It’s Governors Fire Prevention Day, and I love to pick up all my fire swag; sun screen packs, hot pads, thermometers, etc. Today was not going to be that day!

I got to the grounds around 8:30am and the air was oppressively hot and had a day 12 smell to it.

I really wanted to see the Crop Art first, because invariably I miss things and have to go again. I headed for Ag/Hort and as I waited outside the doors, with an ominously growing number of people, I noticed this map hanging on the exterior wall. In all my years visiting this building, I’m never oriented once I get inside. This map is new to me and will be quite helpful!

The doors opened and I was the first one through. There were crowds of people, however that actually follow directions and went in the correct way, so I was already in back of the people, like a salmon swimming upstream. I still got lots of pictures that I can revisit later using my zoom!

So much love & positivity!

I also ran into my friend and crop artist Gayle & her husband Mark. The works pictured here are her entries this year! Despite the limited high accolades, I think her work is amazingly precise with great theme and color choices.

As we chatted and shared our “day one” stories, caught up after a year of not seeing each other, with sweat dripping down our backs, we parted ways, sure to see each other again!

I explored three of the hexagonal hallways and it’s worth a slow walk through the florist vignettes this year. Don’t forget to peek around the corners to find some surprises! I think my favorite was The Ugly Duckling, filled with positive self imagery!

The center display is a huge tree with pink blossoms and if you look up, you’ll see Tinkerbell. (Not from this angle though!)

There are floral gyroscopes again this year, I’ll check them out another day.

I wanted to be sure and see vegetables before they succumb to the heat, and surprisingly there wasn’t a crowd. It could have been the stifling air keeping people away. (It didn’t deter people from the crop art lines though). As I walked around the display, an employee opened up the outer doors for some ventilation! I put my hands strategically in photos for perspective. My hands are not small.

Too many people were checking out the scarecrows, so that shall remain on the to-do list. CFANS (the College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Science) has a virtual reality experience exploring the path of pea proteins… if you’re into that sort of thing!

On a sweltering day, a cool spot always seems to be found lingering among the Christmas trees!

I voted for my favorite and got my picture taken inside the wreath. My attempt at positive visualization of colder things!

There is a giant, spinning, wheel but no one was there to explain more. Very interesting categories here. Some kids just walked up to spin it and walked on! Those are my people.

Walking back out into the heat, I spied Grammie’s empty bench! It was perfectly shaded and a comfortable oasis to sit, hydrate and ponder my next move. She would be thrilled that it’s near the parade route, close to a nice biffy, and next to a garden.

My plan was to head to the Kare11 barn, fill up my empty water bottle and smash a penny, but I was sidetracked by the buzzing activity around the MPR booth. I took an empty seat and little did I know, that’s where I’d remain for the next hour and a half!

TV cameras, tech crews and local celebrities surrounded me!

I realized I was watching the rehearsal for a taping of Almanac “Live from the Fair” to be aired on tpt at 7pm, but would be broadcast on MPR news, live at 11:00am.

Sheletta Brundage, was standing right next to me for most of the rehearsal and we chatted about various things. The possibility of her eating the crispy lutefisk steam bun, that some of the audience members were going to tasting live. “Oh honey! No” she told me! Becky & Bill gave the lutefisk a thumbs down yesterday saying it was definitely not crispy! I asked her if she remembered my friend, and her colleague; former, regular Almanac political science contributor, Stacey Hunter Hecht (who died too young) and she once again respond with an “Oh honey! Yes!” She took a pic with me and told me to share it with Stacy’s daughter Rosie ❤️

During the rehearsal, Kaomi Lee, introducing the musical act and got the dates wrong for his upcoming performance at the Schells stage. She said “Monday & Tuesday, August 21st and 22nd”. Me, being me, couldn’t let it go, so I caught a passing producer and let him know. He thanked me and said they’d get it changed.

Just as the show was about to start my cousin Jesse from NYC and her family stopped by. I got an all too quick hug and hello and they moved on and I took my seat for the actual recording. In hindsight, I could have removed myself, and had more time with Jesse & family, but I was sort of invested in the show now! Would Sheletta eat the lutefisk? Would the taste testers, who rehearsed their answers, actually tell the truth? Would Kaomi get the dates correct? What would we name the baby lamb who was brought on stage by the FFA youth? (You can watch the show for all the answers!).

I was engrossed in the outcome and planning to stay, then Sheletta said “hold my phone!”

