We have spent the past 4 days camped at the Ohio State Fair. This was the first BIG state fair we have ever been to and it was not disappointing.  There was so much to do and see we did not get to see it all.  There was lots of entertainment stages spread around the grounds and we saw many of the acts and bands. I was even chosen to dance with the break dancers and did my best moves, which were not quite up to the class of the real act. We even got to see the Budweiser Clydesdales.

We tried to see every animal showing and judging at the fair. We particularly like to watch the junior divisions. The kids put so much effort and enthusiasm into it.  We saw goats, cows, pigs, sheep and chickens. The sheep shearing competition was very interesting as we had never seen this in person before. We missed seeing baby piglets born by a few hours and overnight a calf was born.  We also had to see the cow made of butter. After the fair the butter is melted down and used for industrial purposes. 

A big part of the state fair experience is the variety of foods. We had everything from fried bologna to bourbon chicken. But the oddest thing we tried were the chocolate deviled eggs, which were surprisingly tasty. We both enjoyed the Dole Whip, a cool refreshing dessert that has the texture of custard. I also ate my share of homemade ice cream. 

We have spent the past two weeks in Michigan visiting with Josie's son Michael and her grand daughters Abby and Anne. We were able to see one of Anne's volleyball games, in which she scored 6 straight points with her killer serve. We boated on Lake Orion in the speedboat and then out on Lake St Claire on Michael's 45-foot Mathews Cruiser. 

I was able to get in 2 rounds of golf with my RV friend Russ, and a couple of rounds with Michael and his neighbor Glenn. I also participated in a charity golf outing for Down's Syndrome and was paired with Brian and his son Ben and daughter Maddy. We had a great time and due to their superior golfing skills, we finished at 13 under par. 

We found out that our RV friends Jim and Darleen were going to be in the Detroit area near the end of our visit so we told them where we were staying and hoped they could join us for a few days. They were able to adjust their plans and pulled into the same campground where we were staying. The next day Jim drove us to The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village where we spent the entire day taking in all of the exhibits and historic sites. We even got to push the 80-ton railroad roundhouse track from one side to the other. Not sure we could have done it with a train car on it. We finished the day with pizza and a tasty Chocolate Stout at Woodward Avenue Brewery. 

The next evening, we had a cookout at their RV with good wine and even better conversation. It was great catching up with our RV friends. 

Tomorrow we drive to the Ohio State Fair!

For the past 12 days we have been in the Midwest so I could attend dirt track races. We first stopped in Jackson, Minnesota for 3 nights of the World of Outlaws racing tour. During the day we were able to get out and look for Josie's china in a few antique shops. She was fortunate to find the mother lode in Spirit Lake, Iowa. We also found a Spudnutz bakery and enjoyed a few potato flour donuts. We had been introduced to them by our friends BJ and Karin in Idaho Falls a few years ago. 

From Jackson we drove to Knoxville, Iowa for a week. We visited the nearby town of Pella, Iowa where the headquarters of Pella Windows is located. Pella has a rich Dutch history, and the largest working windmill in the US is located there. We saw signs for Dutch Letters in the local bakery so we had to try one. It consists of a flakey dough with almond paste filling made into the shape of an S. It was very good. We also bought some local made bologna that had blue and gouda cheese in it. 

A few days later we drove over to Oskaloosa, Iowa, with its beautiful county courthouse, for a Loose-meat sandwich at Maid-Rite. Our friends Gerry and Bridget told us about them and we had to try one. It was very tasty, like a hamburger but not in a patty. 

My brother, Tom drove up from Kansas, and we attended 2 night of racing at the famous Knoxville Raceway. It was great visiting with my brother.