2009 Oklahoma State Fair

I rolled myself home from the 2009 Oklahoma State Fair, full of all the "fair food" I could have eaten one day. Actually, I think I ate more than I could have in one day.

I was also packing memories that will last me a lifetime. Even without all the photos of the fair I took. I met some great folks, saw some great sites and had a terrific time. I would say "just like every year," but, somehow, it gets better every year.

I met Froggie. He is a member of "Bikers Against Child Abuse" (BACA) and a genuinely nice man. We talked as we watched my daughter on the carousel. He told me had just left court; he had been there helping a child that had been abused. I learned a lot about BACA as my daughter waved from her purple horse.

I saw the livestock that was about to be shown. I met a very sweet bull named "Sanddollar Charger" who stole my heart. I didn't know bulls could love having their pictures taken so much. He had to have known what a camera was because he really hammed it up for me. Hammed it up! He's a bull. Sorry, I shouldn't laugh so hard at my own "funnies."

The "nursery" was great. We say baby goats (triplets) that were two days old and piglets that were four days old. We watched a baby chick hatch. The three of us stood in awe as another life entered the world. My daughter announced she wants baby pigs to live in our house. That was when we knew it was time to go to the insect exhibit. The beehive was fascinating, but she didn't want one of those at home.

My husband dragged me and my daughter out of the petting zoo. I knew he would have to that. She loved the camel and thought he was much softer than the sheep. She and I are both curious why a kangaroo and a turtle shared living quarters. They got along great, but it was an unusual combination.

I rode all the rides. I even got on the swings with my daughter. I can ride any roller coaster, "spin in tight circles" ride and the "drop you millions of feet" rides, but I don't do well on the ones where my feet dangle. Strange, I know, but that is me. I need to have a "Zipper" installed in my backyard. I could ride that one forever.

Of course, there was the food. I won't tell you how many of each I had, but I overly-enjoyed all the stuff they had to offer. I would love to have the recipe for fried Oreos and fried Twinkies. Why they aren't a food group all to themselves is a mystery to me. You can't live without them. I did eat some healthy stuff as well. The turkey legs were great as was the corn on the cob.

Unfortunately, the fair is over for this year. It was much more fun than last year which was much more fun than the year before. I sincerely hope I never get to old for the fair. I don't see how.

Happy Oklahoma traveling,

Emma Riley Sutton

Headed To the Oklahoma State Fair

I am so looking forward to tomorrow! I love going to the fair in Oklahoma City. It is one of the few times I get to be a kid again. Of course, this time I am on official business for my website. I'll try to remain professional as I ride the rides and eat all the great food.

Oh, the food...I can eat fair food all the time. Funnel cakes. Cotton candy. Those giant turkey legs. Corn on the cob. Hot dogs. Snow cones. I'll probably gain 50 pounds in one day, but I don't care. It isn't like I can go to the fair all the time; it only happens once a year.

Don't tell anyone, but my favorite part of the fair is the petting zoo. I leave smelling like a barn. I hope my husband doesn't make me ride on top of the car on the way home. One year, I was able to feed baby animals (goats, calves, foals and the like) with a bottle. That was a thrill. My daughter is going to love it. I'm not sure who is going to be harder to pull away from there. Probably me. My daughter is much better at following directions than I am.

I also love to look at all the exhibits. The quilts have always fascinated me. I will never understand how all those intricate designs are made. My granny was a quilter. She had the big wooden whatever-you-call-them hanging from her bedroom ceiling year round. She tried to teach me, but I was more interested in looking through her button box and all the fabric. She told a story for each one. I have all those memories, but no quilt to call my own. I'll take the memories any day.

Of course, I get to meet great folks. I will strike up a conversation with just about anyone. Everyone is so friendly. How can they not be? It is one of the happiest places on the planet. Maybe I will even run into some old friends there. It has happened before. I can think of so many friends from school I've lost track of over the years.

I can't wait to take all the photos I can possibly take. My memory card only holds 715 photos and I hope that will be enough. I may stop and get another memory card. I'm going to be a photo-taking fool. There is so much to see and I want to have memories for a lifetime. I also want to have some nice ones to add to my website. Yes, the Oklahoma State Fair is another reason to visit Oklahoma!

The bag is packed and all of our clothes are laid out. The only problem I'm having is falling asleep. I'm too excited to sleep. I can't wait.

Perhaps my next post will be that of an adult. Well, no. I'll have to tell everyone about my day at the fair. Maybe the post after my fair post.

Let me be a kid for a while. We all need that. The Oklahoma State Fair is the perfect place to do that. If you see a grown woman, skipping through the crowd and pointing at everything that catches her eye, it is probably me. Stop and say "Hey!" I'd love to meet you.

Happy Oklahoma traveling,

Emma Riley Sutton