All’s Fair

For the past week I’ve lived a crazy life trying to balance final back-to-school prep, canning, and the fair. If you saw me and I appeared more scattered than normal..that’s why.

While I have a quick minute I’ll give you the rundown on the fair. Lots of fun as usual. We went to the Monster Truck Show, Magic Valley Stampede (rodeo), and the Tractor Pull. Animals were petted, Agriculture and Home Art projects were observed, friend’s projects checked out, we even made butter one day. All in all it was a lot of fun and excitement. Oh, and if you want to observe excitement give Emilie cotton candy and an orange Slurpee drink and stand back….Holy Toledo!

I enjoyed the picture taking opportunity. I’ve got Monster Trucks worked out, but find Ill need a bigger lens for Rodeo. Horses and bulls are a lot smaller than pickups on steroids and will require the telephoto if I want capture any of the action.

One of our favorite parts of this year’s fair was the Scarecrow Maze. Various departments (think beef, home arts, sheep, horses, concessions, etc.) made Scarecrows and placed them in their areas. The fair board then, for $1 fundraiser, gave out sheets with a list of general scarecrow locations and you were to walk around the fair and gather numbers of each scarecrow. When you were done you turned it in for a prize drawing. Not only was it a fun ‘scavenger hunt’ of sorts for the kids, but it gets people to walk around and see the entire fair and not just the popular hot spots.

Jack, and therefore I, watched then whole tractor pull from start to finish. He’s about the nosiest fan in the stands. He claps and cheers, “Go *insert tractor make"*!” The whole time they are pulling. In the lawn and small tractor division they can start competing at age 5…perhaps we’ll have to keep our eyes open for a small tractor and get Jack started pulling. Our neighbor is part of the pulling association and would love to see Jack get involved.

In al,l it was another great year out at the fair.

The Fair, Grandma & Grandpa, and a Date

As promised here is a post about the fair. We went twice this year. Once to see the Monster Truck show and again a few days later when Grandma and Grandpa came to town. The second trip we got to spend more time walking around and looking at the animals, 4H projects, crafts, canned goods, sewing etc.

It never ceases to amaze me. Every year we seem to know more and more kids with things entered in the fair. I look forward to the day our two are big enough to do 4H and enter projects of their own.

As a special treat we timed our second visit so we could go and see the tractor pull. Neither child, nor Grandma it turns out, has ever been to a tractor pull. This pull had 3 categories Large tractors, small tractors, and lawn tractors (not sure where the break between large and small tractors was). Each tractor took a turn seeing how far down a marked track it could pull a weighted sled. The sleds had weights on a pulley and as the tractors drove the weight was pulled forward over the sled’s axel therefore increasing the amount of force needed to move the sled. (click on the picture below for a better explanation)

Jack thought is was great fun! He kept asking everyone what their favorite tractor was. His was the black tractor. Grandpa liked the ones with tracks. Emilie fell asleep and entered no opinion (guess that says what she thinks of tractors pulls) I liked a big 1950’s era John Deere. I also got a kick out of the little kid pulling with a lawn tractor. Note the 2x4’s attached so he can reach the pedals and the adult walking alongside with the kill switch

Emilie was much more interested in the animals, she petted rabbits, sheep, and pigs. She enjoyed the train room (so did Jack) and the Ag building as well. In all it was another great year out at the fair.

With the Grandparents in town for their visit we also took a tour of the “West End” over the weekend. Specifically the Hagerman National Fish Hatchery, so Grandpa could pet the sturgeon, and the Cloverleaf Creamery in Buhl.

LeAnn and I got some food preservation in. 6 pints of raspberry-peach jam, several pie fillings, and some pickled jalapenos. I learned one should cook jalapenos when home alone as the steam seems to bother people – yep I tried to pepper spray my husband and father-in-law. I was standing right over the pot in the kitchen and had no issues but they were coughing and wheezing away out in the living room….Ooops.

