We went to the Cass County fair today. I look forward to this day from year to year. I don’t know why I have to go “home” every year, but I do feel the need to see friends from the past, to revisit my youth and connect with people I will always love. Delana apparently feels much the same feelings because she took the kids to the carnival even though they had been to Adventureland in Des Moines one a few days earlier. Phil doesn’t normally get to go to the fair because of his work schedule. This year he is unemployed so he was able to join us.
I really wanted to visit with one of Mom’s good friends while we were in the area, but we didn’t manage to make it to her house. We did get to Grandpa and Grandma’s farm. The new owner has plowed over even the driveway so we could not even get to anything except the driveway. He certainly wants to get his money’s worth out of the land. There are few trees left standing out there. The “bottom land” looks like it always has ... creek and rock. The rest is sad. The trees are gone and the land has been abused for such a long time that it is only soil because it is dirt. The nutrients are all gone. He has done nothing to replenish what he has taken. He continues to add fertilizer every year so the plants grow and provide him with a crop. But he has done nothing to feed the soil and make it healthy so it will provide a nutritious product back to him. I am always amazed that farmers forget where they came from. How can they forget to feed the land?
OK, I will get off of my high horse and get back to today! We did drive through town, amazed at the changes. The carnival was fun. The kids were having a great time. Olivia was afraid of most of the rides but Ruby was a trooper. Now that she is 7 she is ready to take on the world! She was not happy while she was on the Ferris wheel with Caelum because Olivia and I got cotton candy … we did save her some! Ruby insisted on going on a ride that I thought would scare her so much …… she said she was scared but didn’t make a sound.
Phil said he wanted to ride only one ride …. The Tilt O Whirl. He purchased a ticket for each of us … then asked Caelum and Ruby to join us. We squeezed all 4 of us into one “car” and told the kids to hold on for a great ride. We leaned to the left and then to the right … we twirled and twisted. Caelums eyes were not focused. Ruby and I screamed as loud as we could. We had the best ride you can even think about having. I don’t think the little ones think Grandpa and Grandma can enjoy things like that ….. but we sure did!!!
The parade was great as always … the kids enjoyed all of the candy. I got to see people I haven’t seen in a long time. After the parade we visited the 4H barns. The kids loved the animals. They got to see sheep, goats, cows etc. Phil and I went to the chicken barn alone and ran into Jeannie Thomason … well truthfully she was holding “court” there. After looking at all the chickens, rabbits and pigeons we sat down and talked to her about chickens. She was able to give some great advice and help us make some decisions about how we want to proceed with the chickens. It is so nice to be one of the “Zaloudek girls” when I go home. A lot of people can’t remember which one I am …. But they always know I am “one of them”
I ran into several people who know me only as a “Zaloudek” but that is OK too. I still think of them with the same name we had while we were in high school.
I know I can’t go home again, but it sure is nice to visit!
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