Last year I took Arthur to the State Fair for the first time. I grew up going every year since we lived close and I was usually involved in 4-H events at the Fair. Arthur hadn't been until I took him on a date there last year and we had a wonderful time (also some great memories since it was the first time he said that he loved me--kind of mushy). This year we decided to make the trip again. On the way to the Fair we listened to a special on the radio with snippets about fairs and festivals such as a lady who carves cows out of butter, a guy who makes funnel cakes for a living, and interviews with the contestants in a husband calling contest. Our first stop was the main attraction for us... the 4-H dog show. We both likes dogs and my dog was a 4-H dog show champ on the county level (before she retired to napping on the back porch full time.) Throughout the day we watched the dog agility contest off and on. This maybe wasn't the best idea because we want a dog even more now but that wouldn't be a good idea in an apartment (especially one that doesn't allow pets.) It is amazing what the dogs have been trained to do. We then ambled through the 4-H and Open class exhibits. We saw the butter sculpture and the largest pumpkin. We then headed to check out the livestock and listened in on some dairy cow judging. Each year at the state fair you see something you have never seen before and this year for us it was Watusi cattle. Watusi cattle are native to Africa and have huge horns that they use like radiators to cool their blood. They put longhorns to shame. Of course per tradition (of two years now) we shared a funnel cake.
Another weekend outing was to the Scottish Festival. In preparation on Friday night we watched Braveheart so we would be in touch with our inner-Scotsman. First of all, I have never seen more kilts in one place, but I suppose that would be expected. We watched the Highland games for awhile off and on through out the day. Basically for the highland game events the athletes are pretty much burly guys and gals in kilts tossing insanely heavy objects around. One of the crowd-pleasing events was the kaber toss. The goal is to pick up a log with the dimensions of a telephone pole, balance it while running a few steps, and then toss it in the air so it flips end over end. Other events include using something kind of like a pitchfork to toss a small bale of hay 20 or so feet in the air or hurtling 20 pound rocks as far as possible. While I never competed in field events in track I have watched plenty of them as an athletic trainer hoping that a hammer during the hammer toss didn't get lose and conch anyone. Anyway, technique is key for field events and it is always a pleasure to watch someone with such good technique that it almost looks effortless to see them throw a weight through the air.
Another competition we watched was the highland dancers. Neither of us have seen highland dance before so this was interesting. All the dancers do the same dances- a jig, The Sailor's Hornpipe, and the Scottish Lilt- with a few variations in dance steps between competitors. Highland dancing involves a lot of jumping, intricate stepping and footwork, and kicks. These competitors were a different group than those competing in the Highland games (except they all wore kilts) but both events required athleticism that should be appreciated.
Another highlight was watching sheepdog demonstrations. Arthur had a border collie growing up and has a deep love for this breed so he was pretty excited to get the chance to watch some in action working sheep- so much that we watched the demonstration multiple times. These dogs go after their work with such intensity-- it is obvious they love and live for herding sheep. Yet again, it was amazing to watch the grace and skill that these highly trained dogs, as well as their trainer, exhibited. I joked with Arthur that he's a lot like a border collie. He has a passion for his work and does his job with such intensity that it is very hard to distract him. The trainer also made the comment that the dogs don't make good house dogs because if they don't have a job or task to do they get into trouble easily. I made that same comment to Arthur that morning in the kitchen when he was playing around, creating mischief, until I had him put away dishes.We also tried some Scottish fare for lunch. Arthur had the brilliant idea that we have some haggis. I said sure, not really knowing what I was doing. Luckily that line was too long so we had steak bridie, a meat filled pastry, instead. I just looked up what haggis is and am very glad I didn't have to partake in it. Here is the description from Wikipedia. "Haggis is a savory pudding containing sheep's heart, liver, and lungs, minced with onion, oatmeal, spices, and salt, and traditionally encased in the animal's stomach and simmered for approximately three hours". Dodged a bullet there.
Really our weekend adventures have taken us to experience a lot of new things. One of my thoughts has been that we love competition. At least for me it has been refreshing to see more of the less-mainstream competitions in a culture that is tuned into ESPN and athlete's every move. While none of these competitions drew huge crowds of screaming fans, the competitors still put in a lot of time and effort to achieve what they did. Sure we enjoyed the traditional athletic competition like the K-State football game but have also enjoyed watching the thrill of victory when a lady broke a world's record in the highland games, or there was the frustration of a 4-H when her dog wouldn't listen to commands, or the disappointment of a highland dancer when her shoe came untied causing her to miss several steps in her performance. It is all part of the human experience. Sometimes life gives you funnel cake, and sometimes you get haggis but omnia vincit amor.
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