Washington State Fair ~ (A Simple Account from a Fair Exhibitor )

 My stint at the 2015 Washington State Fair ( formerly known as The Puyallup Fair ) is over after 5 very long , labor intensive, and fun days and nights at the fairgrounds. I am still recovering. The picture above is of me and our oldest grandchild Bugs *  in my Jacob Sheep exhibit in the Animals of the World barn, an exhibit that is only at the fair for 1 week. I don't think I could have done this  without his help and enthusiasm. ( Did you know that each and every exhibit at your local and state fairs is completely designed, set up , and maintained by the exhibitor for their duration of the fair ? LOTS of preparation and hard work go into these exhibits often done for free or for very little monetary compensation.You should take that into account when you visit your local fairs and thank the people in the exhibits you like. )

 Exhibitors are required to be in their exhibits, or have someone fill in for them for all the hours the fair is open. We ( grandson and me ) were there a minimum of 12 to 15 hours daily, beginning our day an hour and a half before the fair opens to clean out the sheep pens and get ready for the public to view. Here is our oldest grandson ready to greet the public and answer any questions they might have about my sheep.

 Goth, my Jacob Sheep ram and the main attraction of my exhibit. He is 10 years old and this is his last year at the fair. He is now happily at home and sharing a pen with two female Jacob sheep ( ewes). Maybe they will produce some very special spring lambs for me. :)

 Blitzen ( center ) believed himself to be the main attraction and he did a very fine job of looking cute while begging for soda crackers. Since he is a wether ( castrated male sheep ) he was penned up with two ewes ( female sheep ) in my exhibit. We have been getting Blitzen used to a halter and handling so I will have a hands-on and tame sheep for public displays.

 Two of my sisters and their husbands visited me at the fair, but I only had my camera handy for my sister Karen and her husband Kaare , shown above.. ( Thank-you Tom & JoAnn for visiting us too ! )

 My husband was tending things at home and going to work while I was away for so many days but he was able to help out on the last day, Tuesday, after hauling our travel trailer ( home away from home at the fair ) back to Cedar Pond. Here he is with our grandson , ready to greet the public and answer any questions regarding Jacob Sheep.

 Cedar Pond's Tovah (rt.) and her ewe lamb Tauriel shared the pen with Blitzen.

I had a good time at the fair, so did our grandson , but the days of preparation for the fair were also consumed with constant watering of our gardens and livestock, canning a bumper crop of grapes late into the nights preceding the fair, and simple home tasks . We returned home from the last day of the fair after midnight  to begin  unloading sheep and tending to animals missing my presence. I am only now beginning to feel I've caught up on my lack of sleep and with things around Cedar Pond. I've now begun my list of needful things to be done soon. Blogging is one of them...I've missed my blogging time and my blogging friends. But life is good, my animals and gardens keep me busy, my family fills my heart and time spent with them is a blessing of the best kind. (Photo is of Blitzen )

Puyallup Fair 2013 Here We Come ! ( And there we were )

 Our home away from home  as 2 of my grandchildren and I headed off for the Puyallup Fair. We would be spending 5 nights in this travel trailer ( I love this little trailer ! ) and 6 days at the fair. From early morning to late at night 2 of my grandchildren & I enjoyed the privilege and the work of exhibiting my Jacob sheep. This has become a precious September tradition for me and my oldest grandson, and hopefully one of my granddaughters too.

 Here is a picture of my exhibit from the view the passing public would at first see. My oldest grandson and one of my younger granddaughters are sitting at my table exhibit, willing to talk to the public, answer their questions, and be friendly & hospitable. They both surpassed my expectations . They were very friendly, my grandson was able to answer the questions asked of him, my granddaughter smiled, was friendly, helpful, and very diligent in her job of keeping the exhibit well swept and clean.

 Both of my grandchildren were able to help me re-enforce the reminder that my ram , Goth, was dangerous. He was there on display, but he is a ram, and therefore not to be touched or played with. ( You MUST respect the ram ! )

 All I can say here , without breaking into thankful tears, is that my grandchildren are a blessing beyond my ability to express. I am so thankful God has blessed my husband & I with these grandchildren. As a granny who loves her sheep too, I am even more thankful for grandchildren who also love animals, love their family, and are hard workers ! These two grandchildren made my time at the fair even more a pleasure because they were such willing hard workers. And they make me laugh & smile.

 Little Miss 'M' was able to hang out with the baby Watusi calf in the exhibit across from me. How cute is that calf ? This exhibit also has zebras , zedonks ( cross between a zebra & a donkey), and yaks. Doesn't this just make you know you need a Watusi ?

 Meanwhile, back here at our place at the fair, Goth is resting with his red rubber ball,

 his daughters are waiting for soda crackers from me,

 

 while two exhausted grandchildren take much needed naps in the back of my exhibit. Both children & I were up before 7:00 a.m. , got all pens cleaned before 9:00 a.m. and were there until the doors of the barn closed at 11:00 p.m. two nights in a row, then the same except the barn closed at 10:00 p.m. the remaining 3 nights. Long hours for young people, and my grandchildren held up well.

