Hanging out at the fair

The Sweetwater County Fair is truly an event where it doesn't matter what age a person is to have a good time.

On Thursday, 21 Mission at Castle Rock Rehabilitation Center residents and 24 volunteers, along with CRRC employees were busy seeing everything they could at the fair.

Once the residents excited the bus, the volunteers took the residents where they wanted to go. Some went straight for the petting zoo, while others went through the 4-H exhibits and visited the big tents filled with vendors. Others watched the fair's daily performers or contests.

A couple of the residents were talking about how they enjoyed the look a like contest, but were disappointed when their favorites didn't win.

"They're having fun. They enjoy coming to the fair. They love it," CRRC employee Loyce Reicher said.

After about two hours of fair fun, the residents all met under one of the tents for lunch. This year, CRRC employees brought chicken sandwiches, chips and water for the residents to eat. They also made sure to bring enough oxygen tanks for those who were on oxygen.

Social services director Marilyn Dockter said they decided to bring food this year instead of having the residents just eat fair food because last year most of them were just ordering desserts like funnel cake, cheesecake on a stick, and ice cream. She said they can always have those kinds of things for snacks, and almost all of them did.

Dockter said while the residents love fair food, the biggest attraction seems to be the petting zoo.

"They can get close to the animals, touch them and feed them," Dockter said.

Last year, CRRC resident Vivian Sargent had a goat take a bite out of her hat. This year, she was ready and kept her hat away from the goat as she pet it on the head.

Heidi Schuh, activities director and volunteer coordinator, said she kept the hat with the bite hole in it because it was funny and everyone got a kick out of it.

For one CRRC resident, Donnette Peterson, her highlight of the fair wasn't the food or even the petting zoo, it was talking to a lady about the quilting exhibit for at least 15 minutes. Dockter said Peterson talked to the other lady about how many quilts she had made, what techniques she used and what she enjoyed the most.

All agreed that Thursday morning's weather was great. It wasn't too hot, which wasn't the case other days of the fair. The residents try to make it out to the fair early to avoid crowds and the heat. They also tend to get up early, which leads to afternoon naps and early bed times, Dockter said.

What's great about the fair is it not only gives the residents the opportunity to get out, but it gets them recalling information about their past they may have forgotten. The residents were telling each other life stories, Dockter said.