A fair in the U.P. usually includes a variety of food booths, many games of chance and more than a few rides to tickle your tummy. These glowing nighttime scenes were caught by Donn de Yampert, attending the U.P. State Fair held this month at the Escanaba Fairgrounds. If you missed that festival, have no fear, the Houghton County Fair is taking place, this very weekend (Aug. 26 - Aug. 29), at the Fairgrounds over in Hancock. The photos embody the very essence of the carnival atmosphere that draws people to these annual events each year. Standing as a sentry over the affair, is the Ferris Wheel, which dates back to the 1890's and no carnival/fair is considered complete without one. Same can be said for the food booths and the carnival hawkers running the games.... My only thought, looking at these shots, is why would you park your eatery booth right next to a ride that's going to spin your stomach, rendering you unable to eat anything for a time afterwards? :->
Can you believe it? High School Football season is upon us already... and tonight you can hear Houghton take on L'Anse, locally on K-Bear 102.3 FM and on the web at Pasty.NET. The pre-game show begins at 7:15 tonight!

Good Morning, all! Football season already? Where did our summer go?

First? I can't believe it.

Neither can the rest of us :o)

Ahhh, I thought I had it.

Sort of like grabbing the brass ring ;>

Mornin'. Football, just in time so we won't have empty evenings without he Olympics.

Good morning everyone & have a great weekend!

Good morning from warm, humid and rainy Mishawaka IN. Have a great day everyone.

Summer, What Summer ?

morning all. Ahh, football....we live right across the street from the high school and the football field. Traffic on Friday nites is well...busy. If we need to go somewhere we have to time it to miss the fans getting to the game.lol

Bring on the football!! Let's go LAKES! See you tomorrow...1:30pm sharp!

Good Morning from Fond du Lac!
I'm not much of a football fan, but I love the fair! LOL
Very nice pictures today : )

Good morning from a quiet house my collage students are back at school and my grocery bill will go down and I will have hot water again. YEA

The Minnesota State Fair started yesterday and ends on Labor Day

Good Morning from Florida, we have plenty of summer here, in fact too much, can't wait for the winter months, still have another 6-8 weeks to go.

Fun pics Donn! Thanks.

Good morning from Romeo MI!
I wish I could make it up for the fair. My mom has some items entered in, she knits and crochets. She is real pumped on getting her entries in, she lives to knit and crochet! =)
Happy Friday.

When I was young, I would always go to the UP State Fair in Escanaba several times. What fun it was! Now I look forward going to the Eastern Idaho State Fair which will be starting Sept. 4. The sad thing about the fair is it means summer is coming to an end. They are so fun though.

I'm going to the Minnesota State Fair and am going to try and find the Pasty booth. That's my goal anyway.

Fairs, football, back to school, snow in the mountains...........summer is near over. Time to wrap up with those outdoor chores. Enjoy the warm weather while it lasts.

Last evening I had a neat conversation with the folks at Pasty.NET. I have been having problems with ISP's and thought I'd give the folks behind my favorite website consideration. I was amazed at the number of local phone numbers available for the nationwide dial up service. Best of all, when I called, I did not encounter a garantuan automated phone message tree,in fact I spoke with Charlie. He even had a suggestion on how to speed up the phone modem rate. The next time I log on to Pasty.Com from home it may well be powered by Pasty.Net. THANKS CHARLIE!!

GO WHIS KIDS, good morning Lake Linden-Hubbell. Hello to all of the class of 70 and you too, A-Bell out on the Tug. Peace to all!!!

I need help identifying something I saw on the beach at Lake Superior yesterday and am hoping a Pasty Cammer can help. What I saw on the shoreline was small, clear, gel-like beads, maybe about one-eighth of an inch in diameter. They looked like drops of water. There were masses of them. When I went in the water I could feel them kind of hitting and bouncing off my legs. The water was very cold (colder than last week, which didn't seem so cold) and calm. I was about 15 miles east of Marquette. Does anyone know what this might have been?

HEEHEE....7 Days and counting until I get 12 days of R&R in Chassell! Lake Superior, The Jam Pot, Copper Harbor and the DT here I come!

The contrast of bright neon against the black of night, that's what it's all about, folks. Like good entertainment everywhere, the carnival sets it's own stage, makes it's own reality. It transports you to the great, glorious, anything can happen place. Thank's Donn.

Leslie,
Its likely a species of plankton found in the lake that forms a gel coat in mid to late summer. Don't remember the name, offhand.

