Its that time of YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have I ever mentioned how very much I love the Stampede in Calgary? Well I totally love it and could be down on the grounds each and every day of the 10 days. Well life has kept me from going to the Stampede for several years but there is a great substitution and certainly more than enough to keep me happy.


Yes it is the Saskatoon Exhibition! I haven't been for the last 3 years or so and I was now approaching my breaking point. So I decided that I was going with or without someone to hang with......so without it was and I had a great time. My only mistake.... not going earlier in the day so that I could see more of the exhibits and watch the sights and sounds. So armed with my pocketful of money off I went.

I was determined to eat all of my favourite fair foods, do what ever my heart desired, and generally just have a grand time. So what was on my list of fair foods to eat?

Sno Cones, Mini Donuts, Elephant Ears, Fudge (3 kinds), jerky, corn dogs (min. 2), the fresh made fries, Cotton Candy (with 2 bags to take home - different flavours) and lets not forget the ice cream dipped and rolled in nuts. This year I also saw some new things to try. The make it yourself sushi, deep fried Cheese cake, chocolate dipped frozen cheesecake and every single one looked awesome.


That was a lot of eating but not to worry the only thing that I ate was the freshly made corn dog, 1/3 of an elephant ear and the spudnut that went home and got partially eaten by me and the balance by the remaining fur ball in the house. So the secret to not dying the Ex or Stampede death by Food..........tell yourself you can have it all, and magically your telling yourself you will get it later ........and later never came. LOLOLOLOL

Step two was to play all the games of chance that I like and have enjoyed through out the years. There was the balloon popping game,


the one where you beat the mole or pest of choice for the year, the water gun shooting relays, the fishing ponds, the one that you use to tokens to build up and push out cheap junky little trinkets that are truly junk. Of course there was the cash draw, the boat draw and a hundred others as well. Yup give your self permission to play unlimited games and draws......and the only one I did...........the Kinsmen Cash Draw. Not one balloon busted, no water shot and no tacky cheap trinkets.

But let me tell you about the best part of walking up and down the mid-way. I stopped to watch a fishing pond game trying to eat my elephant ear that my mouth loved but my stomach was saying was done with it........LOLOLOLOL

There was a young girl 5 or 6 and her Dad had just confirmed that kids could play until they won. Up came Bert and his caregivers, Bert was in his very late 70's and challenged but eager to play the fishing game. His excitement about playing was so much fun to watch so out came the camera and photos were snapped.


It wasn't long before the young girl had caught her fish, and truthfully I would have expected a child at that age to be jumping and shouting and generally be excited. Nope nothing as you can see she just stood holding it not saying a word waiting for someone to notice that she had caught this thing.

Then Bert finally caught his fish and he wanted to reel it in but had difficulties but the Carnie was amazing and paitently helped him "reel it in" and OMG the shear joy on old Berts face..... well look for yourself.




The Carnie went and got the little girl her stuffed animal of her choice and still no excitement instead she refused to carry it dropped it on the ground and Dad picked it up and put in his back pack........ Now Bert on the other hand was practically jumping for joy out of his wheel chair and his caregivers laughing and assuring him that he was gonna get a prize in minute. When the Carnie gave him his frog his feable hands could hardly hold it but the joy and happiness was amazing. These few precious moments made my whole trip to the Ex worth every single penny I spent and I would do it again to see that kind of joy again.



So of course I thought I would also do something I had never done before, get on a ride I had never ridden and just have a great time. No rides ridden again the secret tell yourself it doesn't matter what it costs because you have permission to spend it. LOLOL However, I was entirely enthralled with the sling shot. This is the ride that is as close to a bungee jump as this chick will ever get.


I stood watching them load these young fellas into the cage and then watched and captured the trip they took as they flew up through the air. I think that this ride will have to go on to my bucket list for another day...... the line up was long and I had more to see and do before the concert started that night.


As many of you have read, my Ladybug was a fabulous dog when it came to agility but she could never get over the crowds and so my dreams of her being on the SuperDog team was quashed. However, I went and found them and enveloped myself in the environment that is agility at its best.

Now the kind of cool thing about this is that I know a lot of the handlers who have been and remain on the team. Not to mention that my dog club sponsers and mans the booth so it was a much needed healing visit. These people understood my pain over losing Ladybug as many of Ladybugs classmates have also made it over the rainbow bridge this past year.

I watched the show and felt like a proud mama as dogs I knew and those I didn't completed some amazing tricks and skills. Below is a photo of the dogs playing "Hockey" their way - we humans would have called it musical chairs. The dogs walk in a circle and when the music stops the handler sends the dog to grab a team mat and lay down on it to avoid elimination. To me the funniest part of that game was when out of no where this Austrailian shepherd came out of no where and picked up a team mat and took it out of the ring with no apparent handler (of course there was but they were hidden).

Diane is one of the two co-owners of D& S Dogs of Course and she helped me with both Ladybug and Buddies's training. She retired her famous Jack Russel terriers last year as they were getting to be to old to keep up with the young whipper snappers in the ring. However, last night she was running Shirley's dog Chaos who is an awesome agility dog, and I have seen him from the rambunctious puppy to the amazing skilled dog he is today. I felt like the proud Aunt watching them complete and agility relay demo.

Shirley was manning the souvenier booth that night and while waiting for the next run Chaos found his owner and left Diane's side to come and say hello. It was a cute moment because he knew he shouldn't have left Diane but he really did want his "Mom".

Last but not least was an amazing jumping display by this Ferall Hound. That jump is just over 5' high and he cleared it with room to spare. This is why I would like to see young Diesel put into agility with his natural ability to clear my six foot fence.

After all of this I wandered over to the Grandstand to watch Three Dog Night, one of my favourite groups from the 70's. They cross across all genre's of music and last nights performance was stellar. I will share those photos soon.