i went the the fair yesterday. got there right as the gates were opening and therefore got in for free. yay! can't beat free.

i went through all the exhibits, interesting. bought a ring, which the stone promptly fell out of on the way home (and so therefore have to go back and get my money back today)

unfortunately, knowing that the fair opened on the 3rd, i thought the photo entries were due then, and so i didn't check. they were actually due the day before so i didn't get my entries in on time. sniff. there were a lot of outstanding photos, some which i thought should have won but didn't and vice versa. the art was interesting too. the juvenile 10 and up group had some art that was waaaaaaaay better than a lot of the amateur adult art.

i wandered around, snapped some shots, and hell yes, rode some rides (snapping pics while on them) the first one i rode was the himalayan, really more the minalayan (and actually called musik express) where the original himalayan used to go frontwards and then backwards, this one only went one way.

then i rode the ride that the pic uptop was taken from. it was fun, so fun i rode it twice.

i tried another ride, one where there were four arms facing each other in a circle and five seats on each arm. the whole thing swung like a pendulum while the four arms went in circles. that one was really fun too. i had my camera all pulled out to attempt shots from that one as well, but the damn stinkin carnies wouldn't let me. i would have gone ahead and done it anyway once the ride started, but the damn stinkin carnies rode the ride with us...argh...that would have been some fine shots.

seems like most everything, the rides get more expensive while they are much shorter in duration that used to be.

i've never laughed so hard as i did at the pot belly pig race. the announcer built up the tension, then his helper put the piggies in their respective gates. the bell rung, the gates flew open...and the pigs just stood there (one was actually laying) finally one comes out, a few more follow, but they stop to sniff for food. it was hilarious.

i enjoyed the sea lions also. two little cuties named sparky and zoe. i tried to take pics, but they moved so fast (unlike the pigs.) i did manage a nice shot of sparky in the beginning of a dive off her platform.

i went to see the horses/donkeys...two donkeys and two ponies were all that was there. tons of chickens tho, a few turkeys and one peacock.

all in all a pretty nice way to spend an afternoon. it's only about half the size of the one i always went to every year in arkansas...but that was a state fair, not a county one, and there weren't really any large towns/cities within about a hundred and fifty mile radius. here, there are at least four good sized cities and all within their own counties.

enjoy the view!