First, may I just say that it was 40 Fahren when G-Man walked the dog this morning, that it was 43 Fahren when I came out of my nightly coma, that I shrugged into sweats and socks when my feet hit the floor, that I made oatmeal for breakfast for the first time since April’s end?

May I just say that?

First.

Sure. It’s 61 now, and we’re heading to 76 Fahren as a high for the day, and into the eighties for the rest of the week. But…

40 Fahren.

Fortay!

While the oatmeal was bubbling on the stove, I made the patio doors shine this morning. I do that at the first sign of a nip in the air. It’s what I do.

You do that, too. Right?

Moving along.

We’ll dispense with Single Shot Monday today.

See. The G-Man pulled me kicking and screaming to the 49th Annual Binder Twine Festival in Kleinburg, Ontario on Saturday.

Not really.

Thursday’s convo went like this ~

G-Man: Let’s go to the McMichael on Saturday to see the newest exhibition.

Me: Binder Twine Festival! Binder Twine Festival!

I’m a woman of repetitive words.

FYI – You can spit from the McMichael Gallery to the Binder Twine Festival. Not that I would ever do that, of course. That would be inelegant gross.

Now, the Binder Twine Festival is something the G-Man has been wanting to go to for at least five years. Every time he mentions it, the Only Daughter and I do a simultaneous eye roll. However, it’s something he’s wanted to do forevah.

So, we did it.

I didn’t bother to check with the Only Daughter. I knew in my motherly heart that she would say [air quotes] Sorry! Gotta work this weekend! [end air quotes]

I know things.

And, frankly, I’ll go anywhere where food is grilling at stalls lining the street.

So we went.

Brief Background ~

Since the Festival was created as a ‘Centennial event’ in 1967 to commemorate Charlie Shaw’s 1891 Binder Twine Delivery Nights, the Festival has celebrated the spirit of “community”. This sense of “community” is what has brought people together from the Kleinburg and Nashville area… (From the 49th Annual Kleinburg & Area Binder Twine Festival September 12, 2015 brochure.)

Charlie Shaw was a Kleinburg resident and hardware store owner in the late 1800’s, who founded Binder Twine Delivery Nights, which provided music and food to area farmers coming into town to purchase binder twine for binding their wheat.

Today, the Binder Twine festival includes a Children’s Pioneer Parade, a quilt raffle, a Young Pioneer’s Olde Tyme Activities area, a Binder Twine Queen Contest, food, entertainment, and a beer garden.

Thank you, Charlie Shaw!

Rain was spitting and threatening, but that is part of our standard field trip/road trip/roadmance/travel/about town MO.

We were early enough to find parking on a side street. The alternative was parking down there

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and busing in.

The main street of Kleinburg was blocked to traffic at both ends with fire trucks and ticket booths and hand-stampers.

We strolled from one end to the other, visiting artists and craft kiosks, stopping to listen to musical entertainment here and musical entertainment there. We took a few moments in the Children’s World area to watch them get pony rides and check out the petting zoo. We wandered in and out of some local shops and sniffed the air for noshing opportunities.

Don’t Look At Me, Man!

At this point, having skipped breakfast for clean hair and a swipe of mascara before hitting the road, I was feeling more than peckish. At the very end of the festival street, we saw a back-bacon-on-a-bun stand with a forever line  — Bacon! — and a stand bereft of festivalites offering a hamburger and a bottled Coke for ten bucks. I don’t even drink Coke, but we went there anyway.

I drank the Coke.

No line.

Gimme Dat!

And boy was I glad. This was no ordinary hamburger. This was a freshly made patty of 100% aged brisket cooked and then sandwiched between two slices of buttered Challah bread and grilled. It went like this. Challah bread, cheese, patty, onions, pickles, cheese, Challah bread. Grill, baby, grill. Cut into quarters and serve in a red and white checkered basket with an icy cold Coke. Ketchup was the only condiment offered. Who needed a condiment?

I can’t even.

By the time we left the stand of brisket on Challah, there was a verra long line. Our work there was done.

Sadly, it left me no room for the grilled corn stand, the strudel stand, the apple pie stand, the Kleinburger stand, the popcorn stand, the gelato stand, the back-bacon-on-a-bun stand, the sausage stand, the sarsaparilla stand, or the Krispy Kreme fundraiser.

This building of yore is now a design and garden center.

G-Man got some great close shots. Thank you, G-Man for the loaners.

Clicking down the side of the building of yore!

Halfway back up the street to where we entered, we stopped at a little Italian bakery for cappuccinos on the street. We sat at a little bistro table and enjoyed the music and festival sights.

Signage. We loves it!

To burn off those calories, we wandered over to the McMichael grounds and hiked about for a bit.

What we never caught a glimpse of was binder twine, but I’m okay with that. We didn’t have any sheaves of wheat to bind anyway.

This musician knew how to pull a face!

Good times.

And Monday is in the house.

Who wants brisket on Challah?!

Elen