In which we get up before the chickens to score some killer tack deals

It's pretty rare to see me moving around this early (except on a ride day, obviously)

Early breakfast at Denny's.  Not great food but at least it's cheap.
I think Duana is still asleep, though.
 but I've never been able to attend the annual 4-H Fundraising Tack Sale before.  Duana slept over at Haiku Farm so we would BOTH be motivated to get up at 4 (!) :30 (!!!!) in the morning (!!!!!) in order to feed the animals and hit the road in time to meet the Usual Suspects for breakfast.

Bundled in layers, covered in a blanket and huddled together.
We stayed pretty warm.

We were in line at the Fairgrounds by 7am.  Why so early?  Well...
The line lapped all the way around the building--
a full size fairground arena.

...this sale is a very popular event!   While we were waiting in line, we took turns spelling each other for breaks of a business nature.
We sold NINE copies of Endurance 101 to the King County Library System,
and they wanted their copies autographed.
The back of Monica's Mini is a very appropriate mobile office for Triangle Ranch Communications, which is a very micro-publisher.
If you want YOUR local library to carry Endurance 101, send me a message
and I'll send you the details.
 Some folks were a bit frivolous in their attempts to stay warm

Riverdance, anyone?

as we waited for the line to move towards the Ultimate Goal:

The line is moving at last!

an arena Full. Of. Cheap. Tack.

Oh, the humanity!

If you're thinking "Filene's Basement Sale," you're close.

The blanket table was very popular.
Duana got a fleece cooler for Hana for $5
Patty and Sirie scored loot there as well.

"High Tide Feeding Frenzy" is a little bit closer, though.  And yet, some items remained untouched.

I've gotta send this to Tacky Tack of the Day for their
"Scary Pink Saddle of the Week" feature.

I got some AWESOME bargains, including some new tack for Santa Jim's new horse, whenever he gets one.  He hasn't even started shopping yet, but I wasn't going to bypass these brand-new rope halters in candycane colors!
OOooh, and purple half-chaps, too!
And some new cowboy shirts, and a purple dressage pad,...
 Just because we were in line, we didn't stop shopping.  We heaped up all the collected stuff, and then took turns cruising the floor for further deals.
Monica's elegant hunt coat


Kiki found a size 5 easyboot!

When we were all done, we crammed it all into the boot of the other Mini
"Bonnet-to-boot" cargo transfer

and went for lunch.

Because life is GOOD.  That's why.

Comments

  1. wow - looks fun and well worth getting up early for!!! I would love to hit up a huge tack sale. I don't need anything, but who cares! lol

    ReplyDelete
  2. Defiantly worth getting up early! I only live a 1/2 hour drive away so was up at 5:30am and in line by about 6:20am, so in the 7th pic I was one of the heads you can see through the corner windows, before the line made the first turn! I didn't NEED anything though I had consigned my saddle in hopes to find one that fit me better, and sure enough I got a nice broken in all-leather name brand western saddle I love already for $125! Plus about about 23 other items (mostly in my color as I picked Royal Blue last year!) (rope halter, flat halter, lead rope, 3 saddle pads, 3 saddle bags, etc,) and my total after tax was still under $200!!! AND I sold about 75 of the 120 items I consigned (and donated over half of what didn't sell so I didn't have to take it home!) so overall a AWESOME DAY!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Defiantly worth getting up early! I only live a 1/2 hour drive away so was up at 5:30am and in line by about 6:20am, so in the 7th pic I was one of the heads you can see through the corner windows, before the line made the first turn! I didn't NEED anything though I had consigned my saddle in hopes to find one that fit me better, and sure enough I got a nice broken in all-leather name brand western saddle I love already for $125! Plus about about 23 other items (mostly in my color as I picked Royal Blue last year!) (rope halter, flat halter, lead rope, 3 saddle pads, 3 saddle bags, etc,) and my total after tax was still under $200!!! AND I sold about 75 of the 120 items I consigned (and donated over half of what didn't sell so I didn't have to take it home!) so overall a AWESOME DAY!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Monroe fairgrounds? If so, I might have to fly in, drive down the hill, go shopping next year, and mail tack back here to GA! All our tack sales have been pretty far away from us locally. And if it's Monroe, it gives me a good excuse to visit a good friend for a few days!

    ReplyDelete
  5. There was someone there from San Francisco - she came to visit a friend at a strategic time - I don't know if she found her saddle, but they went riding afterwards - and I also met people who drove from Moses Lake, which is a good 5-hour drive. Next year, Duana and I will have the entire line dancing (we were piaffeing here, actually - Aarene didn't get her camera out in time quickly enough for our canter with flying changes).

    ReplyDelete
  6. There was someone there from San Francisco - she came to visit a friend at a strategic time - I don't know if she found her saddle, but they went riding afterwards - and I also met people who drove from Moses Lake, which is a good 5-hour drive. Next year, Duana and I will have the entire line dancing (we were piaffeing here, actually - Aarene didn't get her camera out in time quickly enough for our canter with flying changes). - Monica

    ReplyDelete

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