Today is Wednesday, Day 7, the downward slide, only five days remain….vendors are seeing the end in sight, but for me….I usually just think how much I have left to do and see and how little time there is left!  This year, as I walk through the fair with friends & family, following their agendas, grateful for the company,  I’m able to let the urgency of the usual to-do list slide.

Earlier this summer, when the requests for volunteers were being sent out for the fair, I decided I’d better not sign up.  I worried about how hard it would be for mom to manage parking cars, sleeping, seeing all the family, getting safely to and from the fair and getting through her anniversary date, all without dad. I decided that my full-time State Fair occupation would be the care and keeping of Carol Jo.

As hard as this State Fair is, I find peace knowing Mom didn’t have to go it alone.  She was never truly alone with all us kids and her friends and family, but the loneliness without dad was palpable.

This year, I’m less concerned with seeing stuff, buying stuff and eating stuff (although I am eating …and drinking plenty) and more concerned with spending time with people. Enjoying the fair with people who love it as much as I do, and laughing, remembering and crying together!  I am so grateful for all the people who have continually spent time with me and supported me (more than once) this year.  Today was no exception!

Today was forecast to be a weather winner and the clouds were parting the sun was breaking out as I walked through the gate around 9:30. It was going to be another record-breaking day.  I had a couple of missions to accomplish; find the bench that my friend Joan got to remember her mom, get today’s recipe card, remember to take a picture of historical markers as I walk by and see the 4-H Llama show at 6 pm.

I stopped by the Alphabet Forest because I did some recon to find out when he’d be here and got a hug from my forest buddy Tom!

On my way up Cosgrove, I ran into Gayle and her friend Joey and I invited myself to tag along  They graciously accepted me!  Gayle did not know about the Viking penny smashing deal, so we stopped and smashed another one.

Joey got reeled in, hook, line and sinker to the Anderson window sales team…we weren’t sure if we’d get her back.

I ran to grab the recipe cards, Joey made it out alive, and we went to visit their friend Sharon who is a National Park Ranger and had a lovely chat about the Roseate Spoonbill’s recent appearance here in Minnesota!  You never now what you’ll learn at the Fair!

We shared the amazing art that we discovered by youth, submitted through the schools.  Just amazing talents.

Joey was freezing and needed to arm up, so I suggested we zip through the Annex to grab hot soup….and frozen wine.

I took them to see the Tinker toy exhibit too.

We had to check out some creative activity entries by friends and this one I had passed by a few times, but had looked at it, never really seeing it. A camera lens captures the illusion that your eye can only see from a side view.  Pretty amazing.

Fairchild was gleaming in the sun this morning as we made our way down to the Bazaar.

I still had a sore tooth and needed be cautious with hard, crunchy foods, so I stopped for some Island noodles for “breakfast”.  This particular batch had more crunchy broccoli than any I had eaten before…

The vendors here have not really changed over the years.  I did notice a booth with beautiful dishware and it resembles the Polish painted pottery I love so much.  I failed to get a picture, but I’ll go back. I asked the vendor if this was Polish too and he told me it is Moroccan.  I wonder which culture was influenced by which?

The Midtown Global Market vendors changed over this week and the new food offering from Mama D’s is a BBQ Split.  I didn’t want to try it, but a lady let me photograph hers.

You decide.

We stopped by the Russian booth, I always like to see the Matryoshka Dolls.  They had a Trump doll and I wondered if the little one inside his big head would be Putin…  It wasn’t.

They have Winnie the Pooh, The Beatles, Owls and cows!

Ran into these to friends from church  Janet always celebrates a birthday during the fair.  It was today!

The Burrito Mercado booth has new stuff that looks inspired by the movie Coco.

There were lots of beautiful mittens which Joey wished she’d had earlier in the day!

We exited and went down to the animal barns, passing by Steichens General Store.  A little known attraction, if you needed batteries, a lighter or bug spray.

Gayle & Joey needed to see chickens  I already had, but there were some new varieties in attendance today!

Champion Tom

and a goose that wanted my drink!

I ran into these two kids, Megan and Jordan.

Gayle & Joey went over to see baby animals while I was chatting, and on my way to meet them I found the Llama trucks bringing in all our buddies for later tonight!

Gray checked in from college to let me know their final dorm move was going well (one that I hoped they could manage so I could opt out of, due to the fair!)  They sent me a dorm picture and I sent them a snapshot of me living the dream, having a margarita and looking at horses!

These are the new Wells Fargo Family Farm horses at the Minnesota Zoo.  I asked about Duke & Prince, if they were still with us, and they are. completely retired living their best lives out at the zoo farm.

Gayle & Joey are active Pokemon Go friends and I have been slacking for the last year, due to other family, work, school and puppy issues, but they helped me catch a few new pokemon today.  This one is known as “Drunk Panda”  Gayle suggested it was my State Fair spirit animal!

We headed to the West End to get beverages, I tried the Frozen BudLimearita, and it’s a malt beverage, not my favorite, but it’s something that’s not~ beer down n the west end.

We ate some bull bites from Lulu’s ad then chatted with Sarah @ i like you, and Joey bought a couple awesome t-shirts.  I told her maybe next year she needs a shirt that says “Here’s the deal…”  i like you has the best t-shirts at the fair! (and a great coupon too!)

We strolled through Dan Patch park and I said hello to one of my favorite children’s authors David LaRochelle.  He was there with a walk through version of his new book,  “Isle of You” and lots of other fun activities for kids of all ages.

We decided to check out the Grandstand, so we walked up the ramp ( my suggestion as I wasn’t sure how well I’d navigate the steps…) and we wandered looking at all the booths that seem to be the same.  There are some old standby vendors, the cooler guys, the extension cords, the Spectacle shoppe and others, but there are a bunch of new “Minnesota” vendors that, to me, seemed to have all the same merchandise, just marketed differently.

