Night at the County Fair

"Nothin' in the world will make you fall in love, like a night at the county fair". Those are lyrics from the late, great Chris LeDoux song, "Night at the County Fair". Great song. It talks about a cowboy who's been stringing fence all day and he's going to take what change he's got in his pocket and take his girl to the county fair. He's going to take her up on top of the ferris wheel and tell her all about his feelings for her and she'll be his forever. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was 15 years ago....he got the girl.....fast forward to tonight. Now he's a 30 something pipeliner who's tired, grouchy and has the girl and the four kids that go along with the forever part. "Nothin' in the world will make you want to punch yourself in the face, like a night at the county fair." Or something like that. It wasn't so much our immediate little family, the extended family or our very good friends that sent Boss Hog over the edge......it was the talent show participants that really rocked his world. Thankfully, there was pork.

Check out the new pictures at the right for proof that we did indeed take a multi - generational family trip to the county fair. Dalton and Papa Mike played in the talent show. Hopefully I can upload some video soon. They played a couple of fiddle tunes. It was very nice, very nice. He stopped at Orscheln's on the way to the fair and bought a new straw cowboy hat which he looked very handsome in. His Daddy gave me a pair of safety glasses that were way to spiffy to work in and Dalton begged me for them.......so he looked very much like whichever one of the Baldwin brothers that played Tuff Hedeman in the movie "8 Seconds" in his cowboy hat and black sunglasses. In fact, he insisted on wearing the entire get - up on stage....even though the sun had basically set. Grandma Mary said, "People are going to be asking, 'who's the blind kid that plays the fiddle so well?' "

The real highlight of the evening was the mechanical bull. Well, the highlight for Boss Hog was the butterfly pork sandwiches at the Beef and Pork Palace.......and for all of you who have never been to a county fair let me assure you there is no palace. Anyway, he got his pork and barely got to eat it because the boys were DIEING to ride the mechanical bull. They were really talking some smack while waiting in line. I mean, come on, they had on cowboy boots. And a hat. They were REAL cowboys. Country had come to town. Ha. Their sister out - rode both of em. I love it. She watched Dalton hang on with both hands, except for the photo op of course. She watched Luke wave his gloved hand in the air like a princess in a parade and then nearly have a panic attack when the bull bucked. When they were finished, she calmly handed her balloon to her Daddy and said, "My turn." And then she climbed up on that bull (mini skirt and cowGIRL boots on), gripped the rope with her gloved hand, stuck the free hand in the air, and rode the bull. That's my girl. Anything you can do, I can do better. Then it was Charlie's turn and......Boss Hog didn't have enough money. I know, I know. All of you who are the babies in your families are screaming, "Foul! Time out! Not cool!" Well, we convinced Charlie that he could ride on Daddy's shoulders and it would be as much fun. He bought it. He climbed right up there, held on with one hand and waved the other in the air screaming, "Yee haw" and "Whoa!" all the way to the van. You know, we really like that kid. No fit, no screaming tantrum, just climbed right up there like he had won the grand prize. If he was a girl he'd make a great cheap date.

What did I, Lulu, receive as compensation for getting my entire clan clean, clothed and raring to go? A butterfly pork sandwich dinner, two funnel cakes (portions of) and a $6.00 bag of kettle corn. Yee-haw! Nothing in the world will make you fall in love like a night at the county fair.........and a funnel cake.

Lovin' my little family out here in the stix!
Lulu

P.S. Yes, Gma, I will now keep an eye out in the back feedlot to make sure Charlie's not trying to ride the calves. "Giddy-up!!!"