This year of time of year I find myself questioning what I would do if I could never cover another Great Darke County Fair.

I admit I always dread its arrival, but once it gets underway, I sort of hate to see the fair end, because of what’s coming up….school opening and winter around the corner. Going to the fair for me is almost like attending a family or class reunion on the fairgrounds, as well as meeting up with friends I’ve made over the years.

I don’t mean to complain, but it is a lot of work for reporters and photographers who try to capture every piece of action that takes place those nine days focusing on a wide array of activity….from side shows to midway events to animals to rides to games to concession stands to contests/competitions/pageants of all kinds to a parade and to entertainment galore.

It is also a busy time for fair board members, concessionaires, vendors and exhibitors, who make this all possible.

It makes me tired just thinking about it, but it needs to be done because it’s a part of Darke County’s long-standing history, 160 years in fact. And, believe it or not, I was not there at the first fair and hopefully I won’t be there for the last.

The only fair I can ever remember not attending was in 2000, when I had my right kidney removed a week before opening day, the day I was dismissed from the hospital. That surgery occurred a sweet 16 years ago on Aug. 11. I was in so much pain; I know I didn’t want to attend the fair. What if I would bump into people or they would bump into me?

One good friend, who is now gone from this world, called me one evening that year during my recuperation and wanted to know if I would go with him to the fair. They were offering bungee jumping and he thought it would be fun, or so he said. Even if I weren’t sore from the surgery, I sure would not go bungee jumping because I’m afraid of heights and, besides, I didn’t want to be splattered all over the Darke County Fairgrounds….the place where my parents met many moons ago.

I have many of my same routine assignments this year, and would like to maybe do a couple of features out there in what little spare time there may be. Hopefully, I can come up with something. It shouldn’t be too hard. I can usually make a story out of anything.

So, what would I do if one year I could go to the fair without having any assignments? I would probably still attend some 4-H events in the youth building, check out the fine arts and domestic arts as well as the flowers and the other items in the basement of the Coliseum, make a trip or two up and down the midways, watch much of the entertainment and talk with old friends and family and make new friends. Sure, I would check out some of the eating spots but try not to overdo it.

Would I go everyday? Not sure, depends on the condition of my feet and hips and my pocketbook.

In the meantime, I hope everybody has a great time at the fair this year. And, I sure hope the weather cooperates. If I remember correctly, it wasn’t too bad last year at all. Let’s do that again.

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Don’t forget:

• Ansonia American Legion’s first fish fry of the season will be Sept. 2 from 4 to 7 p.m. and its first breakfast will be on Sept. 10 from 6 to 11 a.m.

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Happy birthday to:

• Aug. 25 to Ms. Carol Byrd, Mark Maloy, Carol Mikesell, William E. Hole, Shane Hall (36), Elaine Mueller, Lisa Sink, Kamran Stucky (13), Phyllis Hess, Jason Stover, Jennifer Lemon, Nancy Bryant, Chrissy Midlam, Zach Androne, Mandy Barga Mangen and Trevor Alexander.

• Aug. 26 to Ronnie Broering, Ian Brown, Phyllis Mong, Brandon Snyder, Darrell Leeper (55), Sonny Custer, Merlin Collins, Rachel Class and Chad Robison.

• Aug. 27 to Karen Miller Mote, Connie Ungericht Marker, Betty Miller, Debbie Cunningham Barga (65), Denyse Turner Compton (25), Richard Stump, Elsie Svajda Isabella Bowman, Ralph McEowen.

• Aug. 28 to Rick Birt (70), John Peters, Phil Clark, Marvella Fletcher, Carol Thwaits, twins T.A. and Roger Anthony, Heinrick Post, Myron Stammen, PaulEtte Hartzell, Lloyd Hunt (97) and Sue House.

‘• Aug. 29 to Robert Hiestand Jr., Vel Vasquez Pecha, Mike Pressnall, Ron Hetzler, Bernice Baltes, Mary Hurd, Joe Magoto and Chris Puckett.

