Monday, August 16, 2010

State Fair

About the time I start wondering if the hot, steamy weather will never come to an end a little tune starts forming in my head.  It gets a little louder as I start to see the back to school ads in the paper.  Finally I can make out the words....it's an old Rodgers and Hammerstein tune "Our State Fair is a Great State Fair...."

Since our move to Missouri, Fritz and I always arrange  a trip to see his grandparents and visit the Great Indiana State Fair (Toolman had to work).   Call us corny, but we don't want to miss a thing--from the World's Largest Boar to the tiny bees in the honey extracting exhibit.

One of Fritz's favorite spots is "Little Hands on the Farm"--a chance to teach city kids about where our food comes from.   The kids put on aprons and hats and meander along a path gathering eggs...


 planting poker chip "seeds" and harvesting their crops. ..


  There's even a pretend cow with a rubber udder to milk. 


 Last year Fritz was deemed too big to ride the pedal tractors, there's always a log jam at that station anyway.  At the end of the trip the junior farmer deposits his eggs, produce and wool in the appropriate bins; turns in his apron, and collects a dollar for "selling" his crop.  He  gets to keep the hat and takes the dollar to the store to buy a treat--usually string cheese or a juice box.  Fritz usually opts for the Apple Jacks cereal since I don't allow him to eat it at home.

The next favorite venue at the fair is the fishing pond behind the Dept of Natural Resources building.  Twice a day youngsters are allowed to catch and release blue gills and catfish for 15 minutes or 3 fish, whichever comes first.  During the first weeks of the fair the fish often ignore the bait, they've been fed so much.  The last week though, most of the kids are in school and the fishing only occurs in the afternoon.  Believe me when I tell you by then those fish are HUNGRY!  Fritz has caught his limit with time to spare the last two years.  Here he is with Grandpa...



The Champion litter of pigs has always got a crowd.   This is a much cuter picture than the enormous boar, laying on its side covered with flies.


And then there's the midway...fortunately for my pocketbook they offer wristbands enabling kids to ride all they want from noon to 4pm.  In my college economics class we learned about the Law of Diminishing Returns, that is the more you consume a particular item the less satisfaction you'll derive from it.  Schnickelfritz is an exception to this rule.  He rode the Wacky Worm roller coaster over and over for 50 minutes.


 

I managed to find a little time to sneak off and see some of the more "girlie" sites of the fair.  I always enjoy the quilts and the cake decorating (I made my own wedding cake).  It's a good thing the Toolman didn't know there was a John Deere option before our reception.


 

Of course, after a full day at the fair there is usually a very quiet ride home.

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