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Published: July 21st 2016
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16 Jul 2016: today's events begin with a walk among the numerous exhibits in the park. We favored the Agriculture exhibits, especially since they were indoors and we like animals. Once again, the rain came down on schedule, just as we entered the park. It was a little less intense and of shorter duration.
I found myself becoming easily annoyed about certain crowd behaviors. For example, there was a very elaborate sculpture of a herd of horses crossing a river. In this case the "water" was concrete and only the upper half of the horses were visible. I wanted to take pictures but everyone was posing next to or on the sculptures and little children were climbing on them. I didn't want all these strangers in my picture. They should take the shot and get out of the way. Oh, and then there's the person who nonchalantly walks into your field of view to take their own snap.
Too many people. The ones walking three or five abreast talking or taking selfies or flaunting an umbrella dangerously close to your eyes don't seem to realize you, as a material object, take up space. They somehow feel entitled to cut you off,
walk into you or otherwise invade your space because they are "with someone". Then there is the "train" of people traveling in a path perpendicular to yours. At some point, you clearly have precedence over one of these "cars" but again, they establish their right to your space because of their relationship to those who have gone before. Twenty-four cars sit at an intersection waiting to make a left-hand turn. Oncoming traffic is steady enough that none can turn until the light changes and oncoming traffic stops. Then, before cars on.the left or right can move, all twenty-four proceed to turn left like elephants moving trunk to tail effectively blocking cross traffic for a full cycle of the traffic signal Finally (although given a little more time I could probably come up with more), there are those who simply don't pay any attention to anybody. They lurch backward, wave their arms, stand in doorways, etc. Impeding all within their sphere of obstruction.
My knees hurt. Walking is better than standing but the constant pain turned me into a grump. Add to that the noise devoid of any meaning, obnoxious music, carnival barkers notifying that for $CA 10.00 you could
win A BRAND NEW HOME! or "t
Three balls flr a dollarAll night long. If the auditory assaults weren't enough, the eyes are continously assaulted by garish displays urging you, for only $CA 8.00, to buy a french fried Snickers bar, Churro, hand stretched (?) Pizza or some other fantastic gastronomical Frankenstein. And to top it all off, young women in various stages of tasteless, unseasonal, dress or undress sporting garter tattoos on thighs that have ballooned to porcine dimensions walk unashamedly among stunned older people like me. As my father used to say, It's a different world.
Were Dante alive today, he would'vd had to add another circle to his Inferno.
Chickens, pigs, sheep, cattle and horses filled out the program. Jeanne really enoyed demonstrations of spinning wool and using a loom. She was very animated and it made me glad to see her enjoying the craft aspects of animal husbandry.
I liked the Indian exhibit, with dance competition involving both brates and...(don't say it) girl Indians. The costumes were colorful and the performers skilled. There was a small Arts &Crafts display as well.
Tonight's show brings us the Chuck Wagon Races followed by a Las
Vegas style variety production capped off by an impressive fireworks display. We were hoping to obtain the same medical accommodation as we did the night before and occupy two clubhouse seats but unfortunately, there was no room. Instead, we sat in the first row in level two which only required Jeanne to hop up one step. We were happy with that. It was ALMOST protected by the very edge of the roof unless the wind drove some of the rain under it. The only drawback was that everybody using the aisle directly in front of us blocked our view momentarily. We were happy to be outside and our ponchos kept us dry.
The Chuck Wagon Races were like chariot races except there were four horses instead of two and Chuck Wagon instead of Chariots. Then, there were out riders who steadied the thoroughbreds before the start and who picked up the stove and threw it in the back of the wagon. The start was different too. The wagons had to negotiate a figure eight without knocking over a barrel. Hard to do with four high Strung thoroughbreds. The four contestants with the best times after any penalty deductions gets to compete in the final night's race for a $CA 150,000 prize.
The track was slop because of all the rain and all the contestants were covered in mud at the end of each heat. On the last race there was a terrible accident at the start. One team was forced into a wall and the two lead horses felt down. Everybody ran to the scene to rescue the poor animals, which remained down due to their tangled harnesses. I became really worried when they put a tarp up to obscure the view thinking one or both animals would have to be put down but after about 15 minutes the horses were disconnected and led off the track.
During this time the announcer was telling the crowd that these were thoroughbreds and expensive to own and train. Some run better at some positions than others: front, rear, left, right so they have to be matched to get the best results. A horse will learn one thing and perform that task exceedingly well if treated with respect. His narrative just made the situation seem more serious. I was so relieved they walked off under their own power.
Next came the variety show with dancers, singers, and drummers. One of the drummers was getting harnessed up prior to his act right in front of me. I was annoyed (still grumpy) and was tempted to ask him to move out of the way before I realized he was part of the act. I am really glad I kept my mouth shut.
I liked the high wire performer who walked on the burning steel cable (not rope!)' The acrobats who trampolined up the side of a building set and the oilfield workers who demonstrated how to set up the flare equipment on an oil rig.
The fireworks were bright and loud. They did a good job of keeping their powder dry.
We got home about 0100 and we're in bed by 0200. This was our latest evening out. We were both pretty tired the next day.
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Todd
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Chuck Wagon Races - Weaving loom
Jeanne should get a loom and weave Native American style rugs! Hope you have an ample supply of Advil!!