In part 1 of our county fair visit I covered fair food and the garden exhibit. I hope you’re ready for the livestock edition! Who knew I liked taking pictures of chickens so much?
Being from the urban part of a nice Midwestern state, both my husband and I are used to an ample selection of livestock at the fair. Let’s see what California has to offer.
All those TV ads say that good cheese comes from happy cows, and happy cows come from California. They definitely do not come from Florida, land of the skinniest, least happy cows I have ever seen. This was my first encounter with Californian cows. Exhibit A:
Happy? Not happy? What do you think? Looks suspicious to me.
This goat seemed happy, but she was getting a nice scratch.
This is a laid-back surfer llama:
This llama seems more the military type:
The goats and llamas were in the same barn as the petting zoo, two pigs, a giant bull, one rabbit, and the poultry. Maybe we never went to the poultry barn in Minnesota, but I was impressed at the plethora of fancy chickens at the fair. Here are some of them. Some were puffy, some sleek, some had feathery heads, some feathery feet. Which one is your favorite?
Speaking of chicken legs….
Oooh, I’m going to be in trouble. Love you, honey! He gets tired of me taking his picture, even when giant avocados are involved. (Please note the up your architecture hat.)
Speaking of my sweetie, he could not get over how tall this duck was:
It’s not a goose! It was in the “heavy duck” category — as opposed to the “light duck” section. There was also a guinea fowl, but it was too restless to get a good picture with the lens I was using. Don’t worry, that’s the end of the poultry.
Next up, the sheep barn!
Baa baa black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, nine bags full:
There were sheep being sheared while we were there, so the lambs were in various states of wooliness. I got to pet this one and it was really soft. It made me want a new sweater. Or a sheep.
Once they’ve been groomed they get little dust covers, like a light-colored couch in the suburbs, or maybe like they might go jousting later.
Better jousting than the alternative:
Poor Lamb Chop.
We also caught part of a horse show but didn’t get any good photos. That was our trip to the county fair!
Do you stick to the rides and the food, or do you check out the animals at the fair too? What’s your favorite part?
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
That cow is giving a textbook example of whale eye. Textbook I say! Combined with the hard mouth, backswept ears, extended head position, and tension ridges in the face, I’m going say that you are FREAKING IT OUT. My money is on either the camera in the face or something about your body position. The cow behind it looks pretty chill though.
Dude, it looked like that when we walked in and I was zoomed in on it from farther away!
i grew up having chickens and i’m still surprised sometimes at how beautiful they are. the black and gold in the 4th row is my favorite.
I love that one too! So classic and regal.
I liked the middle chicken in the second row, because it looked like it was wearing a feather-y hat!!
At the fair, my all time favorite thing was the honey ice cream…when you are an ice-cream-o-holic, what can you expect?
Honey ice cream?!?! I’m pretty sure you only took us to the fair once that I remember.
I love the San Diego Fair – I grew up in Oceanside and we used to go every year. I’ve been a few times in the past 6 years and still love perusing the crowded aisles and smelling fried food…yummy. No matter how awesome and different all the food is at the fair, I always end up getting the same thing: Hot dog on a stick with some lemonade. Even though I could get it anywhere I never indulge, except when I’m at the fair! I also always get a soft serve swirl cone – so perfect on a hot summer day.
My favorite part has always been all of the animals, but it always makes me sad because I know most of them are going to get purchased and then killed.
My favorite chicken is the grey one that is all ruffled up, on the bottom left, so cute!
I didn’t know you’re from Oceanside! We keep meaning to go spend a day up there but haven’t made it yet.