I don’t remember the last time I stood up, held my hand over my heart and said the Pledge Of Allegiance, or when I sang The Star Spangled Banner last, but on Monday the opportunity presented itself at a meeting of the Jamestown Rotary Club.

I don’t often have the opportunity to formally show gratitude for the honor of being an American.

I was asked to be a speaker at the meeting, where I gave a twenty-minute presentation on my archaeological travels, and I have to say, I was really impressed with the Rotary Club. If you’re worried people no longer organize to do good things in the world, then you haven’t been to a Rotary Club meeting.

There was a whole room full of civic-minded people supporting all sorts of good causes, both locally and abroad.

The Rotarians have four guiding principles and as they were recited at the beginning of the meeting, I thought, why don’t we all live this way? Politicians, corporations, the media and every American would be well served to ask themselves these four questions before acting: 1. Is it the truth? 2. Is it fair to all concerned? And number three is the real kicker: Will it build good will and better friendships? 4. Will it be beneficial to all involved?

Good questions for the world to ponder.

If you look at the history of this club, you’ll find some pretty impressive feats. Established in 1919 in Jamestown, they’ve since been building swimming pools for organizations in need, raising money for children with disabilities, they helped purchase library equipment for the Fenton Center, built baseball fields, donated money to local camps. Lately, they’ve been involved in local literacy, and helping fund new sanitary latrines in Haiti. It’s really pretty mindboggling when you read the long list of acitivities they’ve been involved in for the past 100 years: they’ve connected Love School students with Cambodian school students, and continue to staff the Salvation Army kettles in many locations at Christmas.

I enjoyed meeting these good people and learning about their legacy.

In other news, it’s raining again today, which I know must come as a shock to all of you. I tried to read the weather tables to tell you just how much it has rained this summer, but I didn’t understand them. I decided they don’t really want us to understand the weather here. It’s a conspiracy to keep the rest of us from moving to Florida.

But rain or no rain, it is harvest time! And in true form, I am eating as much of our local produce as I can. Every day I have a cucumber and tomato salad with Chiavetta’s salad dressing, basil and diced shallots. And most nights I’m boiling corn.

Then there’s the pies laid out nonchalantly at the farm stands, which is the dieting person’s true test of strength. I bought a beautiful peach and blueberry pie the other day but I ended up giving it to a person in need, which I’m sure must qualify me for a membership to the Rotary Club. It’s not just anyone who can give up a pie like that for the greater good.

My mom and I rate the produce each year. She thinks there’s a conspiracy going on with tomatoes and insists they’ve changed over the years. But I’d say, all in all, the cucumbers and peaches are both high on my list of winners. The corn is delicious this year, too, and I bought some very good tiny onions and fresh garlic at one of the five farm stands I have visited so far.

I’m so happy this time of year. The frantic, busy part of summer has ceased and we’re heading into the final inning now before someone starts setting pumpkins out on their porch railing. I’m going to squeeze the last few drops of summer out of the bag, and start checking off the things I have yet to do, like taking a kayak ride on the lake while the sun is setting.

I went blueberry picking last week and had blueberry pancakes for breakfast for a few days. I bought local honey in pretty bottles.

My summer is almost complete, thanks to our farmers and gardeners. And also the bees.