FAIR DATES:  August 5-8, Tillamook, OR

UPDATE:  10/7/9  Received my application for the 2010 Tillamook County Fair.  They upped the price to $350, which is terrible for vendors who struggled at their show.  We will absolutely, positively not be there.  Look for us down south someplace; perhaps Klamath County Fair that week.  They stated that they had 26,000 on Saturday and 75,000 for the fair in 2009.  WTF.  Where were they?  No way.  I would believe 1/3 as much on each of those two inflated figures.  They certainly weren't on our side of the fair.  They claim that it was their 'greatest' show.  My ass!!  You want to talk to the vendors about that one because people did not buy.  Take a look at your vendors next year.  At least one-half will be brand spanking new.  Now, you can read how bad it was right here.

Please read my daily log below.

August 2.  Myrtle Point. Woke up at 5:30, but it was too dark so we just hung around until light came.  We drove the motor home over to our space at 7:05 and removed the covers and began loading our things into the motor home.  There were other people out there loading up also.  We just too our time.  I went over and bought some breakfast from a NP food booth that was still open.  Got two orders of eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast and then brought them back to our space and we ate.  The weather was nice.....cloudy again, no wind and temps in the low 60's.

We were out of there by 9:30 and then headed up Highway 42 toward Coos Bay.  I knew that the Red Sox-Orioles game started at 10:30, so I planned on listening to it on the way to Depoe Bay, where we would spend the night in Fogarty Creek RV Parki.

We stopped by Safeway in Coos Bay and re-loaded our food supply and were out of there by 10:25.  Back onto Highway 101 - continuing north.  Passed through Winchester Bay and decided to see what the Dune Fest was all about.  Didn't see any booths in the two parking lots, so I decided to drive out toward the dunes.  Saw many areas where people were camping and driving around their ATV's.  Didn't see much else than that.

 Beautiful drive up the coast, passing through the communities of  Florence, Yachats, Waldport and Medford along with countless other towns.  While going through Yachats, I spotted a farmer's market with crafters there, but didn't see anyplace to park the motor home.  Didn't feel like walking a few blocks.  Spotted a canopy outside a bead store in Waldport and there were about a dozen tables along the sidewalk.  Perhaps some kind of bead show?  Don't know.  Whenever you are driving and spot canopies, don't you have to at least pull over and take a look, often parking your car and walking around?  This, being Sunday, I kept my eyes open for shows, etc.   I am curious as to how much they paid for the spaces, but since these are held in small towns, I could imagine that they are not making more than a couple hundred.  These are good for the locals who do not want to travel far like we do.  There are some 'major' events along the coastal areas, with the first that comes to mind is the Charleston Seafood Festival (south of Coos Bay, OR) being held next weekend.

Depoe Bay is a small town with a number of 'tourist' type shops spread along three blocks.  Have stopped here to browse in the past, but parking a motor home nearby is difficult.  Need to park along the highway a few blocks away.

THE WEATHER looks like we have some rain coming on Thursday and Friday.  Definitely not good.

Monday, August 3.  Spent the night at a campground in Depot Bay.  Departed after noon and drove up the coast to Tillamook.  I always enjoy driving along the Oregon Coast.  Passed through several towns, including Lincoln City, which appeared to be the largest.  I had memories of our vacations up here, but so much is new.  We came up this way a few years back on a trip to B.C. and Alberta.  Recall stopping off at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.  Matter of fact, approximately 25 years ago we visited the factory when it was located downtown and you could watch them making cheese in the window.

ARRIVED at the Fairgrounds around 2:00 and proceeded to check in and then set up some of our things.  Not too hard to find our space, just had to walk around a bit after parking the motor home.  We then pulled up and unloaded and set up the canopy, grids and set up some of the things inside before covering it up and calling it a day.

SURPRISE OF THE DAY happened when I turned on this computer and saw that it was 8:14PM.  I looked at my watch it was 6:50PM.  Wondering how long that was going on for?  So, I guess that I could have started my day almost  1 1/2 hours later?  Don't know.

Tuesday, August 4.  Slept late today.  Another good night's sleep.  As I layed in my bed during the latter part of the morning, I could hear the thumping of horse's feet trotting directly in back of my motor home.

After breakfast, we drove over to our space and picked up where we left off.   We have three vendors across from us selling food...Thai Food, Philly Cheesesteak and Funnel Cakes.  Kind of a weird booth set up.  I asked a number of the other vendors around us if they were here last year and they responded with a 'no.'  All the booths are mixed together; don't know if that's a good idea. 

