Let's review how it went down:
The entrance to the Show. Here, Ryan asked which rides we should go on. I said that I would go on the Ferris wheel, and really that was only a maybe, and that I would also scream the whole time we were on it. Weirdly, he wasn't enthused and we didn't go on a single ride.
As a courtesy, these clowns suck your soul out right at the beginning.
We also found these amazing prize pumpkins and truly beautiful painted butternut squashes.
Our first food stop of the day: fried Oreos. Smells like home.
Next, we made our way to the baking tent, which was entirely composed of glass cases stacked high with vivisected cakes of all varieties. I don't know what these cakes were made out of, but an initial viewing suggests they may have been shellacked for posterity.
Various award winners
Congrats to Jo-Anne
"Puddings," I guess the British kind?
Look at the detail on those suckers.
The gluten free competitors.
Amazing/ macabre
Next it was off to a sheep dog demonstration, wherein four-to-six extremely enthusiastic and amazingly focused dogs demonstrated what they were literally born to do, while one very Australian man and a dozen sheep just hoped for the best.
Then it was time for some lunch:
After lunch, it was FINALLY. TIME. FOR. THE. WOOD CHOPPING!! People poured into the stadium, and we settled in with some ice cream (not pictured) and predicted which big man (or woman! there was one woman!) would be the best at cutting the required wood in the allotted time.
The wood had it coming.
After the chopping, we were ready to get our barnyard on. First, we traipsed through the duck and chicken section:
Behold! Ducks!
Preeeetty
Hello!!
This chicken looks like a demon
This duck stared me down and I looked away to show my submission
We didn't stay for too long
PIGLETS
PIGGGLETTTS
For $1, you could feed the goats and sheep. Ominously, the sign says not to feed the larger animals, I guess because they're big enough.
Petting zoo glamour shot
It all starts to innocently
"Hey little guy!"
"You're all so hungry!"
OH GEEZ
Perfection.