It’s fair time in northern Michigan! There are large regional ones and small county ones. I have to brag a bit. Our children did well at our county 4-H show this past week. Keith and Rachel both showed goats in the tiny tots showmanship and got “A” awards. 
(Admittedly, all the little kids did, but they tried hard.) Dorothy got 1st place in her showmanship class. Sam got 1st place in the Alpine goat breed class and reserve champion in the overall milking breeds. He also got reserve champion with his market goat. Joe got grand champion with his non-milking breed goat. The judge really liked the boer/nubian cross. Joe’s market goat got 3rd place, while Dorothy’s got 5th. The kids felt good about the income they earned from the sale of their market goats–and will help make the hot dogs for their buyer later this fall.
Our small county 4-H show may seem rinky-dink to some, but we’ve come to really appreciate it. Small, local fairs are about relationships–talking toeople you know, helping a friend’s kid succeed, watching kids grow and develop over the years. We can let the kids hang out with the other kids there without too much worry–everyone pretty well knows everyone. We’ve found that “local” engenders that kind of community–be it a 4-H fair, a farmer’s market, or a small town’s summer celebration.
So, we ended up proud of our kids and appreciative of our community. That’s a good place to be.