August was a blur as it passed by. This time last month, kids were getting ready for the beginning of school; now they are in the thick of it. The DuQuoin State Fair starts tonight. This was a big deal to me as a child, although I lived 50 miles away. When you live in Southern Illinois, you take your excitement where you can get it. The Governor marches in the Opening Parade. Governors often stay in the Hayes Mansion on the Fairgrounds while the State Fair is open. Big-name performers perform at the Fair. Dolly Parton performed two sold-out performances at the DuQuoin State Fair on August 27, 1979.

The State Fair was mysterious, magical, otherworldly for me as a kid. The Fair was home to the Hambeltonian. The greatest harness race in the country. It also had The Headless Man. I saw the Headless Man on several occassions. I never saw his hidden head.

The days are getting shorter. My favorite time of year. The thought of New Orleans is competing for time in my head with visions of sugar plums. We wake to a mystery every morning. The warm glow of fall creates shadows of delight.

Time-lapse photography has captured my imagination of late. The unusual photographic product it produces fascinates me and reminds me of life.

From birth to death is a bit of a blur. Take snapshots along the way.

A worthy goal is to wear the coat of many colors that Dolly sang about.