The 2013 Salem Fair

My daughter and I had our mandatory one hour walk-through of the Salem Fair yesterday.

As usual, the skies looked threatening, but unlike many past years, this time there was no rain.

The fair seems to have added more rides, attractions, foodstuffs, shows, games, and animals. I think that's the most disturbing part of the fair for me. They look just so darned sad. More on that in another post. I was disappointed the Smallest Woman in the World, Gloria, was not there. I always stop in to say hi. Last I heard she was up in New York City for the Italian feasts. The goldfish ping pong game was there. Should have counted those balls, but I only paid $5.00 for a feeder gold fish who is now swimming happily in my pond.

There were some new additions to the foodstuffs. Although I always plan on getting something to eat there, I don't think I ever have. Their fried dough looked sorta like the zeppoles I made the other day, only greasier. No way was I paying $6 when I could buy them in Brooklyn at 3 for a buck, or, now that I know how, just make them at home. They had fried gummi bears??? along with the usual fried everything. I was *this close* to getting fried frog legs. I've never eaten them and I was feeling daring. The girl would not allow me to get them, "This will be the worst decision of your life." And she was serious. I listened to her. I longed for the caramel or jelly apple, but my teeth ached just looking at them.

As is our usual routine, after walking the outdoor perimeter we headed indoors to cool off. On the way, some guy actually commented to me that he loved my hair. He said something else with a sly smile but I couldn't understand his heavy accent. I actually looked around to see if he was talking to someone else, but he wasn't. Keep in mind this is about the second month of my going au natural so there is heavy silver and black going on. Most days I spend too much time blowing it and then straightening it. This morning I just pulled it back with two clips while it was wet and left it that way all day, so it dried rather curly. I smiled and said thank you, and stopped short of remarking on his tattoos. Definitely rough trade. I turned to my daughter and said, "See, I still got it." Ha!

Inside, we stumbled upon an alligator show, a strange addition to a county fair. It was held by two brothers from Florida who didn't really "wrestle" any gator, but taught the audience some facts about them in a humorous manner. They sorta reminded me of Penn and Teller as the "wrestler" doesn't speak, but makes good facial & body expressions.

I enjoyed the portion of the show when they asked for a volunteer from the audience and a 4th grade girl volunteered. She wasn't the squeamish girlie girl I think they were hoping for. In front of a very large crowd, she handled herself with wary bravery. She touched the alligator, and even sat on his back.

The two brothers were very cool with her and I wonder if something like this will have made an  impact on her life. It could have opened up potential paths perhaps she never considered taking before. Maybe she'll want to work with animals, or, perform on the stage. She could always look back to this day in overcoming any stage fright or anxiety she might encounter. It could possibly shape her into a stronger woman, "Hey, don't screw with me. I sat on an alligator!" It could be a wonderful memory for her. Or, maybe eating the fried gummi bears left a bigger impact. I don't know.