Remember in Albuquerque how we anxiously awaited the Annual NM State Fair which was held on the State Fair Grounds? A parade was held the Saturday before the fair started with high school bands playing; lots of drill squads; cowboys riding horses; colorful floats, and happy children sitting on the curbs at awe with what they saw! We had no Ballon Fiestas in those yesteryears! Those fiestas came many, many years later! We started early to decide what to wear to the fair! I really should say, our mothers had to decide what we would wear to the fair! We had to have a pair of cowboy boots; a pair of Levis; a Western shirt or crisp white shirt; a concho belt to wear with our Levis, and finally a cowboy hat. My mother was a fanatic when it came to everything being clean...our clothing, our home, everything! Grandma use to say "no matter if you are poor, you must always wear clean clothes"! We do whatever mothers and grandmothers want! Right! Anyway that is how we were raised! My job was to take care of my siblings when we went to the fair! We visited the stables where the horses were kept, the pigs, roosters, and basically went to as many places that we could which also included the many pavilions that were strategically places throughout the fair grounds. My favorite pavilions were the ones that had all the beautiful flowers and the Arts and Crafts displays! We ate Indian fried bread with lots of honey; corndogs, and ice cream on a stick. Now remember! In those years you had lots of money to spend if you had two dollars to take to the fair! We finished up the day by going to the amusement park where I always tried to win a gold fish! Some years I did and other years I did not! Would have been cheaper to buy one, but why miss out on the fun! It would have ruin my day. Those darn fishes never lived very long in those days! Maybe I overfed them, I am thinking now! All in all we had a great time and went home happy with a special memory of spending a great day together as a family! Slept pretty good that night too!