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 )