Yesterday was that day again. So, while the wife served food at the concessions in the cantina, I wandered the vendor stalls.

All pretty much the same stuff as last year. Our local poet was there, under the stairs as usual. As was the fellow hawking ties and belt buckles "made with genuine antler". Which is true, although it is not carved antler, as they would hope to have you believe. All the hand painted wildlife pins are made in molds, from poured resin. It just happens to have enough ground up antler dust in it to give it that white bone colour.

Still, it looks good, and the painting is detailed and fine. Some new critters this year, including several bright dragonflies that were quite tempting.

Kids were again attracted to the stall of the guy who sells the 4-string walking puppets. Kinda nice to know simple things can still compete for attention in the electronic era. And there was a new fellow there with thick wooden shelves, decorated with polished driftwood braces. Some pieces looked really good, except for the price tags. A gal working with the wife bought two, and got a big discount on the second, so things were negotiable.

The history folks were there with their calendar of county history, as was the fair board with the Rodeo Queen, complete with cowboy hat.

Dang, some women look good in western hats, especially when they see you and smile.

But otherwise, it was the same old stuff. I really hate craft fairs filled with stalls of knitted bears, dolls and the like. Apologies if anyone out there does that work, but I just walk by without a glance. There's no practical use to any of it, and it's the last thing I would want on my shelf or wall.

Now, at last month's holiday fair, I spotted a gem hidden in amongst a huge booth of that stuff.

Liners for hot water bottles. Soft, plush cloth liners to put your bottle into at night. No more hard rubber against your toes, just hot, soft comfort. Wife loves her camo cover, although I half-heartedly tried to talk her into the hunter orange one.

But there was another main attraction yesterday.

The band.

Youngest son's jazz band played the lunch hour. Their second gig of the season. Playing in a cage overlooking the stalls on the sunny side of the cell block, with a violin case out front for tips. They played well, although not perfectly, given the cramped quarters. Tried the video function on the new camera, but it appears the mike may have been turned off.

Crap.

But, there they are, sharing the Christmas spirit.