Ferryboats, Fall, & Fairs

Yesterday morning I took a trip to an island off the coast here to meet some friends. The weather started out cloudy and muggy. My mom, my grandmother, Vinny, Zac and I made several trips to this island when we were little kids. My mom took care of an elderly man's dying wife in the healthcare center. He fell in love with my mother and they were friends until the day he died. Vinny and I used to throw bottles with messages off the side of the ferry on our way over. Yesterday it started to rain and then it poured by the time I walked off the boat. My friend met me there and drove me to her house. I thought it was going to be a complete shack by the description she had given me. Granted it does need some cosmetic work but the place is absolutely charming. It was so great to be there and we had a blast. Her son cooked us one of the best meals I have ever had, we drove around the island and then they dropped me off at the ferry. By the time I made it to the mainland, the weather was clear and it felt like fall.

Then, in the evening, another friend and I went to the local country fair that runs for a week. I must confess, the only reason I go once or twice a year is to play Bingo in the Bingo tent. We paid our $8 entrance fee - insane - got an ice cream and walked over to the tent. They weren't going to have Bingo. What?! No Bingo?! I couldn't believe I had just paid $8 dollars for nothing. I usually do a lap around the fair anyway - even if my main reason was to play bingo. Last night we tried to drum up reasons to stay. I don't mind rides - a little over priced at $4 a pop - but didn't think my friend was up to it. We walked around the life stock, which I like, but ice cream and animal smells don't mix. We even went into the museum which I have never ever been to that I can remember. I saw my mother's flower display. I couldn't see her name but could tell by the arrangement it was hers. She definitely deserved first place because her flowers were way better than the others - I am not sure what she placed. I contemplated eating more food because I didn't have dinner but didn't seem like a good choice. We even thought about going to the demolition derby but it was packed. Cars smashing into each other is a big hit up here in the sticks. So we left. Bummer - no bingo.

I may be imagining things differently but our local fair is not what it used to be. When I was young and then a teenager, every child in this area lived for fair time. Vinny and I used to save our money to go. (I'll do another post on how we made our fair money - blueberry raking for my grandfather). The midway was filled with rides and tons of kids every where. It's not the same anymore. The midway seems to shrink every year. Maybe the kids have more to do now than we did back then. Who knows.

I'll be going to the Windsor fair next week. My grandfather is in charge of the pulling - where horses and oxen compete on pulling weights. That fair is much bigger and better. I won't play bingo there because they have so many cool animals to look at.