

I promise, come October, I’ll take pictures.

It is why Summer is short.