Sunday Edition- Pickaway County Fair, Tuesday....redux

This is the second installment of the family's adventure at this year's county fair. Those of you who missed it as an email earlier this summer are getting a chance to follow the week periodically. Those of you who read it already...well, sorry. Or, enjoy again! Monday's account of the Fair was published earlier in this blog. Go back to it if you missed it the first time.

Georgia and Pepa

It is 11 pm on Tuesday night. Tod, Georgia and Hamilton are at the Camper at the Fair, presumably asleep. Madeleine is making a Chrysler Building out of cake. I am writing to you all, and periodically answering the call of "Mom, I need help with this", because I know how to build a Chrysler Building out of cake.

Today was a busy busy busy day. Tuesday is the poultry show, goat show and sheep show at Pickaway County Fair. Georgia had both Poultry and sheep, so we were up and at it early again this morning. The kids all went off to start feeding, watering and cleaning pens, while I stayed back at the camper to tidy up and wait on Tod, who had gone to do home barn chores and had my fair pass... disorganized I am !

Much running around later, a blazing hot turkey show and rainstorm brought us to lunch, and still no turn for G. Now, getting antsy, as the sheep show begins at 3, Georgia's first class was Poultry Showmanship. She is strong in this area, and won the Junior division last year. So, this year she challenged herself and signed up with the older kids. Poultry showmanship is unique, in that it is judged not only on how you show your bird, but on knowledge of the species in general. There are all sorts of questions they are asked from basics, like, parts of the bird to more complicated questions, like, name three breeds with 5 toes on each foot. Answer given by G:" Sumatra, Silkie and Crested polish, but , Mom, Dorkies have that too."

Georgia had a tough class this year, and earned 5th place. But I'm so proud because she pushed herself. She was disappointed, but rallied, as the next contest up was Waterfowl Showmanship. For this she shows her duck, but it also answering questions about the critters. In this category, also one above her age level, she did much better and earned herself First place. She was not disappointed.

( The windows on the Chrysler building are making little points, and causing Madeleine much frustration).

She and I then dashed off to the sheep barns to get Dolores clean. Lambs herded behind, we headed to the wash racks, amid the horses and the goats, and scrubbed any lingering signs of poo off of Dolores' legs, cleaned her ears and made sure the dust was out of her nose. Lambs running off, then yelling, then returning to reach under their ma and bash her udder with their foreheads to get the old girl going for a snack. Repeat. Rush off, bleat, run back, bash, nurse. We then clipped up the edges of Dolores' wool with some nasty looking shears and put her back in her tidied stall. And, back to the Poultry show to collect ducks for the Fancy Duck class. Georgia had a pair of Cuyagas, black ducks. They are quite pretty, but didn't have enough green sheen for the judge, probably due to days spent in the sun. She placed 4th. Slightly disappointed. Then, a quick rush to the poultry barn to switch to chickens .

( The NYC sign coming off the side of the Chrysler Building is having issues)

Georgie leads Dolores, Evelyn and Everest follow

Georgia's chickens are Australorps, another pair of handsome birds, but the Fancy Poultry show at the Fair is one of the most competitive rings we throw our hat. With close to 20 pens of birds, the judge (He masquerades as "Buckeye Santa" at the Ohio State games) started lining them up in the order he was placing them and she nearly got Second! Last minute switch to third by a plucky little bantam pair that edged her out of second, but in all, very pleasing. Quick! A picture, as they are calling the Breeding Sheep to get ready to be called to the main arena. Dad valiantly raced back to the camper to retrieve the sheep show shirt- there is an apparent science behind the shirt selection, but I don't know if it matters in Georgia's case, as her belt buckle is never the right kind. No bling. But she had chosen an electric pink shirt with shiny butterflies or something on it. Like I said, a science. Corraling lambs in an area full of sheep and people is evidently Mom's job, but the cuteness factor of the lambs goes a long way when they are unruly and bumping into folks, and running under the bigger sheep. I think this is also why Hamilton has made it this far. Unfortunately, lambs and little boys grow.....

(Madeleine is now creating a fondant to turn electric green to add to the sign on the Chrysler Building. It turned out more like kelly green.)

Grand Champion Border Leicester Breeding Ewe, with two bits of proof.

Once the sheep show was finished, Madeleine was done with her Junior Fair Board duties of the day, which entailed sitting behind the announcers stand at the sheep show.

We were then due at Cow Chip Bingo. This is a game where you buy a square and then they release a sprightly heifer cow onto the game board and she eventually soils someone's square, and they win money. Our square went unscathed- at least by that cow. Back to the barns to water, and clean pens, scrub Peaches hind end as she has "I'm shut in a stall all day stress poop", and clean animals are mandatory at the Fair!

So, now, the Chrysler Building is done, Madeleine is cleaning up the pink, green, black, grey, and blue, buttercream, fondant and meringue frostings so we can head back to the camper and keep the cake in the air conditioned space so as to prevent meltage. It is past midnight. Another long day at The Fair. Tomorrow is Hamilton and Madeleine's first chance to show projects this year. Hamilton is presenting his Snack Attack! and Madeleine her NYC cake and her NYC Scrapbook. She went on a excellent trip with my parents this spring to the City, and made it her Fair theme too, evidently!

Now, how to get a 26" tall cake into a monster truck at 12:15 am...

The Chrysler Building, post judging, just after Dad played Godzilla on the bottom corner (accidentally!)