Are You Ready,

Reader Dear, to become Viewer Dear of the Decade?!  Have I got an explosion of pictures for you!
You know (please tell me you do) that I'm going to show you Horse Progress Days!   It was a roasting hot day today, but I couldn't get to HPD until late afternoon, so I missed the sun at it's zenith.  By the time I arrived, a cool breeze was making things pleasant and possibly the crowd had thinned a bit (Though there were obviously thousands milling about, the crowd did not give me the heebie-jeebies as I expected it might.)

Okay, then, hold onto your hat* while I present to you:
Horse Progress Days, Day One!

As I approached the site, multiple groups using a variety of transportation modes were making their way to the entrance.

There were lots of horseback riders directing traffic, handling the parking, and giving out information.
"Is this where I am to park?" I asked one of them through my open car window.  "It's too far to walk from here!  Can I get a ride?"
(I did.  There were multiple horse-drawn wagons handling that transportation need.)

But, goodness me, Viewer Dear, I can't comment on every photo or it will be time to return to Horse Progress Days by the time I finish (yes, Day Two!)

So you're on your own.  Should you have any questions I'll be standing by to assuage your curiosity (if I've got the facts to do so [I don't claim, of course, to know all there is to know about horses (or the religious sect known as Amish [or many other things about which you may inquire, for that matter])] But, ahem, I'll give it my best shot!)

I do need to say a word about this horse on a treadmill, it's foal (young one) waiting patiently by.  Having just stepped off a treadmill myself a few hours ago, I hoped this horse found the treadmill as exhilarating as I did (though I noticed she had a much steeper degree of incline, and no trainer standing by to say "Okay, now go get a drink of water, and what kind of exercise would you care to do next?" Not to mention, the air was a heck of a lot hotter for her!

Moving on.  There was a petting zoo for the children (no one was stopping the adults from enjoying these animals, however. I was especially tickled by the camel.  I did not pet him, but I was impressed that he was there [likely flaunting his hump whenever a horse happened by!)
 

 There was other fantastic fun for the children (I spotted no adults in the corn box, though there was at least one [I know without a doubt] who secretly wished to dive in)!

 It appeared that even those being buried alive were having a delightful time!

And now, Viewer Dear, I must employ that phrase that could lead one to (correctly) assume I've got many more photos to show you.  (It's so true!  I do!) To Be Continued...  

*I had to hold onto my hat, you see (my sun hat, made of straw).  The aforementioned breeze was playing havoc with it!  But what, I wondered, is holding all the hats on the heads of the hundreds of boys and men in the crowd?!  Have you any inside information, Viewer Dear?