IN THE FIELD: CAR SHOWS

 

Car shows are what I like to call “a gathering of mobile works of art”.

You can find all kinds of shapes, styles and models represented from stock as the manufacturer originally made the vehicle, to full out customs. Some cars and trucks are loaded with chrome adornments and some vehicles are customized with almost none. Paint schemes are always a treat to see since imagination is the only limit as to what colors of the rainbow are used to color the car or truck.

One thing you may want to consider when visiting a car show is to plan on spending way way way more time there than you would think you will need. The owners of the cars and trucks love to talk about the vehicle they brought to the show. The amount of automotive history you can learn in an afternoon is amazing. 

In addition to the car owners, fellow spectators are also a fun bunch to hang out with. Hearing their stories of previous shows and their interest in cars and trucks can keep you occupied for quite awhile. And sometimes you may be lucky enough to meet folks who are building a special vehicle of their own. Just don’t forget to check out the rest of the vehicles! 

When I come across a vehicle I would like to photograph, I always chat with the owner for a spell before I ask if I can get a few shots of their pride and joy. So far I’ve never had anyone say no. It’s great that the owners are so accommodating. 

The most recent car show I visited was at the Oley Valley Fair which took place a few weeks ago. See previous post. Cars were on display from the 1920’s to present day, so there was something there for all to enjoy.

 

IN THE FIELD: OLEY VALLEY COMMUNITY FAIR

A few weeks ago I paid a visit to the Oley Valley Community Fair. This fair has been a community tradition for 72 years.

First a bit of history…

The Oley valley is a fertile farming area in southeastern Pennsylvania where all sorts of livestock is raised and crops are grown. The valley encompasses several townships. In fact the history of the Oley Valley goes way back to the first German settlers of the early 1700’s. The township of Oley was formed in 1740 and in 1983 the entire township was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Daniel Boone was born in the valley. His family had a small farm where he lived until his early teens.

There are some neat old homes in fine condition in the town of Oley and many historic farmsteads in the valley.

Now back to the fair. I visited on the second day of the fair just as the gates where opening. Good thing I did because several exhibiters I was chatting with, mentioned that in a few hours mobs of people would descend on the fairgrounds.

 

There were several buildings/exhibit halls filled with baked goods, home canned goods, quilts, crafts, photography, examples of veggies, fruit crops, and all sorts of plants and flowers, all grown or made by adults as well as children. Local business were represented in yet another building. Outside in the fairgrounds, tractors and farm equipment were on display as were other forms of recreational equipment such as boats and all terrain vehicles. Open air buildings and tents housed exhibits of sheep, goats, pigs, cows, and rabbits to be observed and even petted if you wished. Ribbons and some cash prizes were awarded for the best of the best. 

There was a bandstand where one could sit and listen to various musical groups while resting one’s feet. Food is another big thing at this fair. I seriously doubt you could go hungry. The amusement rides and the tractor pulls were a big draw along with the antique and classic car show. I missed the really big tractor pulls which were held the day before, but it was still fun to watch the smaller ones. And by the way, what is a community fair with out a pumpkin growing contest? Well I have to admit I have never seen in person so many huge pumpkins. The winner was a huge 799 pounder. 

It was a great day for meandering around the fairgrounds and I am looking forward to visiting again next year. Maybe I’ll even try some of the famous French fries…it was a little early in the morning this time around.

 

IN THE FIELD: A MONTH APART ll

So far this year this country has seen the whole gamut of weather. Good and bad. Some areas have had a relatively normal spring and summer. 

Other areas not so much. There have been forest fires, tornados, rain, flooding, hurricanes, and in much higher elevations some snow.

Where I live we have seen more good than bad. Although, we did at times have an over abundance of rain and when the rains finally cleared out, we received a fair amount of sunshine. So most farmers crops grew like weeds.

Back in late spring and early summer I had taken a few photos of a nearby farm. I posted them a few entries ago. The first photo showed the fields ready for planting and the second photo showed that corn and soybean crops had been planted and were growing nicely. The photos in this post were taken in mid August and then again in mid September. In the second photo the corn, which is about seven feet tall, is ready to be harvested and the soybeans which are the green plants in the foreground will be ready to harvest any day now. 

I wonder what comes next…fallow fields or maybe winter wheat. And then snow. Time will tell.