A DAY AT THE FAIR 9-15-2012

John Deere in disguise

Sharing time at the Adams County Fair with the Giles 9-15-2012

Today Lanny and I travel to Othello to spend a day with the Giles at the fair. We also use this time to celebrate Seth's ninth birthday, and you know, I forgot to give him a birthday spanking. I don't think he got one from anybody! His birthday was three days ago on the 12th. Since the fair falls either on the 12th or close to it, we have celebrated with them for a few years, except last year.

The weather was cooperating, except for the smoky skies from the many fires throughout central Washington areas. We are near enough for smoke in the atmosphere but not near enough to be threatened, except for those with respiratory problems. Emergency officials say there are more than 240 wildfires burning in Washington state, and more fires are starting every day. There are about 3500 Washington and Oregon crews already fighting five large fires.

All the Giles' family are here at the fair today and are excited and anticipating having lots of fun. Already they have met their cousins. This is a relatively small fair so the distance from the exhibits to the carnival rides, booths, and animals being sheltered for show is not very far.

I am suffering with severe pains in my right leg which I thought was getting better and going to be just fine. Walking does help it usually. Brent rubbed some medication on it, I took some medicine and thought "great” I'll be fine. Lanny brought two canes, one looks like something an old lady would use and one looks like it would belong to a mountain man who lives in the Swiss Alps.

Holding on to his mountain cane, we made a bee-line to the building with the exhibits in so that we could see how the girls did. They already know but won't tell us. How exciting to find that they both placed very well. Liz had a blue ribbon on her's, and Olivia had a Best of Section on her's. They should be very pleased, and they now know how to create an art piece using dyes mixed with acrylics, puff paint, and how to blot on paint with balled-up paper towels, plus enjoy finger painting again.

Now to look at the other things being displayed. Stefanie is interested in the nuts and bolts chess pieces, so I take a picture of it for her. Grandpa and Brent have made it through the building and are sitting on the benches outside. We are enjoying the funny and large pumpkins, Lucy sits on one and we take a picture. We look at the cross-squash, pimpled squash and other displays. We have caught up to the men and are now making tracks for the rides.

I'm struggling with sharp biting pains in my calf and knee but am using the mountain-man cane and trudging along. Stefanie remains back with me as we walk. We meet Miss Rodeo Washington and Miss Rodeo Nebraska and get their picture. Next we meet a friend of ours, Susie Geiger ______ and take a picture of her and her four younger children. We have known Susie for years when she lived in Moses Lake.

We finally arrive at the area where the carnival is, and I find a place to plant myself while the others go ride and play and investigate what there is to do. Brent sits down and stays for a while and tells me about a very interesting book he has read, a book dealing with present day world problems.

We are near enough to see the Bungee Jump. Olivia decides that she wants to do that. Stefanie has my camera since I'm not able to tag along and take pictures. She took some of Lucy and Cumorah on the Whale ride. She will be taking some pictures of Olivia on the bungee jump too. Now I understand that Liz wants to try the Bungee Jump. "Me too," saids Grandma. (In your dreams!)

Cumorah and Lucy watching
the girls jump on the Bungee Jump

Liz seems to be thinking this jumping ordeal over.  "Hmmm, do I really want to do this?"  Or is she thinking, "Good grief, I have two different colored stockings on!"  Or perhaps this is what she is thinking, "I wish he'd hurry up, I want to jump, I'm ready now."    Well I don't get to see her jump, so I don't know if she liked it or not.  Hey there, Liz, how was your Bungee jump?

 Stefanie said that Seth rode a couple of rides, and she took a video of him, Liddell, Lucy and Cumorah on one of them. Good for you Seth.You did it, you rode a carnival ride and probably enjoyed it, right. Did you know that my favorite ride was the "Octopus" back in my younger days. I hated the Ferris Wheel.

I would like to make one comment here about Seth. All three of the boys play football in their schools, but since it's Seth's birthday or was just a few days ago, we are highlighting Seth. In his last game he played, he made two touchdowns for his team. He may be small but he is fast. Way to go Seth.

The tummies are growling and people are hungry. Lanny wants to go to the food booths and tables which are on the other side of the fair grounds. It's now impossible for me to walk, nobody is big enough to carry me!! Brent flags down a fair passenger vehicle for the purpose of transporting people like me. So I hitch a ride to the other end to the Rotary Booth and manage to transfer myself from the vehicle to a bench, which is getting to be a big challenge. I have complete empathy and compassion for those who are in pain right now.

Very soon everyone has caught up to me and are hungry. Stefanie and Lucy were one of the first, and Lucy has been complaining of being hungry. Most of them have put their order in for Nachos with cheese, and fries and a drink. Lanny and I are getting a chicken sandwich and fries, and Brent and Stefanie are walking to the next booth and getting hamburgers and fries. It is a good meal and of course the kids will top it off with yummy ice-cream.

Now I'm anxious to find a ride back to the parking lot, struggle into the truck and go home. This was fun and we can re-visited it again through pictures, but my leg dictates that it's time to go home and put an ice-pack on the swelling behind my knee and take some aspirin. See if that will help a little.

Enjoy the pictures and videos, I have more.