Leslie, Michigan

We found the same things in the water at Agate Beach last August (and yes, the water was cooold.) When you got them in your hands and they busrt they seemed kind of oily or something. Not like a drop of water. I agree they seemed gel-like. We were wondering what they were, too. Maybe the Nevada scientists could explain?

Football season!High school football season Yeah!!! My first born grandchild Tyler is playing in his senior year for the Marquette Redmen and I'm so excited. Rain or shine tonight this old granny is going to see him play.! He's 6'5" 20lbs and raring to go.He's a TE.(tight end)sounds nastyLOL & DE (defensive end).So every Friday night you'll know where I'll be. My kids say I'm crazy! I just like to cheer them on.Right? Right! On the other subject, I hate ferris wheels. My Dad had to have the man turn it off & let me off when I was a lttle girl, I was so scared. Never went on one again.

Leslie, It's called ice. haha

I remember going to the UP State Fair with the Mohawk School safety patrol..or at least I think I remember back that far

TO: Boomer, aka Lord Haw Haw, aka Cracker, aka Yooper. Are you ready for some football? The San Francisco 49ers are better than the Detroit Lions!!! Hee, Hee, Hee.

Donn
What a grand giggle exploded from me when I saw your pictures. So many memories flooded in. Thanks for this Friday morning treat! Also to the rest of the writers for bringing out the first game of season memories.

I also remember going to the UP State Fair with the Mohawk School Safety Patrol and with Kermit's Keweenaw Kids. I was also at the fair when we heard that Elvis had died

"Jerry Florida" must live in North Florida. We haven't had any nice weather here in South Florida in many many years. :-)

I remember going to the Fair from the Calumet Safety Patrol. Our bus driver, Mr. Webben went the wrong way and we all tried to tell him he missed the turn. He was a little crotchety and told us all to shut up. When he was approaching Bessemer, it started to dawn on him. We were a few hours late in arriving and there was a lot of chuckling under our breath for the rest of the trip.

Good morning to all from Milwaukee. Any word on Jim Berryman's meeting with the bank regarding financing for a new White House?

GO COPPER KINGS TONIGHT!!!

To Bthecute1: 49er's fan??? Ouch!!! Are you really sure that you know "The Way to San Jose" :)

The Lion banners will,once again,be hanging proudly in the new WHITE HOUSE!!!

To Cheryl:
He's 6'5" 20lbs and raring to go.

Kinda skinny, eh? hehehe

Yooper -- I wondered if it wasn't ice! That's what it felt like in the water, little chips of ice. But it was hot on shore and they didn't melt ...

" small, clear, gel-like beads, maybe about one-eighth of an inch in diameter. They looked like drops of water. There were masses of them "
Fish Eggs.

Matt from Fulton in GB,

I was also at the U.P. State Fair the day that Elvis died. Strange how certain things always remain associated in a person's mind. I was a safety patrol at South Range Elementary School. :)

I want a sausage & lemonade befor I ride the Big Wheel.
Can't think of the name of the Carnival that was in Lake Linden-Trap Rock all them years back when?
We Yoopers no matter where we move to are forever Packer fans!
Leslie- what you found was Caviar from Sturgon the big fish in Lake Superior.
Yesterday someone asked what to where while up there in the U.P. Comming from out west on vacation soon.I'd say if you get cold easy bring your Parka-choppers-chook-longjohns (with the flap in the back)along with woolen pajamas.Bring kittyliter & shovel incase you get stuck in the snow.Keep water- blankets-snacks-flashlite in the vehicle.Have fun.

Hey all!
We saw the same thing in Eagle River, last summer same description.
When I asked my Dad he gave me the ole shoulder shrug and said eh it's probably fish eggs.
I am still curious though, if he was right, although you know Dads are never wrong ;)

Carvinal in Lake Linden was the Skirbek(sp). I remember it well.

I remember the little gel beads that people are asking about today. The first time I saw them I thought they were fish eggs, but there is a type of zooplankton in Lake Superior that has a gel coating that helps it float. I think that's what the little beads are, but I don't know the specific name of the plankton. Does anyone out there know?

Hey Tom from Colorado-are you by some slim chance Tom Mattson from D.B.?

Repost from yesterday --

Dr. Nat and Capn. Paul, was the infamous Emmy Booy at Tech when you were? She made the subject very interesting for those of us "Sunday geologists," the ones who just drove around tossing out terms like "drunken forest" and, "There's a big fault line."

