Would you please check out these pigs?
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.
So, I’ve given up on trying to find something witty or interesting or thoughtful to say and given into the cute.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Happy weekend everybody. May it be full of fun, friends, family and fleece!
People Are Clucking About