Rides, ponies, trapeze and more!

Although I dread the end of summer, there is one thing that I really look forward to that is the first sign of the waning warm days...the county Fair!! I get giddy with anticipation at the first commercial or banner announcing it coming to town. I feel like I'm in an old movie, or in a book such as one of our past book club books...the first group comes to town and gets the crowds excited weeks in advance. I book off evenings for it (yes, I said evenings plural as I usually go twice). I don't know what it is but I truly love fairs. I'm not a discriminatory fair-goer either. I love it all. The food, the rides, the animals, the acts, the music, the carnies, you name it, I love it.

People always seem to be shocked when I mention how much I love going on rides at the Fair..especially when I reveal my love for buying the wristband that permits unlimited riding. I love the slight paranoia involved in considering exactly how rickety the rides are, exactly how under qualified the ride operators are, the chances of launching off the rides to a quick and very public death. But then I think, if I'm going to die on one of these rides, at least I will die in the midst of laughing, of yelling so loud, of feeling the wind pull the skin back on my face, my whole being surrounded in glowing lights and tinkling sounds of carnival games embracing me like a halo. There could be worse ways to go.

Favorites rides. This is a question always asked of me. I particularly love a ride at the Chittenden County Fair known as Freak Out. It swings you and spins you at the same time...you swing high over a candied apple stand. It's best at sunset. Then there's the classic one, maybe called the Tornado? You sit in little car kind of things, 3 to a section, about 6 sections and you spin around and around. I love the feeling of your body slowly sliding across the seat, compressing your ride partner, spit slowly being pulled out of your wide open, screaming mouth, hair blowing uncontrollably. It's that loss of control, that utter release of oneself that is amazing. I love to close my eyes, listen to the sounds and feel the wind against my face. I tell you, it's euphoric.

I also love the really crazy ride that costs $10. It's terrifies me and I can't get enough of it.

Food is a whole other story and a whole other event in itself. I tend to go for the big two...a brat or sausage, loaded with peppers and onions and washing it down with a funnel cake, not to be mistaken for a fried dough. I guess funnel cake is either a southern thing or a Pennsylvania thing but it kicks fried doughs ass. Here's all the explanation you need - more dough touches the fat. Enough said.

Onto what I like to refer to as miscellaneous or icing on the cake. Miniature ponies. Check! Llamas. Check! Bunnies. Check! Roosters and other random aviary animals and or poultry. Check! This year, however, there was an even more amazing "miscellaneous" item. The trapeze!! Yep, that's right. Apparently the trapeze act isn't just for the big top anymore. I have to say...I was mesmerized...and slightly jealous. I wanted to be up there, flying high, twirling through the air, being caught at the last second all while being applauded on by eager onlookers. Perhaps I missed my calling.

Turns out, I know someone who went to Circus Camp as a kid!! How amazing is that? Apparently he excelled at the trapeze. I forget what his other area of specialty was but either way, I'm totally jealous. It has made me want to go to one of those trapeze schools like they have in Manhattan. Adding it to the list of "life to-do's" as we speak.

Until next year...