September 19, 2016

Franklin County Fair


I made the mistake of thinking rides opened at 10. They don't. They open at 12. So we got to the fair at 9:30 and spent a lot of time looking at animals and finding things to look at until the rides opened.






Dairy Calves showing




The poop scoopers


This was the class for the milking shorthorn. When you are the only one, you always get a blue ribbon. YES!


Overnighters in the dairy barn


Loved this little guy


Watching the English Saddle horse show



The judges. They didn't approve of the kids looking through the fence. 


So we went back to the cows. And saw these cuties!


4-H photography



The 4-H barn had a corn corral




Some beautiful kind of bird


Pheasant maybe?




The sportsmen's club had this little fawn. It was taxidermied up, which was sort of hard to explain to kids after all the live animals. 


Then we went to the grand stand to watch the horse show from a far away distance. This girl was practicing her dance moves for Franklin County's Got Talent that afternoon in her 1950's get up with a cigarette dangling from her hand. 


I really enjoy the ferris wheel!


Tori came and went on a few rides with the kids



Great hilarity!



Gilbert said he had a great time, but he was clutching his bar and looking nervous the entire time he was up there. 




Merry-go-round painting





General chaos of the fair





The girls thought the gravitron thing was a good idea, against all the better judgement of the adults. Surpisingly, they felt a little sick afterward.


Gilbert, proud captain of the dragon ride





This is the pokiest ride at the entire fair, but Gilbert was set on going on it. They were thrilled. 


September 15, 2016

The Crites come to visit


Way, way back at the end of June, my cousin Andy and his wife came to visit. Remember me telling you about the Douglas' coming to see us as well? I was pretty bummed about not going to Colorado this summer, but there was no way we could justifiably head off to Colorado, while owning two houses, moving, taking summer coursework, and getting ready for a new job and college this fall. So we stayed put. 

And people came to us.  

We are so lucky!

It was so good to have them here. We had a lovely afternoon and evening visiting before they headed south.


It was a gorgeous June day, the day the relatives came. (Little Cynthia Rylant reference there!)


We took a walk through the cows to see a tiny new calf born way too late in the season.


June was so crazy busy. I look at this picture and think "How did I not enjoy it more?"



Tall grasses


Happy girl on Daddy's shoulder!



Oh June!


Windy buttercups





It was super tiny.


Jolene and Greydon



Lily trying to get close to the calf





Discussing the calf and it's parentage


Oh.... those skies. That greenness. These people.

My heart!








Willow, reading Archie to Elsie and Gilbert


Elsie and Gilbert danced on the table to wave goodbye!