Fair Week Again.

I can't believe the fair has already come and gone. It doesn't seem like a whole year has passed since last years. CRAZY.
This year Mercedes was old enough to show an animal in the fair. She chose to show a steer. That meant way back last October we had to pick one out and start feeding it. We put the halter on it for the first time Thanksgiving day and worked with him on and off through out the winter and spring. Come summer time he wasn't gaining as much weight as we would like so we put him in a stall with fans on him and really started working with him. Mercedes would usually get him out twice a day and walk him and then spray him off. She quickly realized that steers are a lot more work than pigs are. He was the best little steer for her. When we picked him out we just told the guy it was her first year and we wanted something small and gentle. That is what we got. Man I am getting all teary eyed writing this. It is bringing back memories. They just both did so good.
Josie chose a pig again. When we went to pick her's out she chose a little white one because of her pig last year and a black belted one. They were both on the small size and I really wasn't looking forward to pushing one again. I had seen a really cool looking pig and I kept saying to her that I thought she should get him. Finally the guy we get them from said why not get three. So we did. It turned out that that third one is the one she showed. I swear what ever his genetics are they should use them more. That pig could gain weight on air. For two months before the fair we had to hold him back. The week before I was getting a little concerned thinking he was finally showing that we were holding him. He hit his prime a whole month before the fair. Pigs are really hard to get them to that ideal weight. One of these years we might reach it.
This year there were 205 pigs entered. Josie won her class and got to go back in for the grand champion class. They had 20 pigs in there that had all got star choice ribbons. She ended up 16. That was great for us considering he almost was too big to even be there.
Last year we were so busy every day of the fair. This year we were really busy too, just doing different things. I didn't go to the speed events, bulls broncs and barrels, the parade, the horse show, any concerts, or most of the booths. We did show a pig and a steer on the same day. STRESSFUL. They both showed in the fitting and showmanship. The steers were a seperate day which means getting the steer ready another time. Selling the animals, which means getting them both ready again. I was a little nerved having two different kinds of animals, but it was a lot of fun and I didn't have any meldowns like last year. Yea for me.
The worst part is selling them and then leaving on Saturday night. I balled like a blubbering fool in front of a couple of people. Including the guy in the yellow shirt down below. My kids never saw me cry though. They both cried that night too. It was heartbreaching. J.C. even had to pick Mercedes up and carry her away from Bucky when it was time to go. Oh I can feel the tears welling up right now. I'll have that picture in my mind for a long time now. It is crazy that after all of that we will probably go through it all again next year.
Ok this is long so I am going to end it here. The end.