Chronicles of a County Fair Reporter.
Posted: Monday, August 04, 2008
by Mike Fak
http://mikefak.com
Well the 72 nd Logan County Fair is in the books and I can rest up a little bit.
I decided in my new capacity with the Lincoln Daily News that I would give the fair my total attention after I was sure any important news blips or blurts were included in the day's edition.
I imagine our fairgrounds is just about a third of a mile by a quarter of a mile in length and sits like a huge rectangle on the west end of the city.
As a big city kid, when my wife and I first arrived in Central Illinois, the fair wasn't high on our things to do list. I and my family would average a fair visit once during the week, maybe twice when our son was a youngster but that was about it.
I didn't understand the fair and considered it just a day to walk around, see a few people you hadn't seen in a while and sweat to death on a late July afternoon or evening.
I learned a lot about people and why the county fairs everywhere are so important to them. Along the way of course there were a few humorous moments and I will share them with you.
I was at the stockyards area on the fourth day to take some pictures of fair winners in the swine contests. I went into the judging area where kids were showing their pigs for judging. They were huge hunks of bacon to be sure and they were making all kinds of noise when I inched myself between spectators to get close enough to take a few pictures. By this, the fourth day, everyone knew what I was doing as we had already posted about 30 full page color photographs of the fair and everyone thought that was a great idea.
Just as a big old farmer put his hand on my shoulder and helped me get right up to the arena's fence, all the pigs stopped squealing. It was almost funny that the noise had stopped so abruptly. Then a friend in the crowd yelled at me, "Hey Fak they must have heard about all the pork chop sandwiches you have been eating." I went with the joke and raising my hands in the air I held up eight fingers. The people around me laughed and the pigs started squealing again. It was almost like the pigs stopped to ask each other, "Is that the guy?" and when I showed eight pork chop sandwiches were already in my week's record books they took off squealing, "Oh my God, it is him, run for your lives."
I got a fright of my life when I decided to take a picture of two huge pigs sleeping in their stall. They had a foreleg or whatever it is called wrapped around each other like they were spouses or good buddies. Since they were sleeping I really worked the pose getting deep into concentrating on the best angle, distance and lighting. I was so intent in my work that when a huge boar in the next pen banged into me with a deep grunt I almost went up into the rafters. A smiling young farmer explained I was taking pictures of the boar's girlfriends. I guess he was mad I hadn't gotten a release signed from him before I put his babes on the internet for everyone to see.
I took a few pictures of a pen full of sheep that had these white canvas coverings all over them. They looked funny because these coverings went over their heads with only eye and nose holes keeping them from being totally covered up. When we were posting that picture, the publisher asked me if I knew why they were wearing those frocks. I mentioned I figured they were either white supremacists or it was some kind of fashion statement. I was advised it was to keep the animals clean since their pens would be full of the proverbial sheep blip if they decided to lie down. Sort of like the stuff I had tracked into the office on my shoes.
I spent a lot of time asking what an animal's proper name was. I know a pig from a goat from a chicken of course but they all have long fancy names. Until this week I had always used terminology like rump roast, baby back ribs, wings and pork loins to describe these creatures. Now I have learned about pullets and heifers, and angus and wethers so I won't look so silly next year and won't be describing an animal as a cow or a goat.
Yes, another county fair is in the books. I learned a lot. Especially which concessionaire had the best pork chop sandwich. No offense to the boar that wants to kill me.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)hi mike,you brought back memories of taking my kids to the warren county and sussex county fairs when they were young. it was a lot of fun with the kids, but now they're grown, so i'll have to wait for the grandkids, it doesn't seem as much fun when there are little ones around.thanks for sharing,my best,suei meant when there aren't little ones aroundAh the classic freudian slip Sue. I suppose it depends on how behaved the little whippersnappers are.
Mike,I have heard you were not to be allowed at the Logan County Fair after the your episode with Chilli judgeing. Also, that people were warned not to follow you closely. Now I know why I lost my lawsuit with the Logan County Smell Department all those years ago. But I have noticed the Fair does have a pretty fragrance the last seven years.Jim Griffin
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