Well – here we are. Freezin’ our collective arses off. I’m burning wood at the same rate I used to drink beer at – one right after the other. Each year the sticks of wood seem to get heavier and my hand/eye coordination doesn’t seem to be as good as in my youth. How many times can you jam your fingers between a junk of wood and the opening to the woodstove? I probably ought to apologize to my neighbors … maybe to anyone within ½ mile of the house. Every time I jam my finger or drop a junk on my slippered toes, I let’er go. Cursin’ a blue streak is something I learned in Patten and have become quite proficient at. Kids – practice does make perfect. I can now swear, quite effectively, in 9 different languages, with a perfect southern drawl or a credible downeast accent. Ayuh.
And it’s only February. How smooth will I be in late March or April. If I’m not wearing my glasses I don’t always get a good look at what I heave into (towards) the stove. As the temp hovers at or below zero my goal is to feed the stove…. (by the way, we have an outdoor wood boiler) as quickly as possible and hustle back into the house. So last week, after a “planning meeting” for the 2022 fair with John and Bruce (Thornton) and a cold beer or two – I skidded to a stop relatively near my path to the wood boiler, I chucked in an axe handle, a knit cap, one glove (the wood stuck to the duct tape on the glove and I didn’t notice it until the glove and piece of wood, landed at the back of the stove/hot ashes), one of my son’s ski boots and the neighbor’s cat (in my defense he sits near the stove for the warmth. Don’t worry, they have 9 lives – or so I’m told. (I’m kidding – geez))
While I’m on the subject of being “tongue in cheek” with my articles – I’ll remind all of you politically correct folk – you may not want to read them. I write like I talk – kinda salty. For me, political correctness is helping to make a mess of our schools and turning our country into something that our founding fathers wood not recognize. Let’s all stop being so damned sensitive. Be kind. Work hard. Be honest. Do your best. And please, if you’re driving by the house – stop by and throw some friggin’ wood in my stove – bring your own wood though.
If you look real close as you drive by the Old Steamboat Road, at around 5-6 pm, you may see me hustlin’ out to fill the stove. I’ll be the guy in the slippers, boxers, one glove and orange Green Bay Packers hat. I see no point dressing up to celebrate another jammed finger. And if you’d like to add audio to the show – roll down your window and listen. I’ll be swearing primarily in Russian this week.
Huh – why do folks accuse me of rambling on and on and on…. ?
So, like I was saying….. we are feverishly planning the 2022 schedule of events. As of this writing, we have the following events scheduled:
July 2nd - Wedding
July 30th - Wedding
August 11th - Circus
August 27th - Wedding
Sept. 10th – Wedding
Sept. 17th – Wedding
Some of you probably are aware, some may not be aware, some could care less and more than a few are medicating far too much with edibles. But, after 32 years of owning the Springfield Fair – formerly and infamously known as the “Drunkards Reunion”, this will be my and John’s last year as owners. We are pleased to announce that Dustin Gordon and Ashley Laduke are now in the process of learning the ropes. They will be, officially, the new owners of the fair beginning Jan. 1, 2023. They are also the proud owners of another successful, local business – Up In Smoke Auto Recycling.
Dustin and Ashley will be promoting the June 25th demolition derby. As we move closer to black fly and mud seasons, they will be letting everyone know the particulars for the event. Please wish them well and we hope that you support them in every way possible. They are excited, young and ambitious. John and I have had offers from a couple of different potential buyers. None of them were as impressive as Dustin and Ashley. They have a lot of good ideas but also seem to understand the risks. They are local, understand the fair and want to build it back up into a 3-4 day affair – and hoping to get a carnival sometime over the next few years. They will need your support.
For all of our 2022 wedding parties, nothing has changed for your big day. Call me if you have concerns. You can also reach out to John or I with questions on the fair, circus, boat storage or how to be politically incorrect. And if you have a junk car you are looking to sell – call or facebook Dustin or Ashley. It’s nice to see local “kids” finding a way to stay local and be self-supporting. Owning and operating a small business (especially in Maine) is not easy. They seem to be on the right track. So, Dustin & Ashley, Up In Smoke Auto Recycling and the soon to be new owners of the Springfield Fair – go kick some ass. Have fun, work honestly and we’ll all support you.
And if I haven’t told you lately – we are grateful for the endless support from our many sponsors and patrons alike. Without you, we are no better than the
– heh heh, (That’ll get the attention in Western Maine.) Enjoy the rest of your winter. I’ll be back with another long and windy Springfield Fayuh update soon.
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