"State Fair"

For some reason, the "State Fair" is held in several locations here in Alaska every year.

Yesterday we went to the one here in Fairbanks, though it was raining. Always does at fair time. This year is rainier than usual,though, and we're building a fire most days already.

In a way, I go to the fair mostly to see friends. Friends from smaller communities who are here as vendors, especially in and around the craft hall/tent. Many of the crafters are also people who live a semi-subsistence life style too.

I've known Christine for at least 15 years. She does great beadwork, as well as some very interesting jewelry with bones.

The lady from Delta goes great strung jewelry, at ridiculously low prices. She's afraid she'll lose customers if she raises her prices. But $80 for gemstone necklace with a Chuck Driver (Blue Heeler) focal and earring with gold-filled findings! Her husband was a musher, then ran a kennel, and is now disabled and rejecting treatment. So this is her livihood. The lady at the end table who sells a lot of earring has people are complaining about paying $15 for Heather Davis (Bliss) earring with GF or SS findings. She does better at the University Women Christmas Bazaar which has a more sophisticated bunch attending.

A new vendor has the most wonderful selection, using a lot of trade beads and fossil material recovered in mining operations. Got some good ideas from her, and hope to see more of her work next year when I don't have a wedding to spend on.

But probably the most exiting booth I went to was the one I helped carry of few things for. As we were parking, I saw a friend getting a bunch of stuff out to carry in and offered to help. This lady came to Alaska with her husband to trap. I met her at the "Women's Martial Arts Retreat" (Women in Martial Arts and Related Studies), where she also did all the cooking (she teaches nutrition and does catering, and gave me and Pete our wedding cake as a wedding present). She also was very involved with 4H. She is now involved in wilderness survival and feels she has found her niche -- which seems a natural evolution from trapping, self-defense, 4H, etc. But what really excites me is that she wants to get our Women's Retreat to come back to life, and probably in something much closer to its original spirit putting more emphasis on the healing arts, and martial arts as women's empowerment.

Pete also checked out all the sites selling wood furnaces that are outside the house and duct hot air into the house, and left his cord wood business cards with them.

All in all, it was a very successful, though wet, excursion.

Tina