Earlier this fall we went for a drive on a beautiful sunny Saturday. Our goal was to go out to Soldier’s Grove to visit some apple orchards and then continue on to the Mississippi River. As often happens, however, when I plan to do one thing I end up doing something else. As we drove west on Highway 14 we only got as far as Arena when I spotted some farmers using horses to plow a field. I slowed down to take a look and saw a sign for Arena Plow and Plant Days. We turned in.
Now, I grew up on a farm, but not in the days of horse-drawn plows, so I was fascinated. There must have been 8 or 10 different teams of horses and a variety of old plows taking turns in the field. Spectators were allowed to try their hand. Farmers showed them what to do and then let them struggle with this very physical job. I, uh, well … I didn’t try it. Had I taken a turn I might be in a hospital now instead of sitting home writing this blog.
In addition to the horses and plows, there were old cars and farm equipment, miscellaneous items for sale, a raffle, and, best of all, a tent with food and drinks. In fact, I think what I enjoyed as much as anything was just being at this small-town festival. When I was a kid the highlight of the summer was the Kraut Festival in Franksville, Wisconsin. That festival no longer exists. I wouldn’t be surprised if many of these little fairs and festivals have closed over the years. We ate some food and bought some flowers and I took a lot of pictures. All in all, we had quite a good time.
(Click on any photo to enlarge, then use arrows to scroll through the images.)