Sights of the Fair and the Fourth of July

Sunday July 2nd
Every year we take Alex to the fair. As crazy as he is about bunnies, I feel it would be tantamount to child neglect NOT to take him into the small animals complex and have him walk  along the row upon row of caged rabbits. Of course there are other exhibits to see as well, so here is a pictorial walk down memory lane of our visit to the 2017 Alameda County Fair.

We picked Alex up from his San Ramon home just before lunch. As we drove into the parking lot for the fair we caught our first sign of fair festivities – a dragon en route! The off stage view not quite so fiercesome when candidly viewed unanimated – kind of like a super model before application of hair and makeup.

I made note of the road intersection we passed, closest where we parked. We'd let our care in the BLUE parking lot, but were taking a tram to enter through the RED gate.  Last year that detail of blue versus red had led Frank to some delays in locating the car when we were ready to leave.

There is a smile on Alex's face as we rode the parking lot tram. We had not yet entered the fair, but to him, the adventure of an outing had already begun.

We entered the fair through the RED gate. I admit that this approach is not what we usually do and I spent a good portion of our beginning time at the fair trying to get myself oriented. It did not help that the fair organizers had also changed the location of items around a bit from previous years.

The RED gate entry was very close to the model train exhibit, so we did a quick walk-through on that first. At the exit there is a large swinging red signal light. I tried several times to get a photo of Alex looking forward, Frank smiling, and the signal light in the optimal position. That is no easy task. I compromised on getting the signal light at the apex of its swing so it was not blurry. Alex is distracted looking off elsewhere and Frank is somewhat bored with posing for my attempts. Here is the best I could do. So be it.

The very next attraction was a long building of bunny cages with occupants of many colors, fur length, and sizes. Many rabbits (far more than I expected) would come over to the edge to check out Alex. We call him the Bunny Whisperer. The rabbits this year and last year had been relocated to an air conditioned building. This environment is much better for the bunnies since they are sensitive to heat. It is very, very good for the parents of a bunny whisperers would linger there for hours if not prodded to move on.

Move on, we did. I find the building of displayed collections interesting. This person collected pyrex mixing bowls. Both my sister and my friend Vickie gravitate to these bowls. I have a set in yellow that I never use but keep because Frank has one size that he uses (used to use) to make tuna-noodle-casserole. Tuna noodle casserole is a nostalgic memory from the Monday nights when we were dating. Among Frank's roommates Monday night was his turn to cook.

My sister collects teapots so I texted her this photo.

My son-in-law Jeremy is a former fireman and presently a university fire marshall so this collection reminded me of him.

Sometimes it is not so much what is displayed, as it is how it is displayed. The antique camera and Howdy Doody collections were not my things, but I liked the idea of festooning beneath the display windows with a string of knotted bandanas. These would make an easy, inexpensive, festive decor for an outdoor party on our deck.

Enough of this quiet browsing – we were ready for some action! We headed over to the sports arena and watched the motor-cross riders do stunts. There were three bikers taking turns doing daredevil jumps from ramp to ramp.

They did acrobatics with their vehicles. I guess they are true believers of Newton's first law of motion which states that an object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force. I think I would be more aware of Newton's law of gravity – that big old earth, with its mass so much bigger that mine, is intent on sucking me down toward itself. Down, down, HARD!

We came back to that same arena a couple hours later to watch the frisbee dogs perform. We went to another shaded outdoor pavilion and watch the Chinese acrobats balance on chairs and contort their bodies into strange positions. But mainly we spent the warmest part of the day indoors in the crafts pavilion. I love the whimsey in the signpost.

Someone took great pains in painting this patriotic gourd lighthouse.

Pipe cleaner The Starry Night anyone? Vincent Van Gogh should be proud. Imitation is the highest form of flattery. I think I actually prefer the mood portrayed by the shocking pink addition.