Now I couldn’t leave if I wanted to! I messaged the family that I’d be on Almanac tonight, and if they’d please record it. Who knew I’d be all over Almanac! The goofiest part is when they were focused in on Sheletta and Taren at the end of the broadcast, Sheletta nudged my leg and her phone fell to the ground. I couldn’t just let it go… No, I could not. So all you see is me, detracting from the show, bending over to get her phone!

It’s worth watching the show to hear Kevin Kling’s Ode to the State Fair. If it’ll load, you can watch it here.

Once the show was done and I returned Sheletta’s phone, I got in line to spin the MPR member wheel. The booth theme this year is “Camp MPR”. I won a little bar of soap that I added to my little washcloth in my bag! I also picked up more stickers.

As a member you get 25% off merch at the booth, and for a one time added donation you get a cute canvas tote bag. It’s lightweight and has nice long shoulder straps! I also got a fun lightweight hoodie that I hope and pray I’ll need out here, one night soon!

I walked on, two hours later, down the street and around the corner to the KARE11 Barn. I inquired about weather calendars signed by Belinda (on behalf of my brother Michael) but learned there are no boxes of signed calendars this year. Mike will have to get his blank one and hope he gets to a news taping and have her sign it. Don’t forget your sharpie pen!

I had been without water for a few hours and feeling ever so parched, I asked when the water bottle giveaway was happening. The time had passed, but if I signed up to win a home improvement prize, I could get one now. I’ll now be on the Window Vonceots call list forever, but I wanted lots of extra water!

Once I rehydrated myself, I looked at the time. I had scheduled a consult with an eye surgeon this afternoon at 2:30. There wouldn’t be time to make it up to the north end for all my fire swag. I thought about taking the sky glider, but the risk of getting stuck up there in this heat, knowing I only had a couple hours before I had to leave, was too great. I thought I might find someone I knew at the Ball park, so I took the shortcut that drops me out at the Minnesota Farm Bureau. I played the game and earned a purple spatula!

I could hardly get into the Ball Park, let alone find anyone I might know. The misters were on full blast and the place was wall to wall people.

Recently a promising young hockey standout was killed in a car accident. Jori Jones had worked at the Ball Park and in tribute they have a hockey stick on the “wall of fame”.

I bumped into my friend and owner Dave, wished him a good fair, but otherwise exited the area quickly.

I remembered Senator Amy Klobauchar’s suggestion and went across the street to visit the beautiful fire fighters at the AFL-CIO booth. It was all the fire swag I would get today, but I’m OK with that!

I realized I just happened to be next to the Foot Long Hot dog stand, and I was hungry…

I was amazed at how crowded the fair was, despite the heat and blazing sun. I was ready to get going as it was nearing 1:00pm.

On my way out, crowds were pouring in and I found my water guy! Gave him a big hug and heard him say “if you have a thirst, see me first!”, as I walked away.

I spent the rest of the afternoon at the eye surgeon and after extensive testing, got positive news that I’m a good candidate for successful strabismus corrective surgery (you can google that one!)

They also fitted my glasses with a very strong fresnel lens overlay, which allowed me to have single vision for the first time in months. I wasn’t sure how the new lens would affect my night driving as it’s highly reflective, so Mike & Kathleen agreed to pick me up and return to the fair.

I entered the fair looking at everything with new eyes! I didn’t realize how much I really relied on memory to navigate the fair. My friend Elysia was saving seats for us, so we went as fast as we could to grab beverages and a bite to eat and returned to save Elysia from the accusatory glares from those searching for seats.

I sat down with my Giant Juicy sandwich and frozen margarita and settled in to enjoy the Bacon Brothers concert.

There were other friends in attendance, more than I was even aware of! I took a minute to stop and say hi to the Lietzke/Quinn clan

We thoroughly enjoyed the concert and I was especially excited to see only two Bacon Brothers where I previously would have seen four!

I though my Facebook post was pretty funny!

After the show, we wandered down to the Grandstand and listened to The Chicks play “Goodbye Earl” from a distance and watched the fireworks.

I was also thrilled to be able to actually see the fireworks and not have to take a picture and zoom in in on my phone.

Riding home in the passenger seat, I also realized that I’d be able to drive at night again with this new lens. The only challenge is that I have to take my glasses off to use my phone, and when I put them on again there is an adjustment period. But all in all, great news. I can blog, then give my eyes time to adjust and head back to the fair!

The temperature dropped, breeze picked up and humidity dissipated at around 9pm. Tomorrow is gonna be a crazy one!