Ocean Beach Street Fair

It had been on my calendar for several months, after all it is a once a year happening!

I was looking forward to going, as I hadn't been able to attend in the past several years. The weather was perfect, sunny and warm, but not hot. So I was ready to get out there and mingle with the local masses and spend some of my money. And I did exactly that!

But I was disappointed in the event. It had people, wall to wall people! And many, many, booths; everything from church groups to sunglasses, to zydeco CD's!

And there were food booths (I had brought my appetite); Sausages, egg rolls, kettle corn, roasted corn, peppermint water, and regular & no-sugar lemonade.

There was a chili cook-off, a skate board competition area, and a 'kiddy-rides' section.

All under the bright summer sun, with the muted sounds of local bands playing on 3 stages around the venue, and the Pacific Ocean a sparkling blue in the distance.

But the Ocean Beach Street Fair was missing some very important things: Cotton Candy!!! Snow Cones!!! Clowns walking around handing out balloons to children! People making balloon 'animals' for the kids! People walking around handing out freebies to the adults, invitations to religious services, decals, coupons for tune-ups. There was not one political booth! The library didn't have a 'book sale' booth!!! Gone! All gone!!!

In the last few years when I hadn't been able to attend this event, these things, which signify fun under the sun to me, just went pffft!

Society has really hit a new low when even a local, community event, is reduced to pure commercialism...

A birthday!

Actually, NOT a birthday. I do not know when they were born! I do know they came to live with me (at about 6 weeks old) one year ago today.

And what a joy and a pain they've been!

But I digress. The point is, they are not kittens any longer. Lucy & Ethel are now officially full grown adult cats.

The hardest part is over!!! All the illnesses, the spaying, the training.

I've never had/raised TOTAL house cats before. So it has been difficult as this IS a small apartment, and I don't have the $$$ for the 'cat thingeees' that would make life easier for all of us: scratching posts, remote controlled toys, and probably most important of all, tall kitty condos so they could see out over the patio.

OTOH, with total house cats there are definite advantages! No fleas or worms! No going out and hunting them when they don't come home. No little 'presents' they've bought in to play with. No encounters with other animals that could cause injuries and vet visits.

All in all, it's been worth every minute. They are truly creatures of joy...