Fair Time Whoopie!!!

Oh joy oh joy it is fair time again and with it comes 4-H projects and livestock exhibits. It seems that we look forward to the county fair all year and we plan what we are going to take. The kids and parents work on projects in hopes of being picked to go to the state fair. But the week of the fair all the parents are hoping and wishing that it can not get done soon enough so we can take a break and get an extra 15 or 20 minutes of sleep in the morning.

When Labor Day rolls around we are scouring the country side in hopes of the next great cattle project and with this comes daily washing, brushing, blowing a regular beauty salon in the cattle barn for the next 10 months along with the many bumps, bruises and scrapes associated with trying to break an unwilling 850 lb steer or heifer. Believe me if they don't want to move there is nothing short of hooking them to the tractor that will make them move.

The horse thing is different from the cattle. The horse actually likes you and they enjoy being around you. You also only need to purchase one and it will serve you for many years to come. Unlike the cattle where you have to get new ones every year and go thru the same bumps and bruises again and again. You can also go in more than one class you have so many to choose from; English, Western Pleasure, Trail, Halter the list goes on and on. You don't even get to brush the hair the same way. Cattle you want hair and you brush it forward horses you don't want hair and you brush it back:annoyed:

I don't know why we do this to ourselves every year. Maybe it is because both my DH and myself were both in 4-H and we know that there are alot of different opportunities that are available. Maybe it is tradition our children are the third generation of Jones's in 4-H in our county. I was wondering if any other Tuggers out there have fair experiences they want to share.

kj - my two boys are in FFA and they show hogs. Our county stock show was just a month ago, so I'm still in the "whew, I'm glad that's over for another year" stage I also serve on the committee that helps put the whole thing on....

For many years we went to a wonderful small fair in the Poconos. Our "city" kids loved looking at the animals that the 4-H kids had raised and were showing--incredible chickens and pheasants, cows and sheep, goats, horses, ponies....

This year we're going back to the Poconos that week specifically so we can go to that fair!

My son has had to enter the fair the last two years. Not as part of 4H, but part the student showcase, which was a requirement for his archtecture/engineering class For the last 2 years he has designed and programmed a lego robot. Both years he took first place, best of class, and best of show in the catagory.

So the question that has been discussed in our family is "If you are the only person who enters the catagory does that make the award any less valuable?" We pretty much have decided if no one else wants to do the work to do the CAD work required to submit an entry then it is still is a worthy accomplishment. A benefit is that it is something he can put in a college accomplishment list. That and the fact he teacher is so pleased (since it reflects back on him and his classes with the school district) that it helps him in his classwork, and provides him with a mentor.

Although I have to admit, since I was born in Ohio, when I think of the fair I still think of the 4H animal projects. The smell of a barn still reminds me of warm summer days!

We love the animals, but I really like going to the 4H building to see all the other fabulous things kids create. One year I was completely blown away by the quality of furniture. We'd been shopping for a bedroom suite and what we saw in that building was far superior to the offerings in the local retail places.

I find it comforting that with all the downer news about our youth, there are still plenty that care about quality, craftsmanship and a job well done.

KJGRAIN,

We also live in Iowa and plan on attending the IA State Fair. For the first time, we've both entered some travel photos in the photo contest. Didn't even know they did that until someone at my former job told me that some of my photos were good enough for the State Fair contest . . . so we entered some.

I cannot imagine all the work that goes into showing animals . . . or even the cooking/baking contests. The photo contest was relatively low effort once the choice of "just four" photos was made.

Back in Wisconsin, our favorite days were the ones with the horse shows including the carriages.

Our daughters are (supposed to be) busy decorating cakes right now-they enter them on Monday, and then will probably spend Tuesday putting the finishing touches on their other projects before turning them in. There seems to be a lot of procrastination occuring, though, too.

This is really not one of my favorite weeks...but once we get to fair, and start going through the exhibits, and seeing all their friends we all begin to enjoy it more. It's fun to visit with our friends who bring animals, since we don't have them.

My FIL was a county agent, and both my husband and I were in 4H growing up, so fair always brings back lots of memories.