The Third Fair Tale

I promise. This will be the last fair post for a long time. 😊

 We went to another fair last weekend. It was a county fair, and I didn't want to go - too big, etc. But Ward and Wally were interested, so I went along to spend time with them. (If I didn't have encouragement, sometimes I wonder if I'd ever leave my house.) Anyway, I went and had a good time despite my reservations. The weather was good, and although many people were there, they were all in a good mood. Despite the warm temperatures and crowds, I didn't see one person get upset. People-watching was fun -- especially the people on the carnival rides. I think half of the fun of a carnival is the squealing that people do. :)

Below are pictures from the day. There are many of them, but you can scroll quickly through them if you want.

These were decorated pumpkins.

This felted owl was over 3 feet tall.

Notice the flies' bodies are wrenches.

Until next time...

Another Fair Tale

 Last time, I described our local community fair and how much I enjoyed it. As promised, here is an accounting of this year's fair. Even though I managed to go to the fair three times, I didn't see most events (or get pictures), so you'll only see a few things going on from my perspective. 

Some years, I have been crafty throughout the year, and I have things to enter. Some years, not. That was this year. So, when I looked around and saw nothing to enter, I got to work making a collage. I've been making a collage for the fair for the last few years. I used to enter photos, but that category has gotten really competitive since almost everyone has a good camera on their phone. I decided to focus on the art area even though I have no drawing or painting abilities. But I can cut and paste, so collages it's been. Some years, I've won a ribbon, and some years, I have not. And quite truthfully, some of my collages have not been very good.  

The collage in process. One of my self-imposed rules is that I can't buy anything to make my collage. This presents a challenge sometimes as I try to find the right things for it.

I asked Ward to help cut tape to put around the edges, and it got to be an involved process. The tape certainly didn't come off after all of this.

I titled my piece "Appalachian Sunrise" and was a little disappointed that it didn't get a ribbon. However, it couldn't hold a candle to the dragon collage that was the champion.

Look what I found the next day! The ribbon had been hiding behind it all along.

Meanwhile, Ward entered a few things in the woodworking area.
These were a set of pencil boxes made from maple, oak, and walnut.

In the novelty class, Ward entered a puzzle box made from paint stirrers. 

He also entered this puzzle box. It takes 12 steps to find the two hidden drawers inside. Ward didn't want to enter it because he thought it was too complicated to judge, even with instructions. However, he won a second and Special Kid's Choice Award. The local 4-H club picks their favorite for the class. I don't know if they figured out how to open it or just appreciated how complicated it was. BTW, I can't open it even with the instructions. 😀

I also entered 8 cut flowers from around the yard.
This zinnia and a rudbeckia got blue ribbons.

Our entries were rounded out with some basil and wax beans. Both got red ribbons.

Here are a few more photos in the entry hall.

Ice cream-making contest. 

Well, there you have it. My version of this year's fair.

Until next time...

A Fair Tale

 Kris commented on my last post that it was nice that my community fair was open to everyone. Well, that's the first thing that attracted me to it. 

My first ribbon

The little town I grew up in had a big festival every fall. It was big enough that we got out of school a day for it. It had a carnival, parades, food, music, and a band festival. Along with those were exhibits of things people made and won ribbons for. They were standard country fair-type things with big pumpkins, baked goods, quilting, etc. However, the only kids who could enter things were those in 4-H. That wasn't me. I was a Girl Scout. I was always envious of my friends who got to enter their projects at the festival for all to see.

Jump ahead 30 years, when we moved to Maryland, I discovered that our community had a fair every fall, and everyone was allowed to enter. I was excited about the possibilities and the fact that I would finally realize a childhood dream. That year, I entered a cross-stitch piece and got a blue ribbon. I was hooked. 

The exhibit hall

As time passed, I realized that the fair organizers encouraged you to enter as many things as you wanted, even giving prizes for the most entries for various ages. So I started entering more things, not worrying much about whether they were winners. It was a way to support the organization. The fair was also generous with ribbons; you would probably get one if you entered more than a few things. The rewards for winning a ribbon are just a token, with currently, a first-place ribbon winning $2. We usually take our winnings and go out for ice cream after we pick up our entries.

Lucky and Lucy won ribbons for Best Groomed
and Sweetest Face, among other things.

