2025 Clark County Fair - Day 9!

Goodness, it's late! We fully Faired today! According to our video doorbell, we left Woodhaven at 9:08am and returned at 11:08pm. On Day 9! We are on punchy fumes!

Since The Last Day of Fair tomorrow (my heart says BOO! My body says YAY!) will start a little early, we're going to do something a little different tonight. I present to you:

A Photo and Caption Parade of Today's Fairing!

Because we waved our paddle around
in last year's Junior Livestock Auction,
we got invited to the JLA Breakfast
this morning. We felt very fancy!
It was held in a non-public "Hospitality"
area behind the Big Air Conditioned Building.
It was such a nice gesture even though
we felt like total imposters. I need to buy
me some Wranglers - and maybe a farm -
if we go again next year. We ran into our
neighbor who is a Fair Board member and is
legitimately fancy with his lanyards and
badges. We chatted Fair, parking, and Clydsdales.

Food eating contests are a HOOT if 
you know people stuffing their faces.
Today we knew most of a relay team
attempting to eat 8 cheeseburgers.
Although they came in last place,
it was very entertaining watching them.
I especially enjoyed watching Ali take
her time eating her burgers even though
it was a race. That comment deserves 
her pose in the photo.

We hung out in the Llama Greenway a
few times, wistfully remembering how
huge a part llamas once were in our 
Fairing. Things changed post-Covid
and there just hasn't been a lot of energy
or camelids the past few years. BUT! Our
chats today with old and new llama friends
have me bouncy with hope that grand days
in the Llama Greenway are again on the
horizon! YAAAAAY!!!!!

We were paddled up again for the Junior Livestock
Auction! There were about a zillion and half pigs
(actually 80ish) so it was a LONG day in the
auction ring. Those poor Rabbit kids. They
were last in the lineup after Poultry, Hogs, Beef,
Goats, and Sheep. I wonder if there were
any people and money left by the time
it was their turn? We popped in and out while 
waiting for the kids we wanted to support to be
called. No, we don't attempt to buy any animals.
We do this thing called "Add Ons" which is
basically just giving a kid extra money to say
"Great job!" without having the responsibility
to "process" and consume a whole pig or steer.

I chatted with one woman next to me who bought
a whole bunch of chickens and turkeys. She said
she used to do only add ons but last year things
got a little out of hand and she and her husband
bought a pig. I so desperately wanted the full story!
The spontaneous pig purchase ended up being very
expensive since they also had to buy a new freezer to
put the meat in. I'm relieved to say today's paddle waving
did not result in Rob and me needing to purchase
any large appliances. 

We had a list of a few kids we wanted
to support based on interactions and
parents. 4H Kids take note -- you NEVER
know what random stranger you chat
with will be impressed by your enthusiasm
and will make a note in her auction program
after you walk away so she can throw some
money your way. In addition to our list,
Rob gave me free rein to spontaneously wave my
paddle for whatever inspired reason struck my heart.
Like how ADORABLE are the ears on this black pig!?
Cha-ching!

This kid was an excellent pig tapper.
Not too hard, not too often, just enough to
guide the pig where he needed to go.
Cha-ching!

This girl smiled at the crowd the entire
time she was in the auction ring.
Cha-ching!

A polka dotted pig!!!
Cha-ching!

Passport Emergency!
We are running low on Passports! YIKES!
Rob and I spent an hour visiting a few departments
and managed to find about 70 surplus fans. We might 
need to hunt more down tomorrow. We also landed
on the idea of giving completed but unwanted fans
to the many adults (typically middle-aged women) who
just want the fan for cooling, not for playing. We have no
 idea how long today's recycled fans will last given tomorrow's 
forecast for mid-to-high 90s. Might be a long last day in the Gazebo.

I finally got to pet some animals!
Not pictured: a bunny rabbit and a guinea pig.
SO SOFT!!!
I'm pretty sure the gal is staring at my
milkshake earrings. I got lots of compliments
on them.

We finally had a chance to check out
the Cheese Department. The title
of this intriguing diagram is 
"The equitable art of cutting cheese"
Not even kidding.

We spent some time in the Poultry
Barn where I tried to take artsy photos
of chickens.

We attended the final round of the
Tuff Trucks with a capacity crowd!
Some friends were not able to join
us because the entrances were closed.
Clark County LOVES its dirt sports!

My friend Linda is a fellow Clark County
Fair Fanatic. She was so kind to gift me
some stickers and a pin she made! We bemoaned
the continued lack of any Fair swag and compared
notes on the swag we have made ourselves.
Linda is my people.

FAIR FOOD FEAST COLLAGE!

Top Row left to right:
Scrambled eggs, country potatoes,
sausage, and biscuit and gravy at the
JLA Breakfast. One of the nicest meals
I have had in a long time -- and it had nothing
to do with the food. Thank you, JLA!!

During the auction, 4H kids hand out free
water and snacks! Very smart way to keep people's
wallets from wandering away. I had forgotten
how deliciously salty Fritos are!

Strawberry Peach Pear Smasher!
My favorite this year!

Middle Row:
After watching all the hogs in the auction ring, 
I was hungry! There's a dearth of bacon available
on the Fairgrounds, so I had a ham and cheese
sandwich from the Church Ladies Pie booth.
Hit the spot!

Caramel apple from the fudge vendor inside
the Big Air Conditioned Building. I impressed
myself by not wearing any of the caramel! I hadn't
had a caramel apple in years. SO good! And not
nearly as messy as I feared.

Boysenberry and pineapple shave ice.
Still loving the boysenberry! The pineapple
was good but not a strong enough flavor. From
the Hawaiian Shave Ice truck outside the Food 
Court to the east.

Bottom Row:
That really tasty Lemon-Basil-Cucumber
water again from the Raclette Cheese booth.
I am going to have to try making this at home.
I'm getting a little addicted to it.

I returned to the Mac Shack for the Fried
Chicken Sandwich but this time without
the mac and cheese since it was boring a 
few days ago. I was all set to devour the
delicious fried chicken and was SO 
disappointed. They put some sort of 
thin cheese sauce on the chicken which made
the crispy batter all mushy and all the
spiced flavors disappeared. Annoyed, I
didn't finish it. I could ask them
not to put the sauce on, but I'm done trying
to like this booth. I'll go elsewhere next year.

Anticipating that the milkshake barn will
be closed when we leave tomorrow night, 
I got my favorite Strawberry Cookies n Cream
as a penultimate fairwell snack. I was intending
to enjoy it on the drive home, but I was done before
we got into the car.  Oops.