Looking at the title of this dispatch, I wish I could write lyrics and put them to music. Sad to say, I do not have the ability to do this. I can come up with ideas for drawings and get them on paper. And I’m adept at getting my thoughts on paper. But basically, I’m a one trick pony.

The one trick I do is write. Now I could come up with lyrics and someone else could put them to music. This is not going to happen this year.

My day pretty much began with my going to Palmer Senior Center writing group. I hadn’t read this month’s book, so I was pretty quiet. I did agree to provide the group with duplicate books in the future. This is just another way of making the project known to others.

I next went to the fairgrounds, entering at the orange gate. I was pleased to find that it was open – if it was closed, I would have had to waste valuable time, finding another way onto the grounds.

Hally loading up the furniture

I remain pleased about my track record. I did not get caught in fair traffic at all this year. What a waste of time this would have been.

As I was heading to the front of the Wineck Barn, I saw a tall fellow with very short black hair. He was coiling a cord. I said to him, “Just 364 more days to next year’s fair.” I could tell by his puzzled expression that he was confused by what he saw as being a double meaning. Could be good and could be bad this phrase. The way I meant it was that we have a long, long time, thank dog, before there is another fair.

And so I continued on, into the Wineck Barn, without heat cold. And without all the trappings, even colder. Melina and Hally showed up and began moving their furniture out of the barn and into their respective vehicles. Me, I had already begun packing up books.

Kathryn, who maintains the MTA bookcase, had agreed to take all the children’s books, which was a good thing because otherwise I’d have to take them back to the former banquet room of the historic Eagle Hotel and get them back into circulation. She circumvented the process.

This left me with a dozen boxes of books that did not get into the hands of appreciative readers. They will go back to the hotel tomorrow, midday, and I will redistribute them.

I did pack a lot of the smaller items into my car and took them back to the hotel. So I got a start on the post fair ho ha. Now tomorrow, Pete and I will relocate the newspaper boxes and move the books back to the hotel where I will then get them ready for distribution. Then, and only then, will I be able to start working on the final chapter of Shelf Life.

I did spend some time at the hotel, taking care of small things. I left when a group of volunteers came to clean books. It was a long day, and I had had enough.

Next: 238. 9/3/25: Fair Enough