Record Non-Attendance, Maybe?

Day 330: Don't get me wrong. I am grateful to Kevin and Kelli for taking me to the Fair so that I could see the "Judges' Craftsmanship" ribbon attached to my tartan shawl and a disappointing third-place on my "Friend Evelyn" overshot yardage, but the Fair just ain't what it used to be, and apparently I'm not the only one who feels that way. In years past, this spot would have been so crammed with people lining up to buy scones that you could hardly elbow your way through them. Scones, of course, were 75 cents in those days, not $3 like today (up from $1.75 five years ago), but very few of the vender stalls had customers in them, whether they were selling motorized recliners or cheap Fair trinkets. One of the first things I noticed (besides the absence of people) was that the displays were smaller, even those in the Home Arts Pavilion. Rock and gem clubs had only a 12' x 12' space and two showcases instead of half a room. International and regional photography exhibits were smaller by half, poorly lighted. Animal barns were closed or had only a few critters...a few pens of pygmy goats, no sheep, no poultry, no exotics. The grange displays are in another poorly lit building, but they were moved there several years ago. Perhaps the most shocking symptom of declining attendance was the fact that there were only a handful of people admiring the piglets in the pig palace. Generally, that's a spot where you need sharp elbows to even get close to the pens. As for Home Arts, I don't want to be accused of sour grapes, but I do think we must have a new round of inexperienced judges. I did not enter anything in the spinning category this year, and was stunned to see a skein of lumpy, poorly twisted two-ply grey wool with a first place award when right next to it was a skein of very fine singles done with an expert hand...and no ribbon. At double the prices of previous years, you could buy bubble guns, local honey, a hot tub, shiny fake jewelry, get a quote for insurance or eat, the last option being the one most people seemed to prefer. I had my usual gyros, which was served on the stalest pita I have ever had the misfortune of trying to bite through.