Next Year At The Fair

     This past Thursday Tom and I went to the Ohio State Fair.

     I love the State Fair.  In the 38 years we've lived in Columbus I've haven't missed visiting the Fair more than two or three times.
     And yet I never grow tired of going to the State Fair, every year I find myself looking forward with the same  anticipation to seeing the same old Fair sights I've been seeing every year for decades:
        The crowded fairgrounds,

...the  Type-2 Diabetes-On-A-Stick Fair food,

...yes, this is, in fact, a cheeseburger served between two glazed Krispy Kreme donuts.

     For 38 years I've been tempted to indulge in a funnel cake,

​...but so far I've managed to resist.

The Ohio State Fair food pyramid.

   Then there are  the animals,

...the ducks,

​...and chicks,

..and turkeys,

...the bunnies,

​...pigs,

...cows,

​...show horses,

...and - yes, I know this joke is getting old, but I still can't resist - the ku klux lambs, as we call the sheep in their coverings to keep their wool clean before they're judged.

     There are the commercial buildings,

...filled with vendors selling every kind of ware imaginable,

...things new and used,

​...some stuff you wonder why anybody would buy.

    And there are the bands that march around the fairgrounds throughout the day,

​...and the parades.

  And yet in truth he State Fair's offerings are never exactly the same.  There are always some variations and/or additions from year to year.
      For example, just when one would think that the creative genius of junk food had reached its pinnacle,  this year they've now figured out more ways to fatten up bacon:

    And in case you're wondering what chocolate-covered bacon looks like:

     Another addition this year, just inside the fairgrounds entrance was a grand display of colossal farm machinery.

​...with their colossal price tags.

   Looking at these machines one can see from where  movie writers come up with their story lines about  alien space ships landing in corn fields.

     And I did notice quite a few more play activities for children than usual,

      Of course the content of the exhibits changes from year to year. 
     This year as part of their exhibit the Boy Scouts set up a game called Ga-Ga Ball that the children did in fact seem to go ga-ga over,​      

​...while the Girl Scouts displayed Haikus on hiking  that they'd written.

     This year the Ag/Hort building offered, as always, some beautiful and interesting displays and competition entries:

​...including this 516-pound super-squash.

      And at the Dairy Building it's still mandatory to eat an ice cream,

​...while admiring the work of the butter sculptor's chosen interpretation for this year of the Butter Cow.

   And this year on the stage of the Natural Resources Center appeared a new act, a country western band (most of whose members were from Ohio), called Nashville Crush,

...who had some great vocal harmonies, banjo pickin' and fiddling going on, and who I'm sure I would have really enjoyed if I were a fan of contemporary country western. (Alas, I like only early classic country. But these guys were good musicians and entertainers).

    But at the other end of the fairgrounds is my perennially favorite State Fair spot, Cardinal Hall, the Creative/Heritage Crafts building, where every year one can find the latest artistic creations in, among other media, Brillo pads,

...miniatures,

... yummy-looking pies, cakes, cookies and candy,

...and my favorite exhibit of them all, the cake art.

     For the past couple of years I've harbored a fantasy daydream of someday taking  all my loved ones to Hawaii. 
       is, of course, a dream made of mist and air.
     But maybe starting today, while I'm still high on Fair love, I'll scale that that dream back to someday taking them all to the Ohio State Fair.