Sunday, July 15, 2008

Happy Father’s Day! Our highlight of the day was going to the Town & Country Festival. It was at Parker’s Piece, south of the center. They had “magic shows,” lots of kiddie rides, face painting, food venders, local artisans, animals, medieval exhibits, and shows. We were so happy to show Addie the animals that she loves to look at and imitate in her farm books. They had sheep,

ducks, dogs, calfs, huge work horses, and little piglets digging their snouts in the mud and hay, wiggling their curly little tails in delight. I think Addie really liked just being out of the stroller!

Picture of Addie and Daddy looking at the hawk at the bird exhibit.

A guy making the old brooms.

She was quite interested in the huge blow-up slides that all the big kids were going down, and the jumpy castle. Strolled around to the medieval area, where a couple was showing how to make candles and wax seals. They make all this little pewter stuff too, like buttons, jewelry, hair pins, etc. Then got to see knights all armored up going at it! Of course we knew it was staged, but their fighting looked quite real, and exhausting with all that metal and mail on. Pretty neat to see. The battery died on our big camera, and we didn’t communicate about getting the battery out of the charger for the little camera – so didn’t get pictures like we would have wanted to – stink!

Got some lunch, and ate while watching the sheep show. This kiwi bloke (a guy from New Zealand) doing it was hilarious, and it was interesting learning a little about the various breeds. We got to see him sheer a sheep, too. Walked around while Addie slept a little, then saw the sheep dog show. But instead of herding sheep, they herded ducks – Indian running ducks! The same “bloke” was doing the show – very entertaining. Afterwards, we let our restless Addie run free in the fields for a while before going on home. A very nice day to enjoy the festival. Dinner and then church at Cambridge Pres at 6. It’s more formal than Eden, as far as the songs and just general feel go. The Lutherans invited us out, and thankfully one of the guys not going said he could stay at our house so we both got to go! Finally, a night out together! Met them at a restaurant, and then to their favorite pub. The wives weren’t all that friendly at first, but then one of them and I started talking. We stayed out quite a while with them – nice to be out together. Oh, I should mention the May Balls. I gather it’s the big dance that each college puts on, and I hear they do quite a party. I don’t know how many nights it goes on for, but I think it’s a week or so. We’ve seen quite a few students decked out – girls in long or short formals and guys in tuxedos. Even saw 2 guys in tails with white scarves and top hats! I guess May Ball used to be held in May? But now it’s in June – same as the “bumps.”