Checked in at the office, received my 'free' passes and then walked across the street to where the motor home was parked and drove on in.  It took a little while to locate our space because the spaces were not marked.  I found our friend who sold cell phone accessories in Myrtle Point and he helped me locate it, 3 spaces down from him 

He has told me that this was a great area with lots of foot traffic.  We shall see. We are located just outside a building that has a lot of pigs and we have to listen to them all day long squealing, etc. or whatever pigs do.  Slap them hogs, baby!!

I saw that our space was a very tight 10x10 and I would have difficulties unloading the motor home.  There was no room to pull up in front of the space, but I had to drive it off to the side and unload from there.  Wasn't disastrous at least.  We unloaded, put up the canopy, grids and left our merchandise inside the canopy and closed it up, since we had errands to do around town  We would come back over around 4:00PM and finish up. Took a stroll around the fair.  Not really too many vendor booths, but we are very confined in this 10x10 tight space. Seems to be a decent array of food booths.... would like to try one of the baked potatoes and I finally found an Italian Sausage.  I still keep thinking about that 'Killer Kielbasa' I never got to eat back at Deschutes...that's a large Kielbasa with a bunch of onions and peppers piled on it.  Actually, I think that it would be better with sauerkrought plopped down on it

Tuesday August 5  Nice to have the fair open at 12:00.  Some like to start at 10:00, but there's never any action until later in the day.  We are parked out in the 'dry camping' area and at 3:30 I was awakened by somebody riding a mower cutting grass about 30 yards away.  Can you imagine that?  So, if you complain about it.... they'll say that they are sorry and blah blah blah.  Damage has been done...deprived of around 1 1/2 hours sleep,  Going to be a long day today and not having adequate sleep makes it longer especially after sleeping at a noisy rest stop a night earlier. The weather is nice, but maybe a little too warm with temps in the high 80s. Getting out of here on Sunday morning is going to be rough since nobody can 'tear down' on that day until 7:00 AM.  I'll have to wait for a couple people to break down in order to move my motor home over.  However, we will have everything packed up the night before.

Things started off slow here and the show has had mostly kids here on a 'social status.' I'd say it's been 90 percent kids during the afternoon.  Just meeting their friends and have a good 'no spending money' time. Hawaiian Shave Ice and Smoothies must be doing pretty good. Starting to warm up around here and it will be hotter tomorrow....temps going up to 94 on Wednesday, which is definitely not cool.

(9:00 PM) The setting sun brought out large crowds, but mostly kids.  There's a concert about 40 yards from us and IT IS LOUD.  Earlier this evening we had a pig run into the booth.  Unbelievable.  The music continued all night long and we could not hear our customers (hell...what customers!!). We closed early because we just could not take the loud music.  No consideration at all. There must be something in the water. 

Wednesday, August 6.  A number of vendors told me that today would be better.  The first day is 'kids day' and they get the run of the place. I guess that the 'grown ups' know this and they stay the heck away.  I really hope that we can do something about the loud music blaring in our faces.We can not hear our customers and they mostly pass through quckly as they try to make it to a quieter splot.   It looks like another hot one.  Fortunately, our booth is a bit cool until early afternoon. 

Talked to the fair manager regarding the extreme loudness of the music and she said that she would 'look into it.'  Yah, right,.  This stage should be located in another area of the fair...maybe the carnival area.  She told me that 'next year, we can place you in another area.'  But this is this year, what can you do about that now  I told her that 'I would not be returning next year.'  This is most likely our last Oregon trip. So anyway, apparently she take up the matter and the music was substantially decibels lower throughout the evening.  I must say that I truly appreciate that.

Temperature this afternoon is 94 degrees and hot. Sales did pick up slightly into the night, but the second day is always the slowest day of a county fair.  Thursday, August 7. Great weather all day long. Seemingly more people, but not many more buyers.  Some vendors doing half-way decent; others....well, you know the ol' story.  No money here, that's for sure.  A bit smelly here off and on from the pigs located in the building behind us...with the door wide open.  Lots of flies... I wonder where they are coming from?  Looks like this fair is just for the kids....not really that many adults.  They have Bingo all day long across from us. Maybe do better over there.  Wow. 

Friday, August 8   Next to last day of the fair.  Keep hoping for a $$$ turnout, but it just is not going to happen.  Kellie Pickler will be appearing tonight at $25 a pop.  No way. It's a bit cooler this morning with some cloud cover. Feels really nice and refreshing, just like along the coast.  Very easy to sleep at night when it's cooler like this. We had a couple rather stuffy nights.  Hopefully, people will come out tonight.....it's Friday and it's usually one of the two busiest days of the Fair.  But I just don't know in this place.  A lot of these people look like they spend their whole paycheck on food. 

Auctioning off the pigs and whatever else in back of us. It's Pork Chop Hill for these swines.  Still playing bingo to the left   of us and loud music off to the right.  One hell of a lot of noise.  It's  8:15PM and people still just not buying.  Loads of kids, that's about it.  Hasta la vista baby...tomorrow!!!!  I will not be back!!  This was another surprisingly slow day.  Lost all hope for this fair.  Can't see how Saturday can be any better.

 So, what is it that the people of Roseburg do?   Click here to find out

Saturday, August 9.  Nice and cloudy in the morning.  Never thought that I would enjoy this kind of weather.  Usually along I-5 it's hot and we sort of lucked out,  Last day for the fair and we are out of here tomorrow.

Auctioning off the pigs and whatever else 

OVERVIEW OF FAIR:  They did a somewhat decent job in getting people to come.  However, you can lead a horse to the water, but.... well, you know the rest.  Something wrong with the layout of vendor booths.  We are located along a narrow paved road and crammed up in a very tight 10x10 space.  Lots of people passing by, but mostly kids. A number of parents have a lousy attitude and some of the kids were extremely  snotty and totally inconsiderate.  Vendors should be in another area.  Going to be hell getting my motor home in there to pick up our stuff and I sure as hell don't want to cart my stuff out.  Carnival area far off to the other side.  The bottom line is that people just are not buying.  Some vendors are doing half-ass decent, but the huge majority of us are suffering.  Not a good fair at all.  I will not be coming back here.  My total sales for Tues+Wed+Thur+Fri are equal to that of a bad Tuesday at a county fair.  That's how lousy this thing is.  Sorry, Douglas County Fair organizers, no holds barred... I have spoken the truth and I want my fellow vendors to know how bad this event truly is.

FOOD REPORT:  I bought a stuffed baked potato which was pretty decent, despite a rather long wait.  Expensive though.  $7.50.  I haven't been having much luck with the baked potatoes this year.  Last year their was a non-profit group selling baked potatoes at the Coos County Fair, but they weren't there.  Also, I used to get a really great baked potatoe in Tyson Wells, but this year I did not see them there (January).  I had an Italian sub, which just did not satisfy my taste buds.  Probably okay for a lot of people, but I didn't care for it.  To each, his own.  Lucy had an Italian Sausage Sandwich, which was pretty good.  It looked darn good and I'll probably get one by the end of the fair. Since our motor home is too far for extra walking trips, we bring our lunches, drinks, etc., and eat fair food for dinner.  Still looking for my Philly Cheese Steak sandwich, but it looks like SOL.  There is a booth selling New Orleans steak sandwiches and you might be reading about it in a couple days.