It was a fair day after all...

My youngest celebrated her birthday at her grandparents house. It was a rather "muggy" day, as Aya picked up on the unusual word. Now she knows it is similar to humid.

I spent a good 10 minutes before I really got into the pool after grilling the burgers for lunch. Both my daughters were trying their best to pre-soak me before I entered the pool. They had giant squirt guns and some foam guns that were basically giant syringes filled with water. It came down to a soaking from the garden hose with cold tap water (I reigned king).

Aya wanted to come and join us but felt a little reserved - so she sat this one out. The remainder of the family jumped in the pool as well just to cool off.

After during the drying process our youngest hastily opened up her presents - there was much rejoicing. She got mostly cash, to which she will spend on what she likes instead of getting something she didn't really like. It seems this is what our family does most of the time, not that we can't be thoughtful about gift giving - but sometimes you can't always pick what a person likes and this saves the return process.

The sun was getting low in the sky, so we headed down from southern CT and drove to Rhode Island to check out the beach, for this would be Aya's first time on the Atlantic Ocean.

Standing on the sand watching gulls fly above and the surf pound the shore. We got sandy, sticky with salt and wet all at the same time - but it was worth every second. For people who grew up near the ocean it was nice break from the land-lock feeling of being in the center of New England.

I found it strange when Aya told me that they do not have Sea-Gulls at her ocean in Okinawa. I joked with her and asked if they had become a food item or were shot by fishermen - she assured me that neither my guesses were facts.

After the short ocean visit, which was more of a tease because we had to start heading back to Massachusetts, we headed for a fair in Brooklyn, Connecticut.

We as family typically start out at the smallest fairs and work out way up to the largest. This year the list includes:
Wales, MA (Old Home Day Fair)
Brooklyn, CT (Fair) <-------------------------(today)
Woodstock, CT (Fair)
Spencer, MA (Fair)
Big - E (Eastern States Exhibition) - Springfield, Ma

This was Aya's first agriculture fair. There were barns filled with chickens, rabbits and cows. There were tractor pulls and oxen team pulls. Not to mention all the vendor stands and food stands. They had country music jamming at the larger venue (not sure who was playing). Prices are going up though it was now $10.00 per head just to get in and $5.00 to park. Things never seem to stay cheap for long.