First Book at Harvest Fest

In our county, the Soil and Water Conservation District puts on a fall Harvest Fest out in a large building at the Fairgrounds. It lasts for four hours, 10 to 2 on an October Saturday this year, today. It is in its twelfth year or something, and it has gotten bigger every year as a free event for families to bring kids and have some good ol' fun.

My wife, Linda, is on the board of an organization called First Book. Its mission is to put a good book in the hands of kids, at no charge, targeting children who are least likely to have libraries, or any books, of their own. So First Book came out and had a table at the Harvest Fest, starting the day just 41 books shy of hitting 50,000 books given away in our county.

This is an overall view of the event and the venue:
Here is the photogenic girl who happened to get the 50,000th book, along with one of the First book volunteers:
First Book gave out helium balloons - which made for very effective advertising as one looked around the crowd...
Ah, the ever-popular stack o'straw bales. Sorta reminds one of Mayan ruins. They will not last as long as the Mayan structures, as there is a horse event in the building Sunday.
Speaking of horses, outside there were horse rides. Also long lines for the chili (one of my reasons for being there).
Toward the end of the event, I looked up above the First Book table (sorry, no pictures for this story) and noticed maybe thirty balloons with ribbons tied to them that has been lost, way up against the ceiling. We had run out of balloons down on the ground level, so I sped home for a last pack of balloons. Also got my tree branch cutter - one of those things with a rope that extends to maybe 18 feet where you can operate a blade and cut off limbs way up above your head. I took some tape and cardboard to cover the blade, and converted it to a ceiling balloon retriever. Upon my return and after some practice, I became a minor hero of sorts to a number of kids (and their parents) who really, really wanted a balloon. One exuberant mother was even guiding me to a couple of the easier ones to nab (they are easier when the ribbon curls at the bottom and goes sort of horizontal - a much easier grab). Linda says there was even some applause as the balloons were being snagged. And every time I came carefully down with one, thinking I could give my arms a rest, there would be some doe-eyed kid with her mom just quietly waiting... Up I would go again with the balloon grabber.

I brought about twenty of the thirty balloons down. Some had no ribbons and will be coming down in the cold tonight, I suspect. Otherwise, they will give the horses something to look at and ponder tomorrow.

Meanwhile back at the homestead, our livestock include the our ol' dawg and the grand-dogs. I know the last picture is difficult to make out (especially Lilly in her usual spot atop the couch), and there is an extension cord in the way, but I sort of like the overall effect, the play of light, etc., etc.