Midsummer Madness

As is our habit, we went to the county fair on both of the free gate days, first to add our flower bouquets to the rest of our entries and to walk around and then a second day to tally the ribbons we won, calculate our winnings, and immediately spend some of those winnings on elephant ears and cotton candy.  

This is the biggest reason I love entering things in the fair.  After we've counted the ribbons, I change from a parsimonious scrooge to one of those mamas who indulge their children with horrifically overpriced fried treats and similarly priced clouds of colored sugar.  This, my friends, is an outright miracle.  (And can I say it feels awesome to not care a whit that I can make an elephant ear for a dime at home.  One dime?  Five bucks?  WHO CARES?!)

Also as is our habit, we wandered around without John, who always has to work, but on one of the days, we found out he was serendipitously at the fair himself with one of the men for whom he works.  We got one hug apiece, except for me; I stole more.  Jackpot!

I can't remember who took this picture of a nursing break on the first day we went.  I look a little haggard, probably because I was a little haggard.

Never mind.  ANNIE took the picture above, as well as this one and probably the dozen others that I'm not posting.

We also briefly connected with my brother Joel, in town for a few weeks, who as you know, is currently in the dissertation stage of his philosophy doctorate.  Immensely more impressive, he is a fine tomato-hole digger, and the children adore him to death.  Zeke was lusting after the tractors, so Joel took him over for a look-see. (While at the county fair, or while writing about the county fair, using the term "look-see" is perfectly appropriate).

And here's the photographer, posing for a portrait by the cement cylinder that was on display and for sale.

The second day counts as the real county fair day, 'cause that's the day we spend money, and everybody who's been to our dinky county fair knows that if you're not going to spend any money, the fair's charm is exhausted in under an hour.

First stop: the grocery store across the road from the fair to buy some extra fixings for our picnic.  Just lemonade and bread wasn't going to cut it for an idyllic picnic in the parking lot.  We needed lunchmeat and CHIPS and CANDY.

Zeke ate chips and candy. (Forget the sandwich, people.)

And from here on out I carried the baby and had one child or another hold my camera for the majority of our stay, which means I came home with over 60 pictures of strange and unusual things-- like this picture of my hair and Susie's, which I include only to show that Susie gets a few of her red hairs from me (at least until mine turns entirely gray; don't look too closely, please).

We ran into Joel again!  The first day he had dropped into the fair with my cousins; this day he had dropped in with my parents in hopes that they would buy him a spiedie sandwich.  He lucked out!  Two little girls to hold his hands AND a spiedie sandwich.

Before Mom, Dad, and Joel left (they came mostly for the spiedie sandwiches, I think), I made Joel take this picture of us with our elephant ears.  Thirty-five pounds left to lose?  Who cares.  Eat that heavenly elephant ear!  Do it!

At the fair, little ponies pull big men.

Mamas pose for goofy pictures.

They also allow pictures yet goofier.  (That guy in the backround just ate a spiedie sandwich and immediately began the obligatory Dance of the Mighty Spiedie.  Celebrate!)

I tried to take the usual stairstep picture, 

and discovered anew that all group pictures of my children will involve Zeke running out of the frame just as the shutter closes.

But just look at those sunsuits all lined up in a tidy row, will you?

Rabbits and pigs and chickens, oh, my.

Johnson children will appreciate this grainy picture of an ermine stole.  (There's an idea for Dad's freezer ermine.)

Free petting zoo!  AND.  I even gave them quarters to buy feed grain. 

Quarters.  REAL money.

 I KNOW.

I think Piper took this picture of Aidan and I.  I look suspicious, but Aidan's cute.

And then I took the camera back and snapped these right before we left the fair. 

This camel laughed in the face of the "No Smoking" sign.

And immediately enjoyed his tobacco in chewing form, instead.

Until next year!