BBQ Festival

The weekend before last, Stud Muffin and I went to our county BBQ festival. We went on Saturday morning, so we missed most of the entertainment, but saw what was really important....carnival food! They had blocked off Main Street, so we walked around a bit, popped in to some vendor booths, said hi to a few folks and ate.



Some of you movie buffs might recognize the county courthouse. It was used in the movie "Walking Tall". That's all I know about it.



Even though it was morning, they were already frying some apple pies and churning ice cream. I don't think I've ever seen an ice cream churn run by a John Deere engine before! Gotta love the county! Why crank it yourself, when you have a tractor engine handy? I can always go for a dessert maker you can tow behind your truck!



As we ate our pies and ice cream, we watched the dog show on the courthouse front lawn. I did take some pictures, but they were too fuzzy (or someone walked in front as I clicked!) so you'll have to imagine. Dogs of all sizes, from giant to microscopic were paraded around in groups and ribbons were awarded. They had a category for "Best Dressed". One little doggie had on a Tennessee Vols cheerleading outfit. Kinda disturbing!

Too bad we were around for the Prettiest Pig contest. I'm sure that was a hoot! They had a whole spread in the local newspaper last week, showing pictures of the little kids who entered the tractor pull (lawn tractor, I think) and our County Clerk winning the pig calling contest for the umpteeth year in a row. The fire department was a big hit with it's fire truck. I wonder if our friend Rick brought his personal fire truck and sprayed people with his hook-and-ladder equipment?

All in all, it was a fun way to spend a few minutes eating enjoying a warm fall morning and admiring our sophistication. I mean, where else can you get this?



The other side of the booth advertised deep fried Twinkies too! The newspaper made fun of it all with a cartoon of a booth selling deep fried butter. I wouldn't put it past them around here. We'll deep fry just about anything!

Unfortunately, when we went to get actual BBQ ribs and chicken, the ribs weren't going to be ready for a while yet. So what if it was before noon! They had maybe 6 huge smoker-BBQs running. You'd think a few ribs wouldn't be too much to add (to my waistline.)

So, we left without the ribs and chicken, but had fun anyway! It wasn't as big or fancy as festival in other counties, but it was local and sweet, and makes you appreciate small town living!

Tough Topics

Image by goaltriangle.com


I am still trying to find some balance in my life. (Don't I look great in that photo?) My current schedule of 3 school days in a row and 4 days off is helping somewhat. I should mention the "days off" only means that my caboose doesn't have to be uptown in a lecture hall. I still have two study groups I work with (one for pediatric clinicals and one for lectures,) and reams of homework. But still.

I took my camera out when I worked in the garden last week. See the pretty pictures? Do you see the basket of pears I picked or the bucket full of cucumbers? No?!? Maybe it is because the battery was dead and the lens wouldn't even open. So I worked while the camera charged. Then there wasn't anything to show you because I pulled all of the cucumber vines out and ate brought in all the pears.

The last few weeks have presented some difficult nursing lectures. Domestic abuse of pregnant women, including a horrifying personal story from the instructor, full color abortion photos (so we will know what options to unwanted pregnancy can be offered in what time frame) and yesterday, stories of baby deliveries that went sadly oh-so-wrong. All things I must know how to handle, but I sure don't want to hear about.

Needless to say, I've been kinda wrecked after these sessions. So I have been offsetting those with a little yarn play.



I have started a ripple crochet blanket. Just a small throw to take the chill off. I loved going to the store and fondling the yarn, trying to find the right combination of colors. Sadly, our local Hobby Lobby has shrunk it's yarn department, so choices weren't terrific, but I got two shades of green, beige, white and berry. I was hoping for something softer, but couldn't come up with enough colors in the right weight.



But who cares! I'm playing with yarn again!!

Today is the annual BBQ festival in our little town. We are planning on attending after heading uptown to the Saturday Farmer's Market this morning. I plan to take my (now charged) camera an snap a few pics. Let's hope I remember to bring it. Too bad I've been so busy this year, otherwise, I could have had an entry for the "Prettiest Pig" contest!

So that about it from here. The weather has been absolutely perfect lately and I wish everyone still baking in the summer heat could share it.