Well….the end of summer is upon us; soon kids are going back to school. The greatest showing of the change of seasons is the fact that the Minnesota State Fair is in full swing. Time to put on a good pair of walking shoes; put on the sun screen (we never had such a thing when we were growing up).
We printed a map of the fairgrounds off of the computer (back then you just picked one up as you entered the fairgrounds). Then we circled all of the restrooms, a clear sign of getting older.
Of course we had to circle all of the food items that are a must before you can call the day a success. It never ceases to amaze me that people go to the fair and eat the same fried chicken, corn dogs, and other everyday foods, when there is such a wealth of state fair only things to eat. Have you ever had a pork chop on a stick? Please don’t ask me why but the stick makes a different taste. Maybe in the mind only, but definitely different.
Considering I haven’t been to the fair since 1966, what a change had taken place. Some things are and will always be the same. We as a tradition from those days have to start out the day with a real cream puff, made with real cream. To start the day any other way just wouldn’t be right.
We then have to visit the John Deere tractors, because we always did when dad was alive, so we must. None of us live on a farm, but there is a lot to be said for nostalgia.
Down the road a bit is a huge barn full of sheep. For those unaccustomed to the smell, you can smell them a half a block away. That smell to us is like a piece of heaven, wow we went in, loved on all of the sheep and on our way out of the building were hand washing stations! Never before were they there, our country has become so germ conscious that you can’t pet a farm animal without worrying about what ghastly disease you might walk away with. How sad that is.
On to the horse barn, again loving on all of those horses, It seemed as though they were grumpy, well who wouldn’t be, cooped up in those tiny stalls for 10 days straight with millions of people walking by. Again leaving, a hand washing station with big signs hanging “WASH YOUR HANDS” as you are leaving.
OK now we are headed towards the cow barn, the smell is sweet to us as once again we went down memory lane. Those big beautiful brown eyed creatures are sure something to behold. One of them on the way to a judging contest gave us a huge chuckle as she proceeded to do what nature intended, with a barn hand running behind her to catch the natural manure so she wouldn’t dirty herself before the judging. Then as we are watching someone runs up and wipes the tush of this majestic animal with paper towel and baby wipes! I AM NOT LYING!
OK we are leaving and yes you guessed it another hand washing station with the same big signs. I believe half of the fun of getting to see the animals, especially for “city kids” has been robbed by the overly cautious germ fanatics…one little girl didn’t want to pet an animal because she had just washed her hands…how sad.
I have always been one for trying new foods, especially if someone dares me to do it, I am 59 now and that hasn’t changed. The first experiment of the day was elk meatballs, they wouldn’t have been half bad but they poured a nasty tasting sauce over them, I assume to disguise the flavor. Won’t do that again! I sure don’t want my time on earth to have been limited in any way, so the next new taste was deep fried alligator. Hmmmmm….. Not bad, close to chicken, with just a hint of wildness to it. If someone had told me years ago I would be eating alligator, I would have said sure when pigs fly.
OK now we have literally walked as far as humanly possible, without wearing holes in the soles of our shoes. Sadly its time to be heading back to the car and home.
One last stop, and this one wasn’t there in 1966 either…the big bucket of hot gooey chocolate chip cookies made right there on the spot. Absolutely heavenly! Not a bad way to end the day at all.
On the way home none of us have much to say, each of us in our own memory lane thought process. Thinking I am glad we went, but once a year is plenty!
Kathleen Bard
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