• Aug. 30 to Dale Lyme, Vickie Doyle, Brittany Green, twins Tracy and Tory Jones, Derek Yount, Blayne Daniels, Linda Curtner, Holly Shuttleworth, Randy Gump, Darolyn Crawford, and Cherie Roeth.

• Aug. 31 to T.J. Phillips, Deb Waymire Rose, Jeff Spencer, Scott Peters and Judy Wray.

Happy belated birthday to Scott Clark and grandson Corbin Frye (10), both on Aug. 18.

Happy anniversary to Ted and Jana Liette on Aug. 25; Scott and Kim Ward and Harry and Rosemarie Ellison, all on Aug. 26; Bob and Betty Henderson and Dr. Daryl and Helen Locke, all on Aug. 27; the Rev. and Mrs Lowell Miller on Aug. 29; and Bob and Carol Cox, Ron and Patty Thwaits and Dale and Ruth Page, all on Aug. 31.

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Don’t forget to pray for: Steve Schafer, Carol Apple, Kohen Thwaits, Pat Johnson, Linda Johnston, Stacy Dorko, Dick Michael, Tracy Bailey, Terri Martin, Carol Bollheimer, Roger McEowen, Tim King, Gary Poor, Clinton Linebaugh, Layna Best, Jean Eastridge, Justin Ungericht, Alishia Clark Funk, Glenna Curry, Shannon Peters Hall, Tom Hawkins, Mike Bale, Phyllis Gibbons, Rosemary Wetzel, Greg Whittington, George Fanning, Angie Young Noggler, Kenny Borger, Mary Marshall, Jenson Fullerton, Judy York, Sue Miller, Gary Reier, Carmen Sanders, Michael Allen Clark, Elmer Long, Anthony Joyner, Shirley Mead, Harry Moody, Jim Moody, Linda Subler, Jerrod Pratt, Tim Ridenour, Shelly Hoffman, Keith Howard, Betty Grimes, Kathy Magoto, Dean Brewer, Lisa Hall, Dick Neff, Tammy Shapiro, Ken Martin, David Magoto, Phil Clark, Sonny Hunt, Don and Nina McDaniel, D’Arleen Waymire, Pappy Harshman, Delores Duncan, John Klipstine, Elsie Svajda, Dave Sherman, Sue Chitty, Phil Chilcoat, Christine Pipenger, Paul Barton, Terry Ungericht, Gracyn Blackburn, Robert Codling, Dave Starline, Bob Hiestand Jr.

Also, Kathy and Tom Hamilton, Joanne Sharp, Ivan Miller, Cindy Elson, Cary Van De Grift, Dina Dancer Morris, Teresa Mayo Amspaugh, Tina Kiser Deaton, Tonia Thompson, Fred Monnin, Stephen “Brownie” Brown, Nate Epperson, Brad Pipenger, Faye Schlecty, Sheila Reed, Bill Beasley, Steve Cunningham, Kody Ketring, Bob and Sandy Finkbine, Kevin Dickey, Joe Martin, Brenda Grimes, Margaret “Peg” Bundy, Kevin Hemmerich, Penny Starns, Tim Heck, Vanna (Hannam) Abbott, Addie Henderson, Barb Morrow Zimmerman, Samantha Smith, Todd Walls, Ron Kramer, Dana Holzapfel, Kara Didier, Carla Welch, Bill Schuette and to all those others who suffer from the many debilitating diseases.

And, God bless all of our military people serving and protecting this nation, as well as rescue, fire and law enforcement personnel who put their lives on the line to protect us.

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Son Jamie and I extend our condolences to the families of: Arlene Fullroth, George Pearce, Anne Long, John McEldowney, Kim Gump, Irene Broering and Joe Cheadle.

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Think about it: “If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them.” — James O’Barr