Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 1

 This first day of the fair was definitely unprecedented! At first, I thought that the rain was going to put a damper on our escapades, as it's been raining all day. However, the rain had subsided when we walked out the door to head for the fair. The grounds were sparsely populated, I'm sure because of the rain we had had, and there was a chill in the air. Of course, as we all know, it wouldn't be the State Fair without some rain. The temps are predicted to be mild for the rest of the stretch, so for those people who love Fall weather,  you'll enjoy being outdoors!

First things first: All 6 of my cookies took ribbons! Monster cookie took third, Snickerdoodle and Sugar took second, and my Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and Peanut Butter took first! However, I'm not finished....The Peanut Butter also took Champion, the Purple Ribbon! I was thrilled beyond words, and I'll admit that I had tears in my eyes. Not only did I get a full sweep, but also purple! 2 goals that I've had for years! This definitely made my whole day if not my whole week! (Maybe even month, Lol). 

Following our visit to the Domestic Arts building, we just kind of walked around. In the midst of our walking, I ran into one of my junior campers from 20 years ago! It was so good to see Kurtis! Our last names are very similar, so we always joked that we were long lost cousins. I'm so glad that he recognized me and said something. Kids grow up and change, while we as adults...not so much. We have to rely on those former kiddos to recognize us and say something. Kurtis and I had a good chat, and that was another highlight of my evening. We also had a chance to see and talk to Lily and Landry, 2 of my church kids from many years back. We also found out that they had a connection to my wife, Julie. That was another highlight. Our first fair as a married couple. It's exciting for me to introduce her as my wife.  The best part of the fair for me is seeing people, especially those I haven't seen in a while.  

The smells of the fair were tantalizing. We walked past booths selling fried cookie dough, Pronto Pups, and all manner of fried foods. When purchasing fried foods, I always try to get a gander at the vendor's fryer oil. If it's dark, I know that it hasn't been changed recently, and I will pass on that. However, if it's light in color, I know that I'll get a fresher product. Considering how much fair foods cost, I want the best bang for my buck. We are trying to watch expenses this year, so we will not be indulging like we would like to. Hence, we're going to be picky about what we choose to eat. 

I have to promo Allen's P-Nut stand, who sells the cheapest bottled water and soda on the grounds. It just to the east of Ye Olde Mill. Of course, they also sell bags of roasted peanuts, and they are pretty good, and at a good price as well. 

The fairgrounds had it's share of daredevils. We watched several kids jumping across wide rivers of rainwater that had accumulated nearby. They were not succeeding in making it across. We stopped to cheer them on and encourage them, and they made the distance after that. They were pretty excited. 

We did not have the chance to make it into any buildings, but we have quite a stretch of days ahead of us to make several passes through. I'll be sure to post what we see in the buildings, and we'll offer reviews of any food items that we try. If you enjoy these reports, please drop a like and/or comment, so I can gauge how many people are reading. Thank you for taking the time to read, and I'll talk at you later! God bless!