Hobby Thread - August 30, 2025 [Farmer Rex]

Welcome hobbyists! Pull up a chair and sit a spell with the Horde in this little corner of the interweb. This is the mighty, mighty officially sanctioned Ace of Spades Hobby Thread. The Ace of Spades Wheel of Hobbies(TM) was feeling agricultural this week. A spin of the Wheel landed on state and county fairs.

I have faith that you can either find something in the content that resonates or contribute your own hobbying interests.

You might be tempted to say "I have no hobbies or interests." Bah. Dig around in the content and soak in the comments. Be curious. Glad you're here.

What are you hobbying?

As per usual Hobby Thread etiquette, keep this thread limited to hobbying. All (legal) hobbying is welcome. However, politics, current events and religious debates can live in threads elsewhere. Pants are optional. Puns are welcome and encouraged.

Play nice. Don't be a troll and do not feed the trolls.

Are state and county fairs a hobby? Sure, why not? They're tradition, they showcase lots of hobbies, and they have activities and exhibitions not usually seen otherwise. They're all bound by common themes, yet have their own individual personalities.

Fairs offer the chance to show animals, celebrate arts and crafts, and generally give anything 4-H a public stage. Fairs are often the place that kids learn the payoff of time spent raising animals or kids see animals for the first time. The magic of a child seeing newborn chicks for the first time is powerful.

Quilts, cross stitch, flower arrangements, photography, woodworking, fruits and vegetables, cakes and cookies, pickles and jams compete for coveted blue ribbons honoring "the best."

Funnel cakes, carnival rides, and games of skill (or chance) give the midway life.

Somehow, it all comes together in a swirl of activity.

No, we are not going to Scarborough Fair. I don't care how much parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme you have. Anyone bringing up Scarborough Fair will earn a blot on their permanent record.

Do you attend fairs?

Do you exhibit or compete at fairs? If so, with what?

What is the most fun thing about fairs and why is it pig races?

What is the best thing about animal exhibits and why is it the birthing center?

What are your favorite midway games?

Did you grow up with fairs? What (legal) life lessons did you learn?

What fairs should be on the bucket list for those interested in attending?

One day old - welcome to the world!

These little piggies went to the fair.

Mama pig waiting to give birth:

Juvenile pig loves attention.

Piggie races are packed with puns.

Prize winning pickes!

Prize winning quilts and other textile arts are labors of love.

Sunflower crowd pleasers:

Food and beverage traditions:

Judging the heifers:

Step right up and win a prize!

A demolition derby is the best evening entertainment at the fair.

Did you miss the Hobby Thread last week? We did a musical instruments theme. The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content.

Notable comments from last week:

Words of wisdom:

"Because despite all our troubles, when things are grim out in that wide round world of ours, that's when it's really important to have a good hobby." Posted by: tankascribe at June 22, 2024 07:41 PM (HWxAD).

If you have trouble finding something in the content or comments that resonates with you, contribute something from your personal hobbying. We will feature a different theme next time. What are you hobbying? We love showing off Horde hobbying. Send thoughts, suggestions and photos of your hobbying to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com. Do mighty things.

posted by Open Blogger at 05:30 PM

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