I've eaten sturgeon only once and it was unbelievably good. Are they endangered? Are they hard to catch? Is it "normal" for fish eggs to wash up like that? I've never seen sturgeon on a menu since I had that dinner 20 or more years ago, and it was down here in the Motown area.

check out the visitor to Sharons feeder.... standing on the post on the 12:02 PM shot!

http://www.aviewfromthefield.com/camera/kabcam.jpg

Maija: Sturgeon are generally very large (MI record is 193 lb, 87"!). When hooked while rod and reel fishing, they can take hours to land. You don't really fight them, you just sort of "suggest" that they move toward you. Most of the sturgeon that I saw were speared through the ice.

Skerbeck's Carnival had a stand with the best french fries that you sprinkled with vinegar. Now when I do that, my kids choke...but it tastes great and it always gives me warm feeling thinking back to those days...

The stand was run by an older gentleman and his wife. I still can picture them.

Dan P., OH
I know what you mean. Malt vinegar on salted french fries at the carnival. What an awesome treat. It isn't the same when you try it at home though. I can't duplicate the taste.

Amazing the memories y'all bring back! I had forgotten going to the UP State Fair as a 6th grade patrol. That was the first time I ever went to the fair but have since made it back a few times. I haven't even attempted a fair down here. I was thinking of checking out the Renaissance Festival in Holly though... :)

Yooper in Westland,
What school did you attend? Our school sent the 6th graders to the fair too. We went to South Range Elem.

The Michigan State Fair down here in troll land is the oldest state fair in the country. It started very early this year due to the Woodward Dream Cruise weekend and ends next weekend. Its a stones throw away from my home in Ferndale. I can hear some of the entertainment at night, especially on dense evenings. Even living as close as I do, the last time I was there was in the late 70's.....

I have no idea what the specific name of the zooplankton is; it's not my specialty....

Emmy Booy does not ring a bell at Tech, but it sounds like something a geology person would say. When I was at New Mexico Tech we had a professor that would describe "sexy rocks"!! Go figure...

To add my two cents to the sturgeon comments, there are actually 7 different species in North America. The ones in Michigan are the Lake Sturgeon, which grow quite large (MI state record is 193 lbs, thanks DH), but in 1922 a 310 lb sturgeon was netted in Batchewana Bay, Lake Superior.
The largest of the North American sturgeon (and largest fresh water fish in North America) is the White Sturgeon. The White Sturgeon is anadromous, living in both fresh and salt water. They are found in the Pacific Northwest and some of the fish caught have been monsterous; 1387 lbs in British Columbia, 1500 lbs in the Snake River, Idaho, and a 2000 lb fish netted by commercial fisherman off Oregon. What does a fish that big eat?? anything it wants!! One was found with a domestic cat in its stomach. A good site to learn more is:

http://www.kidfish.bc.ca/fish/info_sturgeon.htm

Take care,
Capt. Paul

Two days in a row that Bessemer is mentioned here! You guys sure know how to make a girl home-sick.....

It's my dad's 86th birthday today and I would love nothing better than to be there celebrating it with him. Happy birthday Dad! You are the greatest!!

KC,MN.
The Pasty booth at the MN State Fair is located on Underwood St, across from the visitor's plaza. You can get a map for the fair online at:WWW.MNSTATEFAIR.ORG

I looked for the pasty booth last year when I was there, kinda made me feel a little bit closer to "home".

I also remember the carnival in Lake Linden. How different that spot just past the bridge looks now, kinda lonely :-(

Any morning now I am expecting to see a post from the Eagle Harbor Troll telling how he got home from work and had to get up on his roof and shovel the s--- off of it! There's that "s" word!

84 degrees and 66% humidity here
We're going to the Lansing Lugnuts last regular season home baseball game tonight.

Mention of the fairs and carnivals today reminds me of happening upon an honest to goodness carnival once in South Range, mid 1950s....was this an annual event in those years? Anybody out there with info and/or memories of Copper Country fairs and carnivals other than the County Fairs and the Lake Linden Skerbec carnivals?

Chassell! :)

Hey, Bob B from another '70 LLHS grad.
I always hated football, played in the band at half time. Could be roasting hot or could be raining and cold. Sorry, just not a sports fan....however, give me hockey or soccer anyday!
p.s. to ahmeek cliffdweller....be nice to the queen!

