A Little Slice of...Something...

On the last day of our Maryland Summer Sojourn, Team WestEnders had the opportunity to  experience what I like to think of as a special peek into...the heart of America...or what have you. You see, our host family lives in a rural area--very similar to the one in which I grew up, actually, except that while neither spot features what you'd call a defined town center, per se, at least their 'burb has a string of retail stores and fast food. And, more to the point: an annual carnival, sponsored by, and benefiting, the local fire department.

Now, my kids have visited amusement parks before, but they've never been to an event quite like this. So with their super duper Ride-All-Night wristbands (purchased-in-advance, just for the occasion), they set off to explore the large grassy field...where the myriad of daredevil thrills presumably awaited. Meanwhile the adults parked themselves in folding camp chairs, in front of a stage that had been set up for the week's musical entertainment offerings.

We were there to enjoy a band known as The Reagan Years...whose repertoire ran to 80s covers, which of course invited the crowd to join in one big, rollicking sing-along to the familiar pop tunes. And they were gooood, too--even though the temperature when we arrived was still hovering in the sticky 90s, I give them a lot of credit for the energy and enthusiasm required to jump around in front of a melting--but appreciative--audience.

After a while, I had to get up and stroll around, to see what this whole carny thing was all about. There were some lovely aromas wafting through the humid air--buttery popcorn, charcoal, tangy barbeque sauce, and sugary cotton candy being the primary my nose identified. And then there was the unique scenery provided by the brightly painted--if slightly battered--attractions that allowed intrepid youngsters to spin, plummet, or whirl to their hearts' content. Whilst wandering, I happened upon two such gentlemen, about to take a chance on the free-fall extravaganza (Yeah, don't they look utterly terrified? Except for this moment captured on film--um..."digitally"--I don't think they stopped chatting through the whole thing...)

And then, tucked in amongst the stuff you might expect, if you've ever been to one of these things (or, you know, seen one on TV, or something) there were the...elements...that I don't even claim to understand. For example, a booth that allowed you to toss a ring (so far, normal, right?)...and try to get it around the handle of a KNIFE (oh...kay...decidedly less typical)...in which case you got to take the cutlery with you. Oh, unless you were under 18, and then your parent had to come sign for it before you could carry it home. What. The. WHAT? Win a goldfish, sure--this I totally get. But the awarding of weapons as a lovely parting gift? Not so much.

But even less comprehensible to me was the display shown to the left. I mean, I don't even...I got nothin', folks. I admit that I was just a teensy bit afraid to tiptoe too close and try to figure it out. Yep, I thought this was clearly a situation where it would be best to just keep my distance, try to look innocent and natural as I loitered for a second, and nonchalantly take a quick photo....then hightail it back to my comfort zone...eating ice cream, and belting out Bon Jovi, Duran Duran, Madonna, and other beloved 80s icons along with my fellow nostalgia-hounds. As the sun set, blessedly cooling the atmosphere from "hellish" to merely "tropical", Team WestEnders chalked this one up to an enjoyable lesson in Americana that will live on in our collective memory...long after we return to our own little corner of the world...where it's not quite so easy to obtain either funnel cake (boo) or dangerous objects (whew!). Until next time, Maryland--adios!