A day at the fair

Or half a day I should say.  This year I must admit, the fair was more or less 'eh'.  Perhaps it was the horrible growing season we had, with drought and heat combining to devastate so many farms and gardens.  I don't know.  But when we arrived, on the next to last day of the fair, there was nothing there.  There were no animals.  At least half the crafts and various produce were gone.  The kids' petting barn was empty. In fact the barn containing all the local produce given for prizes was dark, its lights out.  Going through the aisles I felt like I was spelunking.

But it wasn't just that.  I would say a good third of the booths that are usually set up were missing.  There were rides that have been there every year that were gone, and even some of the food concession stands were not there this year.   I don't know what happened.  Perhaps it was the year.  Perhaps it's the economy. Who knows.  Maybe it's just one small symptomatic example of a nation on the decline.  I don't know. I just know I paid 30 dollars for far less than I've ever received before.

Nonetheless, we plowed forth, trying to pick up what we could, doing the things we've done before. We ate our food, shared our funnel cakes, rode the merry-go-round together, tried to get our youngest to ride some of the rides geared toward him.  Times being what they are, we had little money to spend. We would have had less, but a kindly gentleman was leaving with his family, and decided to give us his stack of ride tickets.

So we managed to make something out of it.  Altogether, a bit of a disappointment.  Maybe it's a combination of things.  The boys are, after all, getting older.  They went off on their own to find friends and hang out together.  Maybe it's just the passing of time.  But I know this, for 30.00, I'll make sure things are better next year, or we'll just hold off for a local street festival, of which Ohio has plenty.

The Mom and our youngest brave a makeshift Western funhouse

Our 7th Grader, trying his hands at games of skill and luck - he didn't win anything

Still young enough to embrace the fun of olden times

The boys returning from their walkabout sans parents, a sign of time passing

Our youngest decides he does like the merry-go-round after all

Our older three, however, I'm not so sure

The fam, the fair, 2012 - we still had fun and made some memories, and that's what counts