County Fair Time

This is County Fair week here in Our Town. I love going to the fair to people watch. I like looking at the chickens and rabbits too, and skritching the ugly goats on the head. I probably shouldn't be touching someone else's livestock, but I do it anyway.


This is me, getting up close and personal with a pig at the 1994 county fair. I like the pigs the best. They have the most personality.

Hubby has a high ol' time at the fair too. He is visiting with somebody from the time we hit the parking lot until the time I finally poke him to get him to leave. He is in his element amidst all the throngs of people. I usually have to drag him outta there.

I'm amazed at the tragic crafts that people enter in the fair. We always laugh at the crocheted toilet paper holders. Brownie points go to the first person to spy one that is made as a skirt for a plastic doll whose legs go in the roll tube. Those are a Southern Culture classic, but are getting to be harder and harder to find each year. I'm afraid that little piece of kitsch may be dying away. Here my twin sister Hillary displays a fine example of the non-doll variety.


When I look at the ribbon winners for photography I think, "Gosh, I take better pictures than that." But every year fair time sneaks up on me so I've never been prepared to enter anything. This year was different. I had been watching the paper for the fair announcement, and picked up an entry rules booklet a few weeks ago.

I trotted down to the fairgrounds this afternoon to submit my oil derrick model and two photographs. The place was abuzz with people setting up the carnival rides, the information booths, the garden veggie competition. I was behind an old fellow who was entering muscadines. There was a big discussion on exactly how many muscadines had to be on the plate for the entry. I am not a big fan of muscadines, so he wouldn't have won a ribbon if I were the judge.

I thought my photos were pretty good until I saw the other entries already submitted. Uh Oh! There are some fine amateur photographers in this county. My ribbon chances already look pretty slim, and I was just the 10th person to enter in the photography division.

Judging is tomorrow. Stay tuned for results.