Fair Weather Friend

Today was my first experience going to the fair that I can remember. According to my mom, we went once when I was little and the smell of the hen house was enough for us never to go back, but I must say that we had a great time today. The only tragedy was that I didn't have the memory card in my camera, so when I took my first picture of Sarah on the free pony ride (after running all the way back to the car to get the camera since I had forgotten to stick it in the backpack) I got the most frustrating message of all time "CANNOT RECORD." I couldn't believe it. But, in an attempt to give some idea of what our morning was like, I took a picture of the girls eating hotdogs--the most fair-like food I could think of, outside while holding a few of their new found treasures.
Today was also the last day of our free manual labor. Our neighbors have been in Alaska on a cruise, and in an attempt to keep their 14 year old son busy they sent him to our house to "work on the farm" for a couple of hours each afternoon. I now realize why the South was as reluctant as they were to give up slavery. I loved having a slave for the week, and even if Johnny hadn't accomplished anything in the yard, his time at our house was well worth the visit. All three girls clung to him like glue all week. Here is one example of their many conversations.
Becca: "Johnny, what are you doing?"
Johnny: "I'm spraying these weeds with poison so they will die."
Ellie: (Pointing to a weed Johnny just sprayed) "Oh. Hey Johnny, you missed one. HERE! Quick! Quick!"
Johnny runs over to the weed and lightly resprays it. "Whew. Thanks for finding that for me."
Becca: Johnny! Come over here!! I found another weed!!

Johnny was at their beck and call all week, pushing them in the swing, getting them drinks, playing hide and seek and letting them "help" and still managed to get a lot done in the "jungle" for which I can't express enough gratitude--all I can say is that a box of Otter Pops and a few Jelly Beans was a great price for the help I received this week, and I'm not looking forward to "roughing it" alone again next week.