For those just joining us, this is the story of how I got roped into working the Collura Cottage at the Pasco County Fairgrounds in Feb. 2022.

I had been told that the board member that coerced us into doing this would locate and arrange for the judges to come from Manatee County. He did, and they did arrive on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 20, around 1:25 or so.

I was ready for them, however, with slips of paper with the judging forms, pens, clipboards and lots and lots of questions.

These judges had not been up our way for several years. They were used to a 10,000 square foot building, not my little 2000, or whatever it is. I kept hearing how great theirs was, so I was starting to get a complex.

However, deep down, I knew that I had done the very best that I could. We had collected 222 entries, and they were now displayed throughout the building, in a somewhat respectable, orderly and logical locations.

These are the wonderful judges who came freely up from a couple counties south of ours to spend the next 5 hours judging various entries.

 I’m not sure what I was expecting, but these were ordinary people with ordinary needs and an extraordinary love for their own local county fair. It showed in everything they did. They spoke often of what they did, how they did it, and what I might do to change things. I welcomed all suggestions eagerly.

 But we couldn’t gab all day. We had to start judging. I turned these ladies and gents loose after showing them the judging forms, asking them to use them, and and I went and found a chair and waited with another volunteer.

We reminisced about what we had to begin with, and sat in two of the rockers shown below while we waited.

This is what I had to begin with .. and each one shows what the judges then saw.

It was a real challenge, because I had never done anything quite like this before. But you can get the idea by looking at the before pictures and then seeing them change to what the judges saw.

Now, get ready for part 3.. when you’ll see the final layout with the ribbons.

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Thanks, Rachael, for sharing all that work!

Be sure to check out what my sis has for you in the store here!

Here’s one of the beauties we have!