August is winding down.  I spent my 70th birthday at the Rhinebeck fair.  First thing we do is check the Arts and Crafts building, looking to see if I have won any awards for the apron and pillowcase I have entered.  No luck this year, but my postcards and the little drug store advertisement from the old Tivoli drug store win second and first prize.  Then on to the animals, less rabbits and fowl this year, but it was the first day.  We met up with Regina, and the boys went on some rides while I sat and people watched.  Sometimes this can be upsetting, parents being cruel, kids being nasty, but that day peope were treating each other with kindness...made me feel good.  I also noticed the number of people with tattoos, almost as many with they as without.  And big tattoos, covering whole arms, backs and legs.  I wonder what this means about our society. 

The weekend before I had gone with Paul and his boys to the cabin and spent Saturday at the Pirate Festival in Alexandria Bay.  While sitting on a rock, overlooking the St. Lawrence Seaway waiting for the pirates to arrive, I noticed too how kind people were to each other.  One big guy, dressed all in pirate garb, was putting stamped tattoos on any kid that wanted it.  Of course, they lined up.  This big gruff pirate, was so sweet and gentle, especially to the two year olds, that it made me smile.  The kids were not the least bit afraid of him, in fact their looks were in awe.  Quite a nice remembrance of that day and this past month.  I asked the gentle giant of a pirate if I could have a tattoo, and indicated my calf.  He quickly put a pirate face there.  It washed off in a day or two, but at least I had a tattoo for a while.