 Little Miss 'M' is a hard worker...

 ...as is her oldest brother, my oldest grandson Bugs.

So here is my work crew for my exhibit at the Puyallup Fair 2013 in the Animals Of The World barn . This is the morning clean-up before the gates of the fair open. They helped pitch out the dirty pens and make them clean, sweep the aisles for the public, disinfect the railings, keep litter picked up, the sheep well- fed, well- cleaned, answer the public's questions, and were friendly and hospitable. I count myself as blessed beyond measure for these grandchildren God has given my husband & I and I hope to have many more years with them at this fair !

Whimsy & The Puyallup

Look at my birthday present ! My daughter is holding my new German Shepherd puppy. I named her Whimsy. She is 9 weeks old now and since this picture was taken her other ear perked up. She has been very easy to house-train and a joy . I have already had her with me in the sheep pens, and plan on teaching her to herd sheep. But that will be later in the spring. For now I just want her to be exposed to my sheep, their sounds & movements. She isn't afraid of them, nor is she aggressive. We are going to have so much fun together !

I spent my birthday preparing for our annual September tradition, taking sheep to the Puyallup Fair. This is a busy time, and for the next week I'll be occupied with the fair. Goth ( my Jacob Sheep ram ) can tell it's that time again too and he even seems resigned to his 5 day stay. Last year he appeared to enjoy the crowds gathered 'round his pen. He would stretch, lift his head high and strike a pose for them.

I'll be back to blogging after the fair. If you're in the area ( Puyallup, Washington ) stop in at the Animals Of The World barn & say "hi ". You know you want to  Do the Puyallup !

Morning ! ( Before the fair opens)

 Before the fair gates open, before Goth is surrounded by people taking his picture and also enjoying so many other animals, the 'Animals Of the World Barn' is busy preparing the day to greet the public.

Our granddaughter KN is spending her first time with myself and her brother for a week at the fair.She chose to spend her birthday with us here and I am thankful for this.

 A blur of activity and work. The mornings before the fair begins, each barn is busy being cleaned by the exhibitors. We know and appreciate our time in the barn to be available to exhibit the animals we love is a privilege. We start the day early, cleaning our animal pens and making sure they are presentable to the public. Hoping our exhibit is pleasing and also a good presentation for our animals and the fair. After all, that is why we are here, for you!

 KN is camera shy, but allowed me to take this picture of her. My beloved granddaughter is growing up so quickly, and for her to choose to spend her birthday with me and my sheep at the fair means more to me than I can express.She worked hard here, and there was no birthday cake & ice cream, but she seemed to be O.K. with that.

Early morning pictures of our barn. The exhibitors are slowly arriving, quickly cleaning. After our areas are clean and ready for the public, we have our doughnut & coffee break. We visit, we share, we learn about each other's animals.We become friends and begin to care about one another. We hope to see each other next year.

A special benefit of being here is the opportunity to see animals not common to so many. We get to watch camels, zebras, yaks, zedonks,Watusi,and so many other animals show their personalities. This camel was spotted by me reaching his tongue out beyond his pen to gain hay. He would also watch me closely and follow me as I worked. When I got my camera to snap photos he seemed to become very savvy and camera-shy. He would duck, dodge, and hide when my camera was seen. This is the best photo I have of him. When I put my camera away he was  in my face!

Brother and sister, grandchildren I love. A pleasure to be able to camp with them here at the fair, a pleasure to have them here to help me. A family tradition I hope they will remember with love and maybe continue.Even better, that they might love Jacob Sheep. A grandma can hope!

Puyallup Fair 2012

Another great time exhibiting at the Puyallup Fair ! This year I had more help, my granddaughter K.N. is old enough to stay with her brother C.T. & I the 4 nights and 5 days of exhibition in the Animals Of The World barn. We camp there so we're able to get some rest before each busy day.Camping in our trailer makes it even more fun too.

 The front of my exhibit, with C.T. & K.N. at the table, ready to answer questions should I have to take a break.

These pictures were taken before the fair was officially open for the day. No crowds to obscure the picture taking.The sheep pens were clean after our morning clean-up.After picture taking we enjoyed our traditional fair breakfast, doughnuts & beverages ( who eats healthy at the fair ?). Coffee for me!

Side view of exhibit...

..back view. My exhibit is in a center aisle. I needed to create walls to post information about Jacob Sheep, and also create visual borders. I have worked on the design over the years to minimize visual clutter, but as you probably realize, this often requires a cost in supplies and a lot of labor.My husband and I are refining this, because transporting the walls, the sheep, and everything else is also a big thing to take into consideration.

 Goth, my ram. Posing for the crowds.He was very accommodating to photographers this year, and even mellow.I am not exaggerating when I say there must have been thousands of pictures taken of him over the past few years.One would think he is aware of this the way he posed this year.

 

The ewes ( girl sheep ) in their pen.Thora, Tovah, Mally, & Buttercup were here this year, showing the public the varied horn count on each sheep in this breed.

