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<< Previous   of   Next >> Mark Mulligan / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Phil Bate checks on grandkids Sarah, 10, and Jacob, 8, while the pair eat lunch in the trunk of his car at the Evergreen State Fair. The two kids began the tradition last year, seeking refuge from the heat of the car. This year, they sought refuge from the drizzling rain for their picnic.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Saturday, August 30, 2008 A fair tradition continues By Mark Mulligan Herald Photographer "No cotton candy until you get some protein in you," Anita Bate tells her 8-year-old grandson Jacob on Wednesday afternoon in the parking lot of the Evergreen State Fair. A ham-and-cheese sandwich sits on a cooler between Jacob and his sister Sarah in the trunk of their grandparents' Mercury Grand Marquis. A single bite is missing from the sandwich's corner. Anita's tone softens. Eating cotton candy is her and Jacob's special thing. Neither grandfather Phil nor 10-year-old Sarah likes the sugary confection. They both prefer the mini-donuts. Oh, and you've "gotta save room for the funnel cakes," Anita adds. Everyone around the car agrees. "That's why we come to the fair -- to eat and for the rides." And ride they do. Sarah singles out the "Scrambler" as her favorite so far. The 360-degree spinning seats twirl riders wildly about while they throw their arms into the air. After a handful of rides that morning, the family decided it was time for a lunch break. Sarah and Jacob's grandparents bring them to the fair every year. Last year, the weather was devastatingly hot on the day they arrived. When lunchtime rolled around, the children did not want to sit in the hot car. Instead they sought the shade of the trunk for their picnic. This year, with rain replacing the sun, Sarah and Jacob decided to carry on their tradition. As a light mist fell, the two ate and laughed while Grandma and Grandpa ate in the car. They'll be sitting there next year, too.

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