Fair Daze

The Mid State Fair rolled into town with a bang.  Nearly two weeks of A-list entertainment, deep-fried Twinkies and Snicker bars, gooey cinnamon rolls, sweet Kettle corn, homemade exhibits, barns filled with livestock and buildings filled with vendors.  Unlike previous years, we've had a cool summer.  Normal fair temperatures of 105+ were missing while cool evenings required jackets and sweaters.

This was Elizabeth's first year at the fair.  Remember last year?  When every trip resulted in contractions that ended as soon as I was away from the smell of sawdust and cotton candy?  This year, we added her little face to our annual photobooth picture.

On the first day, we hit the midway.  The kids rode the rides and played the games while I scooted over to the Home Art Building to check on my jams.  I walked away with two red ribbons:  grape jelly and blackberry jam.  Next year...blue!  My photos didn't place, but I had a great time at the artists reception prior to the opening day. 

We went back to the fair before the Keith Urban concert.  We wandered the barns and let Joseph pet the animals.  We talked to the kids showing the cows, pigs and sheep.  We pet the velvety noses of the horses.  We laughed at the antics of the chickens. 

One last day, one last corn dog...we went back on Friday and wandered through the exhibitor halls.  We sampled roasted almonds, laughed at fun signs, watched cooking demonstrations.  We cooled our faces with fans bearing candidates' faces.

We finished the evening, sitting on a small grassy hill, sharing a cinnamon roll and watching the crowds pass by.  As we drove away, sweaty, dusty and tired, I felt summer start it's downward cycle.  The ever-pressing pull towards shorter days, longer nights, and cooler weather.