Appalachian Fair

NC State Fair

William loved the NC State Fair this year.  He got to ride several rides and he remembered the fair all year long.  Sometimes, out of the clear blue, he would start to talk about riding the horses and ask when we could get more tickets so we could go again.  In August, 2011, when he heard us talking about the Appalachian Fair he was certain we were going to go and talked about it every day until we did.

It's 10:00 p.m.  We have been at the fair almost 12 hours and are waiting for the fireworks to begin.

The State Fair

One of our annual traditions is to go to the NC State Fair. Russ loves the fair and has gone every year for a long time. Last year we went, but I still had morning sickness and it was not nearly as fun as this year. We got there at about 9:00 in the morning and the wind was pretty strong with a cold bite to it. As soon as you enter the fair grounds your nostrils are inundated with wonderful smells of roasted corn, French fries, funnels cakes and the list goes on. The best remedy for a cold wind is some ham biscuits and coffee. Russ knows all the best booths for food so off we went. Unfortunately William can’t appreciate ham biscuits yet so after we had those we found a place for him to enjoy some milk. After that it was time for a hamburger from the famous Charcoal Hearth. They make the best and we go there every year. After the hamburgers you have to have Al’s fries. They are homemade and really amazingly good. In case you haven’t caught on by now, a big part of the fair is the food. But that’s not the only part.

There are lots and lots of exhibits. We saw all kinds of garden vegetables, huge pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes…Then there are the animals, bulls, calves, goats, pigs…There is the village of yesteryear. The craft exhibits are amazing, quilts, needle work, cake decorating…There are beautiful flowers and outside garden plots. We could have spent two days there but we left at about 6:00 p.m., our little fellow did quite well as you can see but we didn’t want to push it.

But wait I forgot to mention the NC State ice cream, roasted corn, fried vegetables, cinnabun, sausage sandwich and cotton candy. William had to content himself with a blue blanket.

Tobacco Farming

Another attraction at the State Fair is the Tobacco curing exhibit. Russ loves the smell of “curin tubacu”. My husband’s family history is a fascinating one and I wish I could capture it all before it fades into shadows with the older generation but I’m afraid I’ve come on the scene a bit to late to record all I wish I could. To hear Russ talk about growing up is in some ways to be transported into another world. He is only 7 years older than I am but you wouldn’t think that when we talk about our family history. But really I digress. Russ can never remember a time when he did not work in the tobacco fields. Back then tobacco was still grown by small independent farmers with maybe a few tens of acres. When he was very young he worked in the barn picking up tobacco leaves. The summer he turned 8 was the first time he was paid. He drove the tractor. The men would pick the leaves and put them in a trailer hooked behind the tractor. These trailers are often called "slides" since at one time they were simply wooden boxes that slid along on skids pulled by a mule. The boys who drove the tractors would drive forward a little ways, wait for the leaves to be put into the trailers, and then drive forward a little more. Russ remembers his cousin Thomas behind the wheel of a tractor playing with his toy soldiers while he waited for the trailer to be loaded. When Russ was older he worked in the fields picking the leaves. He still talks about the tobacco gum that he would have to peel off his hands. When the leaves came to the barn they would have to be tied in bundles and hung up to be cured. The curing process was done in a barn with oil burners to create the heat that was needed. Russ loved working in the fields. He says he liked making money and feeling like he could contribute to the family. He saved the money he made and bought his first car with it.

The stick Russ is holding is used to hang tobacco as it is curing. When Russ was a young boy he and his friends would play “horsey” with those sticks.

Discovering God's Creation

I love this picture of William because it seems to capture so much. This is exaclty what he wants to do every day all the time. He notices everything and wants to touch and examine all he can. It's a wonderful exciting privilege to be able to show him the Lord's vast, beautiful creation. I hope he never loses his curiosity and that he will learn more and more with each passing day. I pray Russ and I will be faithful, to our Lord and to William as we raise our little one to joy in the God of our salvation.