Great start

COEUR d’ALENE — Gary and Linda Martin of Post Falls have been married for 60 years.

“Going on 61,” Gary said, smiling.

As long as they have been together, they have loved going out. So Friday found them at the opening day of the North Idaho State Fair — Gary in his motorized chair, Linda holding her walking stick.

They enjoy looking and listening, taking in all that makes up a tightknit fair like this one. While animals are dear to their hearts, there really is nothing they don't like.

“Everything is my favorite,” Linda said.

“I’m the same way,” said Gary, who wore a cap with an image of the American flag.

At 82, the Army veteran moves a little slower these days. You won’t find him on the rollercoaster.

“I can’t do the rides any more,” he said. “My back is too bad.”

Despite the aches and pains that can come with age, he’s still very much an appreciative and thankful man, particularly for his marriage of six decades and counting.

“You know why we’ve been the way we are? Because we based our life on the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said.

The North Idaho State Fair is like religion for some folks and they lined up early for the opening of the gates at 2 p.m.

Inside, on a hot, muggy day fanned by strong winds that brought in smoke from surrounding wildfires, they found salvation in the form of music, contests, games, food, drink, 4-H animals, handmade quilts, homegrown flowers and fresh flowers.

So strong is the fair’s pull that it attracted Phil and Nancy Mead from Sandpoint. Nancy said it was her first time at the fair in Kootenai County in 47 years.

While Phil, a truck driver, had the day off, what really prompted them to make the nearly 50-mile drive was walking next to them, grandson Jonathan.

“He’s why we’re here,” Nancy Mead said, smiling.

Though they had just arrived, they knew what they were after.

“We’re looking for the pigs now,” she said as they went in search of them.

Brian Clark, owner of Sawtooth Signs, stood ready for customers with his hand-carved creations.

He pulls out, one by one, six routers he uses for the trade he mastered more than 38 years ago.

It's no hobby. It’s his living.

His booth is covered with carefully crafted signs, that sell for about $75. The one just below him reads, “Made In Minutes.”

Precision and speed belong to Brian Clark.

“Whenever somebody comes up, I’m on a timeframe and these need to be out in 10 to 15 minutes so I have everything set up to where I can just grab and go,” he said.

In his travels to fairs, Clark said business has been up and down. He believes it will be up at the North Idaho State Fair.

“Depends on the area you travel to. You can tell the economy is hitting harder in some spots than it is in others,” he said.

Over at the main stage, Lucky Coot and his nephews, Red and Henk, were putting on a high-energy show that combined music, jokes, funny faces and storytelling as the Rock Bottom Boys.

They’ve been traveling and performing together about 15 years and were at the North Idaho State Fair two years ago.

What brought them back this year?

“The invitation,” Coot deadpanned.

He enjoys sharing the stage with his nephews and said they’re not bad musicians, either.

“Usually, they’re pretty good,” Coot said. “They’re mostly nice to me.”

But there is one problem.

“We’re struggling with three, 30-minute sets,” Coot said. “We’re king of the 45-minute set and they gave us 30.”

Theresa Hautala of Greenacres, Wash., was sitting in the barn for horses big and small - draft horses and miniatures — where she is a superintendent.

Two of her minis, 16-year-old Diva and three-month-old Rosebud, were attracting giant-sized attention from kids and adults.

While she was smiling on the outside, Theresa Hautala was hurting on the inside.

Her mother, Char Hautala, died of cancer at the age of 74 on July 28, 2022. The two shared a love for horses and often brought draft and miniatures to the North Idaho State Fair.

This was Theresa’s first year without her mom.

“It’s been hard for me,” she said, as she fought back tears. “The last couple days have been real hard for me to even think about coming over here.”

But she did, because she knew her mom would have wanted it that way, and she had the help of her friend and co-superintendent, Joanne Richey.

“Joanne is like family to me. She’s helped me get through this without a mom,” Theresa Hautala said.

Her face brightened when children surrounded Diva and Rosebud, eager to make friends with them. That made her happy.

“Be sure to tell the kids to stop by,” she said.

The North Idaho State Fair at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds continues daily through Aug. 27.