County Fair ’22
We were zipping down the road in my old pickup truck. Peterson Farm Brothers blaring on the radio. Goats loaded up in the back. We sang happily along with the wind whipping through our hair from the rolled down windows. There were fancier rigs at fair, but none as fun as us.
The day before we brought in the static entries, pillows, plants, the things they’ve made at 4h camps all summer. As the kids finished their interviews my son was snatched up first. A gang of children wandered by and spotted him. They called his name from across a field and he was absorbed. He disappeared only to be spotted from a distance as they roamed about doing whatever it is kids do at fair. My daughter finally finished her interviews and went off to join them.
We stayed longer than we had needed to as they helped wash pigs, visited dogs, and probably caused trouble.
Today we were bringing the goats. They traveled happily in the box in the bed of my pickup. We had loaded them earlier and taken them for a ride, testing it out and getting them used to the idea. Hauling a whole trailer seems excessive for two tiny little goats.
Not as many friends were about today and the ones that were had been busy showing pigs since early morning. Mine were too nervous to play much anyway. They clung and fought. We settled the goats and looked at their projects from the day before. Finally it was time for lunch and the show to begin.
The showmanship class was good sized, for such a small fair. Five kids, five children too of course. My daughter and her friend had smaller dairy goats, I think that may have helped them look better handling them. They placed highest.
Then it was time for the littlest kids. They are in Clover Buds but got to show with the big kids. Participation awards but my son was wore out from the long day. He frowned and drug his goat through the class. It was a good learning experience, even if he managed not to enjoy it. Loosing, how you manage that with a participation award I’m not sure, but he was sure he had, loosing gracefully is a learned behavior that must be practiced.
They had a great time with friends, learned a lot. Like how to help your friends get ready to show, how to help them do their absolute best, even if they will be showing against you. It’s looking like we might be doing goats again, even after we swear it off every year.
