It has been about 2 years since Tony and I took the kids to the fair. It was a yearly tradition when I was growing up to go year after year because we were in 4-H and we showed cattle and pigs, in fact we got to take the whole week off school to show and care for our animals at the fair...those were the "good ole days." Looking back I wonder how my parents did it all, taking care of the animals at home and running us back and forth to the fair all week, I am sure they were glad when we could pack it all up and bring the animals back home again, but as kids we thought it was soo much fun to have all that freedom to go from barn to barn and hang out with our friends...I sure hope my kids get to have those same memories!
When we got to the fair it wasn't real busy yet so we walked thru a bunch of the buildings...I love to look at the photos, and I showed Gabe all the things he could make to enter in the fari in years to come...everything from bug collections to planted flowers to even baking his own cookies and cakes...he really seemed to show interest...especially when I told him what each colored ribbon meant and the fact that you got money at the end of the fair depending on how your items placed.
Tony and I like to "eat our way" thru the fair. Have a little something from this booth and that stand and share the whole day. Of course there are booths we always buy from, and we even gave a few new ones a try. Our favorites our the Lion's Club pizza booth and the Lime fizzies, and we ALWAYS have to get a walk away sundae or chocolate covered bananna!
For a Sunday there was sure alot happening in the barns, I don't ever remember having shows on the weekends, in fact we usually were just getting our animals into the fair that first weekend and starting the weigh-in process for the steers and pigs. The 4-Her's were already doing the fitting and showing for the pigs and the sheep. It was fun sharing with Tony all my showing stories, as this was before "our time" together. The pig show is HILARIOUS in the fact that you are trying to keep control of a pig with nothing but a stick or cane, and some of the kids' pigs would take off across the ring kicking up their heels in delight (that was sooo me and any animal I attempted to show), interferring with the ones who had spent the time "training" theirs to obey the stick, where mine just thought the cedar chips looked like a fun place to romp and dig!
I never thought of the fair as a place to ride the rides in fact for many years I was scared to death to even go over to the "carnival" side of the fair...it just wasn't safe, besides we were too busy cleaning up after our animals and playing games with our friends around the barns. My children however, think that is what the fair is all about and getting them to focus to the agricultural side of things wa s bit challenging at times, but to me the fair is about the farmers' harvest, and truely reaping the rewards of their hard work. I know my kids will get the just of that when they get older, for now it is all about the rides and games!
