Day one: We made flower bouquets all morning and dropped them off for judging with 15 minutes to spare. Then we were off to see the sights--mainly cows and tractors-- for a few hours until we could go back to the exhibit building and tally up our ribbons.
And tigers. Cows and tractors and tigers!
We came home to large messes in every room. Ah. Fair week.
Day 2: Picnic day! After counting up our ribbons on Wednesday and mentally calculating our winnings, we were free to turn into spendthrifts! Annika made cookies, Susannah made lemonade, we packed chips and candy leftover from our visit with Grandma Owen, and I picked up sandwich meat, rolls, and more chips at the local grocery store. Joel, Grandma J., and Deborah joined us for munching, and then it was off to the races for several more hours of hillbilly fair fun (still mainly cows, tractors, and tigers).
Even though this charming skull/mason jar mashup won a blue over mine and Mildred's potholders (neither her hand-woven beauty nor my appliqued chicken set got a ribbon), we killed it at the fair this year. Picnic money, elephant ears, a ride apiece, a bag of cotton candy, AND leftover money for rides at the state fair. Woot! There's nothing like blowing free money all in one go. And next year-- just you wait-- I'm making a weirdly painted sign thingy just like this one. It's what the judges want!
Tractors and boys to ride them.
The annual stairstep picture at the horse barn. Remember when there were NO BOYS to cause problems at the end of the line?!
Man, we didn't know what wonderful fun we were missing.
Ah, Cadence. We love you, too.
Elephant ears are such a rip-off...and so delicious.
Tigers!
Rides!
(Water jug interlude.)
More rides!
My other lens stopped working for the five minutes of Zeke's ride until I jiggled it back into working order (with my technical skill), but he loved it, too.
Luci kept her eyes closed for this entire ride. At least she was flanked by two happy sisters.
Right before leaving, Annika used some of her personal fair winnings to go on this.
Was she scared?!
Not a bit. She said it was "relaxing," and that it felt like she was floating down toward the ground. Ha! Yeah.
And a happier year for cotton candy this time around, thank goodness.
Half an hour after we finally got home, the couch was full.
Two hours after that, it was full again. I'm so glad we have a month to recuperate before the state fair arrives.
WHO are Jamie and David and just what part did they have in the creation of your children?!?!
ReplyDeletePS. That horse skirt of Piper's is SO awesome. Love it!
PPS. You and Millie were ROBBED.
Debbie and Joel didn't leave until after we took the stairstep picture, and we thought that sign was funny, too. Thanks, Jamie and David, wherever you are!
ReplyDeletep.s. I remember trying to squeeze myself into it years ago when I found it at a rummage sale. One ankle fit in, so Millie got it, instead.
p.p.s. Even though there was barely any competition, the pig matroyshkas didn't get anything, either, not even a white consolation ribbon! Maybe I wasn't clear that they were handmade...or the judge hates cutesy pigs. Next year, it's skulls and Mason jars, all the way. :)
What does it even mean?!?!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking something creeeepy.
ReplyDelete