The one that stands out is Adam Turman.  At the top of the ramp his booth and art is prominently displayed. His “Abbey Road” art wall has made for fun photo ops!

I bought a couple of dish towels and postcards.

In the center there is a new vendor called Vintage Tin and he takes old suitcases and makes them into speakers!  I’m going to see if I can give him a bunch of old suitcases!

The aisle getting past the “Speakeasy” food vendor up there is too tight so we went around and found the Rainbow Cloud Roll.  A new, ultra sweet, child’s dream concoction this year!  Our teeth hurt watching them make it.  ( Mine especially!)

As we were headed out to the “Veranda” we ran into Allie and her mom Betsy!  What a treat!

They Veranda, after its debut last year has been improved greatly!  It’s a welcoming space with flowers, umbrellas and cute adornments!

Gayle & Joey connected with another friend up here!

We needed sustenance and I wanted pie!  There was a stop for water and bacon at Big Fat Bacon and then to Tipsy Pies where I bought a round at Sara’s for the gang.

I’m blurry…in more ways than one, but this is Sarah’s fun Snapchat filter!

Then Sue wanted to try the Farmer’s Union BLT, She said it was great except for the bacon…I told her maybe she should have saved the Big Fat Bacon and out it on her sandwich!

As I rested on a bench outside the Union, I ran into a volunteering buddy Bree.

She and I have found ourselves working together for the Alphabet Forest and Lyngblomsten, and I first met her volunteering a shift for the Foundation working with dad!  Today she off to volunteer at the Little Hands Farm.  She loves the Fair just like me… she even has ink!

I then saw Laura & Trina, dear Alphabet Forest friends!

I needed to consume more than pie & margaritas, so I parted ways with the group and found a foot long hot dog and made my way to the Midway to find my brother Mark and family.

They were having a lucrative adventure in the Midway!

I also was sitting on a bench where my dear friend Jeannie found me!

Andrea was back on the grounds tonight and stooped for her favorite pretzel dog

and joined us for the standing around, trying to get moving to the Llama show portion of the evening!

The weather was beautiful, and I reminded myself to relax and enjoy the scenery!

Allie showed me the cute water bottle she found in the Grandstand earlier  She did not know the Sloth was our family mascot!  And this has a very good reminder message for me today!!!

There were many tickets to use up and the best way to guarantee a win, is if everybody sits down at the same game and fills it up and gives the prize to whoever wants it!

I was pressuring the group to get moving so we would have time for a food and beverage stop before the Llamas, but this family does not move as rapidly as I do.

We did finally make it to the Llamas and they did not disappoint!

We learned from last year, it is better to sit outside the gates watching them enter, than to be inside, where you can’t get a good picture.  As we were there, who should walk up, but Ian Leonard, wearing his Pantini Pants!  Channel 9 meteorologist, but better known to this family for his Bad Pants Open!  Ian is a huge supporter of Minnesota Special Olympics and the Leonard and Kelsey Families have bonded through their involvement over the years.  He stopped to talk and share a moment with Alec and Allie until his camera man summoned him with a job to do, covering the Llama show!

We didn’t stay for the whole show, there are three or four heats. but we walked over to where the next group was staging

and then walked inside to see another group preparing!

The end game was food at Dino’s for Mark, and he was in the slowest moving part of the group, so Andrea & I found Kim and we started walking up to Dino’s.  We stopped for a rest on a log behind the DNR and Andrea took a moment to climb the ranger tower!  There was no way, after all the standing around and knee tortured stops and starts today I could make it, so she took a couple of pictures for me and of me!

As the three of us made our way out the DNR courtyard, there was a two-man, street clearing, fist fight occurring.  The police were on their way, and we didn’t stick around to get the whole story, but we witnesses some handcuffing and resisting of arrest..   I don’t think these guys will be in the Mini Midway jail…these guys are headed to the county lock up!

We made it Dino’s, with the crowds pressing in and very little space to move or eat.  Mark was so hungry and eating rapidly, accidentally made his own street pizza!

I left the family on a planter curb, promising to connect up at the Hangar later, and Andrea and I went to say hello to Mary and her friend who had just landed.

As I hugged and caught up with them, I got a message that Bart & Sonja had a table in the Ball Park to begin their 20th Anniversary State Fair celebration!

I had to get a picture of them sharing the 20th Anniversary with the Ball Park Cafe, not truly believing that it’s been here for 20 years already!

I found an old neighborhood and high school friend Troy and his wife enjoying the Ball Park too.  They had two friends along who had never experienced the Fair before! I hope they left with nothing but good memories!

Michael & Kathleen has just landed on the grounds and stopped by on their way to food  beverages.  Bart & Sonja were off to enjoy their evening together…and I had no idea where Mark & family were.  I sat on a bench, just watching people for quite some time.  My knee hurt, my feet were sore.  I’d put on over 100,000 steps in the last five days.

I knew (hoped) the family was heading to the Hangar so I slowly made my way up to the north end.  I thought about looking for a trolley, but I would have had to walk out of my way to catch one and they run intermittently and end service altogether around 9. Mike & Kathleen appeared behind me as I walked and we all made it the last set that Kim’s friend Billy Johnson was performing. Mark was making the best use of the Midway winnings

The lines were long and really slow, even at this time of night, but we did get some brisket sliders and had a beer before we all made our way home together.

On the way, we ran into one more couple from church and added them to the list of friends at the fair today!

Tired, filled with love, support and wonderful memories, we headed back to the house.  None of us went inside.

I spent the day traversing the fair, ened to end to end again and failed to find Joan’s bench and get the remaining photos for the historical markers…a task for Thursday.