Slightly Off the Mark

 And ... I missed most of it. Which I really don't mind, because I'm not much of a fair ride rider. I am a fair food foodie, but my wife and three doctors held me down and beat me with broccoli sticks until I gave them all my cash.

Speaking of eating, on the same Wednesday the rides started the Albion Fire Department served over six hundred fish and tenderloin meals under a pouring rain and occasional thunder ... well, under a roof. Good thing that roof was there. The Chain O' Lakes Festival is notorious for funny weather and/or unusual things happening. During the fish fry one year, for instance, there was an earthquake, but many of the diners just thought it was the sound of their waistbands expanding. This year everyone was treated to the performance art of one Mark R. Hunter, who tried to sit in a chair when the chair was somewhere else. And yes, I'm still sore.

My position actually faces away from the street, which is for the best from a distraction standpoint. But there's a window to my left, and at one point, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a giant Transformer coming straight at me!!! Turns out it was a ride swinging my way. And not a cool ride that turns into a robot, either. So everything was fine, although the 911 caller was concerned about my screaming and whimpering. "Well, it's just loud music--should I call back later?" I still haven't found the pen I was holding at the time.

As I write this the Festival parade is today--or maybe tomorrow by the time you read it--but I'm working through that too. I'll take the day off when they make me Grand Marshal.

I posted a photo on Instagram in August that was pretty popular, even though I thought it was a little dark. I've noticed that I tend to prefer a lightened version of my photos, but now I'm wondering if they're better, or if's just me preferring brighter. So ... I'm asking you. This photo was taken at dusk along Sand Lake, at Chain O' Lakes Park near Albion. Which version do you prefer?

The original:

The slightly brightened:

That's the family out on the dock, of course.

I studied photography for quite a while, but that was back in the film days; I'm still getting used to the idea that I can make substantial changes to a picture after taking it.

The Chain O’ Lakes Festival is a big week for the Albion Fire Department, as always:

The all you can eat fish and tenderloin dinner is Wednesday, June 8, at the fire station (which is, not shockingly, on Fire Station Drive). It used to start at 5 p.m., but my information is that it starts at 5:30 this year—and that is some darned good fish, so it’s well worth another half hour.

That’s ten bucks for adults and $5 for kids 4 and up—and free for kids under 4, so if you’re really, really short you could try putting on a Power Rangers t-shirt and see what happens.

Meanwhile, the AFD puts in a big appearance Saturday at the Chain O’ Lakes Festival Parade, which kicks off at 5 p.m. And there’ll also be horses, so for all I know it might kick off literally.

But that won’t be the highlight of the day, not this time. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the fire station will be hosting an apparatus from another fire department: the New York City Fire Department. FDNY’s Rescue 4 is one of five rescue trucks at ground zero on 9/11, and it’s touring the country as part of the Remembrance Rescue Project. This is awe-inspiring, emotional, and very cool—please stop out to see it. You can learn more about the project at http://remembrance.co/.

If you should be near Albion during the Chain O’ Lakes Festival, don’t forget to drop in on the fish and tenderloin fry at the fire station Wednesday, June 10^th. This has been an ongoing annual tradition for many decades, and the proceeds go to equipment and training for the Albion Fire Department.

Due to scheduling I probably won’t be there myself, but there should be copies of Smoky Days and Sleepless Nights for sale—if you don’t see them, ask! Proceeds for the sale of that book also go to the fire department.