Finis

Well, we've come to the tail end of the 2009 Clackamas County Fair.


My goal with this blog was to communicate what I saw at the fair and try to make it fun. With so many people coming together to share the things they love and believe in, it couldn't have been an easier job.

Thank you to all the people who organized, ran, and participated in this wonderful fair. And thank you to all the people that supported those people.

And finally, to the unidentified man who went to the information booth and asked what the fair does with all its manure - thanks. I was wondering the exact same thing myself.

Fantastic 4-H fashions

Here are two awesome dresses by up-and-coming 4-H fashionistas.

Let no one say that 4-H isn't fresh and contemporary. This fashion-forward duct tape dress by 10th-grader Mary Walsh of Eagle Creek would look good in any couture runway show.




This one-of-a-kind masterpiece was knit by Alyssa Rands, 10th grade, of Oregon City. It's not only mind-bendingly complex, it's really cute. How many stitches do you think it took to make it?

Here's your answer.

Most excellent job girls!

Back behind the Rainbow corn booth

If you've come to the Clackamas County Fair anytime during the last 45 or 50 years, you've likely seen the Rainbow corn booth, run by a local assembly of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. But have you ever looked behind it and seen what it takes to keep those cobs coming?

Well, here's a peek for you.


These women are corn cob shucking machines. For your own safety, please stay well back of the work area.

Talent Show People's Choice Winners

The fair talent show finals were last night and the audience voted on their favorites. Here are some of the People's Choice winners who performed again today at the Grove Stage.



Samantha Harms, 20



The tap group Breaking Dishes from Maralee's School of Dance in Oregon City.



Ashley Adame from Canby



Sophia Regelin, 5, from Gladstone.

Taryn Cross

Taryn Cross, 18, started singing when she was 7 years old, and has been singing professionally since she was 11. Originally from Bellingham, Wash., Cross has been performing at the fair all week. Today's set included songs by Lady Antebellum, Tanya Tucker, Sugarland, and others.



Taryn sang on the Main Lawn Stage today at noon.







Taryn's newest fan, 2-year-old Audra Rose of St. Paul, got right up and moved to the music.

Hot Out of the Oven Peach Pie and Cobbler Contest

I made it a point to swing by the Kitchen Cupboard in the Main Pavilion to see what was happening during registration for this contest.



Now this is a great contest sign.



Dropping off her dish of "Grammy's Peach Cobbler" (far right) is Kristin Beem, 17, of Boring. Accompanying her is Grammy herself, Joann Younts of Gresham, who won this contest last year with the very same recipe.

Break time in the barns

4-H and FFA kids don't have to work all the time. When I walked through the barns this morning, there were quite a number of exhibitors enjoying a well-deserved break.



Bonnie Powell, 14, a member of the Pioneer Ridge Goat Club in Oregon City, sings and plays guitar* for her friends.

*Sort of.




Mary Suing, 18, enjoys a sit-down with her Nigerian Dwarf goat, Little Reba. Considering she won Grand Champion goat in the Junior Open Class, I reckon Little Reba is entitled to a little lap time.

Suing, who used to live in Newberg, came all the way from Elko, Nev. to compete at the fair with her Yamhill County 4-H club, Udderly Amazing Kids.






Too tired to object to having their picture taken, this group was an easy target when I saw them lounging in the beef barn.

Starting in the front left and moving clockwise are:

Mitch Salo, 15, of Canby (front left, leaning on foam pad - FFA and 4-H)
Avery Farley, 15 Clackamas (FFA)
Katherine Miersma, 16, Clackamas (FFA)
Jordan Larsen, 18, Oregon City (FFA)
Raeleen Hanson, 17, Milwaukie (FFA)
Natalie Halladay, 16, Milwaukie (FFA)
Cody Rossman, 18, Oregon City (4-H)

Clackamas County Sheriff's Department

Four years ago Community Service Officer Sara McClung was working as an HR manager and decided she needed a career change. She went through the Clackamas County Sheriff's 17-week training program, and now she works in crime prevention, giving presentations on Internet safety and ID theft, among other things.



Officer McClung is at the fair this week making friends with little kids by handing out candy, and with big kids by showing them this brand new 2009 Dodge Charger with 8-cylinder Hemi engine.

Morning in Pioneer Village

Shane Wilken (left) of Leavenworth, Wash., pays a visit to the encampment of Bob "Hawks Spirit" Owens of Shingletown, Calif. Bob and his wife Sue "Bouncing Bells" offer you the chance to dress in Native American and mountain man costumes and get your picture taken.



Wilken sells leather work over at his camp, something he's been doing for 20 years. It's his third year at the Clackamas County Fair and his only trip of the year to the Oregon Territory. He limits the rest of his summer trading to pow wows in Washington state.

Clackamas County Stockmen's Association breakfast

There were lots of takers for the Stockmen's Association breakfast in the BBQ Grove this morning.

Nicholas has the midway all to himself

Nicholas Waite, 2 years, 3 months, of Wilsonville explored the entire midway before the rides started and the crowds came. He let dad Ryan come along, as long as he agreed not to interrupt Nicholas' sightseeing.




Yes! Just tall enough!

Secret pie entrance

All the stories are true. There really is a secret fair entrance for those delicious Methodist pies.

