Tulsa State Fair

“There are times when a luxury becomes a necessity.“

c e hollis

Some things are a treat and expensive, but we need to indulge in them to refresh and renew to keep our hearts functioning and our souls alive. After a long hard spell or a dry lifeless time in life we can refresh ourselves with a special outing: a trip to the flower gardens or the lake to swim and fish, a movie night, a lunch at a special restaurant, a drive in the country or any such enjoyable day trip.

For me the best fall trip after a long hot summer is to the Tulsa State Fair. I love to go early morning on a warm but growing cooler day and park near the oilman statue near the front gate. The rides are not running yet but the buildings are open so we can see the animals the cows, horses, pigs, rabbits and chickens and visit the petting zoo. There you can pet a fawn, and watch a wallaby, goats and alpacas, ducks and deer. You can see lambs, kids, and piglets newly born in the birthing pens.This gives you a peek at the future and builds hope.

Next I amble through the building with displays of 4-H and FHA projects. I see leaf, insect and grass collections, mini greenhouses, science fair projects, decorative pumpkins, potted plants, and Lego designs. I see baked goods, sewing projects, and canned goods artwork, and so many groups of fine work that I tire of walking. These inspire me and give me encouragement for the youths growing up into productive men and women.

I love the photography displays and admire fellow camera bugs’ work. There is so much talent to see on those aisles.There are photos of woods and meadows, of city streets and buildings, of people and flowers, butterflies, animals, and birds. It washes over me refreshing my eyes and renewing my own love for photography.

I see the rows of quilts on display some that must have taken months or even years to complete. Each square and each stitch made with love and care. The patterns on the quilts are so colorful and ingenious some just beautiful and some fun and delightful. I think about the past when family packed up their wagons and rode behind their horses to enter their home canned goods and prize quilts in the county fairs.

The took the best in hopes of winning blue ribbons for pies and breads and they ate their picnic lunches of fried chicken in the shade of old trees on the fair grounds. We look forward to the food truck offerings of fried mushrooms, cheese curds, hot dogs and corndogs, street corn, and lots of fried foods and funnel cakes and loads of wonderful greasy treats. There is music by the picnic tables– musicians from Peru and Ecuador play flutes and pan pipes. The sun is hot by lunch time but there blows a small breeze.

The Ford building has hundreds of products to investigate , to tste and try everything from jacuzzi tubs to cookware, to jewelry and clothing, to new foods and treats, to campers and boats. A candy store, watches, hats, leather goods, a butterfly house, trucks and cars, caramel apples and lemonade stands. Every bit of it bright and shiny and exciting priming my creative pump.

But I am growing weary with walking so we should head home soon. First a ride on the Ferris wheel The only ride I want to try. There were three wheels so we chose the biggest and off we went to stand in line in the hot sun waiting for our turn to load. The seats were comfortable and soon we were uo top with a great view of the whole fair and feeling the cooler air. A ride in the sky on the Ferris wheel reminds me of my childhood when Daddy took us to a fair in Texas. Old memories flood through my soul and cheer me.

Every year I go to the county fair and then to the state fair and enjoy the day much. It does my heart good. Have you been to a fair? How did it enrich your year?

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Finally, my brothers, whatever is true whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute if there is any excellence and if anything is worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Philippians 4:8

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