This last week was kinda a big deal for me. It was fair week. Normally I only hang out at the fair to support the kids and watch the rodeos. I have no babies doing projects yet and even though I enter some pictures, nothing is really high stakes. Being on the fair board this year meant that fair was a whole new ball game this year. And I am so happy to report that not only did we survive it but we rocked it! I don’t think that I had a single melt down and The Rancher still loves me. Sure I heard a few grumbles of the incompetency of the fair board and I did have one lady take a go at me… But we are still in one piece and after a few days of napping I think I’m ready to go again!
We always start the Oneida County Fair with the horse races. I wasn’t able to go to the first weekend of races because we were too busy playing wedding with The Buckaroo. (Ps, anybody want to hear about that? Good, because you will… later…). The next weekend I was sure to make it to the track. Especially since I have never EVER been to a race. It would be a good idea to know what we are talking about when we get the “races” part of the agenda.
By the time the races were done I had a few things figured out, like only cut through the beer gallery if you aren’t in a hurry. Nothing crazy happened this year (last year the man in the water truck got a great show from the ladies…) but there are always funny comments or people making a fool of themselves.
Most of the jockeys were Mexican and I would have given anything for a Spanish/English dictionary (or just The Rancher available for translation at all times!) to hear what their little wives were telling them. I knew just enough to know when they were saying they were so proud or the times when they were telling them to man up. But you might not need any translating for that…
I know for next year that if you want a good spot to watch and take pictures you better park your can for the duration. There’s no calling “place-back” or “saved-spot”. To that end I don’t have tons of pictures. I used my charm to peek my camera through the track gate just after the finish line to get a few fun shots. But even then there were some crazy ladies hovering over me that got a little too close for this girl’s comfort!
These horse are incredible and crazy at the same time. They are so fast and strong and wound up SO TIGHT! The race is only a quarter of the track, but we need the rest of it to get the darn things stopped. I like to watch them, but I don’t want to take them home! Hmmm, that’s what I say about other people’s kids…
Before I let you go (because you are totally enthralled with my awesome whit, right?) I have one more funny to share. As a member of the fair board I helped present the winners with a horse blanket in the winner’s circle and smile for a picture. By the last race I had learned that I just hold out the blanket and the families with the trainer, jockey, and owner quick jump in and hold it. As I went to step back this man grabbed me around the waist, “Oh no, pretty lady! You stay her by me!” Ok man, I’ll stand here. I’ll flatter you for the sake of the picture and maybe it will keep you quiet.
But oh boy he kept going, “You want a beer?” “No, I’m good” “Soda? Water? I buy for you pretty girl!” I should have asked if it was ok to invite my husband… Maybe then he would have let go for the picture. Lets just say that he had a great time in the beer gardens and was having an even better time that they had just won! Then there was something about showing the picture to his girlfriend of him by a pretty blonde… And that he was sure we would have to ask for forgiveness. All I could think was, “Take the darn picture already- his hands are sweaty!” What a great way to initiate The Rancher’s Wife to a day at the races!
