The fair was here.

We survived another year of the Steele County Free Fair (or the SCFF, if you're short on time).  It started on Tuesday night.  We braved the opening-night crowd to get a cleaner look at the tractors and farm animals...things aren't nearly as stinky on the first night.  For the first time in his little 5 year, 10 month life, Miles was not very interested in the tractors.  I didn't really notice until later in the evening when Weston was begging to go back to the tractors and Miles was begging to go on a ride.  He cooperated long enough for me to take this picture though, so that was nice....

And here's his happy little brother, wishing the tractor would fire up so he could drive away!

We enjoyed watching horses gallop in their arena and neigh in their pens, dodging pigs attempting to escape their owners so as to avoid being shown in the ring, and of course admiring baby cows like this little brown guy --

The boys coaxed us back to the fair on Thursday night, but this time we went with a different game plan. Tanner and Miles met up with Miles' buddy Mason and his dad, Mike.  They spent four hours in the midway, riding every last ride possible (except for one that temporarily stopped for repair...the daddies witnessed how it was being repaired and decided it was best to avoid that one).  Here's evidence of the fun -

Weston and I had our own night out at the fair and spent much of it at the lumberjack show area.  Note that the show itself lasted only about 30-45 minutes, but we were there for nearly an hour and a half -- Weston insisted on going early so that we would not miss the show.  Here he is watching them set up. SO. INTENSE.

And here's a guy who was not in the show, but whom Weston had seen earlier...and who he now aspires to become some day....

That's right.  A real lumberjack!  Westy is happiest when pretending to be a lumberjack, and if being the real thing when he's 40 makes him just as happy, then we'll call it a success.  It's better than wanting to be a "fair ride worker guy", which is what Miles has in mind right now.  Help!