It's August 26th and I'm sitting in a pool of sweat getting ready to leave the Minnesota State Fair. It 92 degrees, 97% humidity and the breeze is almost non-existent. I'm exhausted but happy. The Fair this year was really special for me. It was my wife's 1st and my awesome sister-in-law was able to get time off to go. We saw sixteen teams compete in the Draft Horse Supreme Six Horse Hitch Classic, four recently born liters of the absolute cutest little piglets and two teams of professional lumberjacks and lumberjills compete in all things tree.
Sixteen six horse hitches all in the same arena? Ninety-six beautiful well trained horses at the same time... Well actually four teams at a time but in the end they did filled the arena. It was something I'll never see again and will never forget. Turns out the Minnesota State Fair is one of the most competitive fairs in the country drawing horse teams of two, four, six and eight from around the United States and Canada. The competition was incredible and to my wife and I every team looked competitive. We watched closely and picked our winners. By the time it was all over her pick came in third and mine came in 2nd. My pick was from Colorado while her pick was from Oklahoma and driven by the only female driver who happened to be seventeen.
One of my highlights was a flower. It was the most beautiful Dahlia I've ever seen and it won the blue ribbon.
Many of the best things offered at the State fair are free. Touching the soft pink snout of a three day old piglet reminded me of summers on my uncle's farm in Iowa. On this trip I also learned my middle brother was shipped off to spend summers at Grandpa Beemer's in Hampton, Iowa to "hang out" while I was shipped off to my mom's sister in Keystone, Iowa to work on their farm. My uncle Smitty farmed about 1,000 acres and raised on average 900 pigs a year. There was always work to be done and I don't remember having any difficulty falling asleep during those summers.
While shopping and searching for the elusive fried Snicker we walked and walked. It would take a week to really see all that is offered at the Minnesota State Fair. As usual the Democrat Party of Minnesota had a street corner "building" with a dozen or so very interested volunteers milling about. It was fancy, professionally produced and inspiring.
I never did see anything "official" by the Republicans but there was a small booth sponsored by "Action 4 Liberty" that was going after Minnesota's Governor Walz with a passion. What it lacked in funding and pizzazz it made up with humor.
Anyone could walk up and take a spin. If it landed on a tiny red slice "Never Walz" you won a T-shirt. The eight wedges highlight eight things Walz has done or lied about.
- Stolen Valor
- COVID Snitch Line
- Tax Increases
- Burning Minneapolis
- Mask Mandates
- Tampons in Boy's Bathrooms
- Small Biz Crushed
- Child Trans Surgeries
Recently a new scandal has surfaced. Governor Walz has repeatedly said that the Republicans are anti IVF and without IVF he would not have a family. Making statements that JD Vance is anti IVF and would have prevented him from having a family seemed to cross the line. In reality Mrs. Walz used IUI or Intrauterine Insemination to conceive which is not opposed by any group in the United States.
