Home and Garden Show

I went to a Home and Garden Show yesterday, put on by... the community?.... the local Chamber of Commerce?.....I don't know who organized it. It was at the county fair grounds. The hours were for one day only from 10 am to 4 pm, not a long time. I got there midafternoon and thought perhaps I might have to rush through things to see it all. But, sigh, this is a small town, small county (population small, not geographically small) and it took me only an hour and fifteen minutes from the time I parked to the time I drove off to go through the whole show. Twice.

There wasn't much too see. I bumped into people I knew and chatted. I filled in several dozen raffle tickets to win everything from a new barbeque grill to a box full of household emergency supplies. I stocked up on a new supply of free pens, magnets, bottled water, and candy.

What was the most interesting though, was wandering down to the other side of the fair grounds to take a look at the Livestock Pavillion. It had just made the front page of the local paper for obvious reasons.



It was arson. Some kids started it on purpose.

I've always been something of a fair junkie. Since moving to Susanville almost twelve years ago, I can't count the number of hours I've spent at our local fair grounds. So many memories came floating up when I walked around the burnt bones of this building. After numerous changes in staff and direction in the last several years, last year I made the decision not to do any volunteer work for the fair for the first time ever. It was the right decision, but a painful one. At least for last year.

Perhaps things will be different this summer, but I'm sort of thinking that I might have parted ways with this particular fair for good. At least in the ways I've been involved in the past. Looking at what was left of the building made me realize that even if I participate in some other way, it is truly the end of an era for me. No more kids to participate in 4-H. Most of the people we knew through the fair are gone or have moved on as well. Sigh. Well, out with the old only leaves room for the new, right?

Although I didn't find anything terribly inspiring at the show, I also went to a local antique shop a few days earlier and I found some new things for my home. Or rather, some old things for my home. Instead of posting the photos here, I thought they fell in the artsy category and I put them up at Laume's Studio. I do hope you'll pop on over and take a look at my new... er, old treasures.