Fair Time Again

Here in rural Illinois, August is Fair time.  The start of school is just a weekend away and this time of month signals the end of summer although the humid, sunny, days give no clue that fall is coming.  Growing up in the midwest, the county fair is a local celebration for those who live in the rural areas and nearby towns alike.  Fair time brings together the the urbans and rurals and the young and the old alike in a ritual that's been passed down through the generations.

My photos this week were taken at our county fair which I had the priviledge to attend with two of my younger grandkids, who are definitely city kids.  We walked through the cattle barns trying to identify those special cows that provided the chocolate milk.  The kids enjoyed the excitement of being around the farm animals, touching them and feeding some of them.  They talked how fun it would be to own a calf, lamb or rabbit instead of their boring cat while not realizing the daily tasks that come with caring for livestock.  

It is photography's shortcoming that I couldn't capture the smell of frying funnel cakes and the aroma of sizzling sausages and onions on the grill. That would be a feature that would skyrocket sales of any new camera. My photos mostly sample the county fair experience and the excitement found in the livestock and project judging and the blur of neon and motion found in the midway rides. County fair time is special because it unites us by exposing the common roots we all share through agriculture and our yearning for a sense of community and simpler times.