Be prepared when you go to the fair

I learned the hard way earlier this week that taking pictures while walking through the cattle barn at the Greene County 4-H Fairgrounds was a bad idea. My eye was glued to the camera lens as the group of Junior Leaders and Mini 4-Hers walked behind the stalls of cattle.

I had high hopes of catching that perfect moment where a child would reach up to pet an animal, but instead I was distracted by the mound of manure stuck to the bottom of my left flip flop.

That alone was my first issue. Wearing flip flops to the fairgrounds. Luckily, the ground was not covered in mud, but my feet were nearly black as I left the horse and pony show, making my way back to the Commercial Building to the next event.

The long, dark pants I had chosen were a bad idea, as the temperature reached 90 degrees. The dark-colored shirt seemed to collect the sunlight and leave me sweltering.

The make-up I had applied that morning had basically vanished, and I may as well not have wasted the product that I had put in my hair, it ended up in a pony tail anyway.

This was my first experience at the 4-H Fairgrounds. For all you other first-time visitors, heed this warning: Dress accordingly.

It was interesting being able to see the young children engrossed by the horses that bound around the arena. Parents and grandparents cheered on their 4-Her. It was a great experience, but I would advise wearing tennis shoes. Especially if you decide to take a trip through one of the animal barns.

My advice would be to leave the make-up on the counter and the hair products in the cabinet. Straightened hair will become wavy and curly hair will become frayed.

Keep a hair tie around your wrist, in order to pull back the sweat-bearing strands of hair.

Sunglasses must also be a part of your accessorizing, as the sun shines brightly in the middle of the day.

Tank tops and/or lightly colored clothing should be the only clothing to escape your closet during fair week. The light colors deflect the light, leaving you cooler.

Parents, keep your eyes on the ground, and not in your camera lens. You don't want to take the smell of the barn home with you.

Seeing those children's faces as they win an award is priceless, whether it be your child, grandchild, friends or even strangers, as long as you are completely prepared.

Wouldn't you hate to miss your child receiving a Grand Champion award, with the excuse you were over heated because you had not taken the correct precautionary measures?

These kids spend the whole year tending to their animals, then spend an entire week in the heat, upwards of 90 degrees, every day. Kudos to them. Obviously they have found their means of keeping cool.

As for us first-time visitors, I guess we have to learn by trial and error. My next trip to the fairgrounds will be complete with tennis shoes, light colored T-shirt and bound-back hair. Also, I will be keeping my eye on the ground, with frequent stops to catch photographic moments.

Sabrina is a staff writer for the Greene County Daily World. She can be reached by telephone at 847-4487 or by email at swestfall@gcdailyworld.com .