Great taste, no calories

The Iowa State Fair is all about the food, right? Food we eat and enjoy and then regret when we remember the calories?

Well, the Fair offers huge banquets to enjoy that contain not one single calorie. One of those is on the second floor of the Varied Industries building.

That's where Iowa quilters display the fruits of their labor over the past year. And it is one huge bounty. Even folded so that only a small portion of each quilt shows, the entries still extend from ceiling to floor, covering three walls of a large room. 

Each quilt is a work of art. The colors, the patterns, the stitching all attest to the skill of so many dedicated quilters.  Each quilt, individually, is phenomenal. Grouped together, they create a kaleidoscope of shapes and colors.

A few photographs provide a taste of the variety on the plates of Iowa quilters. Here's a sample and you can enjoy them all with absolutely no calories!

Kids, Cats, Cars & Politicians

The Iowa State Fair is all about ____________ (fill in the blank)

Everybody thinks of something when they go to the Fair. Food on a stick. The big boar. The Midway. Livestock judging. The Butter Cow. Quilts. Horses. Big name acts in the Grandstand. When we go to the Fair, we have our own list of 'must sees,' 

But in the course of a day walking around the fairgrounds, some of the most interesting things are the things we didn't set out to see.  The extremely serious little boy taking his first spin at throwing a pot while his enthusiastic, encouraging mother looks on. The art of sunlight through a large leaf in the Master Gardener's garden.  The spiderweb grill of an old Oliver in the classic car line up.

Of course, in a year like this, it's impossible to avoid your random politician. But the fun part of that is listening to the people watching the politicians. The politicians give parents an up close and personal moment to engage their children in a discussion of the political process.

The Fair gives me opportunities to learn something new about such random things.  I happened upon domestic cat judging this year. Judges look for overall condition and handleability. Cats, of course have minds of their own and when they're done being handled, they're gone. Often before the judge is finished.

The Fair is all about ... Everything. Anything. For sure, the Fair is all about fun.

100 years of buttery bovine beauty

Those of you who know me, know I'm all about the cows. I grew up on an Iowa dairy farm and spent 35 years promoting the dairy industry. So, this year's Iowa State Fair hits me in the heart with its tribute to 100 years of the butter cow.

Always an attraction, this year the butter cow is everywhere. One hundred decorated cow statues dot the fairgrounds. Since these statues are more calf sized than cow sized, they're not as easy to spot. And they're easy to tuck into places you might not expect them. Finding every cow and having my picture taken with every one would take more than one day at the fair.

The sand sculpture in the Cultural Center is gradually turning into a cow and calf beside a very large block of butter and an even larger butter knife.

As I write this, I realize I didn't take a picture of the actual butter cow even though I went to see it. Long lines filed past the butter cow, just as always. This year the butter cow pays tribute to Duffy Lyon who sculpted the butter cow for 46 years and who passed away this year. Standing beside the butter cow is a teenage Duffy holding a butterfly in her hand. Also in sculpture is a young version of Joe Lyon, her husband of 60 years.

I hope you make it to the Iowa State Fair this year. And while you're there, find a cow. Or 100. It's only fitting.