The Gopherstasi rouse a slumbering man. And herein hangs a tale - as I took pictures, the Gopher on the right looked at me, pantomimed writing, then mimed the opening of a newspaper. I thought: huh? Then I realized that he/she/it was referring to me being, well, me, a guy in the paper. The Gopher came over to give me a high five - then it stopped, pointed at my bag, and mimed HORROR. I'd gotten the bag at the Grandstand when I bought a mug for Hugh Hewitt, and to my shock I saw that it was a PIONEER PRESS bag. I held it up to my ear and made a loud ticking sound. The Gopher scampered away. We continued this impromptu mime routine for some time, and while I am not usually disposed to mimes, this was different. This was a State Fair Gopher, and I regard them the same way some cultures would regard an albino oxen: special creatures who must be revered. Made my day.

Best. Fair. Ever.