I'm Back - Dutch Days is NOT a Carnival.

I should have a few minutes each day this week to post. Dutch Days, our town's annual celebration, went well after the first two rain showered nights. I am in charge of the soda stand for the community and we sold a bunch of Pepsi products.

When I was a kid I loved Dutch Days! I couldn't wait until it was July. We would go and watch the rides being put up and just hang out all day. I remember riding rides, eating funnel cakes and at the end of the night, sitting on the edge of the stage hoping that my name would be called for the free drawing.

There are those who just think Dutch Days is just a glorified carnival. I beg to differ. Dutch Days was started to celebrate the founding of Richfield. To me it is always going to be that way. There are always people who their vacation for the week of Dutch Days and "come home" for the week. The parade on Saturday through the town had thousands of people. The parade starts at 4 PM. At 8 AM there were people who had their chairs sitting along the parade route. This is more than just a carnival; It is a chance for me to reunite with a bunch of people who I don't get to see often. I guess I look at it as a glorified four day family reunion with a bunch of other people I don't know along for the ride.

As I get older, I don't enjoy the time quite as much because the extra load on me with the soda stand. I don't even put my name in the drawing anymore. However, I do what I do for Dutch Days so the kids can have the same great memories as I did. I want the kids to be as excited about Dutch Days as I was.

The case of the Missing Dutch Days Meat!

A while back I wrote about our bank being robbed. Well, another robbery took place over the weekend. No, the bank wasn't robbed, thank goodness! However, I understand that the pork for our annual Dutch Days Celebration has been stolen! I don't have many details about all of this. And I feel a bit like the town gossip. I really don't know what type of person would have done this. This wouldn't have been just a little bit of ham.