My name is Tripp and I am 2 1/2 years old. My papa is Robert one, my daddy is Robert two, and I am Robert three. They call me Tripp cause I am the triple Robert.

My gran, papa and daddy took me to the fair. Mama and my baby sister Rushton stayed at home cause she was too little.

When we got to the fair, this man put a stick behind me and I was taller than the stick. I was so excited cause this means I am big enough now to ride the rides. I got a tattoo on my hand that I am a big boy.

The first place we went was to this closet that had stuff in it. Gran was happy because she got four blue ribbons for her stuff. She showed me her ribbons.

Daddy and I first rode on a horse on the merry-go-round. I rode the horse, not daddy.

Then Daddy took me to this swimming pool and I fished up a duck and got me a BIG dolphin to take home. Then we walked and walked.

I saw a helicopter and wanted to ride that. Daddy tried to get on the copter with me but the man said no.

I was big enough to ride by myself. Daddy kept saying to me to stay seated and not get out. Like I would get out when I could drive a real helicopter! It was so much fun, I did it again.

Then I drove a train, rode a motorcycle, went down this huge slide with my daddy twice and got on this big ferris wheel and went up real high. I rode with my gran. Daddy and papa rode together.

My gran was laughing and had her arms around me so I was not scared. It was fun, but it was really high.

I was hungry and we ate a hot dog and this thing gran called a funnel cake. It was really good, but messy. Gran and I had white stuff all over us.

Papa took me to see this big, red tractor. Gran then took me to see a special man. My gran said there would be no fair without Mr. John. I sat on his lap and he told me the story of the fair.

He said he came to Columbiana in 1958 and worked with the 4-H Club.

He started working with the fair then and has been doing it ever since. He told us it takes a lot of people to make a real county fair.

I had the bestest time in the whole wide world at my trip to the fair. I cannot wait till next year.

Phoebe Donald Robinson can be reached by e–mail at phoeberobinson@bellsouth.net.