Country Fair

An amazing day. An early start, had to get my ass over to pick up the boy as his mum was going out, not really a problem as I did that annoying waking-up-wide-awake at 6am ready for work even though it was a Sat. Why can I wake up like that on Sat totally awake when I've struggled all week? Weiiiiiiiird. Probably as I went to bed content after getting everything done I needed to on Friday AND still managed to get to bed on time (yes, all my t-shirts now finally fit away and my underwear is all sorted and only what I want there remaining).

Drove to get the boy. Got to her house and didn't react at my best. I wasn't exactly happy to see her shall we say, so I suddenly felt pissed off and unwilling to go play nice. Polite yes. But definitely cold. I am sorry but... if she is going to be such a complete bitch I am not going to reward her with being nice and friendly back. Did that for too long. Maybe I've tried to be her friend too much. Well, whatever, I don't have to pretend anymore just for peace at home, I just have to make sure the boy is ok. So I got there, knocked and just asked if the boy was ready and when she asked if I was going to come in I said no... as I knew she was in a hurry and just waited. Grrrrrrr I hate it. I always just want to smile and pretend everythings ok, but thats what kept me in that mess. I am sure there is a middle line somewhere.

Well, the boy was happy as anything and we spent the entire journey back home talking about school. He is SO chirpy about school. In his old school when I asked him about what he had done he would just say he couldnt remember. He didn't stop this time. They've been doing about the egyptians and he was so proud he knew an answer in class from things he had remembered when we'd talked before. He just loved it. He told me about the hieroglyphics they had had to try drawing. He told me about the gods and goddesses they had been drawing, Isis, Osiris, Anubis... (it was like listening to an episode of Stargate SG-1 ;-)). Seems they are going on a trip to the british museum soon which he is really excited about. His memory amazes me (but then I don't know many 7 year olds, so don't know whats normal) but he remembered what I'd told him about the Rosetta Stone there and how and why it was important. He even remembered the languages it had written on it. He does amaze me sometimes... but it does make me proud that special thing we have between us. OK so some dad's take their boys to the football, some go play baseball, we play with science and making things and trying to answer his questions about WHY and HOW but when I see him looking so proud that he's remembered at school what his Dad said... well, the world just stops. Nothing quite comes close.

We popped into town on the way back and he got all excited when he saw where they are building the new cinema (i just wish it wasn't going to take so long!) ate and then went off to the country fair. It had been advertised on street signs near our road and I didn't quite know what to expect... and got there and was even more dubious. It looked very... strange. Hokey. After paying to get in, it was very quiet, with very few people around. We wandered around the first bit, minature steam engines, a little awkwardly. I think we stood out a little. Everyone else there was obviously a collector or enuthsiast and talking in a completely different language to us, I am sure narrow-gauge means something to someone but it doesnt to me. They were lovely though, as pieces of engineering and the boy and I admired in our own little way, talking between us about which ones we preferred.

Wandering through the model exhibition made us smile... the same sort of intensity from the exhibitors. You could tell these were people that rain or shine, summer or winter, would spend every free moment making and repairing these model boats, planes, cars and then proudly showing them at shows like this every weekend. That kind of passion intrigues me... I don't understand it, it intimidates me a little as only people have inspired that sort of feeling in me, never hobbies or interests (well... ok.. so start me off on a few subjects and I may get a little hyper but I am not so into things the way some people follow Manga, or games or... I like things, I like computers and stuff for instance, but I can take or leave it. It's only people that really set me alight). It was like being in a different world though. These people obviously see each other so often, at so many shows, it was like an extended family. Ignoring the feeling we were intruders here we carried on.

It was a strange... lovely thing. The small steam engines, the old bikes, the old cars, the old commercial vehicles, the few little stalls. So many little groups that obviously knew each other from these things. It was in aid of a donkey sanctuary so there were lots of volunteers from that all around helping out. It was beguilling and you couldn't help but be drawn in. I think they were disappointed by the numbers there but we stayed, sneaking back from one thing to another. The boy smashing plates with a ball, laughing at me as I completely hopelessly missed shooting off packets of cereals with a cork gun. Watching the so beautiful dogs in the little dog show. Enjoying the amateur wild west shoot outs from a wild west enthusiast group. It just should have been... bad. I don't know what made it so great though. I've seen hospital fete's and school events that had more going on that still died but this was just... wonderful. There was just such a wonderful group spirit, such enthusiasm, such warmth we couldn't help but just stay and enjoy it.

The highlight for the boy was the ferret racing. He'd never seen a ferret before and used to be quite nervous around some animals. The ferret club had a dozen or more of the lovely things and as it was quiet they brought out one of the youngest. A fifteen week old female that just three weeks before was un-holdable when they had rescued it. It was nameless and they were still looking for a name (the guy explained as the boy petted it). We couldn't think of anything then but had a brain wave before we left... went back, and he loved the name so much he let the boy hold the ferret all by himself. So now there is a ferret called "Amber" in honour of a friend going through a rough time at the moment. That club will be at the big county show next week so they told the boy to make sure he pushed through to the front and said hi so he could see Amber again. This was one very very very proud and happy boy tonight.

We ended up staying for 4hrs and going away grinning. Maybe next year we wiill stay longer, go back in the evening for the late music. Such a delightful day.