County Fair

2009 Day 2
I know I left off 1/2 way through the chickens, we did go back and we got some amazing pictures, but I'm not going to post that just yet. You know how much I love chickens so I'm saving those for a post all on its own, trust me it will be so worth it!

We pause with the demo car spectators for our national anthem. Many of the fair goers hushed, paused, hushed children, hats off, I love small town patriotism, I love the USA!
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Next we stop at the Youth 4-H building, I think age 5 & 6, this is where the little's enter their stuff. I love it they have such a great sense of humor. This building is also used for 4-H promotin displays done by each club in Trempealeau county.

Zack if you were around I would've asked you for a turtle joke. I would have told you about how we hatched leather backs in a 5 gallon bucket and how when I was a kid my cousin Danny Jo ate a tiny little turtle, swallowed it whole!

Jon, ever the wood worker and Viking fan loved the book ends. I liked the photos.

This display was done by the Glasgow Hardies Creek Busy Bees 4-H club. I liked it best of all the displays, maybe I'm just partial to the Busy Bees, our kids were in this club.

Now that is so creative, I love how 4-H promotes not only the club but individual creativity!

Grace had just came home from a week of water ski camp and was hungry for real food. We dined in the Lions shack. Let me tell you The Lions Club does alot of really good stuff in this little town. They put on the 4th of July fireworks, and it is very very impressive.
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Stop for a 1919 Root Beer~do you see a pattern developing here!?!
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Now this next building is one of my favorites, it has quilt and antique entries. The quilt display has antique and modern quilts, you can guess which ones I like best.

Can you imagine the time that went into this??

This one is so fun, it was made in 1920. I have a soft spot for crazy quilts. This one is soft--you can tell just by looking at it, which is what the signs say, but it is oh so hard for me to keep my hands off! When my boys were little I would have them put their hands in their pockets when we were someplace that was a no touch zone. They would say I'm just looking" and I'd reply "look with your eye's not your hands" ~~I'm thinking I should make this a practice!

Antique Rosette irons!!! How cool is that!?! If I would have seen these in an antique store I would be fumbling to get my cash out! I posted about Grace and I making Rosettes at Christmas time.

I would love to see the pictures of the bride in this dress.

I loved the Rosette iron, and thought it would be my favorite antique this year~until I saw this!!! I can't believe it has no blue and big fancy gold ribbon on. I should be a judge! The picture is a German picture, it would look so so good in our dining room, where I have a few older pictures of children. I think I will go back and see if I can find out who the artist is.

This building is for open class entries, I keep thinking I am going to enter something...some year. This building was built in 1895 it is the oldest one in the fair grounds. The fair ground land was donated by a couple from this area. They placed one stipulation on their gift...

...that during the fair, no alcohol, they wanted the fair to be a family event. It also the same with The Apple Affair held in the fall. I appreciate the family focus...ALOT!

Fabric woven baskets~~I'm having a thought, but better finished some of the other thoughts I have in piles!

This was so well constructed.

Too bad these were in a glass display case, they looked so soft...I really wanted to touch them.

I love the soft pink color, I have a thing for African Violets. . Our Dr's office has African violets on about every check in desk. They do so well, they say its the florescent lighting.

There are so many good photos.
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Next its on to the 4-H building. Grace, A & W were in 4-H for about 5 years, until baseball and ski team became their main focus. We loved it, we all had fun and learned alot.

Pretty

Antique resteration. Did I ever tell you Jon went to school for this, studied under some really old french guy that was master. Jon even had his own business for a few years.

Wood working (see this woods post), we spend ALOT of time here!

Creative

Cute and well done, it deserves the gold fancy ribbon.

You really can learn alot at these displays. Grace read the whole back pack thing, she is in the process of packing for a HUGE trip.

Jon REALLY checks out any thing that is man handy work. When he is critiquing the wood working stuff I'm always hoping are no parents around listening to him go over something that their ($, time, & guidance) kid has entered.

This was an old bowling ball, some of the stuff theses kids (and their mama's ) come up with crack me up!

If we have any $$ (the 1919 Root Beer is only 50 cents) left I'll be heading for the fair again today!

Trempealeau County Fair

2009 Day 1

You must bear with me, this is going to be a long long post that goes on for days ~ 4 to be exact, that is how long the fair lasts. If I can last then I figure you can deal with photo heavy posts for the duration of the fair. The fair is one of the things I love about summer, if truth be told I am a Fall/Winter lovin gal, so when I love something about summer I embrace it wholly. Last year I didn't get to come to the fair, so this year I am determined to enjoy it, even if it lands me flat on my back~for days! Our lot backs right up against the county fair grounds (I chat about it click-here), the sights, sound, and yes even smells thrill me, I get to have a farm in my back yard, 4 days every year.

Horse barns, I like the rustic decor on this stall.

Is Your Mama a Llama?
I remember my sister reading this book over and over to The General. I wonder if she can still recite it.

Baby Beef
I don't care who you are or what walk of life you come from, baby anything is just so cute.