I remember the Lake Linden carnival. We went every year. Lots of cheesy game booths but if you smiled sweetly and gave a phone number, you could win a big bear or Kewpie doll. I still have the bear. Unfortunately, since we were just visiting, I had to make up a phone number.

Hey, thanks for the sturgeon info. Very interesting. Now I just with I knew where I could eat one again!

I remember Skerbec Carnival in the late 50's. The french fries with vinegar were the best I had in my life. I thought they were based in the U.P. Are they still in business?

To SDC in Ferndale. I grew up in Ferndale and thus have wonderful memories of our State Fair. Saw Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Diana Ross & the Supremes and more there for free. Also worked there one summer and it was great. Though our STATE fair has gone through many ups & down it is still a nice fair and so I strongly encourage you to go & check it out again (during the day though) Also try some of the county fairs like Oakland County in Davison, Livingston in Fowlerville, Ingham County in Mason, Shiawassee in Owosso. And many more. They all have their own unquieness.

Big stink on the Mississippi river yesterday regarding sturgeons. Core of Engineers dynamited an old bridge down stream of a spawning grounds.

My favorite place to get fries at the U.P. State Fair was at Norm's Fries and it was still there as of 2 years ago.

Dick Florida

I'm in Plam Beach which I think as of south florida , were are you, wasn't this hot the last couple of years.

Hello all from warm and sunny San Jose,

I just wanted to say thank you for all the wonderful information I’ve gotten on this site. After 6 months of planning our trip to the UP, tomorrow is finally the day! For 6 months I have been reading the daily chats here and I have come away with a wealth of information on places to go and do and see. Between the chats and studying the maps, I feel like I know the UP like the back of my hand! This site has been wonderful – warm, funny, informative, interesting, and provides a great feeling of community. I can hardly believe that in a little over 24 hours from now, I will actually be there LIVE instead of here, at my computer, reading and dreaming! I finally will get to experience the “UP state of mind” once again. I just wonder if my husband will “get” the UP the way I do. The only thing I hope for is safe flights to and from, and if possible, no rain! The rest of the good stuff will happen, I know. So, thanks again, and when I find an internet café, I’ll be posting from the UP instead of San Jose! How funny to me!

Michigan State Fair:
I went there one year and the lead singer was Johnny Rivers(Memphis Information). All these young girls were there with flowers and loving cups for Mr. Rivers. His opening act was a local group called the Four Tops. When they got through with their act, all the flowers and loveing cups were on stage, and Mr. Rivers refused to come out and follow this Mo Town group.

L'ance, saw nothing but pickup trucks and skateboards.

it is "L'anse"

Ohhhhhhh yeah, the State fair! Our class was fortunate enough to go twice, as 5th and 6th graders.That was the year the decision was made to attend the big high school in the 7th grade.
The double Ferris Wheel took me to the top of the world. It was well worth the wait.
The "Zipper" did me in. I rode that one twice,back-to-back, and spent the rest of the day sitting under a tree with my elbows on my knees and my head in the palms of my hands. I missed out on the hot dogs and ice cream.
We patrols were able to attend again the next year and I made sure to NOT blow my second chance. I didn't. I learned that it is better to be a "chicken" with a full stomach than the brave one in the bunch, abandoned as soon as the dinner bell rang!

http://www.skerbeck.com/index.php

Gee Skerbeck is still around..

Hello all

Is the us tallshipbounty still in the harbor and did anyone take any pic of her

joe

To Laure near Mpls...Thank you! I was wondering if I would even be able to find it.

Thanks for the name of the Carnival,I just couldn't bring it to mind.I loved them fries.
SDC in Ferndale;Remember me? In all them years we just lived afew streets away from each other.I could hear the music from the Fair too.My guess is your Pamela.
Audrey; enjoy yourself.Hoping the weather will be nice for you.

Just a reminder, YOOPERFEST tomorrow Aug 28th from 1pm to 6pm at George's Club Highview, Kenosha Wisc

All you Yoopers and Trolls have a good weekend.
Nice weather expected here in the Lower Peninsula
for the weekend. Yippy yi yay!

Hi Jim B - Downtown Milwaukee. Yes, I know my way to San Jose, do you? As long as "The Mooch" is head coach of the Lions, you can believe that Lions Banner will be hangin upside down in the White House.

So did Mary ever tell you whether it was water, soil, oxygen?

Mary says: Oops, sorry folks for not giving the answer that I was looking for yesterday....All those who said water, raise your hand!

