Nothing says summer fun like fair time.

Just like tons of tykes that will attend the upcoming North Idaho Fair at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds, I was a regular at fairs in Montana, where I grew up.

We had the local fair (The Central Montana Fair in Lewistown), the Montana State Fair (Great Falls) and the Montana Fair (Billings). In years when the family loaded up and went to all three, dad's wallet became mighty light mighty quick.

In my formative years, I was mesmerized with the sights and sounds of the midway. The prizes available - from stuffed animals to decorative mirrors to goldfish - made you want to dig deep and try your luck, or show your skill, whichever did the job.

Some games looked easy, and I was dumbfounded when someone would step up, plop down some cash and leave empty-handed. I thought they were the most unlucky or unskilled person on Earth.

Then I eventually stepped up and plopped down my cash. Hmm... not so easy.

I believe the first game I ever won involved plastic rings about 1 1/2 inch in diameter, which I had to throw over a Coke bottle neck.

It looked simple - heck, there were cases of them there - surely I could hit one. But ring after ring caromed and ricocheted this way and that, before I magically found the "skill" to land one on a winner.

As for what I actually won, I can't remember. But it must have been impressive at the time, or I'd have kept walking.

As I grew older, the rides drew my fancy. They would throw you in every possible direction, and us boys demonstrated our impending manhood by conquering them all. I think it took well into my college years before I ever thought about giving back my lunch, and of all things, it was on the tilt-a-whirl, a ride we thought of as "kid stuff" when we were younger.

We always had to tour all the livestock barns, and after a few years, I came to realize that these weren't the same animals in the same stall from the previous year. I remember remarking at the time that I'd look like that too if I had to stay in the same stall year after year...

Another highlight was the action in the arena. Horse racing, rodeo and demolition derbies all competed for attention with all the corn dogs, cotton candy and beer gardens elsewhere.

And speaking of food, I consumed enough for a small city in my fair years.

Early on, I was into the sweet stuff. Candied apples, cotton candy and any kind of frozen treat was what I was after. Later I got into the savory.

The state fair had a few booths that had amazing sweet, buttery corn on the cob. I could taste that for hours before I actually was able to take a bite.

The corn dogs and all the fried stuff came later. Nowadays, it seems you can probably find just about anything under the sun dipped in batter and oil. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, since I learned long ago: Don't knock it until you've tried it.

And try it I did.

The state fair had buildings with everything imaginable. You could shake hands with gubernatorial candidates, buy some gadget for your house, or let some impressive-looking computer (and fake, I later realized) print out your fortune.

My mother was always pulled toward the art exhibits, her being a rather accomplished painter. I didn't mind tagging along, as I appreciated art as much as the next person, but I found the quiet halls a little soothing after an afternoon of midway madness.

So save up your dollars, because the fair comes to town soon.

Just remember to eat something that settles well before jumping on the tilt-a-whirl.

You can attempt to reach Jerry Hitchcock at 664-8176, Ext. 2017, or via email at jhitchcock@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter at HitchTheWriter.