BLANKETS seem to be a hot item to sell here in Oregon.  Saw a couple people in Winchester Bay selling them; two in Myrtle Point and one next to me here in Tillamook.

WAS HAVING POWER PROBLEMS around our booth.  Tried to get electricity yesterday from an outlet 20 feet away from the booth.  Didn't work so the electrician came over and after 45 minutes of doing this and that, we had power.  When we returned today. we didn't.  My neighbors (selling BBQ grills) asked me what we should do.  I looked at him and pointed to the booth on the other side of him (God Save's) and said "Talk to Him."  We both laughed. "I don't want to.....he's giving us rain on Friday," was his response. I found an outlet on the other side, approx 20 feet away also and plugged into.  Didn't work at first, but had to push the GFCA button and it worked and I let my neighbor plug into my junction box.

WE CLOSED UP AT 4:00 to watch the Red Sox game.  We drove the motor home back to the RV area and as I entered the area I noticed about a dozen other RV's now there.  There was a line of 4 of them in front of us and there was a lady who stood out in front of her RV eyeballing me as we drove past.  I went over to my space and noticed that she had walked toward the back and was still watching me.  There were 4-5 other people sitting there between their motor homes.  I pulled straight in to my space and started up my generator and tried to get my satellite dish working.  I was having problems with it.  The papa-san (or mama-san) of the parking area came over and asked if I could turn around because the fumes from my generator were blowing into another trailer adjacent to us. " No problem", I said.  I didn't have my dish working yet, so I said I would.  I then pulled out of my parking space and went lengthwise down the middle, preparing to back in.  I looked to my left and I saw the lady and her friends watching me.  So #*#*((#*&@  ing nosey, don't you think?  Oh hell, why am I picking on her?  She doesn't have anything else to do. I then yelled out 'Helloooow," and waved my left hand dramatically.  My wife and I had a good laugh.

The way I understand it is that there is group of 9 motor homes that want to be next together every year.  They pretty much demand it and they are very possessive about it.  Whatever happened to first come, first serve.  I have no complaint where I am at, but that's just a bit ridiculous.  What's going to happen?  People jumping out of windows into the other's motor homes during the wee hours of the morning?  The lady on the far right is the one that gave me 'the evil eye.'  Are there more than  just horses and cows tippy-toeing around here at night-time?  I shall be watching.  Stay tuned.

DO YOU RECALL THE MOVIE 'RACE WITH THE DEVIL' with Peter Fonda and Warren Oates filmed in 1975.  They took a trip in their motor home and came across a community with devil worshippers.  That was so neat.  You know, there are times when I want to park my motor home someplace and I often envision a bunch of people encircling my motor home wearing dark hooded capes and carrying torches AND CHANTING.  I don't know, man, maybe this is it.  I remember when Peter Fonda, etc., pulled into that RV Park and the people were giving them odd looks, kind of the way that lady was looking at me.  I'm parked rather close to campers on either side of me, so I probably won't wake up with a ring of fire around me.  Actually, they did have a campfire over there earlier tonight, but I didn't see any naked bodies running off into the darkness.

SPECIAL OFFER AT 'THE DEVIL STORE' in downtown Tillamook.  Hooded capes $29.95.  Torches $17.95.  Cans of kerosene $7.95.  Aerosol Spray Paint $5.96.  Loudspeakers $27.95.  Satanic chant book $23.95.  CD recordings of Top Ten Devilish Chants $17.95.  Come on down.  Outlet store is open 12 midnight until 5:45 AM.  Pick up the Number One hit of the week "Don't let them beat the devil out of me," by Kellie Piglar.

I've got a religious booth two spaces down from me. I mentioned that before.  Will check with them and see if we can pull off some kind of exorcism tomorrow night after the fair closes.   You really think that all the screaming you'll hear is people on the rides?  Guess again?  Uh uh uh.   Gosh, I hope I can sleep tonight.  I hear voices and footsteps outside my motor home and the wind has suddenly picked up. 

Wednesday, August 5.

Tillamook County Fair opens.  Another cloudy day here, but that's okay.  Awoke at 8:05 and got ready.  Headed over to our space at 8:45 and finished setting up.  There were a bunch of  animal activities going on (that too!!) around the fair.  We opened our booth shortly and we were ready for business.  Only problem is 'what business?'  Very small crowd in the morning and into the afternoon.  The clouds disappeared and the wind picked up.  Not a bad day weatherwise, to say the least.

THAI FOOD WAS SELLING PRETTY GOOD, but things were considerably slower in the other two food booths directly across from us...Philly Cheesesteak and Funnel Cakes.  We had brought sandwiches for lunch along with our own drinks, so we saved some money.  Would be nice to make some money also, but that appears to be out of the question.

