Pigfection #onlyinamerica

Surely I am not the only one who did a double take when driving past this Arby's sign.  After my initial thought that it was a misspelling, or some over ambitious fast-food worker's bright idea, I realized that this was part of a nationwide campaign based on the saying "roasted to pigfection".  For those unfamiliar with that saying, the sign seems to be spreading swine flu, my family's unfortunate take on it. If infection does not immediately come to mind when you read this, then you start drooling while imagining pigging out on perfect bacon. I love this: an idea that doesn't really work, but the US has taken it and run with it, knowing that, amidst the jeers, tweets, cringes and disapproval, the idea will spread like wild fire.  (How else can you explain Trump's nomination and following?)
The local county fair is full of ideas that anywhere else would never have taken off, but in this rural farming community have become more popular than corn-dogs (another unfortunate name for food).

 On Sunday the entries start to pour in. Anything and everything is accepted, just find a category to register it in.  I stood for quite a while puzzling over the grasses and some other items in jars resembling weeds. Each stem was carefully labelled and ribbons awarded.  I'd love to meet the person who entered the champion corn stalk.  Did they grow it from seed? Or did they pull it out of a neighbor's field?  And what criteria does a judge use to choose a prize green bean?
Of course, the fair is not only for judging entries, and there are plenty of vendors and special interest groups represented.  The Conservation building is just as puzzling to me.  The first time I entered I expected a ecological green message, but found only fishing and hunting booths.  Mounted heads and stuffed fish decorated the walls and you could get everything you needed to start killing wildlife.
I'm sure you can imagine the political booths.  Minnesota is traditionally a Democratic state, but that doesn't stop the Republicans pushing their candidate for president.

A TRUMP poster is not enough, and they have a larger than life cut out image for people to take selfies with.  The truth is that, where I would simply ignore a poster, I can hardly resist the opportunity to take a selfie with the man himself! Bad idea or not, it's a draw.
Half of the car-park is given over to campers.  The fairground campground has grown in popularity each year.  The obvious question is "why camp out here when you only live 20 minutes away?"  I decided to stay the night and find out for myself.  I stayed in a ghetto of relatives and friends of relatives.  The children run wild, and tend to the animals they will be showing tomorrow. The expensive campers are decorated with strings of lights and we spend the evening eating and talking under the stars.  About 10:30pm I seek out the shower house before bed.  The place is overrun with families trying to get their children clean, and the hot water has long since run out.  I give up on showering and head for bed.  The place still resembles a playground with children getting lost and found in the shadows and neon lights.

As I try to fall asleep, I am still mulling over the 4H rabbit show.  I was looking forward to this; the rabbits pose, get bundled about and generally look cute.  The kids showing their beloved pets are just as cute.  I'm smiling after watching the "Cloverbuds", then I hear the next category announced as "Friers",  Excuse me? What?  Apparently these adorable pets will be eaten as soon as the fair is over.  I find out that I am the only one who doesn't know this.  These kids are raising meat and no one even so much as raises an eyebrow.  I wonder if a blue ribbon tastes better than a red.
In the morning I wake up and the fairground is all business. It is pig day and senior citizen day.

They both get started early.  The seniors have difficulty getting around, so some of the animals come out to them. A young girl and her llama cross my path.  He is there for the seniors to pet.  Whose idea was that?  I resist getting bitten by a llama because I am late for the pig show.
I am no longer under the illusion that these are pets.  In my ignorance I assume the biggest, beefiest (porkiest) pigs will win.  I join the grandparents and parents in the stands to watch the kids bring out their enormous pigs.  The driving tool resembles a whip that is used to make the animals walk around the ring.  The whole thing resembles a circus with the judge as the ringmaster.  He expertly discusses feet, balance and hind quarters.  I wonder who first had the idea to have children choose a pig at random and then compete to which one turned out the best at the end of the summer. It seems like a variation of the biggest pumpkin growing contest. When this week is over, the prize pig will become bacon, and congratulations will be given to the child who watched it grow. Hardly fair, in my opinion.

But, of course, my opinion is irrelevant here. There is no denying the attraction of the pigs at the fair.  I join the crowd and watch the ringmaster define pigfection.