Trade Days

A man and his two sons were loading what looked to be a brown bear cub, it could have been a black bear (I've always had trouble distinguishing the two), in to the back of a van as my family walked past them towards the entrance of the fairgrounds. I gave Heather a looked of disbelief as I motioned my head towards the loading of the unusual purchase. "That has to be illegal," I said in a low voice. "Probably," she replied in a cool tone. "If there is a another one, can I buy it?"

"No," was the reply I received instantly.

It didn't matter, we didn't come across any bear cubs among the various animals once we entered the fairgrounds and began to peruse the many yard-sale-like stands. What we did see was cool still and probably just as illegal, I can't say for sure on this. Many of the little set-ups had your normal every-day-run-of-the-mill farm animals; Cows, chickens, pigs, llamas, ostriches, peacocks, and the like. We found three that were selling raccoons, I will have to admit that I was specifically looking for somebody selling this animal. The first person we stopped at said she couldn't sell her 'coons because she didn't have the proper license. This made me wonder, because she had several there and I understand that my demeanor sometimes gives people the impression that I am some kind of official or the like. The next guy had no problem throwing a price my way. "Sixty," he said while handing my daughter and I a baby 'coon each.

A great tactic to sell animals, albeit emotionally cruel to the person who has to refuse the purchase. The 'coon in my arms was quite comfortable with humans, he laid his chin in the crook of my elbow and began to nap, waking only to purr every now and again. I will admit that I wanted this raccoon. My daughter was begging for it. Heather was even showing signs of giving in. I mentioned to my daughter that we did not bring enough money to purchase the animal and the "dealer," being a family man and understanding of how easily kids hearts are broken, asked how much I had on me. This was where he was ready to make my family whole at his own loss by only taking what I could give rather than make the profit he would normally. What a swell guy. I liked him, I completely trusted the guy, and I was sorry that I had to hand him the animal and walk away without completing the purchase.

I did want that raccoon, though, and was sad to have to let him go back with that gentleman.

At two other dealers we saw fox cubs for sale. One even had a white fox cub, sweeet. I was denied the purchase of these animals also, the feminine half of the family having to be the voice of reason.

We spent two hours walking the fairgrounds, stopping at various stands to sort through the offerings. We left with three five-dollar Lemon Ice drinks. What really agitates me...I didn't even think to pull out the phone and grab some photos to publish. Then again, it might have not been wise to start shooting pictures around some of the folk that had set up shop.