Water. It won't germinate without water.

ANYBODY REMEMBER W.G.WADE SHOWS LEGION FIELD IN CALUMET IN THE '50S

Beautiful pictures Donn. Very festive colors for fair time! I commend you. Job well done.

downstate don,

We got rested up some from the trip. We drove to Munising, Christmas, Marquette, Baraga, Copper Harbor, Escanaba, St Ignace and then down state. We had a great time. After city life, it was pretty quiet in the UP. We had pasties at Toni's, picked berries of all sorts, went to Jacob's falls and the Jampot. We tried to get it all in. The sweatpea was growing around Calumet. I had to take some pictures. Grandpa used to grow them and it brought back memories.

Saw those clear gel like beads on the beach at Little Traverse last august. They were on the entire stretch of beach, numbering in the tens of thousands. Where`s a DNR biologist when you need one?

Listening to the football game on www.pasty.net - it's half time, and Houghton is getting beat up by L'Anse, 20-0.

Neat to hear the familiar businesses in the U.P., like Hilltop Restaurant. Just like being at home for a while.

Well tomorrow Francis & Dorothy Levediere are celebrating their 50th Anniversary I wish them all the happiness and old friends
Jean & Therese Dimet
how the chicken haha. you know what i mean mutt

RE: Floating globules. Sounds like it could be Holopedium gibberum. See:

http://www.detnews.com/2001/metro/0108/11/metro-266494.htm

In the fall of '58 I worked for the Skerbec Carnival tearing down the rides in Lake Linden. We worked all night from around 11 pm or so. I think it was about then we got news that Buddy Holly and Richie Valens and the Big Bopper got killed in a plane crash in Iowa. Was very sad about that. :>( Am I gettin' that old?

Ahh, scrumptious-- malt vinegar on french fries. Very
Canadian, eh!

I used to eat *Fish and Chips* with a sprinkle of malt vinegar, little place in NYC and they were traditionaly English fare.

The devastation continues in Florida. There are many without homes, food, and water. Folks from all over the state are volunteering to cut trees, repair pump stations and morale support.

Think of these folks while you go about your day.

All you carnies out there need to know the town of Arcadia was almost wiped out. If you have friends in the area, perhaps you should give them a shout.

By the way, the fair at Escanaba was very nice. The program for the children was well planned. The future farmers of America.

Dave P....The fellow who made the great french-frys at the UP State Fair..was Norm Dahlke and his stand was called Norm's French Frys.......I met my special Yooper-boy at the Carnival (Wade)... in Calumet on July 4, 1946......he was 16 and I was 13 and I had moved to Lake Linden with my parents the previous week......he is still the best person I ever knew!!!

To "Bthecute1: Take it easy... my comments were made in a joking fashion!!! I believe I had a smiley face after my message.

Actually, I am in quite a few football pools and I think the 49er's could be a really good team this year. And you are right... I really do not know "The way to San Jose". Randy's Bar & Luigi's in Calumet... yes, but not San Jose!!! :) :)

Thanks, DH of CA, for the link to the globule story. That must be it. Nice to know I was swimming in the mucuous of zooplankton yesterday!

hello Lisa, do you know Cooty Johnson from Bessemer? & to the Queen or is it the sandstone princess,is that the sandstone of Jacobsville? Good day & Peace to all.

Well, it's a lot of fun to read the discussion threads on Skerbeck Carnival. I married into the family last November, previously worked as an engineer for MeadWestvaco which is why I am aware of Donn's great pictures! Thanks to Donn for the great pictures - they always are a treat! My husband (Jamie Skerbeck) and I are expecting our first baby boy in December. We are working hard and are very proud to help create the 7th generation of Skerbeck Carnival.

It is always fun for me to surf the "net" the read the posts from people who remember the carnival in their youth.

We are currently winding down the season by playing church festivals in the Detroit area. Even as I send this email, the show is tearing down. Home for us is Escanaba and it will be nice to see the Lake again soon! Thanks for all the great memories everyone has posted.

Check out our website at www.skerbeck.com

I AM LOOKING FOR A LONG LOST FRIEND WHO WORKED FOR SKERBECK CARNIVAL BY THE NAME OF MICHAEL WALKER HE IS FROM CRYSAL LAKE AREA IN mi IF ANY ONE KNOWS HIM PLEASE TELL HIM TO CONTACT ITRY2BINNOCENT@YAHOO.COM THANX