I really was certain I wasn't a fan of fairs. The last one I went to, to drop Abbey off for a dance show, scared the be-jibbers out of me.
I came to the conclusion that the only thing a fair could possibly do for me is make me lose all hope for the future of humanity.
Until I went to a REAL fair. Not a fake carnival-like cess pool of degradation, trying to pass off as a fair.
A small, mid-west, 4-H based county fair out in the country. WAY out in the country.
Like my sister-in-law promised, it was right out of Charlotte's Web.
Lots of fancy chickens but I liked the plain old ordinary the best:
I think she had PMS. Because I've seen that look in my own eyes before. "WHAT could you possibly WANT now?" I respectfully backed away.
Would you call this pear-shaped?
The queen basking in the limelight.
It was hard to not let this little lady out of her cage. She really really begged me. What could I do?
Bunnies. My favorite.
We got stuck here for a long, long, LONG time.
Patrick stayed like this everytime we walked into a barn.
.
We didn't miss the pigs. They were being auctioned off. Pigs are smart, did you know that? They are also loud. And get really really mad when someone tries to make them do something they don't want to do. Like walk down a path into an arena to get auctioned off. I have a hunch they were warned about what came after the auctioning-off part.
Here's a guy (yes, he's missing an arm) trying to help that kid get his escaped pig back into it's pen. Patrick and I were sort of freaked out. If that pig was going to come my way, I would have liked to think I would have helped, but really, I'm sure I would have screamed bloody murder and ran like the wind.
Here's the pig auction.
I only took a picture of this man because I thought he looked so nice. We sat next to another nice farmer while Patrick was eating a hotdog at the Booster's Tent, and he told me that he had 8 children. 4 boys and 4 girls, but he lost 2 boys to cancer and his wife had passed away also he told me with his eyes glistening. He was 80. He congratulated me twice on my five children, and said, "those were the days" and you could see he missed them. We started to talk about fair food, and he told me that he remembers coming home from school, and it was a lucky day when his mother would be in the kitchen with a huge cast iron frying pan of heated oil (he laughed and said..."actually is was lard"), making fried dough with cinnamon and powdered sugar on it. He said it was the best thing he ever tasted. I love meeting nice people don't you? I could have talked to him forever.
Vanilla.
Isn't this a beautiful?
And when I decided to call it a day:
LOVE the fair and all of your pictures! Looks like you guys had a great day...and yes, I love meeting nice people...I always say...I love good people!
ReplyDeleteWhat great pictures! I'm with you on fairs, I'm usually scared of them. But this one looks adorable! Looks like you had fun!
ReplyDeleteYES! The only kind of fair I will go to - the little country fair where my inlaws live. That last picture is priceless. I feel that way too, about needing to put away my computer and go to bed now ha!
ReplyDeleteOh Sarah, I just love your blog. This almost makes me want to move back to the mid-west. The Utah State Fair is underway right now - maybe I'd better check it out! And Patrick's little face couldn't be any cuter!!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe Charlotte's Web type fairs really exist. I want to go!
ReplyDeletegreat pics! i think i have the same flip flops. had a great conversation w/man who was 90, if he was a day. he was admiring our baby - i love people! all lowercase 'cause i'm nursing baby by the light of laptop ... is that bad? i don't do this every night ;-)
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the Four Town Fair of my childhood...wish we lived close enough to take my daughter now! You can't imagine all the happy memories I have of going with my parents, then going with friends later. It's even better when you live in a sponsor town, all the high schools had booths and all the kids walked in the parade :)
ReplyDeleteSigh...this is exactly how I grew up. The country life, animals, fairs. I love the fall feeling in the air at harvest time because of good childhood memories. My dad was one of those gentleman farmers--your photo made me miss him! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love this! This reminds me of the Four Town Fair where we used to live. I can totally understand about the degradation of society at the typical fair--I'm always freaked out that everyone is a molester at those things. But country fairs? They are awesome! The one we used to go to in CT was JUST LIKE your pictures. It was so fun to watch the oxen pulling things, see all the canned goods, visit all the 4-H animals. Ours had a parade the first day, where the people on the floats would throw vegetables at the onlookers instead of candy--for us to take home and enjoy, not to be mean.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE a good fair!! Our State Fair is only about 40 minutes from us. We always took the kids out of school every year to go! Your pictures are great...Even the sad one at the end!!
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures! Makes me want to go to a 'real' fair. I've only ever been to the ones you described - NOT FUN. I have NEVER enjoyed those things. This kind of fair looks like something I'd enjoy. :)
ReplyDeleteI love this! I am going to look into such a fair in my area. Maybe through 4H. Thanks for sharing and for the hope that there are still old fashioned places for us to take our kids.
ReplyDeleteSarah, your commentary was witty. We can tell you truly had a good, old-fashioned nice day at the fair.
ReplyDeleteoh these pictures are priceless. some of those animal shots would make great cards just printed out and glued to card stock.
