Overnights at the Ostrich Festival...

Yes, I said the Ostrich festival... it's an annual event here in Chandler. Three days (reminded me of a larger Winfield Carnival--is that still a happening back in Jersey?). It is held each year at Tumbleweed Park (love that name) which is a HUGE park here in my home town. Carnival rides, carnival games, kids park, petting zoo, food vendors, the whole nine yards. The area is fenced off around the perimeter with gate entries so that the vendors and maintenance people can come and set up and clean up and restock. My job was to make sure the gates were closed and keep out anyone who didn't belong and patrol the grounds. I reported for work at 10pm and it was me and one other guy. We walked around the whole park and divided it up in two sections... he would patrol the southern half and I would take of the northern half. Spent the first hour walking the perimeter and closing off all the vendor entrances and blocking the roads leading into the venue...(vendors were allowed in from 6am-9am every morning to service their booths). Then I spent the rest of the time walking the huge park and meeting the guys who were staying there...(the ride crews and electrical crew and the sound stage set up people had RV's parked inside so I gave them my phone # in case they needed anything).

It was clear and in the 40's that night (freezing in Arizona). I had more layers than a wedding cake on including gloves and a wool hat... It's pretty eerie walking around a carnival at night but after shooting baskets for a while and visiting the animals...(lots of goats, sheep, an alpaca, a texas longhorn, a cebu, a watusi, a yak and water buffalo and of course 3 ostriches), walking the perimeter wasn't too bad. Around 4 am I noticed a car slowly making its way towards the back of the venue. I hiked down ready to toss them, but it was the head of the Chamber of Commerce and she informed me that the news crews were coming at 5am to do remotes with the ostriches and the handlers and interviews with the principals of the festival. So the next 2 hours was spent directing traffic and making sure the people coming in were news people. Then around 5:45am I opened the main roads but left the vendor gates closed and I was done with my shift at 6am. Drove home and hit the bed because Saturday was a double shift at two different venues... (5pm-11pm and then midnight til 8am)... It's nice to be wanted (I guess)...