I've been busy with appearances at the California Author's Booth at the State Fair. I'm appearing there again tomorrow night and Saturday and Sunday as well. I'll have had my fill of the fair this year, if that's possible. I love going there and strolling around watching the performers and seeing the exhibits. I enjoyed the fine arts exhibit this year, although I was dismayed to see the auctioning of Guinea pigs and other small animals to the general public in the Fur and Feathers exhibit. I wonder what they think will happen to that little creature they sold for $5? Are the buyers educated in the care of Guinea pigs or rabbits? The State Fair has never, in my opinion, been a bastion of kindness to animals with their food on the hoof animal barns, rodeos, and turkey stampedes. They finally outlawed the sale of live creatures on the carnival grounds, so the Guinea pig sale came as a surprise and shock to me.

On the positive side of animal sales, when I went to the Sacramento County Pound this afternoon (yes, looking for a basset hound), I was thrilled to see an empty space on the entrance wall where the bold red sign once proclaimed that the animals at the county facility could be sold to UC Davis and other laboratories for experiments (the only remaining animal facility in California to do so). Sacramento is finally taking some real strides in humane treatment of its animal citizens. Kudos to the Sacramento City Council for their decision to ban this hideous practice at a facility that refers to itself as one in the business of "animal care." Now if they could just become a no-kill facility, too. Unfortunately, the limited budget (thanks for that, too, Mr. President) and sheer numbers of animals surrendered there make that impossible.