Here is a solitary photo of the legendary pie-way that I managed to take when no one was looking. It's locked and topped with barbed wire as you might imagine.

Sunday is Family Day

It's the final day of the fair, and admission for a family of two adults and up to four children (15 and under) is $20.

Here are today's family favorites:

• Clackamas County Stockmen's Association breakfast, 7 a.m. - 11 a.m., BBQ Grove
• Hot Out of the Oven Peach Pie or Peach Cobbler Contest, 10 a.m. - noon, Kitchen Cupboard, Main Pavilion
• Inspirational message and winners of Gospel Sing Competition, 11 a.m., Grove Stage
• 4-H and FFA Grand Champion Showmanship, noon, Main Show Ring
• King and Queen winners announced and Talent Show People's Choice Performance, 1 p.m., Grove Stage

And my top pick of the day...
Extreme Motorcycles Stunt Show and Demolition Derby, 2 p.m., Rodeo Arena (just $2 in the arena!)

To see the full Sunday schedule, click here.

La Pantera Festa dancers

The surprises at the Clackamas County Fair never seem to end. I came around the Grove Stage from behind and found women swirling and swooping yards and yards of colorful fabric. Muy bonita!

Most freakish eggplant

That is not commentary on my part. That is the actual category in which this, um, unique specimen of Solanum melongena is entered.



Congratulations to Kris McNulty on the blue ribbon. I think.

A most visually appealing tiny tomato display

It's quite lovely, this colorful assemblage of mini 'maters. My compliments to superintendent Janet Davis and the good folks over at the Agriculture Building.
(Click on photo to enlarge)

Scarecrow

I love that the fair has a scarecrow contest, and I love this scarecrow in particular. When I'm done writing this, I'm going to imagine the scarecrow comes to life and we become best friends and have all kinds of wonderful adventures together. It seems like that kind of scarecrow.

Toucan's Exotic Animals

Lions


And tigers


At fairs, oh my!

Methodist pie sale

As someone who grew up Methodist, I believe I am allowed to reveal that two of the central pillars of United Methodist theology are eating and talking, preferably at the same time. The Methodists have raised the post-sermon social hour to a glorious, heavenly art form.


Here in Clackamas Hall, regardless of your beliefs, you can experience this comforting ritual for yourself. Get some pie, grab a table, and gab the day away.

I know my parents always did.



In this house of pie and healing, a sign of hope hangs on the wall. This also happens to be the title of song 237 in the Methodist hymnal.

Best ramp in the county

While it's not a fair attraction, per se, this ramp on the east side of the Main Pavilion is really cool.



It leads from the ground floor up to the art and crafts on the second floor. It has three tiers, the top two of which are visible in the photo here.

It's a fun space that makes you want to run up and down - probably with your arms sticking straight out. As a bonus, the floorboards make delightfully creaky noises the entire way.

What is a wickless candle?

I had no idea, but Dorinda Stoller, who had a booth in the Main Pavilion selling Scentsy wickless candles, was nice enough to explain it to me.



Wickless candles use a 25-watt light bulb to warm scented wax in a bowl placed on top a decorative warmer. The warmers have holes in them and the effect is similar to the look and smell of candles, while being safer around kids, pets, and nosy bloggers.

A scene from the food court

Fair time is food time, and plenty of people were enjoying the wide variety of food and drinks available at the food court.

Chainsaw carvings by Toby Johnson

Getting fired eight years ago was the best thing that ever happened to Toby Johnson of Aurora.

Always a whittler, Johnson did his first chainsaw carving when he was 18 and working clearing trees along a road. He saw a parked track hoe and stopped to carve a model of it in a roadside stump. It must have been good, because when he went back the next day, someone had cut it off and taken it.

Years later, after losing his job at a manufacturing company, Johnson jumped in to chainsaw carving full time. Today, he is owner of Toby J's LLC, making log furniture in addition to his carvings.


Here, Johnson poses with an eagle and salmon carving he made. He estimates a seven-foot-tall carving takes about 30 hours to complete. He gets his wood from reclaimed lumber and trees that have been harvested due to land management and urban tree removal.

Backstage at the dunk tank

The secret to revenue generation in the dunking business, unlike most other for-profit operations, is to heckle, taunt, and browbeat your customers.

When I happened by the Canby United Soccer Association dunk tank, Carlito Negrete, 12, was giving a master class in public ridicule. This kid has a serious mouth on him. I'm not talking profanity or crudeness, just jeers, unprovoked attacks on people's manhood, and an outpouring of abuse quite impressive from someone his age. No one was spared. Young or old, it didn't matter to Carlito. As you might imagine, he spent very little time actually sitting on his perch.


Carlito Negrete (on the right) suffers the just consequences of his actions. Again.



Dakota Hunter, 14, (left) could only sit and watch as the bloodthirsty mob waited for Carlito to retake his seat.



But Dakota was a quick study and soon as he was deftly hurling insults of his own.

Pretty Baby Contest, 0-10 months division

There were contests galore for babies ages 0 - 10 months this morning at the Grove Stage. Categories included cutest dressed girl and boy, best decorated diaper, happiest baby, fastest 100-meter dash, arm wrestling, etc.

Below are just some of the young competitors and their handlers.