Big Wheel. At night.

Side note: our happy spot was feeling a bit green.  let's try this for awhile.

So, how has your week been going?  By the time you are reading this... it may be Friday (that's good right?).  Things are going alright here.  Busy, but making sure every moment is enjoyed.

As I am gearing up for the weekend, I can't help but think about how much fun we had at the fair over 4th of July.  I saved the best for last too.... the Big Wheel at night!

The first few here show a bit of pink in the sky from an amazing sunset.  Something so romantic about holding hands, at the fair, at sunset, while about to ride the Big Wheel.
 
Sigh!

Gorgeous, no?

Oh the angles.. kill me!

The colors, the lights, the lines.

amour! 

Ok, maybe I wasn't holding Mr. Happy's hand.  I was so taken by needing to take all the pictures that were leaping out at me. 

Honest. 

As we went up, it was hard not to stare at how tiny things were.  We were up there.

Thank goodness Mr. Happy has a steady hand even at heights so I could show you how beautiful it was. 

I wanted to steal a smoochy or two... but there were two girls in the bucket with us.  It will have to wait till another time. 

Teeny, tiny ant people.  I squish you... with my fingers I squish you.   

Mush mush mush.

Look how amazing the Big Wheel light looks on me. 

I'm ready for my close up!

I really didn't want it all to end.

I wanted to just keep going around and around. 

and around.

Even the good things can't last forever. 

And you can bet this needs to become one of our 4th of July "things"!

What special ways do you celebrate the summer?

At the Fair: part duex

Remember I was telling you about Fireball and it's stomach turning abilities?

  Here is that ring of fire in all it's glory.

You start off in the bottom of the loop.  Then you go a little right, a little left.  A little more right, a little more left.

Yup, until all the force has no where to take you but all the way around the loop.  Then they switch the cart so it does the whole thing over again in the opposite direction.

Excuse me while I throw up a little.

Then there was this beauty called the Starship 2000.  No, it's not that outdated.  I mean don't we have space rockets that are more than 10 years old?

Well, for those that were daring enough.  They entered in the little open door.  Mr. Happy tells me that then you just stand there and as the ship starts to spin (bleh!) you get pressed up against the wall until you are floating a few inches off the ground.  Not for the faint of heart.

I swear this thing was going faster than a twister in a windstorm being powered by a gassy cow.  That's fast!

Yes.  One more gut buster.

This one is called the Zipper.  The little cages spin.  The arm spins, the whole thing spins.  I bet you come off this thing and your whole world is spinning uncontrollably for days on end.

Bet you'd like it if spinning is your thing.

Then there was this beauty.

It was so sort of obstacle fun house for the kiddies.  But what got me was the German bar theme.  So classic for kiddies, don't you think?

I'm seriously thinking of this mural for my game room downstairs.  Mr. Happy is in the tie and I want to be the bar maid! (You see Katie in the bottom right too!)

Danke! (Thank you!)

I'm not sure how you find yourself here.  Did you come on purpose, find this while you were searching for a cheap printer cartridge, or did someone trick you into reading it?  Honestly, it doesn't really matter why you are here.  I'm just happy to spend the time with you.  Hopefully you enjoyed it too.  After all, where else can you go to learn over 10 ways to twist your stomach inside and out?

Do I have a few more Big Wheel pics during a sunset and in the dark?  I sure do.  When I am I giving them up?  Most likely tomorrow morning.  

Stay tuned.  And stay happy!

Ohhhing and Ahhhing!

Ah, the summer fair!  Nothing makes you feel more like a kid.

I know I was ohhhing and ahhhing over all the rides, lights, food, and games to play.  Plus it was a really neat place to whip out the camera and snap away. 

Just look at the detail on the top of the Wave Swinger

I couldn't get enough photos of the ferris Big Wheel.  Every new angle felt exciting.  It was tall.  It was colorful!  Did I mention it was tall?

I have a confession to make.  I'm not sure what rock I have been living under, but I haven't really ever been to a fair this big before.  I mean, I have seen the little ones in small towns.  I have rode the occasional ride and taken part in eating fried dough.  But this has to be (hands down) the biggest fair I have seen. 

And, my trusty partner in crime, the fearless Mr. Happy, was so willing to stop in front of each ride and tell me about it.  What it does.  How scary it is.  How many times he rode it as a kid.  And then we would watch the ride load up with unsuspecting riders, watch them get whipped around, spun, dipped, dunked, hurled.  And then the ride would stop.  The riders would dismount.  More riders would jump on and the process repeated. 

Crazy, right?

This one blew my mind.  You lay in this sled looking thing superman style.  Then the ride lifts up, spins, and then tilts you so that you can feel what it would be like to fly and then torpedo toward the ground. 

It was going soooo fast!  

Insane! 

And very pretty. 

I dont' remember it's name, but if I had to name it... I would call it Flying Daredevil

Thunderbolt was like a wavy rollercoaster that went moch 55 and if I remember right it went forward and backward. 

The bonus... the ride attendants (they are called that right, or are they operators?) did a funky dance to the music as the ride went on.  Hands in the air... full out... no inhibitions kinda dancing.  Puts a big grin on your face! 

Then there was Fireball.  I may have to come back to good 'ole Fireball as watching it was beginning to make me weak in the knees. 

Funny thing about two nerds taking in the fair.  Mr. Happy and I couldn't help but talk about the physics that aid in the stomach hurling properties of each ride. 

For example, Fireball is a giant pendulem that twists and swings you this way and that.

When I saw the Double Decker Carousel, I knew that it was more my speed.  It was so very pretty and sparkly all lite up and belting out it's carousel tunes.

The Monkey Maze made me giggle.  The mural could make your day no matter how tough it was. 

Don't you just want to reach over and tickle the arm pits of those two swinging monkeys? 

And I swear those alligators/crocodiles are smiling at me.

As we wandered about the fair we landed in kiddieland.  All the things for the kiddos looked really fun, but this one really stood out.

Yes, those are children sitting in giant bubbles while floating on about one foot of water.  Once in the bubbles the kids were crawling, rolling, laying, and just plan old having so much fun!  You see, the more they moved the more the bubble rolled and moved on the water. 

You should have seen the giant zippers they used to get the kids in or out. 

I wanted to try this one.  Mr. Happy didn't think they would go for it.

The more we wandered, the more we began to loose the day. 

The lights really began to pop!

Dusk at the fair. 

Gorgeous! 

Smile inducing!

I have more pictures up my sleeve of the fair in the dark.  You won't belive the glimmer and sparkle of it all.  Part II coming later tonight.  Only seems fitting to post night time things at night.

Hope your Monday has all the glimmer and sparkle of a summertime fair!