A week from right now, I'll be on the road, with my van packed with precious cargo. Most precious will be Rocco, my grey kitty that is already so confused.
The moving van is scheduled to arrive between 8 and 10 and they have allowed 6 hours to load. I can't imagine it will take that long, but we will see.
With lots of help from Krista (most darling and wonderful daughter in law) and sister Carol I've been making good progress every day.
But today I consider the countdown clock to be running. Seven more nights. 3 or 4 nights will be sleeping here in the Lynden abode. The others will be at Sister Carol's, so I can spend a few days saying farewell to friends and family in the King/Pierce county area.
So today I say FAREWELL to the Lynden fair. It is actually the Northwest Washington Fair. It is held this week in August. Starts on Monday, ends on Saturday because goodness, things don't happen much here on Sunday's. More about that on another day.
When we looked at this property to buy, the agent cautioned us about this week of the fair. The normally very quiet, peaceful clean neighborhood we live in is only a block from the fairgrounds. And for this week, it is ANYTHING but quiet or peaceful. In the beginning, 12 years ago, it was also pretty clean. But I have noticed over the years that there is more litter each year. I don't know whether people just quit caring or what. This year the pick up will be up to me, since Lynn is already ensconced in Yountville in our new home. So I will go out each morning and pick up the debris that people seem to think is okay to drop in my yard and garden. Bottles can's wrappers.
This is the first year too that we don't have a pass to get in. Lynn would always buy a weeks pass so he could go in every night after he got home from work and enjoy some fair food and music from the small stage venues. He also had gone with Krista for a concert each year. Their DATE! This year they were supposed to see Heart. We have seen many acts. A highlight for me was seeing Willie Nelson driving his big RV up the street on the day he was performing.
It was very cool for the first 6 or 7 years when every grandstand show (0ne at noon and one at 6) was proceeded by skydivers. I would sit on a lounge chair in the back yard and enjoy watching them float to the ground. I do enjoy listening to the concerts in the back yard too. Unfortunately two days the show is the demolition derby (today and tonight!) and a tractor pull. I still don't get the whole tractor pull thing. But it is so loud and overwhelming it vibrates the ground enough to cause my wind chimes to sing.
I have loved introducing my Grands to the fair. From the year Jillian was just a year and half, then adding Ethan to the day, all the way through having Carter and Henry join us the last two years. I will miss that part of the fair most of all. We would go through the animal barns and laugh at the silly pygmy goats, wonder at the baby piglets that are born each year up there. Cows, horses, sheep. I grew up going to the Puyallup Fair, and when Fischer Scones finally arrived up here two years ago I was THRILLED. Just texted Todd, who is working sound at one of the stages over there, to have him bring me some scones!
The midway is alive and festive every night until about 11 pm, which isn't too bad. It is the only week of the year though that I make sure the doors and windows are locked at night and when I leave the house.
One memorable year, darling Sammy (our doggie)who was part border collie, twice escaped the house and yard and would go up and go right into the goat barn and start herding.....
I'll be here Saturday night when the fair ends, and Sunday when all the carnival trucks and vendors and people who trailer in their animals load out...most likely a good cry will happen at that point.
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