country fair

We took advantage of some lovely, crisp autumn weather yesterday by heading over to the local country fair. Zoo Boy was excited to see the animals (no big surprise there), J was looking forward to riding the rides (although he loved checking out the lego creations in the exhibits building too), and The Map Man and I were just looking forward to the whole darned thing! Here, Zoo Boy makes friends with a pair of Oxen outside the cattle barn. He also did his best to convince us to buy a goat that a farmer told us was for sale when he saw Zoo Boy petting it. (Gee, thanks mister!) We told him that we could talk about getting a goat or two in the spring, but for now, we have our hands full of sheep.

I, meanwhile, absolutely fell in love with these Tamworth piglets. I've never been a big pig fan, but these guys and their beautiful (yes, I said that about a pig!) mother caught my eye. The Map Man and I jotted down the farmer's information, as these piglets will be ready to sell in mid-October. We've never raised pigs before, so I suspect we'll do it at some point, even if we decide against buying one of these particular porkers. At least now we know a breed that suits our fancy!

The kids really enjoyed watching The Connecticut Renagades, who held a mounted shooting competition. There was a course of balloons on pylons, and the riders (all geared up in traditional cowboy wear -- the rules don't have any restrictions on costumes for the riders, but the horses are not allowed to wear any synthetic tack) had to run the course with their horse, shooting balloons with their six-shooters. Apparently, scores are based on time, with time faults for missed ballons. Looked like a bunch of fun, and it was certainly entertaining to watch.

We also watched a bit of the Ox Draw, although the kids were less thrilled about the slower pace of this competition. The Map Man and I actually spent a good chunk of our early married years attending all the local fairs in order to watch the Ox Draws, and we'd always intended on getting our own team of Oxen to compete with. We never did it (not yet anyway!) but we like exposing the kids to it occassionally, hoping one of them might develop an interest in pursuing it. There's just something about a team of Oxen that has always captured our imaginations.

Of course, the highlight of the kids' visit was the midway and riding the rides. There was a handful of appropriate rides and activities for little kids, and The Map Man took them on the Ferris Wheel, too. I'm "that" Mom at amusement parks -- the one that stands on the sidelines and waves and takes pictures. Not a big ride fan, I never have been, I get motion sick far too easily.

It was a really wonderful afternoon/evening, we all had a great time. The fair is big enough to fill a day with activity, but not so large and overwhelming that we worry about the kids wandering off and getting lost, and there aren't any crowds to fight. It's truly an agricultural event, and it's fun to see the displays and animals of the farms in the surrounding towns -- it helps us feel more connected to our New England farming heritage. The kids and I are talking about entering some of our own products and projects next year.