Fair Fever and the Polar Vortex

It occurred to me tonight, as I was walking around my yard tending to my flowers that the Heart of Illinois Fair is on this week. We were exhibitors from my first year in 4-H until our 20s. I even remember our family was given an award for the longest continuous exhibitor many, many years later (I wonder if our record has been broken).

Anyway, it is fair week.

I remember the years of drought. I remember the year a tornado went over our heads as we were hanging out in the barn (kids not thinking things through?). I remember many, many years of so much rain it would rush down the middle of the aisle and we would have to clean out the pens to the floor and start all over with bedding. Big mess, huge! Sheep blankets soaked. Yuck! I remember it being very, very hot; so hot that we didn't feed until 9:00 or 10:00 at night.

I have been getting the fair bug. I have a childhood girlfriend who has been posting grandchildren 4-H pictures on Facebook; ribbons, trophies, accomplishments. It is so fun. I have been following a couple agriculture bloggers who exhibit and report their family accomplishments. I have the bug.


So as I walked around at 7:00 at night in warmups, t-shirt, hooded sweat shirt, and sox that in all my fair year I do not remember it ever being this chilly. It would have been wonderful. The sheep would have loved it. Our family would have loved it; show day without giant drips of sweat rolling down your face, back, arms....

I have the nostalgia bug.

I haven’t shown since August 2008. It was the state fair. Conrad had died that summer and I was helping Nichole. I was overcome with grief. It was not fun.

Following these kids, who I really don't know, is fun. I am very happy for their parents and the animals that it is not the "sweat down ever crevice of your body" hot and humid out.