Saturday At The Fair

I love a parade! And who doesn't?

This morning was our annual county fair parade, and my friends Nancy, Mary and I each pulled up a chair under the breezy shade of an old maple tree outside Nancy's front door, and merrily watched the parade go by.

The beauty of living in Podunk, IA on fair parade day is that you know everyone in the parade, including those throwing the candy. In addition to candy, however, I snagged two Frisbees, a packet of sun block, a pencil, a book of matches, peanuts, a couple of hair combs, and a small plastic cow. Not bad for a morning's rest by the road. Oh, yeah, and we each got a miniature ice cream cone, as well.

Then it was over to Nancy's for hamburgers, baked beans, and ice cream with strawberries. I'd love to take in the actual fair, but Figure 8 races and Battle of the Bands just don't interest me right now. Besides that, I need a nap.

The really exciting news for the day is that our cat, Schmokers, with the sore paws from having her fingernails and reproductive organs extracted last week, licked the bandage off her right paw, which means I don't have to cut it off (the bandage, not the paw). I was really dreading that. She still limps and pouts, but the vet tells me she will get over this. I feel so guilty about having her declawed. She survived a wicked Iowa winter, coyotes, possums, raccoons, etc., only to be "saved" by me and morphed into a house cat, only to have her female parts and fingernails yanked out, followed by bleeding all over the floor, followed by a shot in the rump and a bandage. "Gee, thanks, Mom." I can hear her thinking. "I'm so glad you brought me into the house."

Everything has its trade-offs, of course. For instance, I live in a safe, small community, but most days I am bored out of my mind. There isn't much to do. Or, for example, movies only cost $6, but a movie rarely makes its first run showing here. So would I rather pay $10 and see a move fresh out of the can? Maybe. Depends. Living here is like living at Cheers -- everybody knows your name, and every thing else there is to know about you. They'll give you the shirt off their back when you're down on your luck, but they'll talk about you till they're blue in the face -- even if they have to make up stuff -- on your good days.

Yeah, there's something about the Iowa way to greet you if they greet you which they may not do at all. La La La.

To eat a funnel cake or not eat a funnel cake? That is the question.

Stay tuned.