Unreal. The sheer number of people at the fair. I judge the attendance count by the crowd size on my distribution route. Today was less than usual. Most have said that last Saturday was the day with the highest attendance. They are going by the amount of traffic and how long it took them to get from point A (home) to the fair (point B). I thought last Sunday was equally crowded. I guess it depends on who you talked to.

Everyone’s story was the much the same. I remember one year getting caught in fair traffic on the Glenn Highway. In retrospect, I should have turned around and gone home. It was not worth the wait. I ended up writing a dispatch about this. This was in 2019.

I thought my story was such that everyone should have empathized. No one did because they had the same story. Same this year. There were some variations on a theme, this being those who parked their cars and chose to walk. What differed was the routes they took to get to the fair. I heard about a couple that walked down the railroad tracks.

Individually, people are okay. En masse they are a sorry lot. And the statement that this country is in dire economic straits does not hold up when you see what people are purchasing at the fair – lots of expensive food and swag items.

There is obviously a need for respite places at the fair because a good number of individuals have extricated themselves from the masses and spent time at our site. Some have appeared and lingered, well knowing that there are few other places like this at the fairgrounds.

The insanity at times impinges. Tonight there was a mounted shooting demonstration in the arena. It was loud. I felt bad for the horses. This is just not right. The horses that are used for this activity deserve better.

The monster truck demonstration was across the way. Less noisy but equally inane.

Tonight I read that Trump is going to again legalize the killing of gray wolves. This, and hunting in general is – I don’t have words for this. I’d like for there to be a change in attitude on the part of those who take joy in killing things.

I have been working at having a positive attitude about people and being kind and nice to them. But again, there are just too many of us and too many engaging in what I believe to be inane activities.

A fox has crossed the path of my car while I have been driving on Buffalo Mine Road. I wonder if there is a den near the road. Eh, someone with a gun will take the whole lot out.

I think we should give the fox guns.

Next: 237. 9/5/26: Another Day