The Nose Knows

Any regular reader of Cute Overload (And yes, I’ll admit it, I’m one of them. I mean, how’s a girl supposed to get through a day without the occassional Corgi-in-a-swing?) knows that the most delightful part of any animal is its nose, and that chickens are awesome.  And so, without further ado, I present you with the noses and beaks (and some sheep in spandex, because, I mean, how could you not take a picture of sheep in spandex?) of the Columbia County Fair.

Felled

I can’t believe it’s been a year.

A year since we bought the house.  A year since the financial world collapsed. A year since I was last at the county fair.

And though I know the seasons trod a fairly proscribed path–Winter then Spring then Summer then Fall and repeat–it seems unfair to be moving into Fall again, even despite its many charms; pretty colors, apple pies, fires and stove-top popcorn.  The crickets have become quieter, the chickadees are changing their songs and on our hike this weekend we saw a few trees that seemed ready to shake off their leaves and take a break.

Which is exactly what I need too.

I’ve just made it through two really brutal weeks at work, and I’ve been trying for those same two weeks to write something insightful and witty and funny, but I just can’t do it.  So, once again, I need to take a break, breathe a little and reboot.  Enjoy the pictures and the first stirrings of fall.

I’ll be back before the leaves hit the ground.

Animal Farm

Would you please check out these pigs?

The happiest pig in all the world.

Totally zonked, ridiculously cute

I hope now you can understand why I’ve had such a hard time crafting a post this week. Every time I sit down to write, I open WordPress in one tab, and then Flickr in another, and then all I can do is surf through all these animal pictures from our trip to the County Fair last weekend.

Who knew chickens could give you the stink eye?

Looks like he should be cast in rubber.

So, I’ve given up on trying to find something witty or interesting or thoughtful to say and given into the cute.

I love this pigeon. She looks like an exiled Russian princess.

Who knew pigeons had so much character and gravitas?

Given all the rancor flying around in the U.S. at the moment, the hurricanes and market swoons, I think we could all use to take a few moments to sit back and smile.

This goat desperately wanted to come home with me. Isaac said no.

The sheep were not amused by this hay-stealing goat, but I was.

This is the county fair I attended and showed at when I was young. One year I won a blue ribbon for a bunch of radishes, and I always did well at the horse show. Another year while I was hanging out at my 4-H leader’s cow barn, I got to help birth a calf.

Goats can give the stink eye, too. Every time I would turn to look at this guy, he'd stop chewing his cud and stare.

Her neck looks impossibly long.

Very little has changed. The food is a little more diverse, which is nice. Apparently Columbia County is now aware that tacos are incredibly delicious. The rides also look a little more rickety and all the fair-goers look a little shorter.

He won a blue ribbon for fuzziness.

Massive rabbit disapproval.

But, the faces on the 4-Hers, which is, really, what the fair is all about, are still shiny, happy and full of the enthusiasm gleaned from a year’s preparation, hard work and love.

Despite their sheepishness, they still managed a smile for the camera.

Sheep in T-shirts are funny.

There was just one somber moment to our trip when I spotted that same 4-H leader’s spot in the cow barn and went over to say hi, only to find out that she had recently passed away. It’s been a long time since I cried at the county fair.

This cow had some crazy tongue action going on.

See?

But a few minutes in the sheep shed helped sort me out. I think sheep may be the new goats, especially Oxford sheep. I’m in love.

I fell head-over-heels for this sheep.

I desperately wanted to take him home with me. Isaac said no.

I hope you enjoy this recipe-free detour. In all honesty, I’m still learning about my new kitchen; about it’s quirks and what I need to have on hand for cooking on the fly. So, even though our two dinners last weekend were delicious, I think I’m going to hold off on sharing them.

That piece of straw was there for the long haul.

Thanks for coming! See you next year!

Happy weekend everybody. May it be full of fun, friends, family and fleece!