I don't know what it is, but something about me just likes fairs and festivals. It's a good thing too because I went to two of them over the weekend -- the Copper Country Strawberry Festival on Friday and Saturday and the Ironwood Ren Faire on Sunday.

The strawberry festival was a blast just because it's always nice to see so many people out and about. Chassell apparently had a big reputation as a berry producer back in the day. There are still farms, but it's not as big a business venture as it once was.

Still there's a lot of room for fun. I enjoyed talking with people and browsing the items the vendors were offering. The strawberry shortcake was definitely a highlight -- the light sweetness of the freshly cut berries atop the baked dense shortcake. Simply delightful.

The weekend marked a now-welcome break in the so-far chilly summer that we've been experiencing. I say it's welcome now because I didn't mind the cool temps until last week.

Summer in the Copper Country has been like a fussy fire. It's hard to get started, it flares up for a little bit and then dies right back down.

The weather has been cool all through the spring and into the early part of the summer. I personally don't mind all the cool weather because sweating profusely in a long-sleeved shirt and dress tie isn't something that I like a lot. It was a different story last week when it was both cold and extremely rainy.

Also, the rain and cool temps seem to cut down on the bug population, although August is typically the best month if you want to catch the buggers in action.