If you wondered when the hot weather might arrive this year, well, you don’t need me to tell you it already has.

Our first few real scorching days are in the books and guaranteed there will be more as we head into the official summer season. Of course, that doesn’t actually arrive until the summer solstice later in June – June 20, to be exact – but here in California we are already well into our summer vacation when that happens.

It’s hard to describe the last few weeks of school; not sure whether to call it ending a marathon or just lacing up the running shoes and sprinting to the finish … what I do know is it is one of the most hectic but also most exciting times of the year.

For those preschoolers graduating, they will start their ‘big school’ adventure come August. Fifth graders in some of our schools get ready for middle school, while in others the sixth graders have now closed out elementary and will be going to junior high. Eighth graders will leave behind middle/junior high and get ready to enter their respective high schools as freshmen in the fall.

Plus, our high school graduates have completed 13 years of work and now look toward their futures with high hopes, big dreams and endless possibilities.

May also brought some other special events for me; working with a dedicated team to help put on the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay For Life, which we had at Johansen High School in Modesto on May 17 and 18. It’s a different feel than when all three of our communities at one point – Oakdale, Riverbank and Escalon – each had their own individual Relay, but consolidating several smaller Relays into one large regional one made sense. And getting to work with people from Modesto, Tracy, Ripon, Turlock and beyond has been a joy these last few years. After a virtual only Relay during the height of the pandemic, we came back with the regional event, starting first at John Thurman Field in Modesto for a few years and spending the last two at Johansen. This year, I was grateful to have family, friends and co-workers all stop by during the day on Saturday to check in, walk around, buy some food and take a chance at some drawings hosted by the teams.

As I write this, our Relay For Life of the Greater Central Valley has raised over $144,000 and our fundraising year goes through the end of June, so we are still likely to see that final total go higher.

As I was cramming to get my Saturday work done on the Friday before Relay (since I stay at the event the full 24 hours) I was reminded that my attendance was required at the Escalon Fire Department’s Annual Appreciation Dinner on Friday night. I typically cover that but was stressed about not getting all my ‘stuff’ done before having to leave for Johansen in the early morning hours Saturday. But they were insistent and so I did go; turns out that was because I was among the honorees that night. The May 16 dinner featured presentation of service pins to a couple of longtime department members and then an ‘Honorary Fire Department Member’ announcement. I had my camera and notebook at the ready to chronicle the moment … but then Fire Chief Rick Mello pointed at me and suddenly, I was on my way up to the podium to receive an engraved plaque and a California State Assembly Certificate of Recognition. After a handshake from the chief and applause from the audience, the camera was turned on me and I had to be the one to smile. It wasn’t hard to do; though I was a bit overwhelmed, I certainly appreciate the honor.

Then it made sense why they told me I couldn’t miss the dinner. My work eventually did get done, I made it to Relay For Life on time … and the papers went to press.

I’d say that’s a successful series of events.