Last night there were several stories to choose from to lead the web site. A big trial, couple of serious crimes, a big oil company cutting back on Alaska contractors. But, then late in the evening a bigger story broke. A world-record-breaking cabbage was weighed at the state fair. I swear if the sky were falling, but we came across a huge cabbage it would be the bigger news. This beast weighted 125.9 pounds, two pounds heavier than the previous record that had stood for 20 years. The record that one broke had stood for more than a century. We do love our giant cabbages.
Of course today I had to go see it at the state fair. In the long run, it’s huge, but it’s a cabbage. How much cole slaw can a guy eat after all? Still Alaska has the biggest one, have to love that. Incidentally one of the photos that won a big prize in the arts exhibit showed a baby happily snuggled among the leaves of another giant cabbage. And speaking of babies, though I was tempted by lots of things for sale, the only things I actually bought were some Alaska things for my new grand nephew.
The fair generates a complex set of responses. It was one of the things my son and I did just about every year and for the second year he is away at college and I had to go alone. At least that made it easier to go through the livestock barn which he would do anything to avoid if he could. The exhibit was disappointing in a sad sort of way. Every year there seem to be fewer and fewer animals. I can’t help thinking of the decline of the American family farm in general and here, the farms disappearing in favor of residential subdivisions. First time I went to this fair in the ‘70s the exhibit hall was overflowing with animals. This year they barely filled half the available space. For a while I watched the few 4H kids parade their sheep in the main ring for judging. Then wandering through the pens eating a pork chop on a stick I looked at the goats and sheep. Once I finished the chop I felt better going to look at the pigs. This next set of kids were taking their pigs to be judged. Interesting how they slip a mobile cage over them and then gently guide them to the judging ring. Watched that for a while, too, glad in a way they still do this and hoping somehow these kids carry on with the American farm and hoping I am not witnessing the end of that era altogether. Maybe there is some hope in these kids. I noticed one steer entered by a girl I had read about. She has won national awards in entrepreneurship and agriculture, was statewide president of the FAA and still entered her steer in the fair. The sign said she is away at college studying some aspects of agriculture, so maybe she and others like her will lead a resurgence.
The rest of the fair was more nostalgic than exciting. Had my pork chop on a stick. Skipped the turkey leg. For $9 it didn’t seem worth it any more. I did have cold frozen cheesecake in a cone, that was something, But with that I left the other sweets alone, including the funnel cake. I walked past the rides my son in his later years loved and sat for a time watching the little cars he couldn’t wait to drive when he was little. I did lust for a minute over a small tractor for sale. Don’t know why, and can’t think of a single reason I need one but would love to have one of those small tractors.
After about three hours, I left the fair with my little bag of clothing for that little fellow who was born about a month ago, clothing that back home would be called farmer’s, and I headed home.
On the way I passed a field of tall brown stalks and about a dozen sandhill cranes were poking around among them. Cranes, like the fair and those swans I see almost every day now, are sure signs the autumn is coming.
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