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.