Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 8

 I'll just come right out and say it...still no animal babies (Sigh). The closest to giving birth is the sow. They induced her this morning, but she is still not in active labor. We'll just keep going every day, and hopefully we'll see something this week. The vets came out bottle-fed the baby bull calf while we were there, so that was cute to see. 

We took a walk down the Midway, and it was packed! We saw a lot of people (mostly kiddos) who came and told us hello. Some of the kids we knew, and others we did not. Evidently we made an impression on them, because they remembered us by name. When I do not know them, I simply fake it, and put on a big smile and engage them in conversation. If a kid asks me if I remember them, I simply tell them I know exactly who they are, but they just need to remind me of their name. Sometimes it rings a bell, and if it doesn't...I still act like I know them. I'd hate to make a kid sad that I don't know them. 

We stopped into the Domestic Arts building to look at my ribbons again, and to look at other entries. We had a nice conversation with some of the people who oversee the building. I had always assumed that one of the awards, The Governor's Cookie Jar, was judged by the governor. I learned that cookie judges from the fair are the ones who determine the winners. The winner of the Governor's Cookie Jar then gets to present the cookie jar to the governor when he/she visits the fair. I was also ooohing and aaahing over the kitchen area where contestants prepare and present their products in the special event contests. Double oven, lots of counter space. My dream area. Then they let me look backstage, behind the scenes where a lot of other baking takes place. I was practically drooling now. Multiple ovens, tons of counter space, and huge long tables perfect for rolling out dough, setting pans out to cool, etc. That might seem a bit geeky to some of you that I got excited by that, but a true baker knows how truly exciting that is. The couple that we spoke to are retired, and they do this every year. That got Julie and I thinking about maybe us doing that when we retire. That's still quite a few years off, but it's something to ponder. 

We ate a good supper before we went out (always a good idea), so we weren't hungry when we went out, but that didn't prevent us from drooling over some good-smelling food. That's one thing about the state fair...the smells. Fried foods smells galore, all mixing together and filling the fairgrounds. Julie and are cutting costs this year by eating before we come, because fair food is so expensive. We've had bits and bites here and there, but we are not eating there every night. However, I do know how to make much of the fair food, so I plan on doing that more often. 

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. For many years, I have been bringing my mom out to spend a day at the fair. I let her pick where she wants to go. She's in charge. We always enjoy this day. She has been using a wheelchair the past few years, and her legs aren't as strong as they used to be. But that doesn't stop her from enjoying the fair. If you see us out and about, please come over and say hi! 

The hour is growing late, and it's time for this old man to go to bed. If you've been reading every night, thanks for hanging with me. I hope that you're finding them entertaining and informative. Thanks for reading, and God bless you!