After three weeks which I will never forget, I have returned to my family, mostly in one piece.

It felt great sleeping in our bed again last night and great to have my wife and daughter missing me, although I did see them on weekends when they came down to stay at the hotel which became my "home away from home."  It was a rather depressing place at that, but fortunately it just represented a bed and shower and little else.

The Fair is over and it was a very successful season. We had record setting sunny weather and with 14 consecutive days to start out with, temperatures consistently reaching over 80 degrees (unheard of here in WA!), sales were booming … even with the poor economy.  I don't know where people get their money, but they were spending it like it was their last day on earth.  We sold more ice cream than in any two years I've ever seen, Funnel cakes and Elephant Ears could not be produced fast enough to meet the onslaught ... and would you believe people would wait for fifteen minutes in line to buy one?  We sold enough burgers that if put next to one another ... we'd cross the entire state of Washington!

The days sped by so fast that the 16-18 hours per day walking on hot cement was not as brutal as normal. I am absolutely thrilled it is all over as I can now set my sights on Portugal, the UK and NY to celebrate the end of another Fair season. I will admit to sheer exhaustion and slept for 14 hours last night after averaging only 4-5 hours per night, during the course of the past 3 weeks.

The 2008 Harvest Tour is possibly our most ambitious itinerary ever and I can't wait to partake in all of the fun. I am getting over a horrendous cold and bronchitis just in the nick of time. I am sitting and sipping some Port as I am typing this, to ensure that my nose and taste buds are sharp. Let the fun begin!

36 hours to go and so much to do. I will ensure the newsletter gets into the mailbox before my departure and a few other chores that need to be completed, including the finalization of plans for the FTLOP Madeira Road Show - NYC which will take place on the 18th of October, the night before returning home. I figured one day of vacation for each day working at the Fair, would almost make working the Fair seem worthwhile this year! Keep your eyes peeled here as I will report the harvest goings on right here in the Blog, during the trip.

More anon ...