It's fair time

The fair has come to town, and I'm planning to go tomorrow. This isn't the fair of my youth. I remember when the fair would come to the lot behind my elementary school, and there would be a lot of excitement as we'd go on rides, eat cotton candy and scream like crazy in the Fun House. That fair also had real scary things like a two-headed calf that was crammed in a bottle of formalin. I used to think that having two heads was awful. Now there are days that I could use an extra one.

I had a romantic encounter at the fair when I was in high school. There was this fair worker who was really fair. We started making eyes at each other and ended up doing some serious groping in the Fun House. Those were the days.

My father used to take me to the state fair which was a much bigger event. We especially enjoyed the state horse show. I never tired of watching the horses when I was a kid. I got to see some of the premier riders of the day who later went on to join the US Equestrian Team. My father had a love of horses and all animals that he passed on to me.

The fair that comes to this town is fun. It's bigger than the fairs of my youth. There are some rides that I enjoy like the gravity drop. But I don't go on the whirling ones because they make me hurl. Spewing elephant ears and fried lard over the crowd can get to be a bit embarrassing.

There's always some good entertainment too, like the old blues musician who is a one-man band. And then there is the petting zoo and the animal exhibits. I never realized that there were so many different types of rabbits. And the baby goats are always entertaining. They butt heads just for fun.

It's said that fall isn't here until the fair comes to this neck of the woods. So I'm going to go, enjoy some nostalgic moments, sample some unhealthy food, and feast on the sights and sounds.