My 2017 New York State Fair results

Sunday morning.  It’s time for me to visit the New York State Fair, and find out how my three Crate Art Projects did.  Although my photography did not land on the walls of the Harriet May Mills Art Center for the second consecutive year, I still have artwork at the Art Center – it’s just in a different portion of the building.

Full tank of gasoline, and off to Syracuse we go.

Upon arrival at the Fairgrounds, I immediately visit some of the various Fair buildings – as per tradition, I do NOT enter the Harriet May Mills Art Center until after 1:00 p.m., so as to enjoy the Fair as much as possible.

Besides, how cool is it to hang out with members of the Army National Guard and to check out one of their helicopters?

And look at these cute little piglets in the swine barn… they were barely a week old, and already they’re the sweetest little things… of course, now I’m hungry for some bacon and sausage breakfasts…

Along one of the Fair roads is an American Red Cross bloodmobile.  And I’m thinking to myself … I haven’t donated blood in a very long time, mostly because my blood pressure had been completely out of whack.  What a great moment in my personal health this would be if I could drop a pint off – especially when there’s always a need for Type O blood out there.

I filled out some forms, and answered some questions.  The Red Cross volunteer took my blood pressure and pulse, tested a drop of my blood, and then asked me something that, in all my life, I’ve never experienced before.

“Would you like to do a double red stick today?”

Um … I would, if you could repeat that in English.

“We have a really desperate need for red blood cells from your type.  If you are interested, we would extract your red blood cells, which would then be used to help treat cancer patients.  The procedure takes about 25 minutes, and we would really appreciate it if you would help us out.”

Well, isn’t this a change for the better.

Mental note.  New tradition at the Fair.  Donate a pint or two at the Red Cross bloodmobile.

After my blood donation, I checked my watch.  1:00 p.m.

Time for the reveal at the Art Center.

The Arts and Crafts projects are located in the first floor of the Harriet May Mills building, in what’s called the Martha Eddy Room.

And right off the bat, I immediately find Honeywell Farms with –

An Honorable Mention ribbon.  Sweet.

And around the corner, there’s Hi Norman’s Kill Dairy, my reimagining of a vintage milk crate.  And it received…

Another yellow ribbon for Honorable Mention.  Cool.

But I entered three Crate Art Projects at the Fair, where is my Soda Crate Hope Chest, the craft I submitted because I couldn’t fit my original submission – the K-Chuck Cabinet – in my car for the long Syracuse trip?

And looky, looky…

Second Place!!  Second place in the recycled category!

Okay, Miller, hold on.  Did that artwork REALLY receive second place?  For those of you who read my blog with regularity, I previously received a first place blue ribbon in 2016 for The Cathedral of St. Philco, only to discover that a clerical error actually meant I had garnered a third place white ribbon.  So if that’s a real honest-to-God second place ribbon …

Only one way to find out.

I asked one of the volunteers to double-check the hangtag information on my project.

A few minutes later, she gave me the results.

Second place for sure.

Now I can celebrate.

And by “celebrate,” that means a free meal at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Q food stand.

Free, you say?

Yes, free, I say.  It only cost me two pints of red blood cells.

See?

I rolled up my arm, gave some of my blood, and in exchange, I received a free sandwich and soda from the food stand.  How cool is that?

And there you have it.  Three more ribbons from Syracuse – and a goal for next year.

I want my photos back on the walls of the Harriet May Mills Art Center … but I also want to get another artwork shown at the facility, whether it’s a Crate Art Project or a Dream Window or any other project or construct.

Challenge determined.  Challenge accepted.

And if you know me by now…

You know I don’t back down from a challenge.

Not now, not ever.