The first round of Christmas shopping madness

Coming up the next two weekends is the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival.

Since I moved here a little more than three years ago, it has become my second biggest Christmas shopping time behind, of course, the day after Thanksgiving.

Considering I enjoy going to yard sales, the Covered Bridge Festival is a haven of treasures just waiting to be found.

It is one of those events where you can take your pick on where to go -- Bridgeton, Mansfield or anywhere along State Road 59 -- and find just about anything your heart desires.

My favorite thing to do is to attend the final day when the vendors mark prices down to unload as much as possible before heading out of town.

Then on top of the great deals on merchandise is the wide variety of foods and beverages.

For the past couple years, the goal of myself and my family is to take a wad of cash and eat our way through the festival, trying all the odd and different concoctions the food vendors have available.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like this will be the year to do that as money is very tight (but then again, whose belt isn't being pinched?).

However, it won't take away from the experience of fighting through the crowds and scouring the booths for unique gifts for my friends and family.

In a way, it is an odd way of training and preparing myself for those day after Thanksgiving deals.