Alexis and I decided to enter some pictures in the Tulelake Fair this year just for something to do. I haven't entered anything or even gone to the fair in a couple of years, but we thought it would be fun to compete against each other because she entered as an adult instead of a junior like she used to do. The hard drive on the computer crashed a couple of months ago taking all my pictures with it again. So, I only had about a month's worth of pictures to choose from. We had a family reunion this summer, and during that time Cheryl and Melanie took pictures and saved them on cd's and on my computer for me. ( My camera batteries were dead during some of that time too.) There were 3 or 4 of those saved photos that fit the fair entry catagories really well, so I printed them up and entered them along with the 14 that I had taken to enter. I was actually in the 2 photos that Melanie had taken. Well, there were 1,100 entries in the photo section and only 2 "Best of Show" awards for adults, one for advanced pro, (not me), and one for novice, (me). I didn't have a snow-ball's chance...if you get my drift. I used to go to the judging and see what the judge had to say and know what my awards were before the fair even began. I have won 2 Best of Show awards in the past and think that is pretty fun stuff. I was astounded when I walked in the building the first day of fair and there was my name, picture, and ribbon, for Best of Show. I should say Melanie's picture was the big winner!! I had entered it in the "Down on the Farm" category. There I was in the picture with Brynn on the back of my 4-wheeler riding out of the first west pasture with bales of hay in the background. One of the clerks who I know really well came up and asked me who had taken the picture. I replied that Melanie had. I think she was hoping I would say that I had used a timer. I know from reading the rules , there is nothing that says that the one who enters the photo, must have taken the picture. However, as Alexis says, it is probably implied. I mean if not, you could import any picture from the internet or anywhere and use it as your entry. Then my friend asked me if Melanie lives here. Well it is a rule that you must live here to enter things in the fair, but I was the one who had entered it and I live here. So I told her "no" she doesn't. I felt 2 inches tall, with about as much integrity as a snake in the grass. It bothered me all during the fair because I knew that everyone who saw the picture and knows me would know that I probably hadn't taken the photo because I am in it, and that is not a very genuine thing to do. When I went to the fair with Dad on Saturday, the first thing we did was to go look at the display of "my" photo. It was gone from the Best of Show wall. I almost died! The ribbon was there, but my photo and my name were gone. I thought they must have disqualified me and I died a million deaths of humiliation. I found the clerk who was walking toward me and she had the photo in her hand. She said it had fallen off the wall, and she had replaced the hanger and was hanging it back up. Oh death, where is thy sting? I have always tried to be very honest and have won some great awards that have been really fun to win, but I tell you that I cannot wait to package up the photo and ribbons and send them to Mel, and wash the blood from my hands. No, I didn't technically break the rules, (although I bet they modify them next year because of me), but there was not much joy in this one, just a red face. I hadn't felt any guilt when I entered it; it wasn't a deliberate act to deceive or cheat. There was no joy in winning it however, when the baptist minister's wife pointed out to the former branch president's wife through her questioning that it probably wasn't right. So now I have repented right here on my blog for all my posterity. Grandma does some dumb stuff, and please don't enter someone else's photo. It's on the way Mel - you did a great job! Love you!!!
P.S. Mel, your other photo ( Cheryl and I sticking out our tongues at you, "the odd couple") got a first blue ribbon and was also in contention for a Best of Show. Cheryl, one of yours, (Chloe @ the Malin pool, "whoops"), got a first blue and was in contention for Best of Show, and the other (Bridger eating the rice krispy treat), got a second. There were hundreds of entries so to even place and then do so well is incredible! Great job girls but the fun is over. I have repented and can't look back.
