Fair Day

The Friday of our local fair has been our annual day to go to the fair. The main reason being....tractor pulls. Now I am not sure if all parts of the country have tractor pulls, but if you don't, you really are missing out. :-) This is one of my favorite events at the fair.

The fair is a wonderful outing for our family. It is often hard to find something that will appeal to the younger guys and to Bess. The fair fits the bill. There are so many different things to see that everyone is content.

We met up with Mom and Dad who were also at the fair and watched the first class of tractors. Think large farm tractors with very big engines, lots of power and tremendous noise. We come prepared with earplugs.

The orange vehicle behind the tractor is the pulling machine. As the tractor pulls it down the track, the weights move forward causing more drag and making it harder to pull. As you can see the front end of the tractors often pull off the ground. The black smoke is caused by the mix of diesel fuel and water. I don't understand how these tractors run, but it sure is fun to watch.

Of course, a snack of fried dough is always required. Dan had more powdered sugar on him than in him.

The small steam engine area is a perennial favorite for Brian. It is quite interesting to watch all the engines working. I had to chuckle at his photo as Bri and Gabe strike the same pose.

These bags of onions were stacked next to an "onion bloom" concession. There were bags and bags.

We ate at a booth set up by a local BBQ place. It was very good. Dan was reluctant to eat. When we were almost done, he threw up. Poor guy. Thankfully we were outside. I guess he had too much fried dough. He still has a hard time deciding when to stop eating something. He was much cheerier after that.

The oxen demonstration was very fascinating. These docile creatures are so impressive in how they work and follow the voice commands of their owner.

As we were getting ready to leave the fairgrounds, we came upon an elephant, camel, horse and dog show...quite the combination. I have seen elephants many times before, but I never tire of their size and quiet dignity. They are such magnificent animals.

This particular maneuver was amazing to me...one elephant crawled under the belly of another.

As we headed to the car, I looked back and saw the moon coming up and the bright lights of the Ferris wheel. The beautiful end to a very nice day.