Fair again today

We headed to the fair today because today was the day that Grandpa Randy wanted to take the grandkids to the fair.  So we met Grandpa Randy, Grams, Trenton & Taylor at the fair.  We walked around looking at the sheep and goats before I had to head over to the Exhibit Building for my volunteer time.  I was basically walking around the exhibits making sure people didn’t touch them.  Frankly, I never considered how many people would want to touch other people’s stuff.  Adults and kids alike.  Is the concept of “DO NOT TOUCH THE PROJECTS” (as was put on signs all over the place) so hard to understand?  Obviously, or else they wouldn’t need so many volunteers to watch over them.

While I was volunteering the rest of the group walked around looking at other animals and then met me at the Exhibit Building so they could look around.  It was perfect timing because it was just starting to rain.  So we wandered around for awhile.

Then we picked up Tyler’s ribbon.  It also included a comment card and a certificate.  I included pics of them here.  Remember, he’s in Exploring 4-H so everyone gets a participation ribbon.  They weren’t being judged like in real 4-H.

2008 – Fair (Tyler awards)

Then we headed to the commercial buildings to wait out the rain and the lunch rush.  We succeeded in both.  Then it was off the the Old MacDonald Farm where the baby animals were.  I LOVE baby animals.  The baby animals included a cow, rabbits, ducks and chickens.  Tyler & Taylor both got to hold a chick.  Tyler was excited because the feet of the chick left little (and I do mean little) scratch marks on his hand.  He was excited because then he could prove to his dad that he held a chick.  We also looked in on the miniature horses that were in the stalls under the reconstructed barn on the Old Homestead.  Taylor made a friend in Flash.

Next was the Marcan Tiger show.  It was GREAT!!!  We learned about the 4 different colors that Bengal tigers come in: orange with black stripes, white with black stripes, golden (orange with ruby stripes) and snow (white with light gray stripes).  Some tiger tidbits: there are only 30 tigers with the snow coloring in the world and we saw 3 of them today; there haven’t been any golden or snow ones seen in the wild in over 100 years; just because they are white does not mean they live in an area where it snows, they still live in India in the forests; being a white tiger does not make you a Siberian tiger; obviously, their populations are declining very rapidly due to habitat loss and poaching.  The tigers and trainers were amazing to watch.  They worked together so well.  I also loved how they tied all the educational stuff in with the program.  Tyler came away reciting lots of facts.  Gotta love hidden learning.

We stopped for snack of ice cream and elephant ears.  And then went to find the 900+ lb pig.  We found him and it is 984 lbs.  All it did while we were there is sleep, but what else does that big of a pig do.  Well, I suppose at some time it must eat or it wouldn’t have gotten that big.

Now we are home taking a short break.  Tyler & I are headed back to the fair in about an hour with Trent.  I still need to see the horses, poultry, llamas.  Not sure what all Trent wants to see and what Tyler wants to show Trent from today.  And Kellie Pickler is in concert in the Grandstand tonight.  Don’t really want to go to the Grandstand for it (even though it’s free), but we could head over to the Saddle Club Arena, watch the horses and listen to the music.  More later…..