Everybody Loves a Parade

Posted on October 9, 2014October 9, 2014 by Dusty Roads

Finally leaving the midway and rides behind we found another building we hadn’t explored.

They had a mechanical cow where you could try your hand at milking her. A stage was set up with a garden revue, animatrons that sang songs and popped up and down. Very cute.

This was also where a chick hatchery was set up. The display held a large number of eggs which were on the verge of hatching. You could see tiny cracks form and eventually out popped a baby chick! This would have held our attention for hours if the parade hadn’t stated. Having missed out on the circus I was determined to see the parade.

The theme was Carnival like the parades in New Orleans with floats and beads.

There were marching bands.

And float

after float

after float.

But the participant that made it all worth it for me were the Clydesdales!

There they were in all their splendor . Manes and tails braided, feathered feet prancing high. It took my breath away! They even had their dalmatian dog with them.

They are truly magnificent animals. The crowd’s reaction proves that they have super star status. Probably because of all the wonderful commercials Budweiser has used these animals to star in.

Yes, seeing them up close like this made the whole trip worth it for me.

The kids liked the beads 🙂

An Agricultural Fair

Posted on October 7, 2014October 7, 2014 by Dusty Roads

The Big E has it all. The midway and rides; corn dogs, funnel cakes and The Big E cream puff. They had a huge sculpture made of butter. The Mallory building held the animals, llamas, sheep, pigs…

The building wasn’t air conditioned but there were plenty fans in evidence keeping the animals cool.

Sheep shearing was going on most of the day so the ewes looked pretty cool with their new “do’s”. Yup a penful of “naked” sheep.

Nancy and the kids had a chance to get acquainted with one of the llamas. We spent a good amount of time here as both children are animal lovers.

It was time to head back to the circus tent. This time we spotted the Budweiser exhibit but chose to skip it so we wouldn’t be late. Turns out we could have stopped. The 4 pm show was already full. There was one more show at 7 pm but we didn’t plan to be there that late so no circus this year. 🙁

Time for the mid-way. That was the really expensive stop. Those little dart games and ring toss I remembered from my childhood weren’t $.50 anymore, more like $2.00 – $5.00! The kids were pretty good at the games but it’s hard to pull them away.

Tickets for the rides were $1.75 each and most rides took 3-5 tickets. Those were much more expensive than I remember too.

But the kids were having fun and I chalked it up to making memories.

80 degrees in September

Posted on October 1, 2014October 1, 2014 by Dusty Roads

WOW! Blue sky and hot weather. Seems like a summer’s day not late September. Near Southeastern MA where I live the leaves made a sudden color change this week.

We are starting to see some reds and oranges sprinkled in among the greens and browns. But out near the western part of MA it’s still very green.

I know this because last week I drove the Mass Pike (RT 90) from New York to Worcester as I came back from the Adirondack Balloon Festival. Now, on the spur of the moment, I’m driving the same route again on my way to the BIG E, also known as The Eastern States Exposition. It is the largest agricultural event on the eastern seaboard and the sixth largest fair in the nation and I’ve never been.

To encourage me with this adventure I’ve picked up Nancy and her 2 children , Alex and Dawn. After all what’s a fair if you don’t have kids to enjoy it. It’s been years since I’ve been to any fair but I know there are lots of animals at this one, 4 H exhibits and the signature dessert, The Big E Cream Puff.

It’s about a 2 hour drive and we made one stop along the way for a bathroom break and leg stretch. The kids used to fall asleep on long rides but as they have gotten older they are more alert. They entertained themselves in the back seat with electronic toys and minimal sibling fighting.

We made it to the fair right about noon. We thought we had plenty of time to make the 1 pm circus in the big top. So we took our time heading in that direction. In fact, as soon as we entered the gates there was an elephant ride. Dare-devil Dawn had to try that right away.

A camel stood in the background and ponies carried smaller children. On the other side of the elephant was a petting zoo. So much to do and we just got here!

So What is Equine Affaire?

Posted on November 12, 2013November 12, 2013 by Dusty Roads

What is this show that’s getting all the buzz? I wasn’t really sure but I sure wasn’t prepared for it to be as huge as it was. 6000 people! There are so many different venues that it wasn’t that crowded. Sure , lots of people but the crowd moved along and I didn’t feel crushed even with a backpack and camera around my neck.

The first thing that hit me was that this looked more like a trade show than a horse show. Every building had stalls filled with horse related products, from feed to grooming, saddles to traces, horse blankets and ribbons for manes and tails. Outside were horse trailers and RV’s all set up for you to tour and put down your deposit.

A midway of sorts was set up with food stands, popcorn, fried dough, onion rings, hot dogs, hamburgers, some salads and sandwiches, even a baked potato stand. I certainly wouldn’t starve!

It was as I was walking through the 2nd building that I spotted the first horse. It was a 20 year old Morgan stallion, a more docile animal you’d never find. Hard to believe he was a stallion, not a gelding. His owners had opened the stall door and let him stick his head out and he was doing just that. He loved the attention and had quite a crowd. With all the little hands trying to pet him I skipped the pictures and moved on.

Most of the horses and ponies were in stalls with bars on top. Easy to see in but prevented much of a touch and photos were hard. I know what horses smell like. I owned two growing up but these horses didn’t seem to have much of an order at all. Not even the ones with steaming piles in their stalls!

The range of breeds was amazing. I always thought I had a good basic knowledge of “horse” but I had never heard of half the horses there. Of course there were the Morgan’s, standardbreds, Percherons, quarter horses and my personal favorite, the Arabian. If there were thoroughbreds I didn’t see them but maybe they were in another building.

There were ponies and miniature horses, pintos and paints and palominos. All of those were familiar, But then I saw some that looked like they had just come from the steppes of Russia, small but hardy, they ran with a funny gait, not a canter or a trot or a gallop.

They were listed in the program as Icelandics.

One horse in particular caught my eye, Norwegian Fjord Horse. This guy wasn’t big and tall, rather compact and solid. The breed standard said his color was dun but he looked gray to me. He had a distinctive black streak down the center of his mane.