A different kind fair, and hot weather memories

It was a different kind of Iowa State Fair for 2025.

Unlike in past years when we’ve camped most of the 11-day state fair, this year Debbie and I only spent five nights there.

We’ve had a lot of outside projects on our plate of late and had to put the fair on the back burner.

Anyway, I visited the fairgrounds three days, and Debbie was there four days.

We did watch a horse show and a cattle show this year. We also toured the culture center and the agriculture building.

Our oldest nephew, Gavin, took on the job of the Boer Goat Superintendent at this year’s fair. Family and other volunteers helped him register participants showing goats in the open class shows.

We are proud of Gavin for taking on this new role in his life.

He’s been raising goats for years and has showed them at the state fair a number of times. He now raises goats and has them processed and sells the meat at farmers markets and craft events.

As in past years, I entered 10 antique items this year and won one third place ribbon for a birthstone broach that belonged to my grandmother. The broach featured the birthstones of all of her siblings. I found the broach in my keepsakes while cleaning in the garage this summer.

Other antique items I entered this year included postcards, pop bottle openers, a carnival glass bowl, a cut glass candy dish, a pressed glass ice tea pitcher, a two-piece painted cast iron toy firetruck, a singletree (used on horse hitches), a Wizard of Oz children’s book and a set of native American drinking glasses.

And as we have since 2007, we sponsored two food contests at the state fair. One is “Fair Favorite Foods,” our oldest contest where folks make a dish that is special to them and their family during the fair.

We also sponsor a children’s book contest. The contest asks youth to make or create a dessert based on their favorite book.

Looking back, this year’s fair had its share of hot days. There were a few nice days, but it was hot more so than in past years.

It was so nasty on the last Saturday of the fair that I stayed in the camper all day.

On Sunday morning, Debbie and I ventured to the Pioneer Hall and made stops at the two fairground museums before heading back to the camper.

There was no breeze, and it was too hot!

In spite of the hot weather, the state fair drew a record 1,160,121 fairgoers. This year’s turnout was the third highest in fair history.

And speaking of hot, growing up in Oklahoma it was 95 degrees plus with high humidity most summer days.

It didn’t bother me that much when I was a kid, but now that I’m an adult, I don’t seem to handle the heat as well these days.

I was age 10 before my folks bought an air conditioner.

It was a Frigidaire 400 btu window unit that was installed in one of the dining room windows. It was later moved to the living room.

We used box fans to circulate the cool air throughout the house.

Mom’s rule was it had to be 92 degrees or higher outside to run the air conditioner. It ran every day all summer long.

At night, we’d turn off the A/C, open all the windows and turn on our attic fan.

Attic fans were common in the south.

A lot of the older homes featured big windows and large screened in porches where folks gathered, sipped on some ice tea and visited.

I don’t recall our vehicles having air conditioning, and my elementary and junior high schools didn’t have air conditioning. My high school had a newer building on the campus built in the early 1970s with A/C, but the main three-story building with basement was unair-conditioned.

I think air conditioning has since been added to my high school.

The days are getting shorter and fall, homecomings, holiday and craft events will be here sooner than later.

And this year, our youngest nephew, Peyton, is playing football at Montezuma. A year ago he was battling cancer and beat it, and this year, his senior year, he went out for football at Montezuma.

We are proud of him and of all of our nephews!

We plan to attend his games when possible.

Of course, I will be on the sidelines with camera in hand and a notebook stuffed in my back pocket covering the game.

Enjoy the rest of summer, and take time to visit with family and friends.

Have a great week, and always remember that “Good Things are Happening” every day.