Fair Time!

This time of year makes for a fun commute.  One of my most traveled routes takes me past the fair grounds in Anoka. The fair makes the traffic go slower because of all the pedestrians crossing the highway but that is okay with me.  I enjoy watching the whole process. Activity in the area gradually mounts. First come the porta potties and the trash cans. The kiddie rides arrived last weekend and were parked. The stall doors are opened and bales of hay arrive and are stacked up. All the 4H equipment is delivered.  On Sunday evening the other rides came and the carnival workers parked their recreational vehicles along the fence.  Those people sure live in close quarters. Now that the fair is open I can hear the sounds, smell the smells, and see some of the sights as I drive by.  I see the Lions Club members working in the beer garden.  I see the lemonade stand, the donut stand, and the corn on the cob stand.  The ferris wheel is turning.  Music is being played on stage.  Horses are awake and looking around at 6:30 this morning even though I didn't see many people about yet. I know a woman who camps there with her daughters and horses every year. The fair is part of their family tradition.  Another tradition for some families who live near the fair is to sell a parking spot on their lawn for $3 or $5.  Their front lawns are full of cars. Perhaps these people don't know they can park for free just a little further. I have memories of my own trips to the fair.  I have enjoyed tractor pulls, demo derbies, putting my offspring on the ponies who walk around in a circle.  One year I was on the Ferris wheel with  my niece.  As the Ferris wheel went high she got scared. She told me she was scared. The problem was I was scared too.  Way up here I could see very far and this ride didn't seem very sturdy. I would have preferred to have my feet on the earth.  This was one of those occasions where I faked bravery.  I told her there was nothing to worry about and proceeded to babble on quickly to keep her from saying anything until the dang ride was over. That was my last ride of a Ferris wheel. I had some good times there at the Anoka County Fair.  Even if I don't go in I enjoy driving past it.  Except I didn't really enjoy driving past the fair tonight. I did not think it was going to rain today.  If I thought it would rain on me four times on the way home I definitely would have taken my car to work instead of the motorcycle.