Sunday, August 28, 2011

Summer Love


Yukon and I had a date today. Like a real, adult, all-by-ourselves-do-what-we-want date. With other real adults, no less.

The Alaska State Fair is in full swing, and while I usually don't attend any of their special events, I did make an exception this year for Garrison Keillor's Summer Love Tour. Because I think Garrison Keillor is a writer's writer, a wordsmithing genius who makes me shut my eyes and let my mind slide over the gems that come out of his mouth.

Since both Keillor and his famous Prairie Home Companion show are due to retire in 2013, and since seeing/hearing the man live is most definitely on my List of Things To Do in Life, we went.

Brilliant blue sky (those of you not living here in Alaska must appreciate that the Fair is usually shrouded in clouds and rain and, at the very least, not-so-warm temperatures), cold beer, and a perfect spot on a warm, grassy slope to witness a master of storytelling and my literary hero reminisce and ruminate about Love for three hours.

There has not been so perfect a day in a long time.

"Love," Keillor mused, "Is not meant to be a neat and tidy thing. We are purposefully entangled in its hollows and reaches."

The Summer of Love. Yukon and I needed a little help to figure that out this year, if only from a funny-looking man in red sneakers who managed, somehow, to be speaking right to us.

Genius.


1 comment:

Marge said...

Agree. Genius. I've heard the funny looking man in red sneakers speak and he is truly one of a kind. We Minnesotans consider Keillor to be one of our state's greatest treasures. The home of PHC is just 80 miles from here in Minneapolis.

The Minnesota State Fair is also in full swing, and he will be making a grandstand appearance here, too. However, we have obligations when he's scheduled.

Many people believe that Lake Wobegon is real! My Saturdays would be pretty empty without listening to PHC!