In crazy news, Kevin and I even got to go on a ‘date’. Wait! Did you see that? A pig might have just flown past the window! Seriously though, we left the kids with the Grandparents for the afternoon and went to go check out the thrift stores downtown in hopes of working on Halloween costumes. Of course it was Labor day so they were all closed. In 8 years of marriage we’ve just learned to ‘roll with it’ so we headed down to Auger Falls on the Snake River.

We’d had the foresight to bring the fishing poles so we hiked and even dipped our lines in the water once or twice. Kevin scared the bejeezes out of himself when he went to meander down the bank and hopped up on a rock just in time to see a bull snake launch himself into the water and grab a Sculpin (small fish).  I learned two things 1) My husband can move really fast and has great reflexes when properly motivated. 2) Snakes will jump in a cold river to eat fish.

After hiking down to the falls and wandering the canyon bottom for a couple of hours we were starting to feel warm so we headed back to the car. Then we decided to do something really crazy and see a movie…in the actual theater. No fooling, the last ‘in-theater’ (not counting the Drive-in) experience I can remember is seeing Sherlock Holmes (the first one) with Robert Downey Jr. It’s been awhile. Of course the movie didn’t start for an hour after we got there so we improvised with a quick trip to Chilie’s for a cold pint and some nachos. Better yet we happened to conveniently stumble in during Happy Hour so it was CHEAP cold pints and nachos (yes, it’s the small things that make our day ) It was back to the cinema after that and I’ve got to say ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ was pretty great. No comic book nerd by any means but all the great 80’s references and humor were what really made it worthwhile, well that and the cute guy sitting next to me willing sharing his popcorn. We really should do dates more often….

Well, here’s to fun visits with the family and to date nights!

Photo Friday– All Star Monster Trucks

This was the moment he waited for all month. He diligently slept in his bed every night (Both kids were told they could go if they stopped couch surfing and slept in their own beds) and checked off his calendar every morning. All to witness this moment….. a Monster Truck SMASHING a School Bus!!!!!!

Right now, just seeing this picture Jack is singing a little song,

“Here he comes, the Monster Truck to smash the School Bus,

Monster Truck, Monster Truck!

He crushes everything he sees

Monster Truck, Monster Truck – WOW!”

Oh yes, those trucks made quite the impression (pun intended). Both kids were sooooo excited that they got a reward for sleeping in their beds and filling in thier sticker chart that they wanted to work for something else. Kevin and I put our heads together and thought maybe we could finally execute that ‘sometime this fall’ plan to take the kids to the Zoo in Salt Lake City as a reward. However, our kids had something more important, a higher priority, that they wanted to work for. What are they checking of the days for now? Trick-or-Treating of course! Guess I better start working on those costumes…..

**Note – I will do a post on the Fair, but we’re going again tomorrow, as we really didn’t see much besides Monster Trucks on Wednesday, and I’ll do one big summary**

All’s Fair

It’d Fair Week here in our lovely county. That means 4H and FFA’ers are culminating their year’s work, greasy fair food is available in large over-priced quantities, and there is all manner of people out milling about the fairgrounds.

With Kevin’s impending backpacking/hunting trip (more about that in my next post) we opted to go out to the fair opening night. Plus, this was also the night of the All Star Monster Truck show and we thought the kids might find that entertaining.

As soon as we got into the grounds I casually asked Jack what he and sister would like to see first expecting he’d say tractors. He surprised me both with his answer and memory when he announced he wanted to see the trains. I didn’t think he’d remember the model train building as we only see it once a year…but I guess it stuck. He was awestruck to say the least.

Emilie enjoyed the trains too, but at that point she was still a little put out that we wouldn’t let her “go swim” in the “pools” (aka – the hot tub/spa display) she has seen on the way in. We made it up to her though by letting her pet all the critters that were brave enough, or just didn’t care, to be cuddled by an adoring two-year old. This year cows were top on her list. I can see her wanting to do the 4H replacement heifer project now.

Once all the animals had been sufficiently loved on we moved along to the tractors and farm equipment. Jack inspected and named each piece he came too. He also was fascinated with the antique farm equipment displays. That whir-hiss-pop some of the old machines make just had him enthralled.

