I've been up to my ears in projects lately, and I know I'm not the only one.

Summer means there is lots of stuff to do, and many of those events and festivals are held largely due to volunteer labor.

Some kudos to the Bayfield Parks and Rec and the town staff, first, for another super successful Fourth of July event here in Bayfield. Technically, I guess this event is part of their jobs, but I know a lot of this work takes place after hours, and this year the Fourth fell on a weekend. I know the Bayfield Lions, Pine River Rotary, and everyone who put a float in the parade or sold something in the park on the Fourth worked hard too, so hats off to you!

The Bayberry Jam on June 20 was another big hit, pulled off primarily by the Bayfield Association for the Advancement of Music.

Up next? San Ignacio Fiesta is next weekend. It's organized by the parishioners at St. Ignatius Church, but the town staff, SUCAP, Ignacio Chamber of Commerce and lots of other groups again pitch in to make it a success. I think it's wonderful to be a part of a celebration that's 115 years old! How cool is that?

Next Saturday is also the Cattlemen's Chuckwagon Cookoff. The Cattlemen and Cowbelles give a lot to our communities, and this is a great event, so go check it out at the La Plata County Fairgrounds.

Not sure what to do after school starts? Building a Better Bayfield will be held on Thursday, Aug. 20. It's going to be a great combination of a job fair and community open house. A little further down the road this summer is Off the Beaten Path, an arts and antique fair in Gem Village on Aug. 22, and the Four Corners Motorcycle Rally on Labor Day weekend.

Bayfield Heritage Days and Sheep Trailing, which signals the end of our summer events and the start of autumn, will be on Sept. 25 and 26 in downtown Bayfield.

We'll have more information about these events in upcoming editions of the Times, so I hope you'll want to participate or come enjoy some wonderful local flavor of Southwest Colorado.

Thanks for reading.