You Can Do It A Trot, You Can Do It At Gallop, Do The Puyallup !

Tuesday we left here about noon and headed for the local mall, where we caught an express bus to the Puyallup Fair.   If you click on that link you can listen to the Fair song, that's been used for many years.  Those of us who live in the area, know it by heart.

First of all the weather guy kept saying "Sun breaks with rain."  So we thought, "well...we'll do what we can outside & if it rains, we'll head into one of the buildings."   Well surprise, surprise it never rained but the forecast kept the crowds away.  I saw in today's paper that there were just under 39,000 people in attendance yesterday. 10,000 less than the same day last year.   So the bus wasn't crowded and neither were the fairgrounds.  Lot's of the games of chance places, had no players.  Many of the vendors were reading magazines, newspapers, etc.  It was nice not to have wait in line for anything. 

We wandered around; looking at the quilts, the photographs, all the baked & canned items, the needle work, sewing, etc.  We went to see Harley, the 2,000 lb Holstein steer, who thought he was in love with the pretty cow in the next stall (he could see her thru the window).   He broke thru the window , he didn't know she was plastic and had rubber udders, so kids could enjoy the act of milking a cow.  Poor Harley, the window has been boarded up and he can no longer see his true love.  We saw various breeds of goats (those little miniature ones are so cute), even a breed that are born with no ears.  We saw all the animals, there at the Fair with their 4-H handlers.  It's so nice to still see young people interested in animal husbandry. 

We looked at all the various vendors; had our hands washed by the "Touch of Mink" people, watched demonstrations of mops, knives,tools, cookware, slice 'em dice 'em machines, siding,windows, etc.

We walked around the midway area; watching all the kids on the various rides (I remember those days when I was a kid and that's the first place I headed), parents (or grandparents) shelling out the money for those long strips of tickets for the different rides, we heard the screams from those on the roller coaster, the Mad Mouse and even the ferris wheel.

We ate; scones...you can't go to this fair without eating at least one scone...warm from the oven buttered and filled with raspberry jam (and we bought 4 to bring home, they are good warmed in the microwave). And finally about 7pm I bought my Young Life BBQ sandwich...my favorite fair fare for the last 5 or 6 years.  Tender BBQ'd, thin sliced beef, piled thick on a bun.  You add the BBQ sauce, lettuce, tomato, mayo & onions to your taste. Yummmy !!!!!

I got my annual hug from a policeman; one of my daughter's high school friends is now a policeman.  He's a great guy, with a lovely wife and family. He was part of the junior high, high school group at our church and the kids spent many Friday nights at our house playing pool and messing up my kitchen back in the 1970's.  They also spent some Saturday night's toilet-papering the trees in our front yard (yes this future policeman was part of that, too.) Anyway, all has been forgiven and when he see's me at the Fair, I always get a big bear hug.

Finally about 8:30pm with our feet screaming, we decided it was time to head to the bus that would take us back to the mall and my car. So our Fair experience was over for another year.  Up to several years ago, it was not uncommon to go out there more than once...but as I get older...once is normally enough. 

Today the weather looks more threatening, the wind is blowing, and there's more gloom than sun.  They are saying we could have some thunder showers later today.  I'm glad we did the Puyallup yesterday.   

Thanks for coming to the Fair with me....I hope you had a good time.           Linda