Fairly Worn Out

   This last week was the county fair. We haven't ever truly participated before. Last year Lillie entered a few crafts but we only went to drop off and pick up her entries. This year I was determined things would be different.

            We spent the week before the fair, thumbing through the Fair rule book to see what we could create in a few days. She ended up with a looped pot holder, a decoupage coaster, an ink drawing, a colored pencil drawing, a computer generated drawing, a pencil drawing and a paper collage. Here is how the week played out.

WEDNESDAY
On our way to the fair that morning to meet our home school group for a field trip, I received a call that she had won an award for one of her entries and "Was she available to be at the award ceremony Friday night?' You bet!
            Since I wanted it to be a surprise, I didn't tell her about the award. We made our way to the Fine Art department of the Exhibit Barns and found her drawings. There on the side of her entry was a big fat double layered green ribbon! She hollered and jumped up and down. She had won Best 4-H Entry for her ink drawing of a fern frond.

After the excitement calmed down, we looked at all the animals; sheep, goats, chickens, cows, bulls, pigs, rabbits and turkeys. We saw one chicken that was so fluffy I thought it was a rabbit at first. I googled it and found out it is a Silkie chicken. Is is wrong to say I want one now?

THURSDAY

Lillie and I had signed up to work the petting zoo at the fair with our 4-H group. David was available to watch the babies so off we went. It was hot and humid. The petting zoo tent was situated right between the Livestock Barns and the Midway and next to the Pig Races. We worked the zoo for about 2 and a half hours; watering the animals, filling up the fake cow with water so that kids could pretend to milk it, standing aimlessly by the fences while the calves sucked our fingers. I bonded with  Oreo, a little female goat. She was sweet and would nibble on my shirt while I scratched her head. 

Business was slow and we had more than enough workers, so we played hooky for a minute and went next door to watch the pig races. 4 tiny piglets would run around a small track for an Oreo prize. The announcer would walk through the crowd and pick a cheerleader for each pig. If your pig won, then you had to get out and dance. Of course Lillie was picked and of course her pig won. She was game however and danced, all be it hesitantly, and received a pig nose in return. 

FRIDAY

We met David at the gates and went inside for the ceremony. Everyone brought camping chairs and sat in the Livestock Arena. Ian and Elsie were hungry and didn't appreciate the fact that they only fed the award winners, so off I went in search of food. Carnival Folk are making a killing on food. $8 for a small lemonade? Are you joking? I opted for the Cattleman's Assoc brisket instead. It was all right. 

An hour into the program and they hadn't gotten to Lillie's section yet. The babies were begging for more food and to tell the truth, I was hungry too. We checked with the 4-H agent and were told that Lillie's award would be one of the last. Since there were two tables of prizes still left, I had time to run out and get a funnel cake. I took Ian with me and we made it in record time. I walked back to our chairs to see Lillie taking a group photo with all the other winners, award in hand. 

I missed it! 

I couldn't believe it. After an hour of sitting in the heat and dirt, I missed it. David told me they called her name seconds after I walked out of the building. 

After the award ceremony was over, we watched the livestock beauty pageant, which basically is a bunch of animals in costumes. Then we watched our neighbor, a K-9 police Sergeant, be attacked several times and drug out of a car window by a German Shepherd as part of a police demonstration. I believe that was Ian's favorite part.


We had funnel cake, cotton candy, beans and cornbread, brisket sandwiches. We saw all kinds of farm animals and some exotic animals from the Safari farm. We came home with ribbons, cash prizes, balloons, a few Gideon bibles, red faces, sweaty clothes, the stench of manure and wonderful memories.
     

I am very glad that the fair is once a year. More than that might kill me.