CNE Midway
Winner, winner, turkey dinner! That was me tonight
Day five, and it is time for the night shift at the CNE. It was Reach for a Peach day. Everyone leaving the Ex between 4 and 8 received a fresh Ontario peach. They looked too good, so I entered the grounds, got my hand stamped, reached for a peach, and re-entered the grounds. Does that count as my shortest visit to the Ex, ever?
By the time I got to the fountain folks were lining up for the nightly Mardi Gras Parade. It is amazing how happy something as simple as a string of beads makes people. The bands were terrific, but the Chinese Dragon seemed to have stopped dance by the time it got to us.
I wandered up toward BMO field and ran into Scott and Lil, two friends I hadn’t seen in years. We have been to Ex together years ago so it was just like old times. Lil is the luckiest when it comes to games. If it spins and pays money, she will win more often you would think possible. So, I tried my hand at one of the booths. I plunked a loonie down and won four dollars. Lil’s luck was rubbing off on me! A little farther up the midway we tried the one of the birthday games. Lil put a quarter in the March slot and won. Inspired, I put a quarter in the June slot, and won! I am now the proud owner of a stuffed tiger!
Scott and Lil had been at the Ex since it opened today, so they headed home. We promised to meet up when they come back to the fair next week.
I grabbed some dinner and a spot in front of the Direct Energy Building to see the E – Nighttime Light Show. It is amazing how they made the façade of the building change and morph into so many different things. I loved the jungle ruins and the dolphins that seemed to be swimming inside the building. The 3D faces that seemed to pop out of the concrete my favourite.
Now the lights of the midway were beckoning me. There is nothing quite like the Ex at night. Everything seems intensified at night. I always bring my tripod to take long exposure shots of the rides. I seem to take the same shots every year, but it is so satisfying to see what you can capture in a two second exposure.
Eleven o’clock. Time to head home. Heading out I plunked a twoonie on a colour table, and Bingo – won $8. The luck of Lil was still with me.
Tomorrow, Super Dogs!
