Fair Time

People are often surprised when I say I was raised a country girl.

"Didn't you say you grew up in New York?"

Well, yes and no. I grew up an hour from New York City and while that's practically next door considering the size of New York State, it's far enough for Manhattanites to refer to as "Upstate." In my Upstate world we had no sidewalks or street lamps; some of the roads were still unpaved. Cows roamed onto our school playground and we bought our eggs from the chicken farm over the trestle bridge. Summer meant weeding and August meant canning -- in the swelter without air conditioning.

In spite of the latter, I was happy when an opportunity presented itself to go to the Goshen Fair in Litchfield County, Connecticut. Most people think of livestock, greasy food, country music and blue ribbons when they think of these fairs and it's true -- all of these items were there. But there other things present as well.

A sense of humor.


Giant vegetables.


Cute bunnies.




And this.


And this.


And this.


Love.


Remembering all of this, wouldn't you want to go home again, too?