Calf Wash

On Saturday morning, these young ladies 

were bathing their calves, preparing for 

a showmanship competition later that day.

The calves were pretty, with feminine heads,

and appeared to enjoy having me scratch

their chins and ears while the girls

soaped their flanks, washed shit from their

fannies, and lathered their tails.

The task of caring for the calves was 

only one among the girls' daily chores. 

Brought up on their parents' farms, 

what appears to be a bucolic life to city dwellers

is one of routine hard work, the results of which 

put food on both their tables, and ours.

Cows are Hard

As much as I enjoy the Fair, I've never before drawn a cow. I've taken plenty of pictures of cattle, patted their rumps and watched as they were washed and groomed. But actually sit down to attempt to draw an actual member of the bovine persuasion? Naw. No way.


Saturday was "Plein Air Day" at the Indiana State Fair. I decided to participate, but, since I buy my paint in quarts and pints, I did not have any little tubes of color, so I took some pastels and sheets of paper.


I think in terms of big gestures and can't draw small so drawing the Holstein lying on her straw bed was difficult; no matter what, I couldn't fit her on the paper in front of me. So her head's too big and her body is cramped. I think I truncated her trunk.


At least there's no black on my black and white cow.

Jenna, on the right, rests her head on the back of her stall buddy,
as they doze through the heat of the afternoon

Anyway, I like Jenna. She's my first cow and she seems to be smiling.


Given the sad events that occurred at the Fair last night, all events scheduled for today were cancelled and the grounds were closed. The Fair will reopen tomorrow, August 15, beginning with a memorial service for those lost and injured at 9 AM. While it hasn't been decided whether the concerts scheduled for the coming week will go on, other events will have their dates or sites shifted as needed to accommodate the circumstances. 

Where Milk Comes From

I got to the Fairgrounds before eight this morning to take part in the State Fair "Plein Air Day" for artists. I got there just in time to see the dairy farmers as they completed their morning routine caring for their cows. At the time, this little Brown Swiss was the only cow being milked.


In fact, the dairy cattle were just being brought into the grounds for their portion of the competition and their owners had been at work for hours getting their charges in place and making them comfortable. A lot of others were being bathed and groomed. 

Only after those tasks had been completed would the humans take some time to themselves. The welfare of the animals comes first.

And even little Hope can take time for some shut-eye before starting her big day in the children's display.

Earlier this evening, as I began working on this post, a severe thunderstorm entered the area, pushing ahead of it wind gusts reported to be 50-76 miles per hour. We'd been expecting storms later, but this one hit surprisingly quick. The rain did not start until about fifteen minutes after the gusts.


A warm and happy day at the Fair turned to tragedy as one of those wind gusts tore the canopy from the top of the grandstand stage, lifted the entire stage rigging which then collapsed forward onto the crowd below, gathered tonight for an appearance by the country music group Sugarland.


People had just begun evacuating the area a few minutes before the scaffolding collapsed, bringing down speakers, the lighting system and a large video screen onto the people at the front of the stage. At this time over forty people have been reported injured, while four people are confirmed to have been killed.


Before emergency crews arrived, members of the audience rushed to the stage, many of them working as one as they attempted to lift the wreckage off the people trapped below. Others who were medical personnel in their work life stepped in to assist the injured, as other audience members followed their instructions.


My condolences to the families of the people lost and to those injured.