country fair

i realize that since i didn't actually go to the country fair, the title is misleading. but i was so excited to be in eugene and to be going to the hippiest of hippie-fests for the first time, and then to be able to blog about the crazy, naked-body-painted hippies wandering around with glitter and fairy wings, that i couldn't not have a post titled "country fair." i don't actually have anything to say about the fair, however, other than that i have been hearing about it for years and have always wondered...but it looks like i won't be able to find out until next year.

between wedding plans, learning a"new" job (same job, different county. and tons more legal work.), driving back and forth to portland all the time, and poor matt working 16-hour days, we were both just exhausted this weekend when it came time to go to the fair. what we really wanted was to relax. so we went camping with d and i from ninkasi, i's girlfriend aj, and their lab/hound-dog apollo. we went up around oakridge, by the headwaters of the willamette. it was absolutely beautiful. and quiet. nothing to hear but the river, and nothing to see at night but the campfire and stars. we both finally took a big, deep, slow breath of extremely fresh air. it was tangible peace.

of course no trip is complete without otis doing something semi-disastrous. he launched himself through the tent's screen-window in a panic sunday morning when matt left the tent to go pee in the woods. he also proved that he is definitely not ready to hang out by the campfire off-leash just yet: one minute he was sitting there next to apollo basking in the glow like a good dog, the next minute he was flying through the woods with five humans and a hound after him. that discovery has launched a full-scale training effort at home where poor otis does not get to do anything besides come-here, sit, down, stay, and heel the entire time we're in the house with him. for the people, this is both exhausting and a barrier to actually getting anything done (otis has to sit-stay while i'm doing the dishes. he breaks the stay, i have to dry my hands, go get him, bring him back, and put him back in the sit-stay. this happens over and over and over...), and i'm sure confusing and incredibly boring for the dog. but hopefully by next summer when we camp, we'll have a dog that can participate rather than have to be babysat. plus, if he were a good dog, maybe more people would be inclined to watch him for a week while his people go to the country fair!