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I don’t know about you, but summer is thoroughly ringing my neck. I am worn out, tired and dirty, my house is a wreck, my grass is knee-high and every day something else gets added to my to-do list. But so far, I’m still smiling. Why can’t summer just be another season like it is in other places? Here it’s just madness. I’ve got friends to call that slipped off the radar around mid-May that probably think I died. I still need to plant half of my garden and hopefully the roof will be on our new house by the weekend. A relative is coming up next week, and I’m happy to report I’ve spent three nights on my back in a tent so far. Although you know when you finally get down to having fun in Alaska you’re always thinking about something else you should be doing. Why does this always happen? My sleep schedule is erratic at best, and winter is starting to sound like a dream season. (All day stuck in the house — oh the horror.)

But wait!

Solstice is coming. The days are gloriously long, and ice cream is an acceptable part of our daily diets. The summer season is just ramping up, so don’t let someone rain on your parade with the whole “Now it’s all downhill” speech after solstice. I say live it up. Stay up late, get up early and don’t stop until winter. It’s an Alaska tradition.

I’m hoping for a big end-of-summer celebration in October where instead of dressing up and having dinner you’re ushered to a big, fluffy bed with a cozy blanket where soft music is played and there are no alarm clocks or calendars in sight and the organizers keep repeating “summer is over, sweet dreams, sweet dreams.”  End of the Road Rally

Get ready everyone — the first annual End of the Road Rally will kick off at noon on June 19 at Sawmill Creek Lodge, 18 miles east of Delta Junction at Mile 1404 Alaska Highway. This four-day event for motorcycles, ATVs and classic/collectible automobiles features music by Gangly Moose, Jeff Pyatt and Simple Folk Uprising, stand-up comedy by Ryan Wingfield, games and contests, a toy run, camping, vendors, volleyball and much more. Admission is $25 for the event and camping or $15 per day. For more information, go to www.endofroadrally.blogspot.com or call Sawmill Creek Lodge at 895-4924.

Summer softball

The co-ed softball season is finally under way after it was almost canceled due to lack of interest. Games are played on Monday evenings at 7 and 8:30. If you still want to play, organizer Hanni Marchuk may be able to put you on a team. Contact her at 895-4018, or by e-mail at deltasoftball@gmail.com. The season runs through July 28.  Horse clinic

If you want to saddle up your horsemanship skills, here’s a workshop for you. Sponsored by local horse club DJ Saddle Tramps, Margaret Mendoza will be at Stinkin’ Acres in Delta from June 25 to July 1 to provide expert horse instruction for riders from beginners to experienced. Group lessons are $25 per hour and individual lessons are $20 per hour. Evening lessons are available to those who work or can’t attend during the day. Contact Louis Stockwell at 895-4094 to reserve your time or for more information.  Farm tour coming up

The annual Delta Farm Tour sponsored by the Delta Farm Bureau is coming up soon. The tour will visit several local farms and is always a wonderful way to spend a summer day.

This year, the tour will take place on July 17. Reservations and pre-payment are required by July 1, and lunch is included. The registration fee is $40 per person and should be sent to Delta Farm Bureau, P.O. Box 760, Delta Junction, AK 99737. For more information, contact Grace Gay at 895-2272. Watch for more details about the farm tour here in a future column.