Plowing Match

We went to Howell Farm today to watch the plowing match. As it turns out, we got distracted at the creek catching crawdads so we only saw the tail end of things. Here are some pictures and commentary on our visit.

One of the horse teams. There was also the Jugtown String Band (in the background) which was fun to listen to.

We stopped at the creek and discovered that it was loaded with crawdads. James was determined to catch one!

Mama had to come down and show him how its done! :) Guess what? I still have it in me. I caught three! Unfortunately James didn't catch any. Next time...and Katie was too afraid to even try. 

This was an interesting pair: a horse and a mule? Did you know that a mule is the infertile offspring of a horse and a donkey? Yeah, I knew you would be glad I told you that. 

Another team coming back from the plowing match

This was one of my favorite teams. Aren't they gorgeous? Their harnesses were also beautiful. See the heart?

This was the tale end of the plowing match. I think this is the wife of the farmer on the left. She was trying her hand at plowing.

Can you guess what all those thin leather cords are for? It's an old fashioned fly harness. The swinging of the cords keeps the flies from landing. I can't imagine putting it on the horse though and making sure it was not tangled up!

Here is the dress I made, in action! Yay!