Eventually, we were able to talk both kids out of the tractors by bribing them with food. Unfortunately, just as we picked up a couple of slices of pizza Jack spotted a big display of Hesston equipment that we hadn’t seen yet and his dinner was all but forgotten (Emilie was more than happy to eat his dinner for him). The Hesston display had big pictures of equipment hanging up and after Jack named each one the gal working the display called over to one of the dealers that she was going to fire him and hire “the kid” because he knew it all and was cuter.  Jack then proceeded to chat up the dealer and name all the equipment he had on display. When he wrapped up with the Swather the dealer decided that Jack, as an obvious future farmer, needed a Hesston baseball cap. Jack has been wearing it proudly all week.

We wrapped up the evening with a trip to the monster truck show. I’ll admit I was a bit nervous. Both kids can be skittish around loud noises so while we knew they’d like seeing the big trucks, we weren’t sure how they’d like hearing them. Fortunately we brought the ear ‘muffs’ we use when we go shooting. Each kid wore a pair and did great! The only downfall was they made the kids yell louder because they couldn’t hear themselves talking. Thankfully no one notice since it was a monster truck show and the kid merely contributed to the already loud din.

 

We didn’t make it through the whole show but that’s okay. About halfway through Emilie was getting fidgety and Jack announced he was ready to go home. If there is one thing I’ve learned with kids it’s not to push your luck too much. Get while the gettin’s good and everyone is still smiling!

Yep, it was a fun year out at the fair and I’m already looking forward to next year.

Granny and Grandpa Visit

The title says it all….we had visitors this week. Not just any visitors either, Granny and Grandpa! They arrived last Friday and we were so excited to see them that the whole family met them in Boise and took them to Zoo Boise. The kids had a good time showing Granny and Grandpa all their favorite parts of the Zoo. Emilie had a great time feeding the goats in the petting Zoo, and as usual it was all about Spider Monkeys for Jack.

Once we got back to Twin and got the Grandparents settled we laid low for a day, then we headed out to the fair. The fair was the motivation for my folks’ trip in the first place. Their local fair is quite large, they work it every year, and it has lost touch with much of its ‘Ag’ roots over the years. Our fair is reminiscent of what theirs used to be so they planned their trip to coincide with it.

Emilie loved the animals. The horses seemed to be her favorite. She spent a great deal of time laughing and kissing the noses of any horse that would let her. Jack pretty much rolled his eyes at all the critters. He flat out refused to get out of the strolled until we got to the part with the tractors. It was a toss up as to what he liked better, Tractors or the model train room.

The morning after the fair we loaded up the car and headed north. I’ve been wanting to take my parents to Stanley since we first moved to Idaho so that’s just what we did. We hit the Elk Mountain RV Park for a BBQ dinner (the best) and took in many of the gorgeous lakes and scenery that surround the area. The Halstead fire prevented us from seeing the Yankee Fork dredge and Sunbeam, but we got a great view of a burnout on the fire. We also went to the national fish hatchery, Galena Overlook (where Grandpa tried to feed Emilie to a chipmunk) Stanley Lake, Redfish Lake, and Alturas Lake. The kids had a great time playing in the dirt and rocks.

We stayed for the night at Jerry’s Country Motel & Cabins in Lower Stanley. I totally recommend them. The cabin we stayed in was clean and cozy. It had two double beds and a loft, plus a small kitchen and bathroom. The best part was that is was right on the Salmon river and you can’t beat waking up to a view of the river backed by the Sawtooth Mountains. Plus, fire helicopters were flying up and down the river from the Halstead fire to the airport and Jack was in heaven. He spent the evening literally screaming about helicopters every time one flew past.

It was a great trip. I think Mom & Dad are already ready to come back and spend more time in Stanley…I know I am.