A lot of time and energy, a lot of fun invested in another year at the Puyallup Fair. I am so thankful to have been invited to participate as an exhibitor here, and even more blessed to have 2 of my grandchildren help me out. Our granddaughter K.N. even chose to spend her birthday here with me and her brother.Maybe next year she'll be here too.Lord willing, I will , and so will Goth.

 

Skull and Horns, Tragic Tale of Two Brothers

~~~Poor Thistle, this is all I have of him, his skull, complete with his amazing four horns! He died a tragic death at the tender age of 16 months. Victim of his brothers violence!~~~

~"Look on it's broken arch, it's ruined wall, it's chambers desolate, it's portals foul; yes, this was once ambition's airy hall. The dome of thought, the palace of the soul-" Lord Byron~Here is Thistle(below), shortly before the dastardly deed was done. I WAS going to take Thistle to the Fair for exhibit. Thistle was my choice of ram for the honor of being admired and gawked at for 5 days. Alas, his brother way laid my plans. Mind you, I do not credit Goth with devious plans , just being guilty of being bigger, badder, and goring his brother to death!

~"Beneath this stone there lies a skull, Which when it breathed was monstrous dull, But nor tis' dead and doomed to rot, this skull's as wise, pray is it not ? " Shakespeare

~Here ( below ) is the big guy, the bully, the goring , ramming destroyer . ( you should see our fences ! ) Goth and Thistle were playing the way rams do, that is to say...they were head butting and ramming each other. Really, rams do this for FUN ! Goth runs full force into humongous trees just for fun. Well, poor Thistle got his beautiful horns stuck in a hay feeder and Goth pierced Thistle's lung with his horns. Poor Thistle, he died. ~The day of the foul deed was foul indeed. It was one of those rare summers that temperatures exceeded 90 degrees. My beautiful ram was dead. But there was no way I was going to bury those magnificent horns and skull. I wanted to keep them. My poor Hubby was outside in the heat, untangling Thistles horns from the feeder, while trying not to inhale the smell nature takes on when decomposing an animal, and then he saved the head for me....I love that man ! ~Thistle AND Goth went to the fair . Goth entertains the crowds, Thistle hangs on the wall behind him over a picture of himself in better times, as a grim reminder of the power of a ram, EVEN WHEN HE IS HAVING FUN !

~" Are you talking about me ? "~

~I thought I would end this post with a very interesting tale from the Bible. A tale that has bones and skeletons coming to life ! "Then he said to me, " Prophesy to these bones and say to them; 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the sovereign Lord says to these bones; I will make life enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded;And as I was prophesying there was a noise, a rattling sound,and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them, and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. .......Then He said to me, ' Prophesy to the breath, prophesy son of man, and say to it, " This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds oh breath; and breathe into these slain, that they may live." So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath entered them, they came to life and stood up on their feet- a vast army." Ezekiel 37:4-9

~You can read the rest for yourself!~ ~Be safe and thankful this season . Thankful for the bounty we have and the life you've been granted. Use wisely...and if you find yourself face to face with a ram....well....DON'T !~ This is a re-post of a true tale from Cedar Pond.

Puyallup Fair 2011 ~ Fun & Done

The Puyallup Fair is over, and I can say the last 5 days of the fair were fun. Hard work for me and mine, but fun! My husband Jim helped me so much and he also kept things at home in check. Someone has to be home to feed all the animals left behind.Thank-you Jim. Our oldest grandchild C.T. helps me every year at the fair. He looks forward to his time here and he works hard for the privilege. C.T. cleans out the pens in the mornings before the fair opens and sits at the table answering the public's questions about Jacob sheep.He also sweeps around our exhibit during the fair and helps me keep it clean all through the day.You can see my ram, Goth, looking through the bars of his pen.

A view of my little nook of the 'Animals of the World' barn.What is that I see in the back of the picture ?

My grandson, eating a delicious vanilla ice cream cone from the dairy and milking barn on the fairgrounds.Oh so very tasty, and already I am missing a truly good vanilla ice cream cone.( Next year at the fair, for sure!)

Another view of my exhibit at the Puyallup Fair.

Our daughter came for a visit and brought C.T.'s sister.One nice thing about the fair is I get to visit with people in my little area. I also get to see so many people I know , but rarely see,passing through this barn .Of course I have to invite them to sit a spell and visit, that is one of the best perks of being here. The girls, my Jacob Sheep ewes are posing for me. Well, actually, they are lined up and hoping to receive the soda crackers I am dangling overhead. Here from left to right are Buttercup, Mahlon,Thora, and Valkyrie. Then there is Goth. He seemed to strut and pose the whole week,surprising me by being so mellow. He did not ram the bars of his pen. He did entertain us often by kicking or butting his ball, accepting soda crackers, leaning his head into the spaces between the bars for my husband to scratch behind his ears or under his chin.He did not seem to mind in the least the hundreds and hundreds of people taking his picture. Good boy Goth. May you produce many more lambs and be with us many more years. Hopefully we can "do the Puyallup" together again too !