A Day at the Fair

See more of my fair photos on Flickr.

The annual Ark-La-Miss fair, which I've attended since I was even more of a wee person than I am today, always punctuates -- for me -- the beginning of fall. Even though I've outgrown wanting to hop on the rides that inevitably shook loose all of the change from the front pocket of my OshKosh B'gosh overalls, I still try to attend every year to buy an elephant ear (fried dough liberally sprinkled with sugar) and take photos of the rides. The colors are amazing and the sounds and smells, if bottled, could be named "nostalgia."

Attending this year was a most special occasion, as my dad went with me and Trey. Dad is moving seven hours away in two days. Since I was a teenager, our quality time has often involved photography adventures, scouting around in nearby towns for rustic scenes. This time we didn't have to go far for our subject matter. It's been a long time since we've gotten to photograph together, and it was the best timing -- something I'm sure I'll always remember.

We took dozens of photos of the ferris wheel. I imagine we looked rather fruity to the hundreds of people chasing their gaggles of unruly kids as we craned our necks and squinted to the sky with our little cameras in hand. Note that having a large-body camera gives the impression of professionalism, negating any odd-bird persona associated with the dinky pocket camera. Regardless, Dad and I both wished we could have also shot the ferris wheel at night.

Above is a glimpse of the carousel, something Trey swears is called a merry-go-round. Of course I disagree. A merry-go-round, I told him, is typically seen on a playground with little children gripping onto the handles while running and then jumping onto it after it reaches a dizzying speed.

I think the merry-go-round should be renamed the "shin-splitter," as there have been many busted up legs from missing the jump. Do playgrounds even have these things anymore? It seems like kids are so protected these days for fear of lawsuits and whatnot. Merry-go-round -- another relic of the past. What's next -- the carousel? Well, those horses sure do look mean ...