Today was a trip to the local county show. A really nice hot day with no rain until 8pm by which time we were well on the way home.

There's something familiar about these shows which goes back to my childhood and some innocent excitement at the local carnival. I guess that's an age before video games and the Internet when the local army band and home made floats made everyone happy.

Country shows are like that. The culmination of the farmers year raising stock to show, producing honey or just taking a day out in the sun to look at the latest tractors and pass time with neighbours.

This show is early in a season that reaches out to September. It doesnt have that laziness you feel in later shows when the crops are gathered and people need to take a day out after all the work of a long hard season but it does being people together; farmers and neighbours; town and country; children and animals.

I guess in a world of pre-packaged, ready frozen, instant meals it's good for us all to see a little of the real world and what food production is like.