GPS - Gourds, Pumpkin, Squash

Day 5: Do you know how to use GPS? I'm not talking navigation here. Do you know the difference between (G) gourds, (P) pumpkin and (S) squash? To put this into the proper light, let me begin by saying that all Siamese felines are cats, but not all cats are Siamese. GPS are squashes, all of them, unequivocally, but although pumpkins are also squash, acorn squash are not pumpkins, and neither pumpkins nor squash are gourds. Many county and state fair judges have argued whether a giant squash can be awarded the prize for "largest pumpkin," but when a 1242-pound Hubbard comes up against a 1174-pound Atlantic Giant, the smaller Atlantic Giant nearly always rolls away with the blue ribbon. Gourds, on the other hand, are generally considered inedible. They have little flesh inside a hard skin, and although some of them could be eaten in a pinch, a nice Kabocha would make a much better meal. Some gourds even contain toxins. Gourds are best used as decorative items, although a plump pumpkin or speckled squash could easily qualify for the same job. It's GPS season! Enjoy!

Fair Fare

Day 345: Some folks go to the Fair for the big-name entertainment shows. Others go for the food. Some go to ride the rides and play for prizes on the midway. Some (although I cannot comprehend the logic) go to throw away their money buying things no human being could ever need in any of the increasingly larger commercial venues. Some want to see local talent on display in the art and photography pavilions. Others enjoy watching demonstrations of wool-spinning and sheep-shearing. For me, two things make a Fair: animals and vegetables. Without pigs and giant pumpkins, without Grange displays and exotic breeds of chickens, there is no Fair.

This morning found me making a beeline for the Grange building with the tripod tucked under my arm. Last year, the Grangers found themselves in new quarters, and it was a change for the better as far as lighting was concerned. However, as luck would have it, some time after the Fair closed, the new Grange building burnt to the ground. The new "building" is a giant tent, and the lighting is almost as poor as it was in the Showplex Building where vegetables took a back seat to vacuum cleaners and knives guaranteed to stay sharp forever. The floral show is housed in the same tent, as are the prize-winning pumpkins. Sadly in the shadows these days, dazzling dahlias and gorgeous gourds don't deserve the level of illumination reserved for aromatherapy diffusers and magnetic jewelry. After all, they're just to look at, not to sell and buy.

A Glad, Good September Morn!

Day 336: By the time this goes to press, I should be a few miles up the trail, so I want to take this (scheduled) opportunity to wish my readers a glad, good September Morn! Remember that patience is a virtue, and it will be rewarded when the daily feature resumes on Tuesday.

Fair Harvest

Day 344: The Puyallup Fair is now officially the Washington State Fair, and naturally, some change was bound to occur to accompany the "rebranding." The last several years' disturbing trend toward catering to commercial vendors is even more pronounced, but in one way, it has had a good effect on the Fair overall, at least in this viewer's opinion. The enormous Showplex building which once was shared by Grange displays, the Sheep-to-Shawl demonstration, flower exhibits, honey farmers and various purveyors of things no one really needs is now entirely devoted to the latter, making it easy to pass by without a glance. The carefully wrought artworks of vegetables and fruit, giant pumpkins, massed dahlias and bonsai now have a building all their own, a more cramped space perhaps, but at least one which is tied together by the theme of cultivation. The Granges' panoramic creations are better lighted than they were in the forgotten corner of the Showplex, and ranks of single stems of flowers in simple vases give an open, airy feel to the building which the claustrophobic confines of the Showplex contrast radically. Visitors no longer need to elbow their way through rude crowds ogling hot tubs, pan scrubbers, cosmetics guaranteed to take twenty years off your face, air purifiers, magnetic bracelets, cutlery sets, dog-grooming tools and glow-in-the-dark beer glasses to reach the prize-winning pumpkin of the season. If you want electric hair straighteners, foot rollers, kitschy ceramics, a gutter brush or cheaper car insurance, the 'Plex is your place, but you'll find me down among the kohlrabi, admiring the farmers' finest products and taking pleasure in the treats afforded by a good old-fashioned county fair.