a perfect afternoon

Ever experience one of those perfect autumn afternoons where its equal parts sunny and breezy...
you're not quite sure if you will need a jacket or not but you bring one anyways just incase..
This afternoon was one of those and I was lucky enough to be able to spend it with my dad.

He took the afternoon off of work to take me along with him to the Sandwich Fair.

Fabulous idea seeing as how it is THE fair to be in attendance of in probubly the entire state of Illinois and the weather was absolutely gorgeous and breezy all afternoon and that definitely helped.

super adorable honey stand that's there year after year

Dad's been taking me there since my stroller days so its kinda tradition. We spent the afternoon browsing through exhibit halls, admiring the photography exhibits as well as the GIIII-normous vegetables of every color aligning the walls of one hall from floor to ceiling...
How in the heck do they grow 'em soooooooooooo big?
If you ask me they must've come from one pampered plant.

Then we made our appearance at the old steam engine and antique appliance area of the fair..

I can still hear the constant POP-pupupupup-POP that the steam engines let off as they powered anything from wood saws to primitive washing machines.

Kinda neat how things used to get done around the home back in the day..

one of the first dishwashers! it looked like you couldn't wash much
in it unless it was a plate

Going to fairs always helps me appreciate and rediscover the "domestic arts", as I like to call them...

Ya know, the canning, the baking, the embroidery, the quilting, the 'you name it and your grandmother could probubly do it in her sleep' stuff...

oh, Grandma Bodmer... if only you were still around to show me the ropes.. she was a VERY talented quilter

We spent some time to stand back in awe of the plethora of baked goods, including that yummy looking berry pie picture below.. Too bad the flies get to feast on them over the weekend :(

After four and a half hours of making our rounds tipping back on as much refillable ol' time soda as we could fit in us, as well as our customary BBQ chicken meal at the ever-so-delicious Fay's, we called her a day and made our trek back to the car.

Dad's metaphorical "unicorn"..haha... the $10, refillable-all-day-long, awesome cold tin cup, ol' time soda place..
We searched and searched for it.. found it..then proceeded to drink ourselves uncomfortably full on EVERY
kind of soda they had 

It was a perfect day.

My dad and I, we don't have to plan an elaborate outing, we just do what we like to do, laughing the entire time and just being us.

I am so blessed to have such a rare and special relationship with my dad.

Like he said to me today over our BBQ,

"Ya know, Nelli.. Not a lot of daughters couldn't stand being around their old man for this long.. I'm so glad that we're so similar..that we are the way we are"
Love ya, Daddio..
 Thanks for a perfecto afternoon