Big Beef

The porker in the back is smiling for the picture. The pigs looked so bare, I said to Jon do you think they shave them?? I've been around pigs and this is a new one on me, so I found a pig boy and asked. And yes they do shave them, not everyone does, but it makes for a much cleaner look in the show ring. I'm going to say it and just get it over with~the chubby back end of a shaved pig, yes it does, it looks just like a ladies back side, I kid you not! I told Jon "I know why chubby and feeling like a pig go together".

Trempealeau County Fair has been going on for 151 years. It once had horse races, I've seen pictures that were taken in 1976 and they were still racing at that time, they now do demo derby's. The wagon Jon is standing in front is what was used to water the race all those 100+ years ago.

Manure spreader restored and remade in to a ride giver, now that's being creative!

Dairy barn decor.

Not only do I have dream chickens, but also dream cows.

Jon waiting for our order at the KC food stall.
And this would be the reason we patronize this place...
... its the 1919 Root Beer!!!

Love the sheep, Grmpa & Grma Brown memory!

But they never dressed their sheep like this!

Do you think she has an identity crisis?? Or does she say, in a Marilyn Monroe-esque voice "I'm wearing leopard print just for ewe!"

I could want this little fuzz ball.

I leave you with the stuff my dreams are made of!

Stay tuned, I only made it 1/2 way threw the chickens!!

This is one for my dream book!!!

Custom Water Ski Show Boards

My husband is a very talented man. He can fix and cobble like no one I know. He has a few hobbies, some cost money, some save money, and some even make money. Wood working is one of the his hobbies that does all three. Over the years he has refinished, remade (We sleep in a piano-that is a post for another day), and built furniture and toys. This is the latest endeavor of entrepreneurship he and his brother Dave have collaborated on. Dave drives his boat for the Bethany Ski Team-click here, at church, where Grace and many cousins are on the ski team. The ski team needed skis, but they are expensive to buy when you need 15-20 sets. So they figured out how to build them, which was no small undertaking and it has, since then, turned into a little cottage industry.

They start with a big pile of wood, Mahogany and/or Ash.

Then they make a big pile of sawdust. The ripping, planing, cutting, sanding, and scuffing is endless and creates so much dust. They clean up with scoop shovels. I do have plans for this stuff in the near future, and it has to do with chickens (as I explained in this post-here).

If I showed you every step of the process it would take too many pictures, that and I don't want to give away to many trade secrets-ok I don't know all the steps! This photo shows a few steps although not in order. The fixtures (things that mold and press the wood) were designed and fabricated by Jon and Dave.

Dave grading lams before the steaming process.

Some have tips cut and some are waiting to have the tips cut and sanded. Much easier to see what the end product will be.

They make 12 at a time, here each side gets sprayed and scuffed a few times.

All finished, it just needs the bindings put on and its ready to take to the water. A show board is made for basing pyramids in water ski shows or used as a ballet ski. This is a plain Jane one.

This is where the custom comes in.

This part is done by some other guy, who probably has a wood shop in his garage. I'm sure his wife is also thankful that this is one little hobby that makes money.

Click on picture to enlarge. You can see the detail and the beauty of the wood.
Isn't it beautiful?!?! I will post the Bethany Ski Team in action soon.

Cookie Pudding

I begged was given this recipe from the wife of a pastor we had a few years ago (18 is a few right?). This is one of our "potluck" favorites. The kids will snag some out before it is garnished or hope that some will be left over at parties end. They then hide their little stash in the frig, usually behind something they think the others won't eat (Grace-under the lettuce, Ave-behind the yogurt, Will-butter door).

Here's the goods!! If your a stickler for brand name foods, this is one of those times when it really doesn't matter--also this was last minute so Willy and I went to the local small town Piggly-Wiggly, where you can blow threw a whole weeks food budget on just a few items.

Cookie Pudding
2 small boxes vanilla instant pudding
2 cups butter milk (I have used 3 cups when I've felt the need to make it stretch)
16 oz. whipped topping
2 cans mandarin oranges-drained
1 pkg. fudge striped cookies-crumble except for one row as garnish

Mix 2 boxes of pudding with the buttermilk (it will not be a smooth).

Add whipped topping, crushed cookies (save a row for garnish) and drained mandarin oranges.

Garnish with remaining cookies. Its ready to serve and will keep in the frig for a few days if it lasts that long! I could have zoomed in on just the top, I thought you'd want to see my retro pyrex, that for all my wishin' still hasn't broken.

This is what my Dad would call a "potlicker"

Baseball Brothers

A & W are so different, just like the first letter of their names on the alphabet spectrum they are on opposite ends. Not only in looks, body type, complexion, but also in temperament, how they approach a problem, and their study (or lack of) habits, just to name a few. The one thing they do share is their love of the game! Now its baseball, in the fall it will be football. It has also caused more than their share of arguments at times. But when the dust settles they grab their gloves and head out to the back yard to play catch and critique throwing technique. It brings them together in a sweet way. I'm sure they would object to me using the word sweet when referring to them--unless it's a sweet new glove or cleats!

Avery plays 2nd base and rumor has it he will be pitching soon on the JV1 team.

Willy pitches, plays 1st base, and sometimes right field on the JV2 team.

Will & Ave
It is not often that they both have a game in the same place, when they do its a huge bonus and a great time to snap a pictures of them together. It brings us all together in a sweet way, and they can't argue with that!!