Off to the fair we go.

In an effort to have more fun these days, Keith and I decided to venture down to Sedalia Missouri on Tuesday and visit the MO state fair.  We are not necessarily "fair" people, we have not made a pilgrimage to state fairs all across America in hopes of hitting 50 in 50 by the time they pry the car keys from our cold dead hands.  But a fair visit every now and again is good clean (well, not in the livestock area...you gotta watch where you step) fun so we decided to take the short hour and a half drive to Sedalia.

I was hoping for a nice assortment of fried food on a stick.  Isn't that really the best perk of a day at the fair?  They can pretty much batter and fry anything these days and goodness knows Americans will eat it.  I have no problem with throwing concern for my arteries out the window for the day to imbibe in a few heart clogging snacks, but I was sorely disappointed in the available assortment.  Aside from your basic corn dogs, the food on a stick options were non-existent.  My desire for a fried Twinkie, or maybe a fried Oreo would have to wait for our next fair adventure.  We did, however, have lunch at the "Pork, the Other White Meat" building and were quite satisfied with our piggy filled meals.  I had a pork burger with bacon, and Keith had fall-off-the-bone tender BBQ ribs worthy of an oinky YUM-O!

After our pork-filled dining experience, we moved on to the livestock barns. We hit the goats,

piggys,

sheepys (they were in cognito!)

cows,

more piggies (ha, ha),

and bunnies (this one's for you Wendy!).

We walked and walked and walked and walked.  Something I could not do only a few short months ago.  But my new hip held up like a trooper!  And after visiting with the animals and looking at all the fair winners in categories from home grown bell peppers to quilts to cakes to arts and crafts to home spun yarn and painted porcelain, we took a break in the dairy building for some ice cream.  And there we saw it.  The maraschino cherry on the sundae of the Missouri State Fair - the ginormous butter sculpture of a cow...thinking...





This artistic piece of cholesterol magic was behind glass in a temperature controlled room for all to see.  We in Missouri are not to be outdone by the Iowa state fair (which garnered much media attention for it's fried food on a stick and out of place GOP candidates on the stump) which has quite a legacy of ginormous butter carvings created for their fair. 

Not being able to top the butter sculpture, we knew instinctively it was time to go.  We departed the fair tired but satisfied that we partook in all that the MO fair had to offer and yet with our arteries and cholesterol levels in tact.  A good day was had by all.  And pork...