VERY SLOW THROUGHOUT THE DAY.  It's opening day and I expected a bigger crowd.  At least we had a decent first day in Myrtle Point.  This is $*&# ing ridiculous.  Sporadic sales throughout the day.  People just not buying from us nor anybody else.  These fairs can be quite agonizing sometime.  Give me a good ol'street fair.

"GOT ANYTHING FOR ONE DOLLAR" the pudgy 8-year old boy asked.  I looked at the boy, who was obviously the last of the big spenders.  "No, uh uh."  "  He walked around and raised up one of our shoulder bags. "How much is this?"  I looked at him. "Ten Dollars."  He glanced over at me.  He woke me up from my early afternoon nap.  "How much do you have" I asked him.  "Two dollars."  Oh oh.  "Good bye," I said to him.  Sales had been pretty bad so far and now this.  His mouth dropped open.  I guess he wasn't expecting me to say that.  He walked around the booth a couple times.  "You don't have anything for one dollar?"  "No, I do not."  He picked up one of our tiny picture frames which I normally sell for $2.  "How much is this?"  I looked over at him.  "One dollar.  How does that sound?"  "Okay," he said as he picked it up.  "I am getting this for my mom," he said excitedly as he handed me a dollar bill.  "Can I put my brother in here?" he said to me.  I looked up once again.  "If he'll fit inside,"  I said causing a few other people to giggle.

WHAT THE HELL.  Family of 3 comes over to the booth.  The 8-year old boy picks up one of our wooden alligators and begins to look at it.  The father then says "You've got ice cream instead" and then continues walking.  I was typing on the computer and told him "You don't want ice cream.  You eat it and it's gone.  You can get the alligator and you'll have it forever."  I put my head down and suddenly my wife begins to laugh as the boy walks away.  "What are you laughing about?" I asked her.  "  My wife then told me that the boy was holding an ice cream cone and placed it down on the table and LICKED  the wooden alligator.  Holy shit.  She was still laughing ten minutes later.  What is wrong with these people?  Something in the water?  PEOPLE, PLEASE DO NOT LICK THE ALLIGATOR.

PLANNING ON CLOSING DOWN AT 9:00.  The guy next to me is selling for Dish Network, so he turned on the Red Sox game for me, which I watched for a few innings.  Not too interested...looks like a dismal night for them AND US.  Everything is slow here except for the Thai Food across the street.  They have a concert at 8:30 and I most certainly do not expect them to by when they come in.  After that group enters, going to get  the hell out of here.

GUY COMES OVER TO OUR BOOTH WITH A LITTLE 3-yr OLD.  Boy picks up the snake.  The father looks at one of our camo shoulder bags.  I told him it's ten dollars.  "If you buy the bag, I'll give him a free snake."   Didn't buy.  He asked his wife.  Wife said "No, uh uh.  You don't need that."  Father told the boy 'You don't need the snake."  I looked over at my wife.  Told her "I don't need this."  Wife said "We need money."  I said "uh ohhhh."

MILKING THE COW.

THE FOOD.  I walked around the fair and found more food booths in the vicinity of the carnival, on the opposite side of the grounds.  I decided to buy a German Sausage with 'the works' and I also got a baked potato with the whole shabang.  The boy gave me a plate and told me to bring it to the guy in the back who was cooking the sausages. He placed a bun on the paper plated and put a sausage inside and piled kraut on it.  He asked me if I wanted peppers and onions and I told him 'yah.'  So, he plopped a bunch of them on the grill and saw that they weren't cooking.  His pilot light had gone out.  He fired it back up.  I had to wait almost 15 minutes for the peppers and onions to cook.  In the meantime, the other guy brought me my baked potato and I just stood there with it in my hand. When he brought me my sausage,  I took them back to our booth and shared them with my wife.  The sausage ranked about a 2.3 on the 10-point Hoffenbrauser Sausage Rating Scale and the baked potato wasn't much better.  They had placed these mushrooms on it..... you know, the dried out kind that you find in the Sizzler Salad Bar?  Had cheddar sauce slopped on top with a thing of broccoli inside together with chives and other things.  I have had much better baked potatoes at other events.   Notice the name of the place.  Shanghai Express.  No Chinese Food there.  Probably I just got Shanghai'ed.

Saw a Papa Murphy's pizza booth.  I remember getting one of their U-Bake pizza's back home and it tasted like one of those 99-cent frozen pizzas you get at Food Maxx.  I thought the price was great, but I was quite dissapointed.

