North Carolina State Fair Research Paper

When most people think of the North Carolina State Fair many things come to mind such as richly smoked tin foil wrapped turkey legs, tipping, turning neon rides, driving around in circles looking for a place to park, and foods that no one would ever think to deep fry. When I think of the North Carolina State fair, I think of cold fall breezes, ammonia, sawdust, haircuts, and rushing around. My side of the State Fair is the side few see and many ignore. The State Fair for me normally begins sometime in late spring, early summer, when we start training the lambs. This consists of walking the sheep around in circles, teaching them to brace up against you with their legs positioned properly, and their backs straight. A couple months later and …show more content…
Even before entering the tent you can hear the bleating of hundreds of sheep and goats. Almost at a jog, I follow my uncle who knows where our two sheep are hidden amongst the hundreds of others, all in the one tent. Surprisingly the sheep have not dirtied themselves too much from the last time we washed them, so this will be easier that in would have been if they looked as they normally do. Once the sheep are haltered they are led back across the parking lot and up the hill to the concrete washing station attached to the side of the pig barn. They are tied up to rusty metal ring hanging off the side of the building, and the “fun“ beings. The cold water is sprayed onto the sheep who quickly, like a dog it shakes off in an attempt to stay dry. My father pours large globs of green soap into our hands and we “go to scrubbing” on the sheep, who despite their relative cleanliness need a bath. You start on the back and work your way down the sides, and then after getting more soap you start on the underbelly with by far needs the most cleaning. It takes awhile to get everything clean, but you do it eventually and by that time you are wet and your hands are the ones who need a