In recents years the fair has diminished its fabric arts displays. Less focus has been given to the "domestic arts" as they used to be called.  There are fewer jars of jams and jellies, fewer stale cookie displays, but also sadly fewer knitted items and quilts. I did not have any quilt entries in the fair this year but we still browsed those that were on display. The quilts now hang from the high arched ceiling of the hangar like building and so it is difficult to get close enough to admire the details; but I guess that preferred viewing experience is still available at dedicated quilt shows with a less general and more attuned audience. This Harry Potter quilt was too spectacular to not notice, however. From a distance you could still pick out the books of spells, Hedwig the owl, the sorting hat, the brooms for Quidditch, and the Hogwarts coat of arms. Titled The Wizarding Words of Harry Potter, the quilt did win a 1st place blue ribbon.

Food is part of any fair and I just love funnel cakes. Here is one delicious, powder sugar laden specimen moments before Frank, Alex, and I dove in. Yum!

Look at Frank's face. He offered some of his lemonade to Alex but Alex would not give it back and finished it all off! And we thought Alex did not like lemonade. Were we ever fooled!

We'd seen most of what we'd come to see and were about to head home when we heard the iconic bugle call from the horse racing track. On an impulse we rushed over there to see the tenth and final race of the day. We found seats in the shade close to the home stretch. We had less than five minutes to wait before the starting bell sounded. Minutes later we got to watch the horses thundering by in the straightaway before the finish line. We had placed no wagers and so had nothing riding on the outcome. We were just betting that Alex would be engaged and wowed by the experience. He seemed oblivious to what all the fuss was about. Suffice it to say, there is in no way, shape, or form the possibility exists for a gambling addiction in Alex's future. 

Alex did oblige us, barely, by posing in front of the racing mural at the grandstand.

We'd had a fun-filled day at the fair and it was time to go home, rest, and eat some sensible food.

Tuesday, July 4th

It was the day for Livermore's annual fireworks display. The staging area is the rooftop of a downtown parking garage; getting a close vantage point is within walking distance of our house. We picked Alex up mid afternoon. Near his home in San Ramon some organic weed control was taking place. In our area, herds of goats are rented to chew down the heavy foliage near freeways or bike paths. This is one example of their numbers in action. Although perfectly sensible, it still seems odd to me to see so many so close to the road or path.

We continued on to our home in Livermore. As the skies began to darken Alex and I walked down Railroad Avenue and planted our camping chairs just down the street from the parking garage from which the fireworks show was to be launched. On our way we passed the historic 125 year old Livermore Train Depot schedule to be relocated to a new site.

We sat near one portion of the historic 125 year old Livermore train depot in the process of restoration. I think perhaps this may have been the warehouse portion rather that passenger portion. The remainder would be moved just a few days later.

Alex chilled patiently waiting for darkness to fall around 9:25 pm and the show to begin, his ever present Green Bay Packers hat perched on his head.

We had a straight on view down Railroad Avenue. The parking garage was just beyond that pair of red traffic lights in the distance less than 0.2 miles away. There is Alex's iconic cap in the right foreground.

The show begins, filling the sky with color and the air with snaps and booms.

The finale was bright, bright, bright, and loud, loud, loud. The entire audience was illuminated, even those seated far behind us a further quarter mile back.

A Drone Video Of Livermore July 4th 2017 Fireworks had been made and posted online and I captured a frame illustrating the launch site. In the left foreground is the parking garage. The quarter round building off to the right is our movie theater; in the right foreground is the tall back of the performing arts theater where the drops are all stored during the performances. Alex and I were seated less than a quarter mile back along the road that runs diagonally off the bottom of the photo. On the far side of the parking garage is the transportation center. The transportation center is a hub for the ACE (Altamont Commuter Express) train and the local buses. It will be the new site for the relocation of the Historic Depot. 

Saturday, July 15th.

In the wee hours of the morning, just after midnight on July 15th, the other section of the depot was moved down to the transportation center. It will be refurbished to look like the era of its origin but with the functionality of modern times. I was still on travel in North Carolina and Frank had barely returned home from Oklahoma so we both missed the actual move. Had we both been together in Livermore, we most likely would have been crazy enough to walk down there at 1:00 am and watch the momentous journey down Railroad Avenue. We will follow up the refurbishment with interest. With the fair, the fireworks, and the depot move, this year's July was a true blend of tradition and history.