We went to a fall festival yesterday morning, with my husband’s brother & family, and their mom.  It was fun, and the temperature outside was just beautiful.  We actually started out wearing light jackets (well, the girls – the Kiddo and her cousins, and myself, anyway) since it was in the mid 60s and breezy.

The first thing we did was take some pictures of the three girls on a giant haystack dotted with pumpkins.  Then we went to the pony rides.  Last year, the Kiddo wanted nothing to do with the ponies, but her older cousin rode one.  This year, it was the youngest cousin’s turn to shy away from riding them, while the Kiddo and her older cousin rode the ponies.  The Kiddo did really well, I was actually kind of surprised.  She was a little apprehensive once she got buckled into the saddle (the picture the people running the ride took shows it), but once they got going, she was having a blast.  We got some better pictures during the ride showing she was having fun.

After that it was the carousel, which she was much better on this year than last.  She actually liked riding it this year, whereas last year, while I was able to get her to ride the carousel, she was rather scared and clung to me like glue.

We rode a bumblebee ride, which she also loved.  I’m sure if she were tall enough, she no doubt would have wanted to go on the little mini roller coaster, too.  Maybe in a couple of years, though.  She’s about four inches too short for it.

We went to see the farm animals – a burro, sheep, a very – VERY large cow (like, its shoulder was taller than I am – large!), little piggies, ducks & chickens, and goats.  Lots of goats.  She also got to feed the goats, although she was a bit nervous about it at first because once the goats realize you have a snack for them, they start to crowd you vying for the snack.  One even got up on its hind legs to make itself taller to try to get to my hands – which I was trying to hold above my head.   Silly goat!  Once I showed her that they would not bite, she finally helped feed them.  She wasn’t completely at ease though since goats can be a little bit pushy, so she was constantly grabbing my pant leg thinking they were going to hurt her.

Incidently, the goat pen has a little “jungle gym” set up for the goats – there is a long plank ramp that is less than 12″ wide for the goats to walk up and then into a playhouse like thing for them – and that stands about seven to eight feet off the ground.  However, kids – as in children – also like to try to climb this.  There was a girl of maybe about seven who had climbed it higher than my head.  I saw her and, not hearing any parent shouting for her to get down or in fear that she would fall, I calmly told her that “I think that is for the goats, hon, you should probably get down from there.”  Then she suddenly realized how HIGH up she was (it was probably about six feet up – I am 5’6″ and she was above my head) and got a nervous look on her face, like “Oh crap!!  How am I going to get down??”  Rather than leave her to fend for herself or risk her falling, I asked her if she wanted help getting down, and she nodded emphatically yes.  So I reached up and helped her down.  I still didn’t hear anyone nearby talking to her or even to me (you know, to thank me for helping their daughter avoid falling face first into the dirt), but oh well.  I’m not even sure she thanked me (she may have, but it was noisy in the pen so I could have easily missed it), but I’m just happy I helped her when no one else seemed to care.  All I could envision was her flailing to the ground and cracking her head open or breaking a limb, and I certainly didn’t want to see that happen.   But shame on the parents for not paying attention!! (the Kiddo was hanging with her cousins & grandmother while this was going on, so no worries there)

Anyway.  There is also a slide for an entrance for people/children to get into the pen, and after the Kiddo and I left the pen, and washed our hands, and were headed over to where the dads were standing and waiting, it was then that the Kiddo spotted the slide and wanted to use it.  Naturally.  So up we go up the livestock ramp, and the slide was a bit steep and looked very slippery (it was a yellow plastic slippy slide), so the Kiddo and I hollered for her grandmother, who was still trailing the youngest cousin, to stand at the bottom and catch the Kiddo when she reached the bottom.  Once she did, then suddenly the oldest cousin – who was still in the pen – wanted to slide down as well.  So mother-in-law picked her up and hoisted her up to me, and then down the slide she went.

No, I did not go down the slide, I walked back down the ramp. LOL  I don’t think my rear end would’ve have fit on the slide very well.

When we left the goat pen this was the only time all day that the Kiddo had a mini-melt down, I think she wanted to go down the slide again but by the time we washed our hands a second time everyone else was already out of the pen and waiting to go get lunch, so she had her little fit since she wasn’t going to get her way.  Sorry, Kiddo!

Lunch was BBQ’d chicken, grilled corn on the cob and chili, or hot dogs (for the kids), cornbread and for dessert a brownie.  Yum!  I didn’t even butter my ear of corn, it was excellent just like it was.

After lunch we went to go watch a show with some Frisbee catching dogs, one of which has been the world champion for three years straight – a Louisiana Catahoula Leopard dog.  She was very interesting to watch, especially when the handler demonstrated how these dogs “track” – looked almost identical to how a cat tracks its prey!  She caught 19 out of 20 thrown Frisbees, and the one she did miss, I think the only reason that happened is because the Frisbee got too close to the crowd and she avoided running into or onto the people sitting on the hay bales.  The other dogs in the show – the next best catch was 15 out of 20 Frisbees. So it’s obvious why she is the world champion.

After the dog show we quickly went back across the farm to try to catch the pig races, and got there in time to see one last batch of pigs race, and then the “special racing pigs” that the “farmer” got from his cousin – which turned out to be three goats.  Heh.  Then we headed back to the pumpkin patch to let the girls pick out their pumpkins and upon arrival, found out that the youngest cousin had conked out in the stroller (so her sister picked out her pumpkin for her).  Then we went to the farm’s exit to pay for our pumpkins and load up into the cars to head home (or in our case, to brother-in-law’s house).

Later my husband realized he got quite a sunburn on his arms and face, and I realized I didn’t do a very good job of getting sunblock all over my face so my forehead and nose are pink and my cheeks are just a little rosy.  The Kiddo’s nose is the only thing on her that is a bit red since I tried to be liberal with the sunblock on her, but it isn’t too bad.

I’m glad we went this weekend, because next weekend is supposed to be up in the 90s again.  I was kind of hoping this weather would stick around, we have had our A/C off all weekend and have been opening up the windows at night.  It’s been very nice!

Tags: Burro, Carousel, Fall Festival, Farm Animals, Goats, Kiddo, Local Farm, Ponies