The County Fair


This past week was our county fair in National, Iowa. My wife and I are both 4-H leaders and four out of the five kids are involved some way in 4-H. The four year old isn't old enough yet to be an official part of it but she tries to help out with everyone else.

If you don't know, 4-H is a youth organization that originally started out in rural areas but is now in both large and small places. In Iowa, the Iowa State University extension service administers the program. I think that 4-H is best summed up by the 4-H pledge that is said at every meeting.

I pledge
My head to clearer thinking,
My heart to greater loyalty,
My hands to larger service, and
My health to better living,
For my club, my community, my country, and my world.

Our kids did well, they received some purple ribbons, mostly blue ribbons, and a few red ribbons. One trophy was won by the oldest daughter in the "Other Animals" category for the mulefoot pigs that she took.

The fair is an event that the whole family looks forward to but I think that everyone is relieved when it ends after a few days. The oldest two stayed overnight in the barn with the livestock. Yours truly got to chaperone two nights to make sure that no one got into too much mischief. Now school will be starting in a couple of weeks so the kids are winding down the summer.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful day!

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