Goodridge knows goats

Open class competitor Marilyn Goodridge of Molalla knows her dairy goats. She laughed when I called her an expert milker, but anyone who can milk six goats in 20 minutes has some serious skills.

Last year Marilyn had a champion Oberhasli goat that produced 4100 pounds of milk in 305 days. That's an average of over 13 pounds per day. The best goats can give up to 17 pounds of milk per day, or just over two gallons. No wonder the heavy producers have to be milked three times a day.

All of which got me wondering, if you had a goat that was carrying 4100 pounds of milk all at once, how long would it take Marilyn, working non-stop, to milk it?

The answer? Not as long as it would take you.

Maralee's School of Dance

Maralee's School of Dance presented a whole passel of fun tap dance routines with great costumes and lively music. Here are pictures from just two.

This lucky guy got to dance with four lovely girls to "Mambo Number 5."





























When these little girls danced to "I Got What it Takes," the audience couldn't have agreed more.

4-H Cloverbuds rabbit and poultry show

It was off the end of the cuteness scale when the kindergarten through third-grade 4-H kids showed their rabbits and chickens.














Of course the parents and onlookers were out in force. This is a view from behind the judging table, looking out on the mob scene.

















The judges often lost out to parents in the competition for attention.






















Alexy Terry, 7, of Colton is in her first year of 4-H. Mom Kym said Alexy loves it.

















Already a third-year fair veteran at 7, Kelsey Urton of Mulino has her eyes on the poultry prize.

















Varrie Wilks, 7, and his sister Tierra Wilks, 5 of Beaver Creek, show their chickens. Varrie, in his second year in 4-H has a Golden Seabright breed and Tierra has a Silver Laced Wyandotte in this her first year.

















Varrie and Tierra's parents, Tom and Katie Wilks, watched intently while their kids were at the judging table. Tom was all smiles and kept giving his son and daughter enthusiastic thumbs up.

Get a Life Marching Band

According to their web site, the Get a Life Marching Band was founded in 1994 and consists of adults who were all in high school or college marching bands.

















Here the band plays Van Morrison's "Domino."

















This guy was really wailing on that drum.


















Not many people know this, but YMCA was originally composed for marching band. Which is, of course, how it got to be such a perennial crowd pleaser.

We have sparkles too

Walking out the main gate on my way to the fair office, I was dazzled by the glittery crowns and glamorous white attire of Julia Pidasheff, Miss Clackamas County (left), and Jessy Burris, Miss University of Oregon (right). Both contests are preliminary competitions for Miss America.

The women were not only visions in the early morning light, they were engaging and funny as well. This blogger doesn't mind admitting he suddenly forgot all about the livestock barn.

And here's a little celebrity dish on Jessy Burris: I ran into her later after her first appearance - I think it was in the Kiddie Capers parade - and she told me... her cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

You heard it here first, gentle readers.

Getting busy with the beef

4-H market beef judging started at 9:30 this morning and the kids were busy primping their steers beforehand.

















Kyle Cornett, 10, of Boring was brushing the hair forward on his steer - kind of a bovine backcomb. He explained that sometimes it makes the animal look bigger and beefier. Pretty sophisticated considering this is Kyle's first year in 4-H.


















Jennifer Kitchen, 10, of Sandy is very focused as she combs her steer. This is her first year in 4-H and she is all business.


















Keira Rathjen, 14, is another first-year 4-H member from Sandy. Keira, in red, has somehow convinced her friend Akaela Wafford, 15, to give her a hand. Akaela, also from Sandy, has shown cattle in the past, but this year is showing sheep and goats.

Good times for everyone at the steer wash.

Up early with the birds

Nikolas Shearer, open class poultry superintendent, says his job is babysitting 300 birds for a week. Before the fair opens, I find him climbing in cages to feed turkeys and geese. The two brown Chinese geese in this enclosure are camera-shy and hiding in the back.

Nikolas says that people are really serious about their birds in Clackamas County, with some people bringing 10-20 to the fair.

Open class poultry judging is this morning and results should be posted by 11:00.

Rise and shine

Good morning fairgoers!

It's 5:40 a.m. and time to start my first day of blogging about the best fair in Oregon - the Clackamas County fair. Everyone I've talked to says it's the best fair no matter how you measure it. I have it on good authority that people come from as far away as Seattle to see what a great fair is all about.

Here's what's at the top of my list for today:

• Kiwanis Kiddie Capers Parade at 10 a.m. They kids have animals, walking formations and "decorated wheeled entries." Excellent!
  
• 4-H monster cookie contest from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. I don't know if there are samples, but if not, you can get fresh baked cookies in Horning Hall courtesy of the best bakers in the Clackamas County Grange
  
• 4-H pack goat obstacle course, 10 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Ely Arena B. How long can you keep from smiling?
  

And number one on my list today is...
The 4-H Cloverbuds rabbit show and costume parade, 11 a.m., Rabbit and Poultry building. The cloverbuds are the kindergarten through third grade 4-H kids. If this isn't a good time, I don't know what is.

If you have questions about where 4-H events are, Roxie Applebee in the office of the 4-H exhibit hall should be able to help you. It's the second building on your left as you enter the main (red) gate.

There are food competitions, a talent show at 7 p.m., and just a crazy number of entertainers throughout the day: magic, music and dance galore. Check out the full schedule yourself.

Last but not least, today is Kids' Day, and children 15 and under get in free all day.

Enjoy yourself!