Chandler Ostrich Festival

While Rich is teaching the kids how to play poker and blackjack tonight...really, and the comments are hysterically funny...I'm going to quickly put up a post about our fun day on Saturday. The day started with brunch outside with several of our winter neighbors while Dylan had a scrimmage baseball game.

Then we all met at the Chandler Ostrich Festival which is a major event here. I've long wanted to see the races. Those ostriches can move! But it's very hard to hold on while riding one bareback...

This rider is trying to catch up to her ostrich after falling off.

And then there were races with ostriches pulling chariots which were just as fast and funny!

I see a really great lookin' guy in the crowd watching the Dock Dogs!

These dogs can really fly off the dock in pursuit of the "game" thrown by the trainer.

Euro Bungee is bungee jumping off a trampoline. Sandee is waiting with the kids for their turn. In the second photo, look closely to see all three kids jumping at the same time and Sandee taking photos.

This was the biggest midway I've ever seen, even bigger than the one in Happy Hollow at the Illinois State Fair! There were so many rides that I had never seen before and my favorite is the flying carpet like ride shown in the photos below.

Shelby and Jackson ready for takeoff.

Dylan is riding next to the boy in the blue shirt.

They flew up and down and around; this one looked like so much fun!

Their mom is waiting as they get off of this ride.

We also watched the worst magic show you could even imagine, checked a few of the many vendors, rode a couple more cool rides, ate churros, drank icees, and...here's the story of the day. Dylan really wanted to play a carnival game and asked me several times if he could. As most of you know, I have no "short stories" so I explained to him how those games are all rigged, going into great detail. One of the games that I described is the balloon dart game. I told him about the dull darts and the thick balloons yada yada yada. Well, he REALLY wanted to do it so I finally agreed to fund his attempt...then Jackson wanted to try too. OKAY! Both of the boys popped four balloons with four darts. I tried to talk Shelby into the fishing game because everyone is a winner, but she insisted on trying the darts so...OKAY to her too. She proceeded to pop FIVE balloons with her four darts. They all won stuffed animals. So much for my vast knowledge about carnival games...giggle.

Even though it was so very dusty, sunny, hot and extremely crowded we all had a blast! There's nothing quite like a community festival! The kids are on Spring Break now for two weeks and we're hoping to pack it full of fun activities so stay tuned.

Lovin' Life ~~ And Festivals Like Those of My Childhood