A trip down memory lane...

I visited Aunt Jenny's Blog(Aunt Jenny's World) the other evening..and she happened to mention the flurry of activity around her house as members of her family were preparing their entries for the Country Fair.

Well..that got me to thinking...rather remembering a few events from my childhood..and one of my funniest memories that involved a Country Fair in a way...
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Well..one year I was oh..I guess about 13 yrs old..and ..
My dad worked in the orange groves..running a backhoe helping to keep the huge drainage ditches clear of debris in the groves.

We kids never knew what type of critter would wind up making its way home to us by way of traveling in either dad's shirt pocket..or tucked into his large black lunchbox.


Well...one evening here comes dad..with a big grin on his face..home from the groves..the work van dropping him off..us kids running out to greet him. The big orange igloo cooler in one hand, his black lunch box in the other.


He quickly told us 3 girls..(I am the oldest girl, with two twin sisters that are 3 yrs. younger than I, and a big brother that was 2 yrs. older than I.)
to gather round on the rug in the living room. And for me..since I was the oldest to get in the middle..and for all of us to get really close to the lunch box.

So here we were.. us 3 girls ..all huddling over this big black lunch box. With our faces all pressed close together. And dad says"oh..you gotta get closer" So we are as close as we can possibly get without tumbling over..just as excited as anything.

So dad says to me" carefully and slowly open the lid Tina Michelle"
So..I did....and....

There sitting in that big black lunch box were 6 big ole ugly eyes just a staring back at us!!..and all of the sudden ...all 3 of us shot up out of that floor like a cannon had gone off!

Oh land sakes alive! One of us went towards the front door, one of us headed towards the hallway..and me..I took off like greased lightning for the back door! We screamed to the high heavens!

Big ole bullfrogs had a taken' off after us! and were proceeding to jump all over the living room and landing on the kitchen table!

Once we figured out what they were...we gathered our wits about us..and my sisters proceeded to capture said frogs..me..I wanted nothing to do with those slimy critters.

But..I'll tell you what..Dad had just brought home the entries for the Country Fairs first ever "Frog Jumping Contest!"

I think back now as to why dad had that silly grin on his face..I think he well knew what those frogs would do..and the reaction it would cause once we saw those big ole ugly eyes staring back at us!..ha

Those frogs were so big they had to be kept in a small birdcage.

My sisters took the frogs to the fair..and one of them won a trophy.

My grandmother used to set up a craft booth at the fair with her crocheted items for sale. After the frog jumping contest..my sisters kept the prize winning frog/frogs in a cage up under the table. Folks kept coming by looking at those huge bull frogs and asking if they could buy them for frog legs. My dad told them "No" they aren't for frog legs, but if you want to buy them to use as breeding stock in your pond..then I'll sell them." He wound up selling them for I think it was about $10-$12.
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I used to be involved with 4-H as a kid..and our 4-H group was called "The Hillsborough Hillbillies" because we lived on a road called Hillsborough.
I was the treasurer/secretary of our club. Our neighbor was the club coordinator.
The things that I remember studying about in 4-H were horticulture, and poultry.
I remember entering art work..mostly oil paintings I had done.
It was always fun to bring home a ribbon.
I also always loved the livestock exhibits...and the craft booths..that was really my most favorite part of the fair..seeing the animals and the crafts that folks would make. I wasn't ever very interested in the rides.
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So..there you have it..a few of my memories from "way back when"...that had to do with the "Country Fair" :0)
Thanks for joining me in "blogland"
Have a wonderful evening!
~The Garden Goose~