THANK YOU TODD & TROY!
I think that it was a couple of days before the fair in 1995 that I first met Todd Ferryman and Troy Allison. They wandered down my road guided by my guardian angels. There are some points in your life where some major event begins with a meeting and this was one of mine. They were looking for some early camping and I told them that I wasn't open until Thursday and they'd have to come back then. They offered to work and I did have a nasty ditch that needed digging. I had minimal tools, the ground was rock hard and my back wasn't getting any younger. So we struck an agreement. I have been counting my lucky, lucky stars ever since and they have been cursing theirs .Ha! They not only dug the ditch, they put in the fire pit at the drum circle, plumbed water to it to make the fire department so happy, put in the beautiful trail to the faire complete with not one but two bridges. Over the past seven fairs these two men have done so many creative projects and just the humdrum boring things that it takes to pull an event like this off. Every year it seems like I come up with yet one more idea to make the campground better or more fun and these are the guys that I always turn to to help pull it off. They have so much skill and know how, they show up with tons of tools and the very best attitudes. They occasionally look at each other or roll their eyes at my foo foo ideas but they go along peaceable like anyway. I like that in a man! I tell them just think how easy it will all be next year! Hope is a wonderful thing. Then we come up with yet another idea.

When I feel over whelmed or I'm in the middle of a complex problem I can call them and just talking to them calms me down. They are wonderful problem solvers and have great ideas. They always seem to have a lead on something that I need. They bring work crews down and it's a beautiful thing to watch.

So the next time you walk down the Groove In Trail or sit around the drum circle gazing into the flames or enjoy Todd's psychedelic Teepee, or step into the new solar showers, or look up at the bubbles blowing out of the owls nest in the top of the barn you'll know who to thank. It takes many people to pull this experience off and Todd and Troy come down here on weekend's months before the fair to lend a hand. I want to let them know just how much I appreciate all of the time and really hard work that they put in truly out of the goodness of their huge hearts. Be so very kind to them Zumwalt has already tried to steal them away from me. Thank you guys for everything.
Much Love,
Cindy Darling

APPRECIATION FOR THE QUEENS & DRONES
I could never pull this thing off without the blessed help and loyalty of the many friends that have flown to my side over the years. I've already written about my Arch Angels Todd and Troy, but how about all of the other folks who gather to make this thing so great?

Thank you to my Dad for all of his help and letting me borrow his "big" tractor every year. He welds things up for me and for all of his skills and ideas. I'm so proud of him. My best friend Juli, forever cousin Dana, Daughter in law Joni, dear friend and great organizers, Wendy and Dave, who help me up front. Thanks to all of my guys from the Groove Inn. What a great bunch of people! They just leave me speechless. They are multi-talented and they just go, go, go. Todd Two has built benches and worked on making the trail more beautiful every year. Michael is everywhere. Brian, organizes the parking, and his wife Erin, who painted multiple signs including the Cousin's Café sign. Jamie, the candy man, Neil, Lieutenant Dan, Shaggy, Irie, who comes from who knows where, and is everywhere.

Thank you to Todd and Troy's lovely wives, Shelley and Tanya who put up with the boys flying off to Never Land every spring to get us ready for the fair. Rose and Joel are Rocking' Barristers that have been here forever. I call them bartenders without the guilt. My cub scouts, all grown up, Tyler, Perry and Brian work parking, recycling and garbage. Jacque is our chef extraordinaire with the help of her husband Dwayne. Tobin who is also a great gourmet chef shows off his magic tricks for us every year and prepares a feast fit for jesters like us, (like his famous chicken tomorrow) the Wednesday night before we Rock and Roll!

Rodney, April, lovely Heather and Tony work in the kitchen. There's Janella, our singing greeter who throws everything she's got into welcoming all of you road weary travelers. Her daughter Zenith was almost born here in 1992 but she held off until after the fair and now Zenith is working here! My good friend Carol worked her butt off banding our little birds as they came in. Ariel, Danea and Ashley have grown up working here with their Mom's Cookie and Pat. Lee is always here to lend a hand. Keith has been an awesome tractor driver and espresso dude. Also thank you to tractor drivers Mark and Spencer. Dave and Walt with CMS are the cream of the crop with their security crew.

Thank you Mary and the gals at the Fastix outlet at the University of Oregon, for all of their hard work selling tickets. Buck's Sanitary for their diligent work has been so appreciated over the years. Keith at United Rentals who always comes through for us, Bob at Tri-State Equip is a gem, Galen with the neighborhood response team, my great neighbor Joe, Stacey Cannon who designed this web site are all appreciated so much.

I have to give thanks, hugs and kisses to my three beautiful sons. Nick who started this whole thing, Cody who comes and works his butt off helping me get ready and Jesse who is always there for me, helping everywhere. Love to my beautiful Grama for her never ending love, support and inspiration. Love flies to my sister Val who will always be right by my side every second weekend in July. Thank you to the many friends and family who have helped in the past... cousins Lorrie, Eric, Cheryl and Kathlyn for all of her sage advise. Thanks to my dear friends Dave and Wanda who where there in the "early days". Thanks to all of my extended family. It is like a beehive here and everyone just fills in and spills over to take care of any job that needs to be done.

Soul felt gratitude to my Sweetheart Ted. My ruthless hornet killing, tractor fixing, tree thinning, bitter quince eating renaissance man. He's always there, looking out for me. He is a sailor who can never quite seem to get off the farm. Helping to navigate me toward Monday when things are suddenly empty and hollow on the ranch after all of my revelers have flown the coop.

Also thank you to all of you who have made this your reunion year after year. You come with joy, and leave your burdens outside the gate. Thank you for cleaning up your camp and leaving the ranch even better than when you found it. I'm thankful for all of the fabulous friends that I have made.

Having one week out of the year to revel with our friends and families, to enter a new world at the wonderful Oregon Country Faire. Aren't we lucky?

OUR CAMPERS
I can't sign off on these letter's of appreciation without expressing my deepest gratitude to all of the campers who come from every corner of the world, using this reunion as their hive. As you walk through the ranch after everyone is set up, I know that I'm not in Kansas anymore. It is so different here during the second weekend in July that I have gotten lost in my own campground! The creativity of some of your camps is amazing. Todd's Groove Inn, who would have thunk it? Joel's bamboo surfer bum's camp, Knutson's Corner, Jackson's Hole, The Banana Seat Biker Gang's Camp, The fairy Realm, Camp Boise, Chrystalina's Circle of Trees, The Lost Boys Camp Pit, there are too many to mention. I walk through and see a beautiful room inside a mosquito net with a huge brass bed inside, a beach complete with sand (which they cleaned up and took with them) and shells and buckets, a huge monster that looks so real stalking through the ranch. Of coarse the more gregarious campers always stick out in our minds but all of you quiet campers who just enjoy the show are so appreciated too.

The work on the Ranch goes on year round, thinning trees, pruning, mowing, building, and then it really cranks up in the Spring. We've all got "regular" jobs to work around and the two weeks before the fair we're in a frenzy. Tobin makes us a camp feast on Wednesday night, the night before it all starts. By Thursday morning we're already exhausted, trying to put the finishing touches on before we open the gate. Sometimes, all that we deal with hour after hour are problems and we get a little cranky. Please forgive us and I know, like my Grama always said "You've got the same panties to get glad in".

I've made so many friends. I started naming names here but had to delete them. There were too many, and unfortunately I'm getting a little long in the tooth and I might forget someone and then I would feel bad. Suffice it to say that you are all treasured and have given us stories to last more than a life time. We are never, ever boring at parties because of you. Bear with us, and thank you so much for coming.
Cindy Darling