Younger Grade

Listening to directions, waiting a turn for the PTA scavenger hunt, visiting the music teacher, introducing herself to the new art teacher, hugging her teacher that she already knows well, younger granddaughter beams.

Older Grade

Meeting a new teacher, finding the assigned desk, putting away school supplies, checking off the list, comparing summer activities, exploring the classroom, older granddaughter beams.

Thursday School Friends

Thursday morning at ten o'clock granddaughters each had a friend over for a play date, except older informed us that her term is now "hanging out." Snack? Girls were too busy! Lunch? Too busy! Soon parents arrived at 12:30, visited with us a few minutes, and whisked their progeny away.

The afternoon features the meet and greet at school, so when mom comes home from work, she helps girls get ready to see their teachers and friends. They dress for the occasion and patiently pose.

Arriving at school, girls certainly know the roles of meeting and greeting.

Giant Slide

Part of State Fair tradition is the Giant Slide, so once again girls go up a couple of times for the long/short ride down.

We continue walking toward our exit and stop one last time at the Dairy Barn to check on the butter heads completed since our previous visit. And to buy ice cream for anyone who asks.

Grandparents say farewell to the fair until next year. On the sleepy ride home granddaughters say they will return Sunday with parents. Bless them all! Eat a pork chop for us!

Fair Beverages.

This year the fair welcomes two new establishments sponsored by Minnesota's craft breweries and wineries. Surprisingly, there are many in each group, and we appreciate their efforts.

Nearby I see the sign for chocolate treats, but we do not sample these. Like most fairs of this size, almost anything that can be put on a stick and/or fried is.

Busy Wednesday

> By 11:30 this morning, we sit in the movie theater to see The Odd Life of Timothy Green. All four of us give it thumbs up. And the popcorn, even though we had early lunch at home.
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> From the movie we go to a hair salon for both girls to get shampoos and haircuts. At home we rest, get organized, wait for the mom, and take younger granddaughter to her orthodontist appointment. From there we drive to the fair, déjà vu!
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> We start with pork chops on sticks, and girls quickly work up to caramel apples. Very sticky in the heat! We hope the Christmas tree exhibit will make us feel cooler, but not really. Onward for more fair fun!
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After Fort Snelling

Pizza for late lunch, lots of pizza with pepperoni, sausage, and bacon! Big cups full of big drinks! Icees and sundaes for treats!

After shopping for tonight's dinner, we are ready for rest time at home. The evening gives us opportunities to share our experiences at Fort Snelling, relax on the porch, and enjoy our salmon dinner.

Finishing Fort Snelling

By staying extra long in the Commandant's Kitchen, we miss some of the school lesson and race to the Schoolhouse. Lucky for us, the teacher is also the fife player and has stayed to entertain us and answer questions.

By this time girls correctly figure that dessert pastries are done, and we return to the kitchen. Even though park visitors are not permitted to eat any of this prepared food, girls are curious to see the finished products. The cook opens the bake kettle (what she calls the Dutch oven), and removes the brown treats filled with raspberry jam. Girls admire them and remind me to shop for the ingredients.

Next on the agenda is the cannon firing. The fort has knowledgable and costumed staff everywhere, and daily events are scheduled every thirty minutes. Earlier we watched the infantry drill with muskets, explain them, and fire them three times. Now they explain the cannon and fire it once. We stand behind the marker and plug our years as directed.

Since the historic site offers only snacks and we brought no lunch, hunger becomes a concern. We head for the exit at the visitor center, stop briefly in the gift store to buy a tin whistle/fife, cookbooks, chips, and candy. Grateful that we saw most of the orientation film here earlier, we save the exhibits for another day.

Out the doors, ticket stickers remaining in place on our shirts, we hurry to the car and plan a serious pizza lunch.

Kitchen Excitement

Across the Parade Ground stands the Commandant's House, one of four original fort buildings. The costumed guide portraying Colonel Snelling sits with his freshly made tea, tells us about rooms upstairs and down, and remarks that the kitchen below us has his lunch already in progress. Without hesitation we're there.

We use outdoor stairs to find the kitchen in a walkout cellar. A costumed cook, a fire burning in the fireplace, a crane holding iron pots, the aroma of beef stew, everything in place. The cook opens the stew pot to add carrots and shows the rosemary sprigs flavoring the dish. Girls stretch forward and fan the scent toward their faces.

Then the cook shows us the puff dough and circles she cut to create sweet pastries for dessert. Girls beg me to replicate this treat at home and accept my suggestions for shortening the procedure.

Upon leaving, we check out the half-moon battery positioned at the junction of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers.

Tuesday at Fort Snelling

Taking a break from the Minnesota State Fair, we drop the dad at the airport and hit Fort Snelling when it opens at ten. Girls pose at the top of the Round Tower, oldest building in the state.

The fort's Sutler Store stocks lots of goods, and the storekeeper answers all our questions. He reminds us to return later for snacks and drinks.

Outside a woman dressed in period costume prepares to demonstrate children's games and the fine art of doing laundry. Funny how that teams together!