Hello my friends,

I`m back with even more photos from my holiday. I can`t believe I took so many in just a week. Anyway, please don`t feel you have to look at them all, holiday photos can be boring to some people...lol!

Despite visiting Dorset for nine years we have never visited the County Show even though it`s on in the first week of September every year. This time Jim suggested that we give it a try and I`m so glad we did, we had the most wonderful time. The showground is on the side of a hill looking down on the county town of Dorchester, home of the famous author Thomas Hardy who referred to the town in his books as Casterbridge. His cottage is visited by many tourists nowadays. The show has so much to do and see and we never once bored by something there. It had everything from cardealerships to blacksmiths advertising their wares. One stall was selling handmade bamboo Indian Runner ducks of which one has found it`s way home with me....I`ve named him Quackers...lol! Now I must find him a mate, I should have bought two.

We watched a very funny display of sheep shearing by an Australian farmer called Mike. His laid back Aussie manner had the audience in stitches of laughter, me included. He sheared a sheep called Lucy and explained just how to keep the sheep relaxed during the process. I even laughed at the so-called sheep `dancing` at the end even though most of them were asleep instead of boogying...lol!

I also loved the Flower and Vegetable show with it`s beautiful displays of flowers and ....er, veg! The flowers as you can see in the photos absolutely gorgeous and the veggies were huge. As you know I`m more of a flower person but I was very impressed by the vegetable growers efforts. Near the end of the day we visited the mock-up of a village green. We listened to the village brass band and moved on to see the two packs of hounds that belonged to the local hunt. It was so funny because several of the hunt beagles escaped and were hotly pursued by huntsmen in full riding gear. Beagles being beagles weren`t that easily caught as they much prefered the rich smells that the show provided for them. I saw one of them disappear into the food tent and I wonder just how much havoc he caused in there, the mind boggles...lol!

Anyway, it was a very tiring day but worth it. If you are ever in the Dorset area in September I`d recommend a visit. Bye for now. :o)