GOING TO BE A COOL EVENING because I see a lot of people walking  by with their coats on.  If the wind picks up, it will be cool.  I am seeing a lot of people walking around with hoods on.  Maybe they are here for the Exorcism, which begins at 1:00AM.  Closed up at 8:50.  Reasoned that we were near the entrance/exit and no more 'new' people coming in.  Most of the people were either at the concert or the carnival and sure as hell won't be buying anything when they are walking out.  Trust me, I speak from many years of experience.  Especially since it was getting quite cool and those people will want to get their cold asses out of there.  Besides that, I had to go get ready for the exorcism.  Thai food still selling good; two other food booths = nothing.

BACK TO THE MOTOR HOME.  Closed up and had to walk through another Mine Field in back of our booth where they were 'showing and judging' the cows.  Earlier in the day, I would hear things like 'she's got a fine rear end' coming from the announcer.  It's a rather lengthy walk back to the RV Parking.  When we reached the motor home, I glanced across the aisle and saw that the people (remember the nosy lady) were sitting around a small fire and some of them were wearing their hoods.  Looked like they were getting ready for the exorcism.

INTERNET CONNECTIONS.  Absolutely nothing in my booth and I can get on periodically in my motor home.  Can't figure out where the signals are coming from, as we are parked away from any buildings. 

Thursday, August 6.  Opened up at 10:10.  Had a decent crowd coming in until around 1:00.  Our sales were better than yesterday, but suddenly things stalled and we only had one sale in two hours.  Vendors doing bad but Thai food keeps rolling, rolling, etc.  Weather has been cloudy all day and the winds have been picking up. 

BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES is what I just did.  Dark clouds milling around up in the air and we have felt raindrops.  Hopefully, just another foggy mist.  However, we have prepared for rain as we covered up all the places where rain could come in from up top.  Got everything away from the middle crease of the two canopies and folded the two tops together to prevent rain from dropping inside.  Move everything away from there.  Picked up every thing off the ground and prepared for a mini-flood where the blacktop meets the grass.

SALES CONTINUED to be sporadic throughout the evening.  We did have a short period of rain, but fortunately it lasted a couple minutes.  Toward the latter part of the evening, we picked up a mist which continued until we left at 9:00.  Got to the motor home and turned on the TV.  Could hear the concert going on.  Not bad.

FOOD.  Picked up a taco salad across the aisle for $7.50.  I like Taco Bell's better. Had some Thai food which was good, of course.  Had an egg roll from them and it was pretty good.

Earlier in the evening. I walked back to the motor home and was going to watch the last part of the Red Sox-Yankees game.  Saw the score and turned off the TV.  No comment.

THE MINEFIELD PART TWO.  The field in back of us has turned into another minefield.  They've been showing all kinds of animals back there and something going on with the dogs out there and the place is a shitty mess.  All over the place.

THE CROWD FLOW.  When I first came to the fair, I was told by many that the first two days are slow and things really pick up on Friday and Saturday.  Our booths are located near one of the gates.  We would get people coming by until the nightly concert starts at 8:30 and then it would die off.  That is exactly what happens.  Our area pretty much becomes a ghost town.

Friday, July 7.  THE HIGH COSTS OF THE FAIR.  A number of my customers and passer's by made mention of the high costs of food and games at the fair and apparently this really affects the income of the vendors.  Gosh, if you are a young family with kids, you are going to be spending an arm and a leg here just on admission, games and food.  That's why I only see families buying items for $3 or less.  Our best sales are coming from individuals, older couples and retirees.  We just sit and watch thousands of people walk past the booth with nary a glance to the left or to the right as they make a bee line for other areas of the fair.  Maybe to go look at the rabbits or something just as entertaining.  Sometimes you get the feeling that we are just window-dressing as far as the fair is concerned.

THIS FAIR IS QUITE SPREAD OUT and most definitely a large number of attendee's do not go through the entire fair, except for the people who are parking on our side.  The people parking in other lots are not making it over to where the vendor's are.  That is one thing I really enjoyed about Myrtle Point and the Coos County Fair.  The vendors were situated between the food area and the carnival area and everything is within view.  There are a good number of venues here for the attendees and I guess you can come here and have an enjoyable time without spending a dime after you get in.  Fortunately, you don't have to pay to use the toilets.  Whether you know it or not, there are pay toilets in a number of states and I do believe that they have regulations banning the localities/events, etc., from forcing people to pay to pee.  Wouldn't that be terrible?  I can imagine that these fairs would just love to make people pay for that.