altivo

Went to the county fair in neighboring Boone County this afternoon. As I've remarked before, that one is still a real agricultural fair, with serious animal exhibits and vegetables and flowers and all. It also has the usual commercial pavilions with little booths in them. At one time, those were filled with people trying to sell stuff, from self-help books to eyeglass polish. Nowadays it seems they are mostly occupied by various flavors of bible thumpers (it's a wonder they don't get in fights, they are packed so close together) and more medical quackery than you can shake a crutch at, from chiropractors who claim they can cure cancer to vitamin hawkers to snake oil sellers. And then there are the mandatory kitchen gadget demonstrators, with their magic sauce pans and vitameatavegomatic choppers or whatever. The anti abortion campaigners and the politicians fill in the gaps. It's hardly worth walking through those buildings any more.

Iron-shod feather-feet pounding the dust...

Mostly that is made up for by the huge draft horse show that has grown so large that even after putting up two new horse barns a couple of years ago, they need temporary tents with long rows of portable stalls in them to accommodate the number of attendees. So many huge horses, most of them very mild and gentle acting. I'd need a ladder to get on one, because their backs are about eye level for me and their feet are bigger around than my thighs. Even so, I think it would be a pleasant thing to try... if I didn't get altitude sickness or a nosebleed at least.

Longest ears at the fair

It's hard to say. Well, if you do it in proportion to body size, the English Lop rabbits win it, ears down. They can hardly move around without stepping on their own ears. The Nubian goats have lovely big floppy ears too, though. We saw no mules, but there were two miniature donkeys in the petting zoo with lovely long fuzzy ears.

Most surprising moment?

Being asked at the gate if I were a senior citizen because today is senior day and you could get in free. You have to be over 65 to qualify, and I still have a ways to go before that. I guess I have enough gray in my hair and beard though to get asked.

A lot of walking, even though we skipped the midway and the acres of car dealers. I think the fairgrounds are 120 acres. At least the weather cooperated, a little warm but the rain stopped and the sun came out.