When the kids were younger, they entered things, too. They entered art projects from school, something they built at home or in scouts. One year, they did the pet show with our cats, Lucky and Lucy. Ward has entered some of his woodworking projects, and we all took turns entering vegetables from the garden and flowers from the yard. I don't remember everything I've entered, but some entries have been flowers, veggies, photos, jewelry, knitting, cross-stitch, cookies, and canning. 

Black Walnuts from our backyard that Theo entered.

I have a tradition, of sorts, with the fair. Entries are accepted Thursday night and then open to the public on Friday afternoon after the judging is finished. I meet one of my sisters Friday afternoon, and we have a hotdog lunch from the fire department auxiliary group. They grill the hot dogs outside, and you get to pick the one you want from the grill. You used to be able to get a hot dog, potato chips, and a drink for $2.50. Well, inflation has hit here as well, and now the price has doubled- which is still cheaper than any fast food around (and it's for a good cause). Then we go inside to see if we won any ribbons. I not only get excited when I see one of my things with a ribbon on it, but I also get excited when I see that someone who I stood with in the entry line has one, too. 

The tractor playground is always a hit with the younger crowd.

The fair is definitely a feel-good experience for me and reminds me of the small town I grew up in. (Although my town's festival was larger than this fair.) For the last two years, I have even done storytimes about our fair, talking about things the kids would see there. Some people were unaware of the fair and have come back and told me how much they enjoyed the fair after learning about it during storytime.

Next time, I'll tell you about this year's experience at the fair.

Until then...

Hello, Again!

Time has gotten away from me. I'm unsure where it has gone, but it's been a few weeks since I've checked in here. Let me see what I can remember.

--We have been busy helping my FIL, who had heart surgery. We are very thankful that the surgery went well.

--There is more to our car saga. You may remember that we got a new car last January. After owning it for only a couple of weeks, someone ran into it and totaled it. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but it took four months to get a new car and resolve all the paperwork. However, a month ago, the new car started to make a knocking sound, so we took it to the dealer. Thankfully, they heard the sound but couldn't figure out where it was coming from. After a week and consults with Honda headquarters, they still couldn't figure it out. We picked up the car and took it back yesterday when a specialist was flying in to look at it. Unfortunately, he was called away due to an emergency, so we have to take it back again next week. 

In the meantime, we got a big crack in our windshield, and the whole windshield has to be replaced. It is an expensive job because there's a camera in it. (These new-fangled cars. 😕) We are very thankful that we have more than one car during these times.

There are so many interesting things to see at the fair. This was a child's entry.

--Yesterday was the first day of our community fair. We participate in it almost every year, and this year was no exception. Ward and I both entered things and won a few ribbons. I love this fair. It's free, family-friendly, and really brings the community together. I am very thankful for all the volunteers' hard work in bringing this event together.

--About a month ago, a big apple tree came down during a storm. Yesterday, a tree guy came and processed the whole thing. With the proper equipment, the job went about 100 times faster than if we had done it ourselves. I am very thankful that we had the money to pay for this service, and when it was time to pay the bill, he charged us $100 less than he quoted.

--That's about all the time I have for catch-up this morning. I have to work all weekend and should start getting ready. I am not thrilled about the schedule, but I am very thankful that I get to work with people I like—both customers and coworkers.

Until next time...

Kris's Tour of the Beautiful Lake Superior Area

We have a guest poster today, Kris, a friend of the blog. She vacationed with her family in Michigan's Upper Penninsula (UP) this summer and is sharing her trip with us. I spent a summer in the UP during college doing geologic field work and saw nothing like the stunning sights she shares. In full disclosure, what I remember most about my summer there were the hordes of mosquitoes and the swamps we trudged through looking for rock outcrops. After reading about Kris's trip, clearly, I need to visit again. The area is quite beautiful along with some interesting history. With no further ado, get ready for a trip to the UP.

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Hello fellow Live-and-Learners-Toss-and-Turners!  I had mentioned to June that my family vacationed in part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula this past summer.  She asked if I would like to share about my travels, so here we are!  I hope you enjoy hearing about this beautiful section of my home state.  I have gained much from reading June's travel tales, and her descriptions of her home state of West Virginia have inspired not one, but two family trips there. I'm not June, but I can try to share my travels with equal excitement.  🙂

 www.mapsland.com.
As you have already gathered, Michigan is my home state.  Michigan is divided into two peninsulas.  The lower peninsula is the part that looks like a mitten and is where most of the population lives.  The upper peninsula is more rustic and remote.  Our peninsulas are connected by the Mackinac (say "Mack-in-aw") Bridge, which is a long suspension bridge over what is known as the Straits of Mackinac.  If you are curious about the bridge, here's a link:  https://mymichiganbeach.com/mackinac-bridge-facts/ We are surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes.  We vacationed near Lake Superior, which is the northernmost of the lakes, and is a major shipping area.  

