Slight Detour: Fair Time Cometh

I was told that this is the top flower entry at the fair.

Those asters are about twice the size of mine.

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When the Bonner County Fair officially opens today,

visitors can go directly to the Rhonda Livingstone Main Exhibit Building to see a vast array of entries, ranging from individual booths to apples to needlework, etc.

Many of those will be adorned with ribbons acknowledging the tender loving care put in to each entry.

In 4-H categories, entries are judged on the Danish system, originating from that country which refuses to sell Greenland.

Anywho, the Danish system allows for a liberal approach to judging, where, for example, a category with three or four entries could have three or four blue ribbons or maybe even three or four white ribbons, depending on quality.

Also, 4-H projects all get a ribbon, whereas, in most open-class categories, judges will usually award a first, second or third place only.

I have, in the past, however, seen some situations where judges will employ a blend of the Danish and American system in their judging.

I spent the majority of my day yesterday judging 4-H photography, which, of course, I enjoyed. It was especially fun to read the record books and stories and explanations telling about photo experiments members chose to complete their projects.

Later, in the afternoon, when it was really hot and especially hotter inside the 4-H food booth, my dear daughter-in-law Debbie joined me and our superintendent Lou to judge "fermented beverages."

Now, I did this a few years back with a couple of guys associated with the fair and with about half a dozen entries, all wines.

Word got around the main exhibit building yesterday that I was judging the fermented beverages. That same word included the news that the wine had already been judged but 20 bottles of home-brewed beer awaited Debbie and me in the food-booth refrigerator.

Upon learning this, I almost raced to my car and drove home, hoping they'd find some willing person to fill in.

From the numerous envious statements made to me from folks around the main exhibit building about getting to judge this category, I figured they would not have to look far.

My sense of duty, however, ruled as it always does: honor your commitment!

So, Debbie and I, with the help of Lou, figured out a system for how we were gonna taste and judge all that beer.

People had told me it was okay to spit out samples, especially if you didn't like it.

Well, that would be kinda gross!

So, we again stuck to our commitment, often watching the grin on Lou's face as we made our way through the entries.

Yes, we sampled every single bottle, and we actually were pretty scientific in making our judgments, thanks to a form with guidelines.

Before you think we dragged ourselves out of that steaming hot food booth ON OUR LIPS, you must know that our samples barely made it down the neck of each bottle.

Hardly tying one on, I can assure you!

There's plenty left in that refrigerator. Lou heard that people of age could come and sample for themselves. I'm not so sure if that is true.

Hats off and congratulations to all the brewmasters who entered their beverages in the fair.

I do have suggestions, especially with all the interest in beer making. Next year get Micky and Duffy Mahoney from MickDuff's to organize and line up judges for the fermented beverages.

Now that they have purchased our beautiful old post office/library with hopes to have it up and going as their restaurant pub by next year, they could be really excited to get involved in the fair.

Plus, they probably know the fine points of beer much better than Debbie or I do.

Just give me my one glass of Lou's Brew, RocketDog or Paddler Ale, and I'm happy.

It was a fun day being a judge. Good luck to all the others who are competing in this years fair, and congratulations to all who earned some recognition in the main exhibit building.

The flower superintendents, Helga, Jaye, Susan and Rebecca, hard at work.

Debbie and I met Lou for the first time yesterday and loved her.

She's an easy-going, cheerful retired school teacher from the Tri-Cities, and she's our friend Gail Curless's cousin.

Whatever Lou told us to do, we did!