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 !