Ellensburg has a major rodeo and the County holds a fair each year ending on Labor Day (?). Not counting the preparations, things begin to happen a week before as the rides, food vendors, and commercial booths arrive. This year the opening was on Thursday. Festivities will finish on Sunday, and take-down will be Monday. Typical scenes {from the web} are below:
The Rodeo is a big draw, bringing participants from all the western states, including Texas and South Dakota. The image at the top left is about all I could see as the Fair and Rodeo are separate entries. All the rodeo folks will leave Tuesday for the next event with big money awards.
After staying away for 25 years, I volunteered to be a “greeter” at the Adult Activity Center’s Lounge – – 2 hours each on Thursday and Saturday. The Lounge provides a cool spot with ice water, lemonade, coffee, and cookies. I am allowed free parking and entry to the Fair grounds. The Rodeo is a different entry, but its presence is the most impressive aspect. As mentioned, folks come from many places with trucks, trailers, horses, dogs, kids, and western hats. If you don’t have one, you can buy one for $25 and up. See the lower right photo. Anything else western can be purchased, such as boots, handbags, jewelry, . . ., generators, and hot tubs.
Prices (to me) seem exorbitant. A stuffed toy horse was $20. Cotton Candy = $7; a simple hot dog = $8; fancy “Big Dogs”
= from $12 to $16. A pounder baked potato with multiple toppings = $12. Lemonade for $6, $9, and $12. Maybe that was the pricing on the little cups of mini ice cream balls. I passed on all the offerings.
For my role as greeter, I arrived about 9:30 before most things were underway, such as the rides and food booths. Expecting hot and sunny, I choose the early shift from 10 to Noon. After Noon, the temperature and sun were uncomfortable but I might have been the only one in the crowd that cared. On Saturday, about half way back to the truck, a long-ago student and fair worker recognized me and I got a ride in an electric cart. We had about 2 minutes to reminisce.
Wednesday was Pétanque Day and on Friday the host of that venue came over and picked up some posts and used lumber for a new table to go beside his boulodrome. When I have cool and shade, I work on the landscaping near the house. The Raspberries that were against the house are gone [ think of them as a fire hazard gone] and I’m 75% done with rehabilitating the space with gravel and decorative rocks.
I’ve order a foot massager with “soothing heat” to use while at computer tasks, a couple of three hours a day, especially in the evening. I get plenty of exercise during the day – one of the suggestions to relieve cold feet – but keeping feet moving while at a desk is not easy. This is not a very expensive device, so it seems to be a worthwhile experiment. It is to arrive on Wednesday. A report will follow in a month.
And so august ends.
Keeping Track
on the Naneum Fan
John