The Truth, Revealed
Posted at 11:00 AM on August 28, 2009
by Dale Connelly
(6 Comments)
Our first-ever Radio Heartland live broadcast from the Minnesota State Fair is now history. Thanks for being part of our online audience!
If you were listening, you know how the "Where's Eric" search turned out. If you're curious about the hiding places that were used, we can now reveal the locations for the three Little Eric effigies.
Our Listener's Challenge was Eric the Farmer. It will not suprise you to note that he appears to be hidden among the corn. This is his natural environment, and putting him there represented a considerable risk - tantamount to hiding an elephant in a peanut patch. Of course there would be a farmer in the corn. Our hope was that people would overlook the tiny blue bib overalls in the midst of all that yellow and green.
Here's another angle on the area where he took cover, near The Little Farm House on Machinery Hill. The "campfire" in the clue set is Giggles' Campfire Grill, right across the street. An additional danger in this placement was the presence nearby of naturally sticky-fingered children, some of them with built-in doll radar. We were somewhat concerned, but the "Where's Eric" team likes to live on the edge.
Security Eric was the first challenge for Ochen and Leslie.
Here you see him perched in his hideway, tucked behind an electric box, standing just on top of the covered waterway for Ye Olde Mill, facing the peaceful but political garden behind the Independant Republican Party's booth on Carnes Avenue.
To find this Eric, it was necessary to walk back into this confined, slightly scary passageway between the two attractions. Under the rules of "Where's Eric", a hiding place can be in an area that is off limits to fairgoers (you wouldn't be permitted to climb over the barbed wire to perch on top of the Mill's enclosed channel), but the spot must be visible from a public area of the grounds and in the case of the "Little Erics", an average sized person should be able to reach the doll without any trouble.
Our second challenge to Ochen and Leslie was Eric the Fair Fanatic.
The Fanatic knows the fairgrounds like nobody else. Every square inch is familiar to him, so while this location may seem obscure to you, this little guy hardly considers this to be "hiding".
He was tucked behind the privacy fence along the east side of the fair's sanitation building, near the intersection of Randall and Underwood. Only a dedicated fairgoer would revel in spending the morning at a location where all he had for entertainment was the sight of our hard working sanitation crew bringing in the garbage and recycling.
As for the Full Sized Eric, his hiding place was such a closely held secret, I don't have that information for you right now. But check back! A humane but firm interrogation is underway!
And if you're coming to the fair later today, please stop by the MPR booth! Ann Reed, The Ditchlilies and BoJoNo will provide more music until 1pm. There's always something happening near the intersection of Judson and Nelson!
Comments (6)
well, i'm truly bummed - was stuck in a very early, very long meeting this morning (milked at 5:45 - the Girls were confused) and then had to do another errand so got home at 11:15 and missed all of the action. boo hoo! but it looks like it was a grand time - web cam, live blogging, real action and Donna swearing - but only once. a rebroadcast couldn't do it justice, i bet. Cynthia - maybe next year we can go down?? Kay H maybe you'll come northeast for the day next year?
i'll put in my request for a vacation day now. :-)
Great job to everyone who had a hand in keeping the tradition alive this morning! The music sounded fantastic and the new Where's Eric format worked really well! It was great to see the kids march back to the booth with Farmer Eric. So wonderful to see everyone - loved chatting with you, Beth-Ann :D
Mom, you'll be happy to know I was very careful on the bike, though it started raining at Hamline and Selby, so I was well soaked by the time I made it to Judson and Nelson. The bike parking area is terrific, though - there are attendants making sure nothing gets stolen, which is good because I couldn't remember my lock combination. Here's another tip I picked up today: the Salem Lutheran Church diner WILL sell you a travel mug full of Swedish Egg Coffee (aka, ambrosia) for $2. Sipping that while watching Dale and Mike broadcast live, surrounded by Heartlanders? Sweet Fair memories...
the program was great
the twins were very happy to have met Dale, the voice on the radio they hear every day
me too
Sweet memories indeed, Lora Kay. Next year it's you and me together...and Krissy, and Eric, and Barb, and Cynthia, and Kay H., and Bubby, and....
Hey! Did you see Dale's made me RH's very own Suzy Snowflake? Now, if he could just hook me up with Jack Frost!
After a mere 11 hours at the FAir I am home. The hours at RH were the best of all. What a treat to gather together. Thanks to Sherilee and Lora for sharing your bench.I loved the looks Ann Reed gave us as she realized the whole audience knew the words to the fair song and were singing along.
I got a great chicken head hat from the golden plump booth. My favorite line..."Excuse me ma'am can you tell me where you got the chicken hat." The incongruity of being addressed so formally while wearing poultry headgear was a hoot or a cluck.
All bloggers start planning ahead for next year and a fair reunion!
I have you beat, Beth-Ann, I was there 14 hours. The fair for me was a music sandwich starting with RH and ending with Abbamania! I enjoyed meeting all of you and may I say with all the love I can muster that we are the most adorable bunch of geeks I have ever laid my eyes on. I took quite a few pictures this morning and will post them on my own online photo album, which I will share. But is there any place in particular that I should send them to share with the group?
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