The Fair is a Veritable Smorgasbord…

We had such a great time at the fair this year. There was something for everyone. First was seeing how our entries fared. I’ve been entering photos for the past few years and this year Kevin decided to try his hand in the amateur division. With both did well. Over half our entries got ribbons, and we each got a 1st prize and an honorable mention. Not to shabby! I entered eight photos (four of which I entered at the Clark Co. Fair as well) and Kevin entered four. That’s a lot to share on here so I put together a video montage! (Yup, the nerdy side broke through again ;-P)



As for Jack, well he is a farm-boy at heart so he was in absolute heaven. He loved looking at the antique tractors, and wanted to ‘drive’ them so very badly. He also enjoyed the train building which has some amazing model train displays. Prying him away from the trains took a temper tantrum…couldn’t even bribe him away with an elephant ear. He enjoyed the pigs most out of all the animals. There is just something about hogs that amuse him. However, by far I think he favored the Ag Barn most of all.



In the Ag Barn they had large wading pools filled with beans and corn in which they placed toy tractors. Jack was absolutely ga-ga over those pools. He played in them for quite awhile. He even showed Emilie a thing or two about hauling beans. The next time I changed him I discovered he was packing about a 1/4 cup of beans in his pants, and another 1/4 or so in his diaper. He didn’t seem phased, but that has got to chafe!



I’m pretty sure Emilie had a good time too. Much to my surprise she was awake and alert the whole time we were at the fair. She quite enjoyed watching brother play with the tractors (brother-watching has become a real hobby of hers) and she even tried them out herself. She also appeared to enjoy the animals. Horses and goats brought out the best response. The petting Zoo was a smash with both kids.



As for Kevin and me…well after our trip with the kids we went back on our own. Sunday night we got sitters for the kids (Thank You Kayla & Avery R.!!!) and had ‘date night’ at the fair. We had dinner, took our time looking at some of the displays that the kids have no patience for and then went to a music concert.

The Band Perry was the headliner and I had heard about them playing the fair back in June. I like the group, but wasn’t quite sold on going to the concert. Then I found out that the lead in singer had to cancel and singer/songwriter husband and wife duo Joey + Rory would be the new lead in and I was sold! Both Kevin and I really enjoy their music.


It turned out to be a great combination. We both preferred Joey + Rory, there’s just something about their style. They keep it simple, they had no back-up band, just the two of them and guitars. Their music sounded exactly like it does coming out of the radio. The Band Perry was good as well I mean it takes some talent to pull off singing both ”Amazing Grace” and “Fat Bottomed Girls” in your set.

In all we had a great time at the fair and are looking forward to next year already.

94th Annual Twin Falls Co. Fair

Ahhhh the fair….. it’s the lovely fall event you look forward to every year. One last hurrah before everyone heads back to school and burrows into their holes waiting for spring.

This year we went twice. First trip was on opening day. Then Jack came down with an ear infection and some sort of virus/bug so our plans to go back on Saturday were scrapped and instead we went on Monday when Jack was feeling better.

The little man got his first taste of Fair food and I think the expression says it all…..and I fully agree.

Aside from food though. I got three ribbons on my photos. A first place for the picture of Julie on her Combine, a second for the B&W of the kid leaping for the baseball, and an Honorable Mention for the one of our friend Ken batting. Made five whole bucks….enough for an elephant ear with some left over to buy grain at the petting zoo.

Speaking of animals….. The cows were Jack’s favorite by far. Then the pigs. At first none of the pigs would come over to the fence so Jack would just stick his face between the two lowest slats and watch. Finally, one big guy took an interest and stuck his snout right in Jack’s face. Jack jumped backward about a foot, but recovered in time to return the favor by attempting to pick the pig’s boogies with his finger.

The sheep in the above picture is named ‘Fudge’ and a girl from out church was showing him. Pretty cool, that the local Sheep association has a special show for kids age 5 to 8 to show their critters. Most division don’t start until 8.

This was my favorite critter. B.W. Whiskers is a petting zoo goat and I had to physically remove Jack’s hand from his mouth a couple of times. He would take the grain you offered and just keep on going.

Finally, aside from the animals all the Farm equipment and old machinery were Jack’s favorite to the point of a pretty good tantrum when we had to leave.

Yep, it was a good year at the fair.