The State Fair

Last week Kent and Grandma Sue took time off work and we all went to the state fair.  I love the fair!  The children do too.  This year we had two objectives: eat lunch at the beef council tent, and eat something on a stick.  Last year we had our lunch, and as soon as we finished eating, Kent saw the beef council tent, smelled a delicious aroma issuing forth from said location, and was disappointed in what we had eaten.  So we wanted to try out their steak sandwich this year.  Also, every year we read about all the strange food stuffs available to eat on a stick, and I wanted to enjoy one of these unusual creations.  Brandt wanted to drive a tractor.  Blythe wanted to do whatever Brandt was doing.

We did have lunch at the beef council tent.  It was disappointing.  The steak was not adequately cooked and as none of us like our meat rare, we didn't really finish.  The food on a stick choice was also somewhat a bust.  We ordered a deep-fried Snickers bar, and while it was sweet, hot, and gooey, it was also too much. We tried deep-fried Oreos which were also too much.  And we bought a funnel cake which was enormous, far too much to eat, even for five people.

We rode the big yellow slide, the went through "Little hands on the farm," Brandt and Blythe rode a train, and Blythe, Grandma Sue, and I rode the Ferris wheel.  We saw all the animals and assisted in the recapture and penning of two rogue pigs who managed to get out of their pen (we don't know exactly how) and ran right past us.  Kent helped herd them back in while Blythe clung to him, desperately trying to avoid contact with the bovines.  Kent came away with a pig snot souvenir on his pants.  The children also rode the ponies, even Brandt, who last year wanted nothing to do with them but this year was brave.

Oh! We love the fair!

While this wasn't a tractor, it was a digger, and that is just as good.

Our little farmers off to produce and sell produce.

Just occurred to me that "produce" and "produce" are exactly the same word, but with two different meanings.

English is weird.

"Weird" as another example of English strangeness.  

It's an exception to the whole "i before e except after c" rule.

Brandt "milking" a large fiberglass cow.

He's a natural!

Blythe was nervous and somewhat at a loss as to how to proceed when confronted by the utter.

She eventually was brave enough to try.

Brandt is planting onion and Blythe is planting bell pepper.

They won't grow.

First of all, they are planting in sand which lacks all necessary nutrients for the plant to grow.

And then they are planting round, wooden disks.  

We won't go back next year expecting to harvest.

Brandt got to ride a tractor.  

It wasn't quite what he envisioned, but still.

Blythe riding as well.

Our future farmers of America.

Brandt driving another tractor.

Me too.

The Big Yellow Slide

So named because it is both big and yellow.

Both Brandt and Blythe loved it!

Riding the train.

 

And riding the Ferris wheel.

A bunch of sillies!

The great pig escape.  

As we were just entering the pig enclosure, two pigs ran past us.

Two pig people (although not the owners of the run-away pigs) watched them pass us too, and then took action.

They cut them off at the pass, herded them back down the aisle towards their pen,

and then Kent, brave Kent, cut off the egress, forcing them back inside.

So exciting!

A sow and her piglets, all seven. 

They were noisy.

There was a sign by this pig's pen that read,

"Don't put your child in the pen."

Who would do that?

And why?

Actually, I can think of several reasons why, but I digress.

Grandma Sue and Blythe discussing the feeding habits of piglets.

And Grandma Sue sweet talking a sheep.

 

Blythe is sweet talking a goat.

I had to take a picture of these birds because we laughed and laughed while we stood watching them.

This is an emu and a turkey.

Above their cage was a sign that said, 

"These are rescue birds."

Grandma Sue looked at the sign and said, 

"How could these birds rescue anyone?"

We then began to pantomime ways an emu might help someone in distress, 

or how a turkey would alert someone to danger.  

Must hilarity ensued.  

The sign over the cage was obviously missing an D.

Brandt and Blythe both enjoying a deep-fried Oreo.  

As long as I am their mother and taking them to the fair,

these will be the last deep-fried Oreos they ever eat.