Not sure if today (Thursday) is the second or third day of the county fair. I have never gotten over the confusion from when the fair community supper was changed from Wednesday to Tuesday. The community supper is billed as the fair's "kickoff." If true, we might expect to visit the fairgrounds on Wednesday for the full deal. That was my mistaken assumption.
So I brought my late mother out there one year thinking we might do our usual things on Wednesday. I was dumbfounded to see "private parking" signs along the road leading into the main fair parking area. It's next to the ethanol plant. Rows of parking on the grassy surface. But private parking in an official fair lot on one of the days presented as part of the official run of the county fair?
With Mom beside me, I drove into the lot anyway, just to inquire. I did not park, but I hailed someone down. "Excuse me, is this really private parking?" "Yes," the person announced authoritatively.
I did not wish to diss the private parking signs, not with the notorious law enforcement tent so close by. So we departed. I learned we could not have dined at the 4-H foodstand anyway. This was several years ago. Is the 4-H foodstand up and running for Wednesday of the fair now?
When Mom was still alive, the Wednesday of the fair had not changed from what it was previously. The fair didn't really seem up and running at all. It's just hard to know. The fair people promote the fair as being on for certain dates. A person from out of town might come here accordingly. Like on Wednesday. I myself might be stupid enough to do that.
You all know I'm stupid because I tend to say generous things about Democrats. I try to be quieter now. I covered up with gray tape the small "Kamala" sticker I had on my car for a time. We used to have a little fun with political disagreements: we could all agree we were fundamentally American patriots, even if we had back-and-forth between the Republicans and Democrats. We were all Americans. Remember the relationship between Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan?
I imagine you'll see lots of Trump stickers among the vehicles at the county fair. You may spot an occasional "MAGA" red cap. So ironic that these people attack law enforcement because of what happened at Mar-a-Lago a few days ago. So intense and vitriolic are the howls coming from the Trump people over that, lives are endangered. Amazing that all these people could be so anti-law enforcement.
So, how do they feel about the Morris Police Department being dissolved? Has that actually happened yet? Will we no longer see the blue city police uniforms? My sense tells me now that the sheriff's people, once they get in the saddle, will back off from a lot of the "ticky tack" law enforcement that the police were doing. The best but not the only example is seat belt.
My theory is that city police, though they wouldn't admit it, were demoralized by the ticky-tack stuff they were doing all the time. Made it hard for the public to like or appreciate them. And I think that's a royal shame.
My theory is that the Dingman people will focus far more on the high-priority needs served by law enforcement. Of course I could be mistaken.
These are just thoughts offered up on the second or third day of the fair, whichever version the facts suggest.
Reach for your wallet
I wonder how inflation is affecting food items at the fair. It must be having an effect. I doubt I'll make it out there. The restaurant I visited this morning had a new price hike. It's a nice restaurant and I can't blame them - they respond to the realities out there. My standard breakfast there cost $10.98 for a long time. This morning I got the heads-up about an adjustment. It's $11.52 now. The food and service are great there. And this restaurant is just following the norm.
About a week ago I got the heads-up from Caribou Coffee that there was a price hike. I imagine that national franchises have consistent prices everywhere. McDonald's? Haven't been there in ages. That is because I have not been able to master their "kiosk." When last I was there, the employees were very sullen about being put in position to take orders at the counter.
So I wonder how prices are at the fair. And if everyone is happily paying them, how do they do it? Higher prices do force some adjusting, don't they?
Can Stone's Throw risk raising prices? Oh, but if you pay with plastic, you probably don't realize you're spending money at all.
News "treadmill"
What a day: people who like consulting the news are just bombarded with Trump stuff again. On and on the treadmill continues. In a normal world we could just be having the usual disagreements about things like tax policy. Instead, you have to stake out your ground: you are either a MAGA person who worships the ground that Trump walks on, or you just try to mind your own business. You have to be very careful if you voice any actual dissent vs. Trump. You might be talking to a member of Good Shepherd Church. Or any other of numerous churches in the county that are aligned with Trump.
Need I say it again? "Beware of false prophets."
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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