A Visit to the County Fair

There's no better excuse for sneaking over to the local county fair than to hear the Johnson Strings perform.  So...that's exactly what we decided to do on July 23rd.

Arriving early gave us a chance to hop over to the rabbit barn before the concert.  There were rabbits of every size, shape and color.

It appeared that some of the rabbits had a choice of either winning or having the sign below stapled under their cage.

"Ideas are like rabbits.  You get a couple and learn how to handle them, 

and pretty soon you have a dozen."  --John Steinbeck

We walked on...I'd rather raise ideas than rabbits!  The next shed featured the "open section" which was open to non-4 H members, and it was full of great ideas.  I especially liked these two horse quilts:

The person who did the quilting must have been extremely talented...I sometimes almost get a headache from sewing one quilt block!

This picture, although not a Picasso, has a very idyllic beauty.  I think the artist did a good job in matching the simplicity of the rusted frame with the poppies and butterflies.

By the time our tour of this section was completed, it was time to settle back and listen to the Johnsons.  In spite of the wind, which insisted on blowing the music off the stand, the Johnson Strings did a wonderful job, and I enjoyed each song.

My favorite was their "Easter song"--I think the title is "He is Risen."  You can listen to some of the Johnson String's music on their Youtube channel. 

After the concert we headed over to the sheep barn.  

Some of the sheep, whom I presume had been recently shorn, were wearing "jackets."  Others were content to enjoy the pleasant July weather.

This critter (below) was a real ham!  He kept sticking his snout through the bars as if begging to have his picture taken.

Passing the horses (which were being showed) and the cattle, we walked over to a concession counter to get a bite to eat.  I enjoyed a hot dog--ketchup only--and took a look at the photography.

My favorites are the photo of the cowboy boots and the picture of the chair with the sign that reads "A day in the country is worth a month in the city."

The chicken barn was our last stop.  

Doesn't this rooster look feisty?  The chicken barns at country fairs are usually filled with crowing roosters and laying hens; this year there seemed to be less birds, but that may be due in part to our coming at the wrong time during the fair.

Many of the chickens, including the Silver Laced Wyandottes above, looked very similar to our own. 

I would definitely recommend Iowa county fairs to anyone who needs a taste of country living.  If you're looking for good music, food, rural artwork, cackling hens, stocky cattle, or even a few rabbits to start your own rabbit farm, it's all here.  Welcome to the country!