My son attends university in the Upper Peninsula in a town known as Sault Saint Marie (say "Soo Saint Marie", commonly known as "The Soo").  He is spending the summer there working, so we opted for a vacation fairly close to him so we could spend part of our time together.  The Soo is well known for its locks, a parallel set of locks which enable shipping between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes.  While we have been to The Soo frequently, we haven't been able to go on a boat tour of the locks due to seasonal timing issues (tourist attractions lose their luster when you are moving a kid onto campus).  We spent a night in town to give us the chance to enjoy the area highlights.  The boat tour of the locks was interesting and picturesque. 

We found the locks tour interesting.

We were able to see the coastlines of both Michigan as well as Sault Ste Marie, Canada (yes, it's VERY confusing!  It's located directly across the St. Mary's River from the Michigan Soo) and learn about the history of the area.

We also toured a freighter-turned-museum named the Valley Camp Museum. The tour gave us a hands-on feel for what life on a freighter must be like, including the "guts" of the ship.  A lifeboat from the shipwrecked Edmund Fitzgerald was one of the displays, and a somber one, at that (Gordon Lightfoot wrote a song about the wreck). 

Valley Camp Museum

Valley Camp Museum. The inside of a ship is a complicated place.
After our time in The Soo, we went west along the shore of Lake Superior to Munising, Michigan.  Munising is a town by Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We camped for several days near there, and that was our home hub for our trip. 

Pictured Rocks is named for 13 miles of colorful sandstone cliffs along the shore of Lake Superior.  The sandstone has been sculpted by natural forces over the years and contains, in addition to beautiful colors from the minerals in the rocks, caves, arches, and rock formations.  The best way to get a feel for the vastness of the area is via Lake Superior. There are many options available, but we opted for a boat tour.  It was choppy on the water, which didn't bother any of us, but some of the passengers weren't so lucky.  It truly was a beautiful ride, as you can see by the photographs.

 

There are many waterfalls in this area.  I won't include all of them, but here are two:  

Wagner Falls

Munising Falls.

We visited Miners Castle Rock, one of the iconic rock formations in the area. It can be viewed by land, unlike some of the other formations.

Miner's Castle Rock

Another view of Miner's Castle Rock

We went on a lengthy hike along the North Country Trail one day, where we were surprised to learn we could view some of the cliffs from shore.  It was a stunning sight. 

View of cliffs from North Country Trail

Another cliff view

Along the way we saw yet another iconic rock formation known as Chapel Rock.  I am including different views of this rock to illustrate the unique feature of it. There is a lone pine growing here; originally, the outcropping of rock with the pine was connected to the mainland, but over time, erosion occured.  As you can see, the roots for the trees stretch across to the mainland. 

Chapel Rock
Chapel Rock. Notice the stretching roots.
 
No trip for me is complete without nerding out on history.  We spent a day visiting the Au Sable Light Station (say "Aw Sahble) and were able to tour it, including the catwalk at the top.  Unfortunately it was a drizzly day so the views were somewhat obscured.

Au Sable Light Station

Light station light

View from the light station

Along Lake Superior's beach in that area are the remains of shipwrecks, which you can walk beside on the beach.  We saw two within close proximity. 

Shipwreck remains

Remains of another ship that didn't make it.

We also went to Log Slide Overlook near the town of Grand Marais.  This is a very steep sand dune and the site of of former log camp.  The loggers slid the logs down the dune to Lake Superior, where they could be loaded onto ships.  We didn't opt to run down the dune--it's nearly vertical and takes about an hour to ascend.

Notice how steep the log slide is.
 Our last waterfall viewing was also our favorite.  Here's a picture of Sable Falls.

Sable Falls

I will leave you with a peaceful view of the lake at our campground.  Thank you for coming along this tour with me! 

We had a beautiful campground to come home to every day.

Thanks, Kris. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about your vacation. I think we have very similar interests when taking a trip--outdoors with some history thrown in.