And what are you looking at?

Heard someone early this week describe the Pennsylvania State Farm show as a farm zoo for city folk. Exactly.

What show fans get beyond the animals are programs about health, nature, cooking and baking, photography, sewing. Every minute during the farm show, there's something going on that you should see. Really.

No programs to suit you? Wander down to the cattle barn and pet the alpacas or sit on longhorn steers named Happy Bear or Blue Ridge Buckshot. See a display about where your acorn squash comes from. Watch someone make potato donuts. Most city folk won't get much closer to being a farmer than during this week.

It's not all squishy cow pies and odors that would gag a maggot--although there are plenty of both.  Check in with Shaver's Creek Environmental Center and listen to Jenn talk about eagles, turtles, snakes and bugs. Listen to the state health department explain why everyone ought to learn the new CPR. Eat a potato donut. Talk with Governor Corbett or Mrs. Corbett as they tour the barns. Discover why Pig #1 really is a better animal than Pig #2.

At the York Dispatch, we're big on showing what York County people are up to at the show. They might be square dancing, racing horses around barrels, shearing sheep or eating a potato donut. But sometimes, that's the problem. Draft horses, their carriages and equipment, for example, are fabulous subjects, but few are from York, or, if they are Yorkers, we've photographed them a dozen times already.

Horse shoe throwers and all their expressions are great to shoot, but few are local. During the weekend's high school rodeo, only three York girls were entered. One boy, but I couldn't find him.

So, above, you'll find mug shots of some of the animals at the Farm Show. They don't have names, I don't care where they live.  They are just animals at the farm who watch you wandering past their cage as much as you watch them.

They just stand there, wondering what in the world you're looking at, and thinking they'll be going home soon.

And by the way, they think your pink cowboy hat is fabulous.