ReplyDeleteOh, you made me tear up reading about the older man's family...
ReplyDeleteOk, I must have PMS because I have tears in my eyes thinking about that little old man you were sitting next to! Well, maybe it was that last picture too!!
ReplyDeleteThese are the kind of fairs we have here in the midwest and they are what we wait all year for! Love fair time! County fairs are the best, but yes, state fairs tend to bring out more of the stay-close-to-mommy type people. Still loads of fun though!
ReplyDeleteAnd about that pig...when I was in 6th grade, I had one run right at me! I screamed as he went right between my legs, picked me up, and dumped me off a few feet away right into a fence. Not my favorite moment and the last time I helped load pigs into the pickup to go to auction! Of course my family wishes they had it on video for a chance at $10,000 on AFV! Oh I definitely do not miss those 3 years on a farm!
What a wonderful fair! Love the photos!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh it's perfect. It reminds me of that musical "State Fair" and PAtrick's little pout atthe end.....you know he loved it.
ReplyDeleteAll of these things are the reason I married a farmer - it's a way of life that is just so very real and down to earth - yet heavenly! I am so glad that older gentleman told you his story - he was passing down part of his heritage and legacy to you - to think about in the quiet moments! (or not so very quiet!)Our fair is our "vacation" every year. A whole week of fair food, taking care of our show cattle and staying out under the stars...
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for our Maple Leaf fair that happens every third weekend in October! There really is something magical about the real ones. I bet Patrick was fast asleep as soon as the car started moving. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful way to spend the day. That looks like the perfect fair to me, I'd be in heaven.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog!
ReplyDeleteWe went to the fair as well this year, the first time in many years. The kids loved it. We spent the entire time with the animals and in the 4-h exibits. Of course, we couldn't leave without corndogs, funnel cakes and lemon shake-ups!
These photos are great! I love the bunny nose and the escaped pig!
ReplyDeleteThe duck looks like it's saying "AFLAC!"
ReplyDeleteYou captured the fair perfectly...all those furry faces and then the sad one at the end!
ReplyDeleteLooks like fun!
ReplyDeletehttp://youcanfacetodaybecausehelives.blogspot.com
Awww poor little guy, didn't want to go home!! What a nice visit to the fair! I love nice people like that, they are few and far between nowadays!
ReplyDeleteI don't even know how I ran across your blog, but I am sure glad I did. Everytime I read it I smile, laugh, and sometimes cry. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, pictures, and your heart. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteNow THAT'S what I call a fair! A real fair! I love the animal exhibits. I'm with you...the rabbit is my favorite and maybe the goat is a close second.
ReplyDeleteLook at those tractors all lined up. I'll bet he just had a ball and his eyes must have been full by the time you left!
Did you have any cotton candy? Hmmmmm? Diana
I love EVERYTHING about this post! I love that old man and his story. {tears} I love the canned goods competing for the blue ribbon and the duck...goose? And of course...the little man who didn't want to leave. LOVE it all...you made me smile, thanks :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the story of about the older gentleman you met. I was tearing up as I read it, and then I scrolled down to see the photo of him, and the lump in my throat got bigger. God bless him, and God bless you!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun place to be. My daughter would go nuts in a place like this ;)
ReplyDeletethis is a lot like our local fair! love the pic of the tractors all in a line... and the little boy that didn't look ready to leave! ;)
ReplyDeletechris
I know I live in the middle of no-where California, but these are the the only fairs I know. Did not realize there are the scary kind. Happy to be raising my kiddos in the open air with no neighbors! Thanks for the pics love your blog.
ReplyDeleteOh Sarah! I do believe that you visited my county's fair. I so wish we would've gotten to meet up. Ellie and Patrick would've had a great time together - she's a big fan of the milkshakes too!
ReplyDeleteI love that hug-a-pumpkin photo. Or maybe it's "wrestle-a-pumpkin"? Or "tackle-a-pumpkin"?
ReplyDeletei'm lucky that we live within the space of 4 fairs. my dad exhibited for 4H when he was a kid, and i carried on the tradition with exhibiting my knitting. one thing i looked forward to with my children was taking them to the fairs, to pass on this sort of "heritage".
ReplyDeleteloved the pics. glad everyone had a good time.
Every time I go to a fair and see a mama pig being sucked on by her batch of like 500 piglets, I think to myself, "She needs a glass of wine!" It is brutal, so you spared yourself by missing them.
ReplyDeleteWe are now in Ohio...my husband's home turf, but I grew up on Washington State. I'm guessing there are a lot of "Seasides" out there, but seeing your adorable son in his sweatshirt flooded me with memories of vacationing at Seaside, Oregon as a child.
Yay! I grew up near Lafayette!
ReplyDeleteThat fair looked like so much fun. I'm having serious Fall envy looking at your blog.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are gorgeous! What camera do you use?
ReplyDeleteKim