Saturday, July 30, 2011

Denver County Fair Day 1

Juju and I spent a couple hours roaming the fairgrounds in period costume, handing out cards for the Littleton History Museum fashion show we would later appear in. We didn't get to many strange looks, considering the steampunk community was out and about, and this urban fair had a Freakshow area. If I had had goggles I could have fit in with the former group. With the blue hair and gothic makeup of my college days, the latter.

Hubby and Mesha showed up in time for the show. (Our pictures of the runway turned out blurry.)

Juju was part of the "flannel family". The show was punctuated with stories taken from diaries or newspapers of the time. Her group represented parents with 3 kids - matching outfits because cloth was purchased by the bolt. The trip to town being 17 miles, a trip that long could not be done often in the 1860's. She is Laura-like in this picture is she not??

I was in a 1890's, oh-so-racy bicycling outfit. It was the beginning of trousers (MC hammer has nothing on these babies) for women. If the shirt was well boned, women were even known to go without a corset (the horror!)

We wandered around awhile. We saw the freakshow (the bearded lady was gorgeous! But Mesha was scared of Batboy and The Lizard man, but enjoyed the guys lying on nails and snapping their tongues in mousetraps.) Then we checked on Alice and Pippa. I had thought to supplement our flock with a couple hens, if available. We saw a large Buff Orphington for sale and some bantam brown leghorns. Then we saw the ducks. A mated pair of Welsh Harlequins - expected to lay at least 280 eggs a year.

Ivan was to be in the cat show, registered under "Fluffiest Cat". He was not happy in his little cat carrier and by the time the show started he was showing his displeasure. To Juju's disappointment, hers was the only entry in that category that showed up. She got 2nd place in the prettiest cat, partially for her good sportsmanship in her willingness to move to another category. !st place went to a Bengal. We left soon after, our runner up deserved to go home.

Not, however, before we bought the ducks.

Who the hell impulse buys ducks?! Any normal woman would be pining away for a Coach Purse or Jimmy Cho shoes. Hubby should be trying to justify a Tag Hauer watch. About 5 years ago I bought a Brighton necklace - after spending 4 hours hemming and hawing.

It took us less than 10 minutes to decide, separately, that we NEEDED these waterfowl. Our conversation, made entirely of looking at each other, then the pair took less than one.

We pick them up tomorrow after the fair is over.

There is something seriously wrong with us.

Getting Ivan ready for the fair

He has been protesting - Loudly - at his mistreatment. First Hubby and Juju ganged up on him periodically this last week to comb &/or cut out his various dreadlocks.

And now this.

Oh the humanity. . .

Friday, July 29, 2011

Poultry thriller

Pippa and Alice went to the fair yesterday.

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are very subdued all by themselves in the coop. All they saw was their companions squawking and being unceremoniously shoved into cat carriers.

I think they are hearing the theme from Jaws.

DA DUM . . . DA DUM . . . DA DUM DA DUM DA DUM . . . . . .

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Now for something comepletely different!

I loves me some IKEA.

The only thing I didn't like about moving to Colorado was the limited availability of Swedish Meatballs. . . and Lingonberry juice. . . and totally kick ass RTA furniture.

So at 7:40 AM I was in line for the 9am grand opening of the Centennial, CO store - 15 minutes away from the homestead.

Yet one more reason why I don't want a rural farm.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

#7 why I like chickens

They eat dinner screw-ups (in this case burned millet that was going to be the side dish for Chicken Kebabs) On a side note, our little flock looks a little dull without the Polish and Brown Leghorn for color. Hopefully there will be hens available at the fair.

No more Cornish

Dumpling is in a sink full of ice water now, cooling before I put her in the freezer. We have the 4 layers only now. She was even heavier than Quesadilla, being about 3 weeks older. The whole process took maybe 15 minutes.

Today Juju and I get fitted for our fashion show costumes for the Denver Fair. She is so excited. The museum called this last week to ask her to be a part of it. She is also entering Ivan (Fluffiest Cat). Hubby and Mesha are entering Pippa (Speckled Sussex) and Alice (Ameraucana) respectively. I entered the Pomegranate Cocktail Cherries I canned last fall. Saturday is well anticipated in our home.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Ooops! My bad. . .


Both empty. Full now.