Northern Illinois Horsefest

[altivo]

Today was the Northern Illinois Horsefest at the Boone County Fairgrounds. We had planned on going, but the weather for the past couple of weeks has been so bad that I feared the fairgrounds would be a sea of mud and many participants would be kept away by flooding either at home or in intermediate areas.

However, it turned out to be a lovely day, dry, pleasantly cool, and sunny. There were clouds that clearly did not bode well for someone east of us, but they were still little baby storms when they passed through our area. We went to the Horsefest after all, stopping on the way for lunch in Garden Prairie.

Admission was up a dollar from last year, attendance was down both on the part of visitors and exhibitors. This has become a pretty predictable pattern. Every year I expect it won't happen at all the next year. I'm in doubt now whether it will be worth attending if it does happen. Their largest problem, I think, is lack of advance publicity. If you don't know to watch for it, you don't know it's happening.

Anyway, we did see some beautiful horses, walked through the commercial exhibits, sat through a competition in one outdoor arena, and headed back home. On the way out, I bought a plush horsie from a tent vendor. (Made by Aurora, for my serious plush collecting friends who may wonder.) I decided to name him Paffers, which will make sense to some of you. Here he is:

Paffers New arrival Paffers sits on the fabric in process at my loom, demanding attention. He's very soft and floppy, and obviously was bred for cuddling.

Comments

[doc-moreau.livejournal.com]

"He's very soft and floppy, and obviously was bred for cuddling"

The smile on my face from that has arced nearly 360 degrees. :D :D
Plushies are great! And he's a cute'n.

Finally done raining there eh? We'd been having a rather autumn-like cold spell... but that has stopped and now it's miserably-searing summer again.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Be careful about those 360° smiles. Your head could fall off and then where would you be?

Yes, it seems that the 40 days and 40 nights are over now, at least according to the weather service. They are promising dry weather for the next week or so.

[keeganfox.livejournal.com]

*petpets the ponies!*

: )

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Hurr-r-r. Be nice to the ponies and they will be nice back. ;)

[keeganfox.livejournal.com]

Oh? Have I found something out? *curious*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Oh nothing special. That's what my parents used to tell us about just about any domestic animal. With wild ones, it went something more like "He's just as afraid of you as you are of him, so don't go scaring him more."

[heavens-steed.livejournal.com]

Paffers is cute :)

I should take a picture of all my squeezable friends and post them on my journal, as I just got two more additions recently. Unfortunately I usually keep all of them in a large storage container in my closet because I don't have much room for them elsewhere and my parents seem disturbed about a 22-year-old male having horse plushies so it isn't a good idea to display them.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I can just imagine what your parents would think of me, and not just because I have a lot of plushies and even sleep with them in my bed. Fortunately, that thought only makes me laugh. This is certainly a case where the law of Wicca (not that I'm a Wiccan) applies: "An it harm none, do as thou wilt."

[plush.livejournal.com]

I should take a picture of all my squeezable friends and post them on my journal

Yes, please do!

And I agree, Paffers is a cutie!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

He's only a foot high, unfortunately. I'd like him two or three times larger. He is definitely soft and pettable though.

[merik.livejournal.com]

Paffers sure looks like he'd be a wonderful cuddle companion! He's definitely a cutie :-)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'd like him larger, but yes. He must be filled with foam because he's very soft but also very resilient. The plush is that very soft and silky variety.

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

I'm a tad befuddled by the whole depth of devotion people have for the plushes, but I guess I just outgrew mine... yeah, Paffers is cute *rollseyes and politely pats Paffers* ...okay.

BTW rain is coming my way now... I hope it isn't the same as yours- then again, I usually like it, so it may not matter :P Anythign to weaken the stifling heat :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Heh. I don't demand that anyone pay attention to my plushies unless they want to, so you are perfectly safe in ignoring them. To me they represent a sort of child-like imagination that I've never quite abandoned. Consequently, I give them names and talk to them sometimes, and I like having them where I can see and touch them. I suppose that seems batty to "normal" people, but I've never claimed nor wanted to be normal.

Things are much cooler and drier here at the moment, and I'll send you as much as we can spare. Hope it gets there without being stolen in Atlanta or something..

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

I'm not normal, it doesn't bother me or seem stupid... it just seems... um, what's the word- unnessecary.

Gotta run. Later

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's unnecessary to the plushie. He will be the same and have the same grin on his face no matter what. But that's one of the things that endears him to me. Even thrown on the trash heap, he resolutely keeps seeing the bright side of things.

I suppose it feels necessary to me though, because I don't always feel understood or wanted or appreciated by other people. Or something of that sort, anyway.

Do over

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

The um, monitor who was just doing her job at the library interrupted me in mid-comment, so I'll do this one over... that's what i mean whenever I type, "gotta run. bye"

I think the word I was looking for was "ornamental". Stuffed animals seem ornamental in life. They don't seem any more or less creepy wether they're owned by a grown man or a small girl- I think it's the sheer quantity some people have that floors me. I assumed normal meant a certain standard once, but now I'm just glad I'm not considered normal... so, to sum up, it doesn't bother me, I just find plushies ornamental :P

Re: Do over

[altivo.livejournal.com]

*makes a note never to give you a plushie as a gift* ;p

Some people feel that way about books too, which I do find disturbing where the plushie thing is just me and I know it. At least I know you don't fall into the group that wouldn't appreciate books, seeing them only as "clutter" or ornaments to line up on a shelf.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Sounds like so many events that lack proper planning.

Glad you got to see some nice horses and Paffers is a fine addition to the collection :) *picks him up and gives him a cuddle* Awww :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Now I thought you'd be too busy laughing uncontrollably to be nice to Paffers. ;p

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

*pets paffers* Paffers!! *falls over giggling and cuddling the plushie horse*

[tesstheredpony.livejournal.com]

paffers is quite cute. I too have a few of the Aurora plush ponies. I keep mine and their herd mates on my dresser piled as high as I can make it without them falling down. Of course when they do jump off the dresser it gives me a chance to rangle them up and give them pets and groom them before puting them back in the stack. btw hte fabric you are making looks great.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It's just kitchen towels. The pattern is a summer and winter (back is reverse or negative of the front side) and the colored weft in the pattern was hand spun cotton.

[tesstheredpony.livejournal.com]

Its still nice.

[hellmutt.livejournal.com]

He's cute and paffy and eeee, shuttle and weaving paraphernalia!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Very paffy, yes. You recognized the weaving tools. Most people have no idea what they are.