I went to the fair on this cloudy,  rainy and overcast today to watch and photograph some of the preparations. Carny workers are notoriously camera shy, but I got some nice mood shots and found a farm family that will let me take their photo during the week, as often as I can get to the fair on the book tour, which will not be as often as I would like.
  I love carousel horses, like everyone else, but unlike most people, I find them sad, spirits imprisoned in painted bodies. I always think they want to get out and run.
  When I was young, one of my fondest memories was of going to Crescent Park in East Providence, R.I. to the amusement park that used to be there, and to ride the carousel that is still there.
  I used to ride and ride and always tried to grab the brass ring, and I have a brass ring on my key chain from Crescent Park which my brother gave me. He was involved in the movement to save the carousel horse, and I am grateful to him for the ring, one of my most prized things.