"when in doubt, swing it out"

Back out on the beat with the HPSS!

We have been gearing up to get back on the fair circuit since our first highly successful jaunt to Croswell. Fixing the broken tent, adding new displays, and securing all the proper pieces of the surgical mock-up for the rest of the summer have been on our agendas since our return in mid-June.

Next on the schedule, a short drive down to Charlotte, MI for the Eaton County Fair. Seeing as how it was after a long holiday weekend, we first had to pick up the trailer (as the supplies were an extremely tight fit in the SUV without the surgery equipment) for the rest of the tour, which was stored at the Lansing Airport. George, being the great trailer-lending guy that he is, met us there to set us up.

[Here is an excellent time to point out that none of us have even a bit of experience with driving, hauling, or maneuvering a trailer. One might imagine this could cause a bit of apprehension. More on that later.]

George informed us, upon arrival, that we would need a new ball hitch to fit the trailer. Lucky for us, there happens to be a specialty trailer store just down the street: "Hitches & More." Special thanks to the employees there for helping us do a quick change-out and get us back on track. After a little (ok, a lot) of adjusting and fanagling, we lined up and hooked up the trailer appropriately, got the electrical connections working (back down at Hitches & More), and started back to East Lansing to pack her up. Our final piece of advice from George: "Be good, and when in doubt, swing it out." Advice well taken.

Once everything (and we mean everything- quite a load we have amassed!) was packed, a severe line of storms complete with absolute downpour stopped us in our tracks and we waited out the deluge in East Lansing. Finally, in the late afternoon, we were able to pull out and head down the highway (shakily and with completely deliberate sluggishness) to the charming town of Charlotte.

Theo of the Fair Board met us there on the grounds as we entered, and we were lucky enough to find that he had big-rig experience: so lucky, in fact, that he was able to maneuver the vehicle into our exhibit space like a true pro. In intense post-rain humidity, we set about putting up the display, with care taken to support the wounded tent, the replacement frame for which we had not yet received. The IV pole inside the surgical tent got to serve double duty as a strut, and more creative taping and splinting went a long way to keep everything in working order and looking snazzy.

Fully set up, finally, we got to meet the fine people of Eaton County! All evening, under heavy mosquito attack, we were able to share the wonders of vet med with about 100 kids, families, and many an interested passerby. The nightfall helped in showing off the illumination our x-rays and we found ourselves busy with plenty of visitors! Even with the unexpectedly late start, we had a grand opening day at Eaton, and look forward to another with everyone tomorrow at Kids Day!