Early morning at the fair . . .

My main man has been on the county fair board for 20 years.  He (and many, many other volunteers) work long hours for weeks before the fair getting it ready and then he practically lives there for the 4 days the fair is going on.  Now that my kids are no longer in 4-H, I 'm not there 24/7 but I still put in alot of time helping where I can.

I was there early one morning when no one else was around.  What a profound difference can be found when the fair is virtually asleep.

The rides are still.  No screams, no flashing lights, no music.

No little ones pulling on parent's arms, itching to get to that next thrill ride, and then sometimes crying for their momma's while she's waving on the sidelines.

The carnival is quiet.  No carnies coaxing suckers passersby to try their luck at their games.  No children picking ducks (for $5!!!) out of a tub of water for a dinky prize that holds their attention for about 20 seconds.

There are no farmers checking out the machinery, wishing they could have these monsters with all the bells and whistles but praying that nothing breaks down this year so that they have to buy anything new.

There are no older, retired farmers to tell stories on how hard they had to work when they were farming and how easy the farmers have it now.  It is still tough to farm, to raise a crop, to pay the prices needed to raise a crop and all the while still try to raise a family. 

The chainsaw was silent (thank goodness!) but the artist's talent was visible.

All of the creations are auctioned at the end of the fair. 

There was no one in the buildings to ooh and ahh over the handmade quilts, hanging for all to admire.

I never got around to take pictures before the animals and the people started mosying in for another day at the fair.  The noise quickly escalated and I contemplated what the fair means to our community.  It really is all about the kids.  4-H plays a big part in teaching our children responsibility, leadership, and hard work.  The kids certainly benefit from their endeavors but so do we.  We watch them grow into adults that we are proud to know.

And later on that day . . . we got into some screaming of our own on rides we couldn't get enough of! 

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Now . . . go create something to be proud of . . .