England 2010: Part 6

On Saturday morning, we finally had a visit from Auntie Mavis, Carole's sister. She came by the house and we had a nice time catching up - always good fun seeing Auntie Mavis. After Maddie's morning nap, we all headed down the road to the Hayfield Country Show and Sheepdog Trials. It was just what you'd imagine a great English country fair would be -- a lovely farmer's market, sweet rides for the kids, crafts, animal demonstra- tions... and RAIN!! We got lucky in that the first hour we were there was only *threatening* rain, but then it started... and unfortunately for the fair, it continued straight through the following day and was so heavy that they had to cancel that second day of the fair. Their website (above) shows photos of the sad, muddy hillside that remained after all was cleared away. Poor Hayfield Fair! Nevermind, we had a great time - the first photo shows a cyclist doing some cool tricks on ramps, in a very small physical space. I love this shot because it shows how beautiful the setting was; the fair itself took place on a hillside, so you were always trudging up or heading down, and at the bottom of the hill was another hill - so pretty. Pushing Maddie in the stroller wasn't easy! The next photo shows a sheepdog doing its "sheepdog thing," trying to rally the sheep into a special fenced area in the most efficient way. And then here's Ollie, enjoying a good old bounce. Our little lamb.

Almost forgot! That night Carole and Maurice babysat again and Andy and I went to Ian and Anne's house for a dinner party! All the usual suspects in attendance - Steve and Sabina, AJ and Ute - only Nige and Camilla were missing. Wonderful dinner with great friends, but no camera!