Fiddlin' Around

Although this girl is young, her expression leaves no doubt that she is very prepared
for her turn playing in the Indiana State Fair Fiddle Contest.

I passed through the storage building at Pioneer Village on Saturday, on my way to another event, where I saw people tuning their fiddles and warming up for the annual Indiana State Fair Fiddle Contest. Behind the barn a young woman was tuning up, making sure she and her accompanist were in harmony, as inside an older man went from one entrant to another with his guitar, calmly making sure he and his charges would be in tune, as well.

As one of the entrants told me, while it is important that your fiddle
 be in tune, it's more important that the fiddler and their accompanist
be in tune with each other.

The contest is sponsored each year by Traditional Arts Indiana, an organization devoted to "expanding public awareness of Indiana's traditional practices," focusing on the artistic sensibilities as they are defined by the communities in which the artists participate. Not only does this include music, but other skills as well, such as weaving, carving, pottery, lace-making and bee-keeping, among others.

Tuning and last minute practice behind the barn

The contest was divided by age group into four classes: 11 years and under, ages 12-17, 18-59, and 60-plus. Each contestant was alloted 5 minutes in which to play 3 selections; a waltz, a hoedown, and a selection of the fiddler's choice. However, "Orange Blossom Special" and "Listen to the Mocking Bird" were not permitted to be played.

Unfortunately, the winners of this year's contest have not yet been posted, so I'm not able to say who won, but a great part of the contest is about community and learning from other players. I can tell you the audience was supportive and enjoyed listening to all the participants, because I could hear their cheers and applause pouring out of the Opry House.

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.  

Patterns, Redux

The northeast corner of the Indiana State Fairgrounds is the site of the Pioneer Village, a group of buildings from old farms that have been restored and erected on the grounds. Each year, farmers and artisans from all over the country come to the fair to display their skills and to show what farm life was like before modern conveniences, machinery and corporate farming became the norm. This site is also where the antique tractors are displayed, where wood logs are made into lumber with a steam operated mill; the audience for this work is typically shoulder to shoulder, as people watch a group of older men systematically produce a pile of evenly sized boards. 

One of the buildings is the corncrib shown in these pictures. The crib was used by farmers to store harvested corn for future use as winter feed for livestock and chickens. The dried corn would also have been the source for seed corn for planting the following year. As its golden color may indicate, it was also a farmer's stockpile; held against a time when money was short and the price of corn high, he could sell the stockpile for needed cash.

During the winter, it might be the chore for one of the children to grind the corn to feed the animals, keeping the cobs to use as livestock bedding and as fuel in their home.

Close-up view of a wire fence maker

More to come later from Pioneer Village.

State Fair Patterns

When I think of the State Fair, the most dominant image I have is of all the patterns and textures I see in all the venues. Whether it be the carnival inflatables and stuffed toys hung in tiers and clusters, the rows and rows of spotted Holstein cattle, or the brightly patterned dresses hung for sale, the repetition of design is there, every day, every year.

Cheap and tawdry has just as legitimate a place in our lives as does the sophisticated and sublime. Without one, how would we know the other?

I do kinda like these dresses.

It's summer and it's the Fair! 

So BRING IT ON!

Duly, Daisies

There they were, standing proud and tall, looking as though they went on for miles, a veritable army of good cheer. The sun shown down on them, and they returned the compliment with their own golden glow.

But I'm not so sure about this guy, which seems to have become an altar paying homage to BBQs past; Memorial Days, Fourths of July and Labor Day celebrations remembered. Which seems even more odd -- another generation removed from the reason the celebrations were established, we have an altar to the memories of memories.

Finally!

"It's about time!" 

"At last!"

"'Way overdue!"

All summer our weather in this area has been running hotter than normal. There've been few, if any, of those nice summer rain storms that break the temperatures and provide some relief from the summer's onslaught.

Yesterday, as I left work I felt raindrops on my skin for the first time in months. Instead of being annoyed, I enjoyed the warmth of the big drops.

Another shower this evening brought with it the first cool breeze to have not been produced by the A/C. As I raised my head to greet the breeze, I thought I may also have felt the first hint of fall. Oh, well. The rain was 'way overdue.

But autumn will be right on time.