The Big E
It's been a good past few weeks, rolling into the beginning of fall. Around here, the beginning of fall means it's time for The Big E.
It's pretty much a agricultural state fair, but for all the New England states. Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and Connecticut all band together in West Springfield, MA, to show off their livestock, play around on rides, show off local wares and eat tons of fried food and dairy.
And that's pretty much what Rosemary and I did. She got to see a bunch of animals from the get-go, since first we hit up the stables. Saw a bunch of cows, llamas and sheep. We also saw a calf show and a lamb show.
We also saw a live sheep shearing, which looks like it's really uncomfortable for the sheep since it's forced to sit on its rump for about 10 minutes. But it was really amazing how large and thick a full-cut fleece is.
The best part is the food, of course. I ate a steak sandwich, fried shrimp, milkshake, fried cheese curds ... and the footlong corn dog pictured above.
Unless you're Rosemary, where petting cute animals is the best part. She did the petting zoo, and we also saw the largest and smallest horse. The largest horse's head was 8 feet off the ground! And the smallest horse was very tiny, sleeping in a tiny pen looking pitiful.
We closed the day with a parade, because they always have parades at The Big E. Pretty much every high school and middle school marching band and cheer squad from Chicopee, MA, showed up. Same thing for all the tow truck companies. So many tow trucks and local people waving. By then our feet were sore and bellies full.
Sated. So. Sated. One day we'll make it through the other New England states, but for now The Big E gives us a nice taste.