Field of Dreams Tour - Addison County Field Days
Click on pictures to see an enlarged version and slideshow
The Addison County Field Days and Fair - this was a trip hilight that we had been looking forward to. In a largely agricultural state, Addison County Field Days is the biggest agricultural event in Vermont, but it is a place where you feel like you've stepped back a century in time. This is a fair as you idealize it; as you romantically imagine it when you read Charlotte's Web. Cousin Connie was honchoing the draft horse competition, which was today, so that's why we chose this particular day to visit. Thankfully, it was an ideal weather day for it, too.
Cherie loves horses; Zoe's nuts for 'em. And after our visit to UVM's Morgan Horse farm, there's a topspin on that ardor. Zoe's particularly fond of Clydesdales because they have "furry feet", just like our dog Milo. Turns out, so do Shires and Belgians - so that was enough to make watching draft horses plenty o'fun. I particularly enjoyed watching the pulling competition. Before there were tractor pulls, draft horses were competing by pulling granite blocks. How do you think all those granite blocks in the Washington Monument made their way from Vermont to Washington, D.C.? Watching one ton of horse flesh pulling seven tons of dead weight was impressive.
Deep fried dough, deep fried oreos and cotton candy were, of course, all in evidence. Zack got to hand braid a rope and the kids rode ponies. We saw the exhibits of quilts, pies, jams, cakes and all that good stuff. We visited the cows, sheep and alpacas and watched a cow milking demonstration (it IS a dairy state, after all!). With the exception of the draft horse competitions, all of this is part of our own county fair which takes place just a few blocks from our house (San Mateo is quite the grarian county, all out on the coast). But the antique tractor exhibit and antique tractor pulls are something we don't get to see at home!
Of course, the kids loved the midway. They worked up their gumption and strapped themselves in to the bungee bouncer, which they really enjoyed. And Dad bought a Buddha...because that's what he does in Vermont. When you visit our home, will you be able to pick out which of the buddhas in our home is the Vermont Buddha?