County and State Fairs

During this visit to the US, I was able to attend 3 county fairs and the Minnesota State Fair. I met up with sister Pat and neices Kalli and Jesina at a county fair in southern Minnesota, so I could see them all again before disappearing across the ocean once more.

Games of chance and skill, a














petting zoo with farm animals,
































and a very funny magic act were enjoyed by all.

















A whole afternoon and evening was spent at the largest state fair in the US, the Minnesota State Fair. Not much has changed here over the many years I have been going there. But the colourful hairdo on this girl caught my eye. I had never seen that before!

















I used to stand for hours watching the riders warm up their horses before going into the hippodrome. I could get much closer to the horses this way, and sometimes they acted up, and then it got exciting. This time, my friend Ellen and I went to a rodeo of all high school students. I could not believe they would let such young people do bull riding and bronco busting. Several students and animals were hurt. It was the last rodeo I will ever attend without a protest sign in my hand. I felt sad for the animals and the humans who were hurt for this unnecessary entertainment. I saw an event I had never seen before. It was called Nanny Slamming. Wow. This one was really painful for me to watch what happens to the goat. It is already tied to a stake by a short rope when a rodeo contestant runs up to it and slams it to the ground and ties up its legs. Don't believe me? Take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YJtvtR4f-g

I had attended the rodeo to see this guy and his horses: Tommie Turvey: There is no way his horses would do what they do if they were mistreated.