County Fair Time

We went on a hot date last evening to the county fair. I consider any outing with my husband a date because it just doesn't happen very much. Sure there were two little chaperons with us to make sure we didn't start madly making out in the rabbit barn, but it was still a hot date.

The ice cream is a highlight of the fair and so are the cows in all the finery...

If you haven't been to a fair for awhile, I would encourage you to go. It is a cultural experience. In the chicken barn I observed the decorations around the cages and remarked to my husband, "If you ever find me sewing a pleated curtain made from chicken printed fabric, please shoot me." And he replied, "What if it doesn't have pleats, but is still chicken printed fabric?"

A lot of effort goes into dressing up the barns. Showing animals is good for kids and I think they sew their own chicken/cow/rabbit fabric curtains. Thanks goodness! Above is a picture of some flower decorations to enhance the look of this cow. I think it should win best of show for sure.

The girls love the animals. We had to tell Emma not to give all the cows loves. We told her they weren't nice like her cows. That seemed to work. Mandy would have been right in there with Emma if she wasn't strapped in. She loves animals too. Goats seemed to be her favorite. Heaven help me! I got a horrible mental pictures of me in a sweet goat print apron surrounded by all sorts of farm animals as Emma and Mandy prepared for the fair in the years to come. Ahhh! I blame their father for all of this. If they want to enter animals in the fair, he has to help them.... and wear the apron..... and sew the chicken curtains.

... and not smell like sheep when he comes to bed. No one needs to smell like sheep.

I entered 4 pictures in the photography contest this year at the fair. This is my fourth year and every year I enjoy seeing how my pictures rate compared to other people's photography. Every year I get a few 1st place and other honorable mentions. I entered as a profession this year because the rule book specifically stated that a professional is anyone who receives money as a photographer. Although my photography business is new and I've only had a few customers, I wanted to follow the rules. Unfortunately, no other professional or semi-professionals followed the rules and I was the ONLY person who entered as a professional. At first I thought, yay, that means I get first place on all of my entries, but no, my photos were not even judged. They were just put up on the wall with the rest. I was really irritated. I saw at least 2 other entries from PROFESSIONAL photographer that I knew charged money yet entered as amateurs. And then I was actually SMOKING mad. I waited to talk to the 85 years old Photography Superintendent while he talked to someone else. All the while I formulated my irritation into a coherent argument. I had previously talked to him when I entered the photographs and he said that I should enter them as a professional. Oh, I was mad. Entering the pictures was a complete waste of my time and no, I did not talk to the superintendent. He is an old guy and was really buried deep in the conversation with the other people about the dying art of rural photography. What about the dying art of people following the rules, huh! I ended up joining my husband and girls in the pig barn and finally calmed down when I ate my huge strawberry cheesecake ice cream in a waffle cone. There is always next year....